The Waterbury Democrat., 1931-05-15
Beldsco, Dean Of Amencan
 7heaters Dies; Long III
Cons scions to End Smiles
 $ Death Brings End to
 Brilliant Career Weak
 Heart From Which ie Had Suffered for Months,
 Brings Draperies of Death to rthIy Couch

New York, May 16.-(UP) The passing of David BelascO, 76-year- old miracle man of the American stage. was na0utned to-day through out the realm of the theater.
 The dean of producers died, not ] dramatically and in the throes of production as had been his life wish; ! but quietly Tn his four-r0om apart X ment at the Gladstone hotel. late yes- terday. C0ronary embOlism, clot in one of the: arteries near the heart, brought to an end "a col0rful career 4 which had its beginning in a dingy San Francisco basement.
 Funeral services have been set ten- 3 tativSly for Sunday morning at the Central gynogogue here. The the atrical producer's body will probably be placed in the family rriausoleumi at Linden Hills, |. T.. along side that of his wife, who died in Feb- ruary, 1926, at the age of SO. He is survived by q daughter, Mrs. Nor ris iGest, the former Reina Gest, and solomon. all of Los, Angeles. Another daughter, Mrs. William El- liott, died 16 years ago. .
 At his bedside when death came were his daughter, and his physician and friend of many years, Dr. Jerome B. Wagner. His last thoughts apparently were of his daughter, but he never expressed them in words.
 T am fighting for life, doctor" he said, smiling up from his bed at his physician. He had previously ex- pressed a, wish to see his daughter and she was summoned from anaad- joining room when it was realized the end was near.
 When Mrs. Gest. approached < the bed, the white haired Belascoe raised his eyes and showed that he recog- nized her. But he never spoke again. In q few seconds he expired.
 Belasco was stricken with his fatal illness only . short time before his death. He had attended . boxing match with seven of his colleagues and employees Friday and seemed in high spirits. Sunday he went for an automobile ride, but on Monday he felt indisposed.
 The following midnight he felt the bangs of heart attack and called for his physician. Wednesday Dr. Wagner summoned a heart special-. ist. At { .. m. yesterday. Belasco telephoned his nurse, who had cared for him through . four-month siege of pneumonia last winter. The nurse realized the precarious condition and wanted to summon Dr. Wagner, but the ever-considerate Belasco refused to allow him to be awakened from his slumbers.
 Ne chatted with his physicians during another consultation yester- day and called for a cup of tea, but he was too sick to drink it. Later, he knew that he had not long to live and asked that his daughter be called.
 David Bslasco.s career ended up- holding . tradition which he fol- lowed throughout his dramatic life. The curtain was descending on the matinee performance of one of his last Broadway success Tonight or Never" at about the same time he was dying. But the show went on last night just as Belasco would have wished 1t to.
 This was decided on after his seven department heads had held a consultation and decided that was what 'stho governor" as they re- spectfully referred to him, would have demanded. Just before last Christmas. Miss Helen Gahagan, star of Tonight or Never" lost her father, but she carried out a tra- dition of the theater and a Belasco rule and never missed perform ance.
 Belasco was born in a dark base- ment room in San Francisco, about 1S51-he never was quite sure of the date-the son of a Portuguese Jew, said to have been the first Harlequin in London, and Gypsy mother who was said to have been