Image of Lew Ayres

Lew Ayres

1908-12-28 Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA

Image of Lew Ayres

Biografia

Lew Ayres was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota and raised in San Diego, California. A college dropout, he was found by a talent scout in the Coconut Grove nightclub in Los Angeles and entered Hollywood as a bit player. He was leading man to Greta Garbo in The Kiss (1929), but it was the role of Paul Baumer in All Quiet on the Western Front (1930) that was his big break. He was profoundly affected by the anti-war message of that film, and when, in 1942, the popular star of Young Dr. Kildare (1938) and subsequent Dr. Kildare films was drafted, he was a conscientious objector. America was outraged, and theaters vowed never to show his films again, but quietly he achieved the Medical Corps status he had requested, serving as a medic under fire in the South Pacific and as a chaplain's aid in New Guinea and the Phillipines. His return to film after the war was undistinguished until Johnny Belinda (1948) - his role as the sympathetic physician treating the deaf-mute Jane Wyman won him an Academy Award nomination as Best Actor. Subsequent movie roles were scarce; an opportunity to play Dr. Kildare in television was aborted when the network refused to honor his request for no cigarette sponsorship. He continued to act, but in the 1970s put his long experience into a project to bring to the west the philosophy of the East - the resulting film, Altars of the World (1976), while not a box-office success, won critical acclaim and a Golden Globe Award. Lew Ayres died in Los Angeles, California on December 30, 1996, just two days after his 88th birthday.

Películas

Checking Out: Grand Hotel Self (archive footage) 2004-02-03
Hart to Hart: Crimes of the Hart Professor Cabel 1994-03-25
Preminger: Anatomy of a Filmmaker actor 'Advise and 'Consent' (archive footage) (uncredited) 1991-10-28
Cast the First Stone Martin 1989-11-13
Under Siege John Pace 1986-02-09
Don Camillo Doc 1984-02-08
Geschundenes Zelluloid - Das Schicksal des Kinoklassikers "Im Westen nichts Neues" Himself 1984-01-01
Of Mice and Men Candy 1981-11-29
Reunion Bob Hollander 1980-10-14
Letters from Frank Dan Miller 1979-11-22
Battlestar Galactica President Adar 1978-09-16
Suddenly, Love Mr. Graham 1978-12-04
Damien – Omen II Bill Atherton 1978-06-09
The Story of Noah Noah 1978-11-19
End of the World Com. Joseph Beckerman 1977-08-01
That's Entertainment, Part II (archive footage) 1976-05-16
Francis Gary Powers: The True Story of the U-2 Spy Incident Allen Dulles 1976-09-29
Heatwave! Dr. Grayson 1974-01-27
The Questor Tapes Vaslovik 1974-01-23
The Stranger Prof. Dylan MacAuley 1973-02-26
Battle for the Planet of the Apes Mandemus 1973-06-15
The Biscuit Eater Mr. Ames 1972-03-22
The Man Noah Calvin 1972-07-19
She Waits Dr. Sam Carpenter 1972-01-28
Earth II President Charles Carter Durant 1971-11-28
Marcus Welby, M.D.: A Matter of Humanities Dr. Andrew Swanson 1969-03-26
Cocoon The Governor 1968-09-20
The Carpetbaggers 'Mac' McAllister 1964-04-08
Advise & Consent The Vice President 1962-06-06
One Against Many Dr. John Mohler 1956-03-07
No Escape John Howard Tracy 1953-07-31
Donovan's Brain Dr. Patrick J. Cory 1953-09-30
New Mexico Capt. Hunt 1951-05-18
The Capture Lin Vanner / Lindley Brown 1950-04-08
Johnny Belinda Dr. Robert Richardson 1948-09-14
The Way of Peace Narrator (voice) 1947-04-23
The Unfaithful Larry Hannaford 1947-07-01
The Dark Mirror Dr. Scott Elliott 1946-10-17
Blow-Ups of 1946 Self 1946-12-31
Dr. Kildare's Victory Dr. James Kildare 1942-02-04
Fingers at the Window Oliver Duffy 1942-04-22
Dr. Kildare's Wedding Day Dr. James Kildare 1941-08-22
Maisie Was a Lady Bob Rawlston 1941-01-10
The People Vs. Dr. Kildare Dr. James Kildare 1941-05-02
Hollywood: Style Center of the World Self 1940-05-29
Dr. Kildare Goes Home Dr. James Kildare 1940-09-06
Dr. Kildare's Crisis Dr. James Kildare 1940-11-29
Dr. Kildare's Strange Case Dr. James Kildare 1940-04-12
The Golden Fleecing Henry Twinkle 1940-08-16
A New Romance of Celluloid: The Miracle of Sound Self 1940-10-24
From the Ends of the Earth Self 1939-05-28
Remember? Sky Ames 1939-12-19
Broadway Serenade James Geoffrey 'Jimmy' Seymour 1939-04-07
These Glamour Girls Philip S. Griswold III 1939-08-18
Calling Dr. Kildare Dr. James Kildare 1939-04-28
The Ice Follies of 1939 Eddie Burgess 1939-03-10
The Secret of Dr. Kildare Dr. James Kildare 1939-11-24
King of the Newsboys Jerry Flynn 1938-03-18
Rich Man, Poor Girl Henry Thayer 1938-08-12
Holiday Ned Seton 1938-05-26
Spring Madness Sam Thatcher 1938-11-11
Young Dr. Kildare Dr. James Kildare 1938-10-14
Scandal Street Joe McKnight 1938-02-11
The Last Train from Madrid Bill Dexter 1937-06-11
Hold 'Em Navy Tommy Graham 1937-11-04
The Crime Nobody Saw Nick Milburn 1937-03-12
Shakedown Bob Sanderson 1936-07-17
Lady Be Careful Chester aka Dynamite 1936-09-03
Murder with Pictures Kent Murdock 1936-09-24
The Leathernecks Have Landed Woodruff 'Woody' Davis 1936-02-17
Panic on the Air Jerry Franklin 1936-04-10
The Lottery Lover Cadet Frank Harrington 1935-02-05
Spring Tonic Caleb Enix 1935-06-27
Silk Hat Kid Eddie Howard 1935-07-19
Cross Country Cruise Norman Winthrop 1934-01-16
Let’s Be Ritzy Jimmy Sterling 1934-05-01
Servants' Entrance Erik Landstrom 1934-09-25
She Learned About Sailors Larry Wilson 1934-06-28
Don't Bet on Love Bill McCaffrey 1933-06-30
My Weakness Ronnie Gregory 1933-09-22
State Fair Pat Gilbert 1933-02-10
The Cohens and Kellys in Hollywood Lew Ayres 1932-03-27
Night World Michael Rand 1932-05-04
Okay, America! Larry Wayne 1932-09-08
The Impatient Maiden Dr. Myron Brown 1932-03-01
Up for Murder Robert Marshall 1931-05-26
Iron Man Kid Mason 1931-04-29
Heaven on Earth States 1931-11-27
The Spirit of Notre Dame Edward Aloysius "Bucky" O'Brian 1931-10-13
Many a Slip Jerry Brooks 1931-03-02
All Quiet on the Western Front Paul Bäumer 1930-04-29
The Doorway to Hell Louie Ricarno 1930-10-18
East Is West Billy Benson 1930-10-23
Common Clay Hugh Fullerton 1930-08-01
The Kiss Pierre Lassalle 1929-11-15
The Sophomore Sophomore Fraternity Brother (uncredited) 1929-08-24
Big News Copyboy (uncredited) 1929-09-06