Who was Emerson Romero and what was the cause of his death?

Emerson Romero, born on August 19, 1900, in Havana, Cuba, was a pioneering Cuban-American silent film actor known by his stage name, Tommy Albert.

He became a significant figure in the film industry for his groundbreaking work in making films accessible to the deaf and hard of hearing community.

At the age of six, Romero lost his hearing due to a fever caused by whooping cough. This early challenge led him to attend the Wright Oral School in New York City, where he received specialized education.

Romero’s acting career began in 1924 when he joined his brother’s film company in Cuba. He starred in over 20 short films during the silent film era, including notable titles like Great Guns and The Cat’s Meow.

However, with the advent of sound films in 1927, Romero’s opportunities dwindled as studios increasingly sidelined actors with hearing impairments. Despite this setback, he remained active in the deaf community and co-founded the Theatre Guild of the Deaf in New York City in 1934.

An ingenious artist

One of Romero’s most notable contributions was developing the first technique for captioning sound films. In 1947, he innovatively inserted text frames between film strips to create captions, laying the groundwork for modern closed captioning.

His efforts were crucial in advocating for accessibility in cinema and inspired subsequent advancements in captioning technology.

Romero passed away on October 16, 1972, in Boulder, Colorado. His legacy continues to impact film accessibility today, as he is remembered not only for his contributions to cinema but also for his advocacy within the deaf community, ensuring that future generations could enjoy films regardless of hearing ability.