Echo Park

by Will Bellais

As World War I began, a young man went to London to learn the actor's craft. After World War II a promising career turns to that of bit player in the Frank Capra Film It's a Wonderful Life. Barrett Whitefall loses faith in his life and career. The best place for him is Echo Park's lake where he will end his life. A gentle man, Fernando Osonegro, discovers him at the lake's edge. Is he an angel, like the film's angel Clarence? He's much more. Fernando has a mission for Barrett; when the mission is fulfilled, everyone involved has a second chance to life and success. The story is a memory of Barrett's career as he lived it from 1918 to 1946. He works with D. W. Griffith, Noel Coward, Elsa Lanchester, Charles Laughton, Lon Chaney, and Mae West. His career languishes in 1946; he finds himself playing a "wolf" in Capra's film with a line or two. This is no place for a man who has devoted his life to an acting career. Through the magic of memory Fernando brings new hope to the actor who lost his lover, his wife, his career.

210 pages, Paperback

First published July 1, 2003