Actor. He is best remembered for his recurring portrayal of the stern Mr. Peavy in the television show, "The Great Gildersleeve". Born Raymond Forrest Lewis, after attaining his degree in theatrical arts from Indiana University, he began his career in reparatory theatre and Broadway appearing as a leading man in productions such as "Broken Dishes," "Lulu Belle," "Romance," and "Mr. Prim Passes By". In the 1930s, he began a career in radio, appearing as a regular on such programs as "I Love a Mystery," "Meet the Meeks," "Scattergood Baines," "Family Skeleton," "The Woman in My House," and "Suspense". After meeting film director Gordon Douglas, during a dinner fundraiser for war relief, he was so taken by his professionalism, intelligence, wit, and gentile charm, that he arranged for him to begin appearing in motion pictures beginning with him being under his supervision in "Gildersleeve on Broadway" (1943). For the next 30 years, he went on to appear in over 100 features and became a recognizable character actor; often typecast as husbands, fathers, lawyers, doctors, druggists, postmen, policemen, retail clerks, bank tellers, clergymen, politicians, wealthy bachelors, aristocrats, judges, educators, kindly neighbors, and patriarchs. He appeared in such full-length films as "I'll Tell the World" (1945), "Weekend with Father" (1951), "Has Anybody Seen My Gal?" (1952), "It Grows on Trees" (1952), "The Clown" (1953), "Take Me to Big Town" (1953), "Gun Fury" (1953), "Dial Red O" (1955), "All That Heaven Allows" (1955), "The Spoilers" (1955), "Man in the Shadow" (1957), "The Sheepman" (1958), "The Shaggy Dog" (1959), "Posse from Hell" (1961), "The Absent Minded Professor" (1961), "Song of Flubber" (1963), "Tammy and the Doctor" (1963), "Man's Favorite Sport" (1965), "Out of Sight" (1966), "Riot on Sunset Strip" (1967), and "The Todd Killings" (1971). With the advent of television, he became a household name appearing in various guest spots on such syndicated sitcoms as "The Loretta Young Show," "Public Defender," "My Friend Flicka," "The People's Choice," "You Are There," "Zane Grey Theatre," "Cheyenne," "The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show," "Goodyear Theatre," "Perry Mason," "The Adventures of Jim Bowie," "Trackdown," "Alcoa Theatre," "U.S. Marshall," "Laramie," "Colt .45," "Father Knows Best," "The Deputy," "Bronco," "The Riverboat," "Wrangler," "Tombstone Territory," "Peter Gunn," "Checkmate," "Maverick," "Peter Loves Mary," "Harrigan and Son," "Ichabod and Me," "Adventures in Paradise," "The Real McCoys," "Dennis the Menace," "Going My Way," "77 Sunset Strip," "The Andy Griffith Show," "The Alfred Hitchcock Hour," "F Troop," "The Dick Van Dyke Show," "The Munsters," "The Monkees," "The Wild Wild West," "The Jean Arthur Show," "Iron Horse," "Petticoat Junction," "The Virginian," "Premier," "The Outsider," and "McCloud". During his career, he was a member of the Screen Actors Guild, was a member of the Motion Picture and Television Fund, was supportive of the California State Republican Committee, was a regular parishioner of the Catholic church, sat on the board of admissions for the Pasadena Playhouse, was a chairman for his local divisions of the American Red Cross and Salesian Missions, and he was married to fellow stage and radio actress Elsa Cross Lewis from 1917 until his death (their union produced one son). Upon his 1973 retirement, Lewis spent the final years of his life partaking in charitable and religious causes until his death from complications of a heart attack.