Name
Lew Ayres
Known For
Acting
Birthday
1908-12-28
Deathday
1996-12-30 (88 years old)
Place of Birth
Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
Biography
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.
Known For
7.759
When a group of idealistic young men join the German Army during the Great War, they are a...
5.675
The fifth and final episode in the Planet of the Apes series. After the collapse of human ...
6.414
Since the sudden and suspicious deaths of his parents, young Damien has been in the charge...
7.194
Proposed by the President of the United States to fill the post of Secretary of State, Rob...
6.896
After the destruction of the Twelve Colonies of Mankind, the last major fighter carrier le...
5.6
A priest helps the small town he's stationed in to resolve conflicts by working together....
7
A sister and her disturbed twin are implicated in a murder and a police detective must fig...
- 1930 All Quiet on the Western Front as Paul Bäumer
- 1977 End of the World as Com. Joseph Beckerman
- 1973 Battle for the Planet of the Apes as Mandemus
- 1981 Of Mice and Men as Candy
- 1978 Damien - Omen II as Bill Atherton
- 1978 Suddenly, Love as Mr. Graham
- 1929 The Kiss as Pierre
- 1936 Shakedown as Bob Sanderson
- 1930 The Doorway to Hell as Louie Ricarno
- 1953 Donovan's Brain as Dr. Patrick J. Cory
- 1948 Johnny Belinda as Robert Richardson
- 1950 The Capture as Lin Vanner / Lindley Brown
- 1946 The Dark Mirror as Scott Elliott
- 1974 The Questor Tapes as Vaslovik
- 1938 Holiday as Ned Seton
- 1942 Fingers at the Window as Oliver Duffy
- 1962 Advise & Consent as The Vice President
- 1953 No Escape as John Howard Tracy
- 1932 Okay, America! as Larry Wayne
- 1933 State Fair as Pat Gilbert
- 1941 Dr. Kildare's Wedding Day as Dr. James Kildare
- 1947 The Unfaithful as Larry Hannaford
- 1940 Dr. Kildare Goes Home as Dr. James Kildare
- 1940 Dr. Kildare's Crisis as Dr. James Kildare
- 1971 Earth II as President Charles Carter Durant
- 1938 Young Dr. Kildare as Dr. James Kildare
- 1941 The People Vs. Dr. Kildare as Dr. James Kildare
- 1939 The Secret of Dr. Kildare as James Kildare
- 1940 Dr. Kildare's Strange Case as James Kildare
- 1939 Calling Dr. Kildare as Dr. James Kildare
- 1942 Dr. Kildare's Victory as Dr. James Kildare
- 1941 Maisie Was a Lady as Bob Rawlston
- 1939 Broadway Serenade as James Geoffrey 'Jimmy' Seymour
- 1951 New Mexico as Captain Hunt
- 1930 East Is West as Billy Benson
- 1940 The Golden Fleecing as Henry Twinkle
- 1938 King of the Newsboys as Jerry Flynn
- 1937 The Crime Nobody Saw as Nick Milburn
- 1932 The Impatient Maiden as Dr. Myron Brown
- 1933 Don't Bet on Love as Bill McCaffrey
- 1931 Iron Man as Kid Mason
- 1936 Murder with Pictures as Kent Murdock
- 1936 Panic on the Air as Jerry
- 1939 The Ice Follies of 1939 as Eddie Burgess
- 1939 These Glamour Girls as Philip S. Griswold III
- 1935 Spring Tonic as Caleb Enix
- 1972 The Man as Noah Calvin
- 1938 Rich Man, Poor Girl as Henry Thayer
- 1939 Remember? as Sky Ames
- 1937 The Last Train from Madrid as Bill Dexter
- 1938 Spring Madness as Sam Thatcher
- 1930 Common Clay as Hugh Fullerton
- 1984 Don Camillo as Doc
- 2004 Checking Out: Grand Hotel as Self (archive footage)
- 1933 My Weakness as Ronnie Gregory
- 1931 Up for Murder as Robert Marshall
- 1932 Night World as Michael Rand
- 1978 Battlestar Galactica as President Adar
- 1974 Heatwave! as Dr. Grayson
- 1934 Cross Country Cruise as Norman Winthrop
- 1969 Marcus Welby, M.D.: A Matter of Humanities as Dr. Andrew Swanson
- 1929 Big News as Copyboy (uncredited)
- 1980 Reunion as Bob Hollander
- 1929 The Sophomore as Sophomore Fraternity Brother (uncredited)
- 1973 The Stranger as Prof. Dylan MacAuley
- 1934 She Learned About Sailors as Larry Wilson
- 1964 The Carpetbaggers as Mac McAllister
- 1931 Heaven on Earth as States
- 1984 Bruised Celluloid as Himself
- 1972 She Waits as Dr. Sam Carpenter
- 1934 Servants' Entrance as Erik Landstrom
- 1986 Under Siege as John Pace
- 1994 Hart to Hart: Crimes of the Hart as Professor Cabel
- 1989 Cast the First Stone as Martin
- 1936 The Leathernecks Have Landed as Woodruff 'Woody' Davis
- 1937 Hold 'Em Navy as Tommy Graham
- 1947 The Way of Peace as Narrator (voice)
- 1976 Francis Gary Powers: The True Story of the U-2 Spy Incident as Allen Dulles
- 1940 A New Romance of Celluloid: The Miracle of Sound as Self
- 1931 The Spirit of Notre Dame as Edward Aloysius "Bucky" O'Brian
- 1935 The Lottery Lover as Cadet Frank Harrington
- 1934 Let’s Be Ritzy as Jimmy Sterling
- 1935 Silk Hat Kid as Eddie Howard
- 1972 The Biscuit Eater as Mr. Ames
- 1978 The Story of Noah as Noah
- 1936 Lady Be Careful as Chester aka Dynamite
- 1946 Blow-Ups of 1946 as Self
- 1932 The Cohens and Kellys in Hollywood as Lew Ayres
- 1940 Hollywood: Style Center of the World as Self
- 1976 That's Entertainment, Part II as (archive footage)
- 1939 From the Ends of the Earth as Self
- 1938 Scandal Street as Joe McKnight
- 1991 Preminger: Anatomy of a Filmmaker as actor 'Advise and 'Consent' (archive footage) (uncredited)
- 1979 Letters from Frank as Dan Miller
- 1968 Cocoon as The Governor
- 1931 Many a Slip as Jerry Brooks
- 1956 One Against Many as Dr. John Mohler
- 1956 The Family Nobody Wanted as Carl Doss
- 1963 The Upper Chamber
- 1980 Magnum, P.I. ( 1 episode ) as Sidney Dollinger
- 1971 Columbo ( 1 episode ) as Howard Nicholson
- 1979 Trapper John, M.D. ( 1 episode )
- 1972 Kung Fu ( 1 episode ) as Beaumont
- 1986 L.A. Law ( 1 episode ) as Lorimar Henderson
- 1983 The A-Team ( 1 episode ) as Bernie Greene
- 1960 My Three Sons ( 1 episode )
- 1974 Little House on the Prairie ( 1 episode )
- 1963 Kraft Suspense Theatre ( 1 episode ) as Dr. Thomas Clay
- 1982 Fame ( 1 episode )
- 1965 The F.B.I. ( 1 episode ) as Marshall Winslow
- 1977 The Love Boat ( 1 episode ) as Carl Hooper
- 1976 The Bionic Woman ( 2 episodes )
- 1981 Simon & Simon ( 1 episode )
- 1968 Hawaii Five-O ( 1 episode ) as The Governor
- 1976 Quincy, M.E. ( 1 episode )
- 1960 Route 66 ( 1 episode )
- 1984 Highway to Heaven ( 3 episodes )
- 1972 The Streets of San Francisco ( 1 episode )
- 1973 Hawkins ( 1 episode ) as Gus Bitterman
- 1952 Omnibus ( 1 episode )
- 1982 Hotel ( 1 episode ) as Nelson O'Neil
- 1979 Knots Landing ( 1 episode ) as Andrew Douglas
- 1970 The Mary Tyler Moore Show ( 1 episode )
- 1986 Outlaws ( 1 episode )
- 1955 Gunsmoke ( 1 episode ) as Jonathan Cole
- 1982 Cagney & Lacey ( 1 episode )
- 1975 Wonder Woman ( 1 episode ) as Dr. Kenneth Wilson
- 1970 The Interns ( 1 episode )
- 1961 Bus Stop ( 1 episode )
- 1958 Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse ( 1 episode )
- 1971 McMillan & Wife ( 1 episode )
- 1970 San Francisco International Airport ( 1 episode )
- 1971 Owen Marshall: Counselor at Law ( 1 episode )
- 1962 The Virginian ( 1 episode ) as Judge John Markham
- 1977 The Fantastic Journey ( 1 episode ) as Rayat
- 1951 Schlitz Playhouse of Stars ( 1 episode )
- 1985 Lime Street ( 8 episodes ) as Henry Wade Culver
- 1954 Climax! ( 1 episode ) as Bob Kilgore
- 1965 The Big Valley ( 1 episode ) as Sheriff Roy Kingston
- 1964 Slattery's People ( 1 episode )
- 1968 Here Come the Brides ( 1 episode )
- 1973 The Magician ( 1 episode ) as Max Braden
- 1984 Finder of Lost Loves ( 1 episode ) as Oliver Hawthorne
- 1966 ABC Stage 67 ( 1 episode ) as Arthur
- 1961 Ben Casey ( 1 episode )
- 1959 Laramie ( 1 episode )
- 1992 MGM: When the Lion Roars ( 3 episodes )
- 1956 Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre ( 1 episode ) as Clint Howard
- 1952 Cavalcade of America ( 1 episode ) as Matt Needham
- 1962 Saints and Sinners ( 1 episode )
- 1979 Salem's Lot ( 2 episodes ) as Jason Burke
- 1959 The DuPont Show with June Allyson ( 1 episode ) as Howard Moon
- 1955 Screen Director's Playhouse ( 1 episode ) as Dr. John Mohler
- 1950 The Ken Murray Show ( 1 episode )
- 1960 The Barbara Stanwyck Show ( 1 episode ) as Dr. Paul Harris
- 1965 The Big Valley ( 1 episode ) as Jason Fleet
- 1956 Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre ( 1 episode ) as Jud Lester
- 1956 Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre ( 1 episode ) as Jesse Martin
- 1968 Hawaii Five-O ( 1 episode ) as Dr. Elias Haig
- 1968 Hawaii Five-O ( 1 episode ) as Comm. Reginald Blackwell
- 1978 Battlestar Galactica ( 1 episode ) as President Adar
- 1955 MGM Parade ( 1 episode ) as self
- 1978 Flying High ( 1 episode ) as Wilbur Dodson
