In 1995, Turner Classic Movies sat down with Lew Ayres in his home and let him talk about his life and career.
Ayres talked about how his family moved from Minnesota to San Diego, and how he knew even at age 12 that he wanted to be an actor. Thus he became a musician so that he could get from San Diego to Hollywood. He'd play with bands at night and during the day he'd pursue acting. The first place that gave him a screen test told him that he "made too many funny faces" and turned him down. But a lucky encounter with Lily Damita got him a second test with Pathe, and some minor roles with that studio.
He then talks about how winning the role in All Quiet on the Western Front put his career into full gear and won him a contract with Universal. From that point his career path is probably well known to most people - his time at MGM, how his pacifist views during WWII derailed his acting career, and how his career picked back up after the war.
One thing that Ayres brings up on his own that he wanted to discuss was the documentary he made, "Altars of the World", about the religions of the world, which took years to make. It actually won a Golden Globe the last year that the award was given for documentaries. Ayres considered himself a religious person, but did not subscribe to any particular religion.
All through this interview I was struck by what a positive person Lew Ayres was. He seemed to see every downturn in his career as an opportunity for good fortune that usually did appear.
There was only one thing I was puzzled by. He talks about Lili Damita being a big cause of his success, and how a piece of the film he made with her was what got him his role in All Quiet on the Western Front. But I can't find record of any film that he made with Damita, and I wonder if he got confused and meant Greta Garbo, because he did have a pretty prominent role in 1929's "The Kiss" in which he starred with Garbo.
Ayres talked about how his family moved from Minnesota to San Diego, and how he knew even at age 12 that he wanted to be an actor. Thus he became a musician so that he could get from San Diego to Hollywood. He'd play with bands at night and during the day he'd pursue acting. The first place that gave him a screen test told him that he "made too many funny faces" and turned him down. But a lucky encounter with Lily Damita got him a second test with Pathe, and some minor roles with that studio.
He then talks about how winning the role in All Quiet on the Western Front put his career into full gear and won him a contract with Universal. From that point his career path is probably well known to most people - his time at MGM, how his pacifist views during WWII derailed his acting career, and how his career picked back up after the war.
One thing that Ayres brings up on his own that he wanted to discuss was the documentary he made, "Altars of the World", about the religions of the world, which took years to make. It actually won a Golden Globe the last year that the award was given for documentaries. Ayres considered himself a religious person, but did not subscribe to any particular religion.
All through this interview I was struck by what a positive person Lew Ayres was. He seemed to see every downturn in his career as an opportunity for good fortune that usually did appear.
There was only one thing I was puzzled by. He talks about Lili Damita being a big cause of his success, and how a piece of the film he made with her was what got him his role in All Quiet on the Western Front. But I can't find record of any film that he made with Damita, and I wonder if he got confused and meant Greta Garbo, because he did have a pretty prominent role in 1929's "The Kiss" in which he starred with Garbo.