Sydney, Silent Film Director, L.A.
I recently heard an interview on Canadian public radio (CBC) with a Canadian soldier in World War II. He was explaining how he was taken around the movie sets of wartime Hollywood by Sydney Alcott (or Alcock ?) who was evidently a director in the days of silent movies.
Sydney was a good friend of silent film star Mary Pickford (herself a Canadian b. in Toronto) and was very kind to Canadian troops who were in 'tinseltown' on a break from fighting the war. The soldier described how he bumped into people like Humphrey Bogart and Errol Flynn while walking around the film compound on his own - bet you can't do that any more - and they all invited him for lunch and drinks when they realized his 'costume' (uniform) was real. He was overwhelmed and kept copious notes for future recall.
Is anyone posting here related to Sydney Alcott/Alcock ? I am too young to remember silent movies and have never come across this name. He must have had some influence to get this soldier on to the lot.
How is he related to other names on this forum ? I think he was American by birth or by citizenship.