Lew Ayres
Acting
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
Acting158
Checking Out: Grand Hotel
2004
Self (archive footage)
movieHart to Hart: Crimes of the Hart
1994
Professor Cabel
moviePreminger: Anatomy of a Filmmaker
1991
actor 'Advise and 'Consent' (archive footage) (uncredited)
tvL.A. Law
1986
Lorimar Henderson
movieUnder Siege
1986
John Pace
tvLime Street
1985
Henry Wade Culver
tvFinder of Lost Loves
1984
Oliver Hawthorne
movieBruised Celluloid
1984
Himself
tvThe A-Team
1983
Bernie Greene
tvHotel
1982
Nelson O'Neil
tvMagnum, P.I.
1980
Sidney Dollinger
movieReunion
1980
Bob Hollander
tvKnots Landing
1979
Andrew Douglas
movieLetters from Frank
1979
Dan Miller
tvSalem's Lot
1979
Jason Burke
movieSuddenly, Love
1978
Mr. Graham
movieBattlestar Galactica
1978
President Adar
tvBattlestar Galactica
1978
President Adar
movieDamien - Omen II
1978
Bill Atherton
tvThe Love Boat
1977
Carl Hooper
movieEnd of the World
1977
Com. Joseph Beckerman
movieThat's Entertainment, Part II
1976
(archive footage)
tvWonder Woman
1975
Dr. Kenneth Wilson
movieHeatwave!
1974
Dr. Grayson
movieThe Questor Tapes
1974
Vaslovik
tvThe Magician
1973
Max Braden
tvHawkins
1973
Gus Bitterman
movieThe Stranger
1973
Prof. Dylan MacAuley
tvKung Fu
1972
Beaumont
movieThe Man
1972
Noah Calvin
movieThe Biscuit Eater
1972
Mr. Ames
movieShe Waits
1972
Dr. Sam Carpenter
movieEarth II
1971
President Charles Carter Durant
tvColumbo
1971
Howard Nicholson
movieMarcus Welby, M.D.: A Matter of Humanities
1969
Dr. Andrew Swanson
movieCocoon
1968
The Governor
tvHawaii Five-O
1968
The Governor / Dr. Elias Haig / Comm. Reginald Blackwell
tvABC Stage 67
1966
Arthur
tvThe F.B.I.
1965
Marshall Winslow
tvThe Big Valley
1965
Sheriff Roy Kingston / Jason Fleet
movieThe Carpetbaggers
1964
Mac McAllister
tvKraft Suspense Theatre
1963
Dr. Thomas Clay
tvThe Virginian
1962
Judge John Markham
movieAdvise & Consent
1962
The Vice President
tvThe Barbara Stanwyck Show
1960
Dr. Paul Harris
tvThe DuPont Show with June Allyson
1959
Howard Moon
movieThe Family Nobody Wanted
1956
Carl Doss
tvDick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre
1956
Clint Howard / Jud Lester / Jesse Martin
One Against Many
1956
Dr. John Mohler
tvScreen Director's Playhouse
1955
Dr. John Mohler
tvMGM Parade
1955
self
tvGunsmoke
1955
Jonathan Cole
tvClimax!
1954
Bob Kilgore
movieDonovan's Brain
1953
Dr. Patrick J. Cory
movieNo Escape
1953
John Howard Tracy
tvCavalcade of America
1952
Matt Needham
movieNew Mexico
1951
Capt. Hunt
movieThe Capture
1950
Lin Vanner / Lindley Brown
movieJohnny Belinda
1948
Robert Richardson
movieThe Unfaithful
1947
Larry Hannaford
movieThe Way of Peace
1947
Narrator (voice)
movieThe Dark Mirror
1946
Scott Elliott
movieFingers at the Window
1942
Oliver Duffy
movieDr. Kildare's Victory
1942
Dr. James Kildare
movieDr. Kildare's Wedding Day
1941
Dr. James Kildare
movieThe People Vs. Dr. Kildare
1941
Dr. James Kildare
movieMaisie Was a Lady
1941
Bob Rawlston
movieDr. Kildare's Crisis
1940
Dr. James Kildare
movieDr. Kildare Goes Home
1940
Dr. James Kildare
movieThe Golden Fleecing
1940
Henry Twinkle
movieDr. Kildare's Strange Case
1940
James Kildare
movieRemember?
1939
Sky Ames
movieThe Secret of Dr. Kildare
1939
James Kildare
movieThese Glamour Girls
1939
Philip S. Griswold III
movieCalling Dr. Kildare
1939
Dr. James Kildare
movieBroadway Serenade
1939
James Geoffrey 'Jimmy' Seymour
movieThe Ice Follies of 1939
1939
Eddie Burgess
movieSpring Madness
1938
Sam Thatcher
movieYoung Dr. Kildare
1938
Dr. James Kildare
movieRich Man, Poor Girl
1938
Henry Thayer
movieHoliday
1938
Ned Seton
movieKing of the Newsboys
1938
Jerry Flynn
movieScandal Street
1938
Joe McKnight
movieHold 'Em Navy
1937
Tommy Graham
movieThe Last Train from Madrid
1937
Bill Dexter
movieThe Crime Nobody Saw
1937
Nick Milburn
movieMurder with Pictures
1936
Kent Murdock
movieLady Be Careful
1936
Chester aka Dynamite
movieShakedown
1936
Bob Sanderson
movieThe Leathernecks Have Landed
1936
Woodruff 'Woody' Davis
movieSilk Hat Kid
1935
Eddie Howard
movieSpring Tonic
1935
Caleb Enix
movieThe Lottery Lover
1935
Cadet Frank Harrington
movieServants' Entrance
1934
Erik Landstrom
movieShe Learned About Sailors
1934
Larry Wilson
movieLet’s Be Ritzy
1934
Jimmy Sterling
movieCross Country Cruise
1934
Norman Winthrop
movieMy Weakness
1933
Ronnie Gregory
movieDon't Bet on Love
1933
Bill McCaffrey
movieState Fair
1933
Pat Gilbert
movieOkay, America!
1932
Larry Wayne
movieNight World
1932
Michael Rand
movieThe Impatient Maiden
1932
Dr. Myron Brown
movieHeaven on Earth
1931
States
movieThe Spirit of Notre Dame
1931
Edward Aloysius "Bucky" O'Brian
movieUp for Murder
1931
Robert Marshall
movieIron Man
1931
Kid Mason
movieMany a Slip
1931
Jerry Brooks
movieEast Is West
1930
Billy Benson
movieThe Doorway to Hell
1930
Louie Ricarno
movieCommon Clay
1930
Hugh Fullerton
movieAll Quiet on the Western Front
1930
Paul Bäumer
movieThe Kiss
1929
Pierre
movieBig News
1929
Copyboy (uncredited)
movieThe Sophomore
1929
Sophomore Fraternity Brother (uncredited)
Directing2
movieAltars of the World
1976
Director
movieHearts in Bondage
1936
Director