Lew Cody

This dark-haired, suave American-born matinée idol of French ancestry abandoned a medical career after receiving favorable reviews for his performance in a school play at McGill University in Montreal. He then went on to study drama at the Stanhope Wheatcroft School of Acting in New York, toured in Vaudeville and with stock companies before performing at the Winter Garden with his own troupe of players. Cody's first appearance on screen was in short films with the Balboa Amusement Company. He then worked for Thomas H. Ince and Mack Sennett, advancing to full-length features by 1917, initially playing villains. As his popularity soared, he gravitated to starring roles as amusing rogues and debonair bon vivants in dramas and light comedies, often with a continental background. He was a noted wit and much sought-after as a speaker at Hollywood parties. Though slightly encumbered by his rather pronounced French accent, Cody had just begun to make an impact in early talkies, when he unexpectedly died in his sleep due to heart disease. His first spouse was the famous silent screen comedienne Mabel Normand, who also died prematurely. Their short, rather unhappy union had reputedly been the result of a practical joke.