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Jesse de Vorska held a unique position in the history of film not many actors can lay claim to. Not only was he a star of a number of silent films, but he also made a successful -- if short-lived -- transition to the new "talkies" format. The Lithuania native immigrated to the United States in 1914 and began working with a theater company in Syracuse, NY, which was run by some of his distant relatives. He gradually began working on the vaudeville circuit as a dancer, a skill that earned him notice in Hollywood, where he found himself gainfully employed around 1920. Among some of the more well-known stars de Vorska worked with were Lon Chaney and James Cagney. de Vorska took some time off from acting to serve in the United States Navy during both World Wars. The war and screen veteran died at the VA hospital in West Los Angeles, CA, in late 1999, at the age of 101.