Actor, Restaurateur. Lewis, who enlisted in the U.S. Air Force as a teenager, got his first acting experience in a World War II morale-boosting production called 'Winged Victory'. After leaving the service, he worked steadily as a contract actor for Warner Bros., most notably appearing alongside Humphrey Bogart and Edward G. Robinson in 'Key Largo' (1948). Among other films he appeared in were 'Gun Crazy' (1950), 'The Fat Man' (1951), 'Run for the Hills' (1953) and 'The Harder They Fall' (1956). On television, he had roles in 'The Adventures of Superman', 'Vice Squad', 'State Trooper', 'East of Eden' and 'Fame'. In 1950, he and his then girlfriend, Marilyn Friedman (who would later become his wife), invested $3,500 to open a restaurant at the corner of Sunset Boulevard and Hilldale Avenue in Los Angeles, which they called the Hamburger Hamlet. The restaurant was an instant success and became a regular hangout for Lewis' actor friends including Ronald Reagan, Elizabeth Taylor, Sammy Davis, Jr., Bette Davis, Dean Martin and Tony Curtis. The eatery, which was also a place for families looking for a night out that included milkshakes and comfort food, eventually grew into a chain of 24 locations before the couple sold it in the late 1980s for about $30 million. Lewis died of natural causes.
Actor, Restaurateur. Lewis, who enlisted in the U.S. Air Force as a teenager, got his first acting experience in a World War II morale-boosting production called 'Winged Victory'. After leaving the service, he worked steadily as a contract actor for Warner Bros., most notably appearing alongside Humphrey Bogart and Edward G. Robinson in 'Key Largo' (1948). Among other films he appeared in were 'Gun Crazy' (1950), 'The Fat Man' (1951), 'Run for the Hills' (1953) and 'The Harder They Fall' (1956). On television, he had roles in 'The Adventures of Superman', 'Vice Squad', 'State Trooper', 'East of Eden' and 'Fame'. In 1950, he and his then girlfriend, Marilyn Friedman (who would later become his wife), invested $3,500 to open a restaurant at the corner of Sunset Boulevard and Hilldale Avenue in Los Angeles, which they called the Hamburger Hamlet. The restaurant was an instant success and became a regular hangout for Lewis' actor friends including Ronald Reagan, Elizabeth Taylor, Sammy Davis, Jr., Bette Davis, Dean Martin and Tony Curtis. The eatery, which was also a place for families looking for a night out that included milkshakes and comfort food, eventually grew into a chain of 24 locations before the couple sold it in the late 1980s for about $30 million. Lewis died of natural causes.
Bio by: Louis du Mort
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