Actor. He was an American actor, who was a college dropout, dance-band musician, and still in his teens, when he was discovered by Hollywood talent scouts and made his 1929 film debut in "The Sophomore", which followed the same year with his role opposite Greta Garbo in "The Kiss". His most-recognized role, and one that had a profound effect on the actor's life, was playing the lead role of a patriotic, young German soldier in the Academy-Award-winning 1930-film adaption of the novel "All Quiet on the Western Front". His eyes were opened to the horrors of war during the filming. Under contract to Universal, Ayres starred in "Iron Man" and "Spirit of Notre Dame" both in 1931, "The Impatient Maiden," "Night World," and "Okay America!" all in 1932, and "Don't Bet on Love" in 1933, playing opposite his future second wife, Ginger Rogers. A series of undistinguished films followed until 1938 when Ayres went to Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios to play an idealistic intern in "Young Dr. Kildare," which launched a long and profitable series of films. He teamed with Lionel Barrymore, who played his cantankerous mentor, and Laraine Day, as the nurse who loved him. The role seemed to suit his thoughtful, quiet nature and he appeared in eight subsequent Kildare films, along with a few other MGM films, until the studio dropped him in 1942 when he announced that he was a conscientious objector, which was tantamount to treason during World War II. Americans were outraged and movie theatres vowed never to show his films again, but he served with the U.S. Army as a medic, distinguishing himself under fire in the South Pacific and as a chaplain's aid in New Guinea and the Philippines. Earning three Battle Stars gave evidence that his religious beliefs, not an aversion to danger, had compelled him to seek a non-combat role in the war. After the war, he regained public favor in several films, including "The Dark Mirror" in 1946, "The Unfaithful" in 1947, and most notably, "Johnny Belinda" in 1948, for which he received an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor for his portrayal as a kindly small-town doctor. He also reprised his role of Dr. Kildare for a radio series with Barrymore. Other notable film appearances include "Advise and Consent" in 1962, "The Carpetbaggers" in 1964, "Battle for the Planet of the Apes" in 1973 and "Battlestar Galactica" in 1979. He also appeared in several television movies including The "Questor Tapes" in 1973, "Of Mice and Men" in 1981 and "Cast the First Stone" in 1989. In 1975 he was nominated for an Emmy in the category of "Outstanding Single Performance by a Supporting Actor in a Comedy or Drama Series" for his "Kung Fu" role as Beaumont in the episode: "The Vanishing Image". His last role was in the 1994 made-for-TV film "Hart to Hart: Crimes of the Heart". Divulging his pacifist beliefs through Eastern religions, his 1976 documentary, "Altars of the World," was not a box-office success but gained him a Gold Globe Award. He married three times, divorced twice. With his wife of nearly 33 years, Diana Hall, he had a son. In 1960 he was inducted in The Hollywood Walk of Fame, earning a star for film as well as one for his radio work. His role in "All Quiet on the Western Front" became part of history when the film was selected and preserved in 1990 by the United States Library of Congress' National Film Registry as being deemed "culturally, historically or aesthetically significant".