The 1918-19 Spanish Flu pandemic killed somewhere between 17-50 million people, most of whom would remain forever unknown but there were a few noteworthy actors & filmmakers.
ACTORS & FILM MAKERS;
Gaby Deslys - A French stage & film actress, dancer & singer who was famous as a scandalous stage star in Paris, London & New York in the 1910's. She was considered a sex symbol who caused her male fans to brawl for her favours, carried on an affair with the King of Portugal and carried on fueds with critics than included a lawsuit against one and threats to have another horsewhipped. She made a few recordings and five films (all now lost) before dying of the flu. Her fame suggests she certainly would have made more films if she had lived but at the time of her death she was 38 and probably would not have been a film sex symbol in the Jazz Age, although her stage career would have been secure.
GABY DESLYS
GABY DANCING (1916)
Vera Kholodana - A major star of Russian films who made dozens of films (unclear how many) of which only eight survive, speciallizing in romantic and historic melodramas. After the Russian Revolution she remained in Russia and was still working when she died aged only 25 with a future in Soviet films assured.
VERA KHOLODANA
"THE LAST TANGO" (1918) ~ Starring Vera Kholanda;
VERA'S FUNERAL;
Gilda Langer - A young German film actress who in her short career managed to work with actor Conrad Veidt, and directors Fritz Lang, Paul Leni and Robert Wiene who had just cast her as the lead role as the damsel in distress in his next film "The Cabinet Of Dr Caligari" a soon-to-be horror classic when she died suddenly aged only 23.
GILDA LANGER
Myrtle Gonzalez - An American actress of Mexican-American background, Gonzalez made over 70 films in only 4 years (most of which were likely shorts) including several with actor/director William Desmond Taylor and a six part serial. Her trademark was a spunky girl-next-door type in westerns and outdoor adventure films. Ironically in spite of her tomboy image her health was poor and after marrying in 1917 she retired at least temporarily which turned out to be permanant when she died aged only 27.
MYRTLE GONZALEZ
"THE KISS" (1914) Starring Myrtle Gonzalez
Tessie Harron - The younger sister of actor Robert Harron, both members of DW Giffith's stable, Tessie had also appeared in a small role in a Griffith film "Hearts Of The World" (1918) but may have appeared as an extra in others. Griffith was pleased enough with her performance to sign her up for future roles but before she had the chance to make any more films she died aged only 22.
TESSIE HARRON
Corinne Gray - An American model who appeared in the notoriously graphic 1919 film about the Armenian Genocide "Ravished Armenia" (AKA "Auction Of Souls"). She reportedly caught the virus during filming of the final scene and died soon afterwards, this was her only film credit and nothing else is known about her although she may have appeared as an extra in others.
"RAVISHED ARMENIA"
Harold Lockwood - A major American leading man of the 1910's, he started out in Vaudeville before appearing in a number of films of various types including major films like DW Griffith's "Intolerance", "Tess Of The Storm Country" (with Mary Pickford) and "The Avenging Trail" when he died aged 31.
HAROLD LOCKWOOD
"A BRAVE LITTLE LADY" (1912) starring Harold Lockwood
Clifford Bruce ~ A Canadian actor known for being a strapping leading man or heavy in four dozen films including the classic serial "The Perils Of Pauline" (1914) and the Theda Bara films "A Fool There Was" (1915) and "Lady Audley's Secret" (1915, now lost), died aged 34.
CLIFFORD BRUCE
Shelley Hull - An American actor who had a successful stage career with several popular Broadway plays to his name over a dozen years. He had only recently moved into film making two films before dying aged 34.
SHELLY HULL
Einar Zangenberg - A Danish leading man known for action hero roles as well as playing Sherlock Holmes (which still survives), like some other Scandinavian actors as he built a name he moved to a bigger country to boost his career in 1914, in his case Germany where he was once again successful although. Apparently a burn-the-candle-at-both-ends type he also worked and partied himself into a sanitarium where he caught the influenza and died aged 35
EINAR ZANGENBERG
Julian L'Estrange - A British born actor who also had a successfull stage career for over a decade both in London and on Broadway before moving into films including one with Pauline Fredrick and Betty Blythe when he died aged 38.
JULIAN L'ESTRANGE
Dark Cloud - American-Indian film actor who appeared in several popular western films including directed by Francis Ford, DW Griffith and actors Mary Pickford & Mack Sennett including "Birth Of A Nation" and "Intolerance" as well as a model for painter Fredrick Remmington. He was one of the older actors of the 1910's dying aged 62
DARK CLOUD
John Collins - An American film director and screenwriter who made over forty films, many starring his wife popular actress Viola Dana when he died aged only 28.
Walter Stradling - Anglo-American cinematographer who worked with Cecile B DeMille, Mary Pickford, Blanche Sweet and Sessue Hayakawa.
GZABY DESLYS
GABY DESLYS SINGING
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