 Wartime proved hard on the film business . On September 23 , 1915 , Famous Players informed McKernan that “ On account of the boat Hesperian having been torpedoed by a German submarine , it will be necessary to skip two Weeklies ( short films ) , these having come forward to ourselves from our London representative via this boat . <unk> this occurrence , and trusting you will appreciate our position on this ... ” . McKernan ’ s supply of new films was decreased as the war dragged on , and McKernan advertised less and less frequently . Further complicating things , parts for the theatre ’ s Edison and Simplex projectors were difficult to come by at the best of times , and the complex machines proved difficult to maintain . McKernan did not live to see business pick up . He contracted Spanish Influenza and pneumonia in rapid succession , and died on February 18 , 1919 . 
