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Lew Ayres

Lew Ayres

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.

Personal information

Birthday

1908-12-28

Birth Place

Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA

Movies and TV shows :

A New Romance of Celluloid: The Miracle of Sound

A New Romance of Celluloid: The Miracle of Sound

1940

6.7

Movie
poster

ABC Stage 67

1966

6.0

TV
Advise & Consent

Advise & Consent

1962

7.2

Movie
All Quiet on the Western Front

All Quiet on the Western Front

1930

7.8

Movie
Battle for the Planet of the Apes

Battle for the Planet of the Apes

1973

5.7

Movie
Battlestar Galactica

Battlestar Galactica

1978

6.9

Movie
poster

Battlestar Galactica

1978

7.1

TV
poster

Ben Casey

1961

5.7

TV
Big News

Big News

1929

4.6

Movie
Blow-Ups of 1946

Blow-Ups of 1946

1946

6.0

Movie
Broadway Serenade

Broadway Serenade

1939

6.2

Movie
Bruised Celluloid

Bruised Celluloid

1984

0.0

Movie
poster

Bus Stop

1961

0.0

TV
poster

Cagney & Lacey

1982

6.9

TV
Calling Dr. Kildare

Calling Dr. Kildare

1939

6.1

Movie
Cast the First Stone

Cast the First Stone

1989

0.0

Movie
poster

Cavalcade of America

1952

3.5

TV
Checking Out: Grand Hotel

Checking Out: Grand Hotel

2004

7.0

Movie
poster

Climax!

1954

3.0

TV
Cocoon

Cocoon

1968

0.0

Movie
poster

Columbo

1971

8.1

TV
Common Clay

Common Clay

1930

0.0

Movie
Cross Country Cruise

Cross Country Cruise

1934

6.0

Movie
Damien: Omen II

Damien: Omen II

1978

6.4

Movie
poster

Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre

1956

5.5

TV
Don Camillo

Don Camillo

1984

5.6

Movie
Don't Bet on Love

Don't Bet on Love

1933

0.0

Movie
Donovan's Brain

Donovan's Brain

1953

6.1

Movie
Dr. Kildare Goes Home

Dr. Kildare Goes Home

1940

6.8

Movie
Dr. Kildare's Crisis

Dr. Kildare's Crisis

1940

6.0

Movie
Dr. Kildare's Strange Case

Dr. Kildare's Strange Case

1940

4.8

Movie
Dr. Kildare's Victory

Dr. Kildare's Victory

1942

5.8

Movie
Dr. Kildare's Wedding Day

Dr. Kildare's Wedding Day

1941

6.5

Movie
Earth II

Earth II

1971

5.3

Movie
East Is West

East Is West

1930

4.0

Movie
End of the World

End of the World

1977

3.7

Movie
poster

Fame

1982

6.7

TV
poster

Finder of Lost Loves

1984

5.7

TV
Fingers at the Window

Fingers at the Window

1942

5.4

Movie
poster

Flying High

1978

4.5

TV
Francis Gary Powers: The True Story of the U-2 Spy Incident

Francis Gary Powers: The True Story of the U-2 Spy Incident

1976

0.0

Movie
From the Ends of the Earth

From the Ends of the Earth

1939

0.0

Movie
poster

Gunsmoke

1955

6.5

TV
Hart to Hart: Crimes of the Hart

Hart to Hart: Crimes of the Hart

1994

6.2

Movie
poster

Hawaii Five-O

1968

7.1

TV
poster

Hawkins

1973

7.2

TV
Heatwave!

Heatwave!

1974

5.9

Movie
Heaven on Earth

Heaven on Earth

1931

3.0

Movie
poster

Here Come the Brides

1968

6.0

TV
poster

Highway to Heaven

1984

7.4

TV
Hold 'Em Navy

Hold 'Em Navy

1937

3.0

Movie
Holiday

Holiday

1938

7.3

Movie
Hollywood: Style Center of the World

Hollywood: Style Center of the World

1940

5.5

Movie
poster

Hotel

1982

6.8

TV
Iron Man

Iron Man

1931

4.8

Movie
Johnny Belinda

Johnny Belinda

1948

6.8

Movie
King of the Newsboys

King of the Newsboys

1938

6.0

Movie
poster

Knots Landing

1979

6.8

TV
poster

Kraft Suspense Theatre

1963

5.3

TV
poster

Kung Fu

1972

7.6

TV
poster

L.A. Law

1986

7.0

TV
Lady Be Careful

Lady Be Careful

1936

4.5

Movie
poster

Laramie

1959

6.4

TV
Let’s Be Ritzy

Let’s Be Ritzy

1934

0.0

Movie
Letters from Frank

Letters from Frank

1979

0.0

Movie
poster

Lime Street

1985

5.5

TV
poster

Little House on the Prairie

1974

8.0

TV
poster

Magnum, P.I.

1980

7.3

TV
Maisie Was a Lady

Maisie Was a Lady

1941

6.8

Movie
Many a Slip

Many a Slip

1931

0.0

Movie
Marcus Welby, M.D.: A Matter of Humanities

Marcus Welby, M.D.: A Matter of Humanities

1969

0.0

Movie
poster

McMillan & Wife

1971

7.3

TV
poster

MGM: When the Lion Roars

1992

7.8

TV
Murder with Pictures

Murder with Pictures

1936

5.1

Movie
poster

My Three Sons

1960

6.5

TV
My Weakness

My Weakness

1933

0.0

Movie
New Mexico

New Mexico

1951

3.5

Movie
Night World

Night World

1932

6.7

Movie
No Escape

No Escape

1953

4.5

Movie
Of Mice and Men

Of Mice and Men

1981

7.0

Movie
Okay, America!

Okay, America!

1932

5.0

Movie
poster

Omnibus

1952

6.0

TV
One Against Many

One Against Many

1956

0.0

Movie
poster

Outlaws

1986

6.8

TV
poster

Owen Marshall: Counselor at Law

1971

6.3

TV
Panic on the Air

Panic on the Air

1936

5.5

Movie
Preminger: Anatomy of a Filmmaker

Preminger: Anatomy of a Filmmaker

1991

7.7

Movie
poster

Quincy, M.E.

1976

7.5

TV
Remember?

Remember?

1939

5.8

Movie
Reunion

Reunion

1980

0.0

Movie
Rich Man, Poor Girl

Rich Man, Poor Girl

1938

5.9

Movie
poster

Route 66

1960

6.4

TV
poster

Saints and Sinners

1962

6.0

TV
poster

Salem's Lot

1979

6.8

TV
poster

San Francisco International Airport

1970

0.0

TV
Scandal Street

Scandal Street

1938

0.0

Movie
poster

Schlitz Playhouse of Stars

1951

7.0

TV
poster

Screen Director's Playhouse

1955

6.5

TV
Servants' Entrance

Servants' Entrance

1934

0.0

Movie
Shakedown

Shakedown

1936

0.0

Movie
She Learned About Sailors

She Learned About Sailors

1934

2.5

Movie
She Waits

She Waits

1972

5.7

Movie
Silk Hat Kid

Silk Hat Kid

1935

6.0

Movie
poster

Simon & Simon

1981

6.7

TV
poster

Slattery's People

1964

5.0

TV
Spring Madness

Spring Madness

1938

3.9

Movie
Spring Tonic

Spring Tonic

1935

5.3

Movie
State Fair

State Fair

1933

6.3

Movie
Suddenly, Love

Suddenly, Love

1978

9.0

Movie
That's Entertainment, Part II

That's Entertainment, Part II

1976

6.8

Movie
poster

The A-Team

1983

7.5

TV
poster

The Barbara Stanwyck Show

1960

6.2

TV
poster

The Big Valley

1965

6.0

TV
poster

The Bionic Woman

1976

7.0

TV
The Biscuit Eater

The Biscuit Eater

1972

6.2

Movie
The Capture

The Capture

1950

6.1

Movie
The Carpetbaggers

The Carpetbaggers

1964

5.8

Movie
The Cohens and Kellys in Hollywood

The Cohens and Kellys in Hollywood

1932

0.0

Movie
The Crime Nobody Saw

The Crime Nobody Saw

1937

5.0

Movie
The Dark Mirror

The Dark Mirror

1946

6.9

Movie
The Doorway to Hell

The Doorway to Hell

1930

6.3

Movie
poster

The DuPont Show with June Allyson

1959

6.3

TV
poster

The F.B.I.

1965

5.4

TV
poster

The Fantastic Journey

1977

5.8

TV
The Golden Fleecing

The Golden Fleecing

1940

5.3

Movie
The Ice Follies of 1939

The Ice Follies of 1939

1939

5.6

Movie
The Impatient Maiden

The Impatient Maiden

1932

0.0

Movie
poster

The Interns

1970

5.0

TV
poster

The Ken Murray Show

1950

7.0

TV
The Kiss

The Kiss

1929

6.2

Movie
The Last Train from Madrid

The Last Train from Madrid

1937

4.6

Movie
The Leathernecks Have Landed

The Leathernecks Have Landed

1936

5.0

Movie
The Lottery Lover

The Lottery Lover

1935

3.0

Movie
poster

The Love Boat

1977

6.3

TV
poster

The Magician

1973

6.7

TV
The Man

The Man

1972

6.3

Movie
poster

The Mary Tyler Moore Show

1970

7.5

TV
The People Vs. Dr. Kildare

The People Vs. Dr. Kildare

1941

7.0

Movie
The Questor Tapes

The Questor Tapes

1974

5.7

Movie
The Secret of Dr. Kildare

The Secret of Dr. Kildare

1939

5.6

Movie
The Sophomore

The Sophomore

1929

4.5

Movie
The Spirit of Notre Dame

The Spirit of Notre Dame

1931

6.3

Movie
The Story of Noah

The Story of Noah

1978

2.0

Movie
The Stranger

The Stranger

1973

3.5

Movie
poster

The Streets of San Francisco

1972

7.0

TV
The Unfaithful

The Unfaithful

1947

6.0

Movie
poster

The Virginian

1962

6.4

TV
The Way of Peace

The Way of Peace

1947

5.5

Movie
These Glamour Girls

These Glamour Girls

1939

5.5

Movie
poster

Trapper John, M.D.

1979

6.3

TV
Under Siege

Under Siege

1986

7.5

Movie
Up for Murder

Up for Murder

1931

3.5

Movie
poster

Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse

1958

5.3

TV
poster

Wonder Woman

1975

7.0

TV
Young Dr. Kildare

Young Dr. Kildare

1938

6.5

Movie