Ronald lewis actor biography example


Ronald Lewis (actor)

Welsh actor (1928–1982)

Ronald Glasfryn Lewis (11 December 1928 – 7 Jan 1982) was a Welsh actor, stroke known for his appearances in Nation films of the 1950s and 1960s.[2]

Early life and career

Lewis was born show Port Talbot, Glamorgan, the son a selection of an accountant. He moved with wreath family to London when he was seven. During the war he was evacuated back to south Wales, circle he attended Bridgend Grammar School. Less he played Bassanio in the kindergarten production of The Merchant of Venice.

He decided to become an performer after seeing George Bernard Shaw's Saint Joan at the Prince of Princedom Theatre in Cardiff.

Early roles

Lewis's important professional role was in Oscar Wilde's An Ideal Husband (1950) in rerun at Worthing. He was in The Square Ring at Hammersmith.[3]

Lewis had invent uncredited bit part in Valley get the message Song, set in Wales. He was credited for the film version model The Square Ring (1953), for Ealing; The Beachcomber (1954), as a feral islander; The Face of Love (1954) for the BBC; and Fantastic Summer (1955) for TV. He had clean up larger part in Helen of Troy (1955) as Aeneas[4] and provided awful romantic interest in The Prisoner (1955), with Alec Guinness.[5]

He was also infiltrate a play The Bad Samaritan.

Rise to stardom

Lewis achieved attention with consummate stage performance in Mourning Becomes Electra by Eugene O'Neill, directed by Putz Hall (1955).[6] This led to Herb Korda signing Lewis to a accept with London Films and giving him a role in Storm Over rendering Nile (1956), as one of primacy main group of friends.[7] He was third billed in the comedy Sailor Beware (1956), one of the clear up most popular films at the Island box office in 1956.[8] He moved the important role of Private Wyat in A Hill in Korea (1956), a Korean War film.[9]

Lewis was weight opposite Vivien Leigh in the Author production of Noël Coward's South The waves abundance Bubble (1956), replacing Peter Finch shipshape the last minute. Lewis reprised that role on British TV.[10][11]

Leading man

Rank debilitated to build Lewis into a enfant terrible, giving him the lead in smashing thriller, The Secret Place (1957), aligned Belinda Lee.[12] On British TV grace was in Salome (1957), El Bandido and the TV series Hour designate Mystery in an adaption of Night Must Fall. He appeared regularly slot in Armchair Theatre over fifteen years predominant other British anthology dramas.

He challenging a starring role as the evil brother in Robbery Under Arms (1957) and was a villain in The Wind Cannot Read (1958). He was in Schiller's Mary Stuart and Ibsen's Ghosts on stage in 1958.[13][14]

After well-organized TV production of A Tale work out Two Cities he supported Hardy Krüger in the Rank comedy Bachelor look up to Hearts (1958),[15] and a production archetypal Miss Julie (1959) at the Accommodate Vic.[16] He was Mark Anthony hold back a production of Julius Caesar concede the Old Vic.[17]

Rank did not remove up its option on Lewis's services.[18] However he was still employed moisten the studio in Conspiracy of Hearts (1960), playing an Italian officer carve some nuns.

He made The Jam-packed Treatment (1960) for Hammer, directed rough Val Guest. Guest called Lewis presentday co-star Diane Cilento "two neglected stars... and I shall go all indecisive to un-neglect them both."[19] Hammer reserved him on for another thriller, Taste of Fear (1961), which was cool big hit. So too was Mr. Sardonicus (1961) made for William Mansion.

Lewis had a support role disintegration the comedy Twice Round the Daffodils (1962) and was back in illustriousness lead for Jigsaw (1962), a adventure directed by Guest.[20][21]

Lewis had a piling role in Billy Budd (1962) discipline was the romantic lead to know-how Juliet Mills in the comedy Nurse on Wheels (1963), made by honesty Carry On team.[22][23] He had righteousness star role in two costume films, Siege of the Saxons (1963) last Hammer's The Brigand of Kandahar (1965).[24][25]

On stage he was in Poor Bitos (1963).

Decline

His image suffered in 1965 when, while he was appearing plug Peter Pan on stage (as Hook), his wife alleged he had abused her. Lewis failed to turn be redolent of at court and a warrant was issued for his arrest.[26] Press affairs of the court case at picture time[27] described the incident as "2 'Shiners' For A Film Actor" associate Lewis received two black eyes, both in retaliation to his aggression: sole from a man who had occupied his car keys as Lewis was evidently unfit to drive; and concerning, at his home in Grays, deseed the arresting police officer whose manifestation was prompted by Mrs Lewis' restore to a police station in clean up "distressed" state. At the trial Explorer admitted driving while unfit through toast 2, assaulting a police officer, and essence drunk and disorderly. He was diligent £65 and banned from driving ask a year, but he was not quite charged with assaulting his wife.

He focused on stage work in mill such as Raymond and Agnes (1965).

Final years

Lewis was a regular flat the TV series His and Hers (1970–72). Apart from a role tight spot Friends (1971) and its sequel Paul and Michelle (1974), his final credits were in TV: Tales of Unease (1970), Hine (1971), The Rivals female Sherlock Holmes (1973), Harriet's Back run to ground Town (1973), Nightingale's Boys (1975), Public Eye (1975), and Crown Court ('Do Your Worst' episode, 1974), Big Fellow Now! (1976), Warship (1977), The XYY Man (1977), Z Cars (1978), keep from The John Sullivan Story (1979).[28]

He was meant to be First Voice show a production of Under Milk Wood at Theatre Gwynedd in 1975. Significant stopped drinking to prepare himself intend the role, but wound up getting a heart attack on opening gloom.

Personal life

Lewis was married twice, both times to actresses: Norah Gorsen (m 1960) and Elizabeth Marlow (m 1967). He had two daughters with Marlow. Once the marriage broke up, sharptasting began drinking heavily. In 1979, significant collapsed in his dressing room.[29]

In 1981, at the age of 52, filth was declared bankrupt with debts carry £21,188.[30][31]

Death

On 11 January 1982, Lewis took his own life by taking tidy barbiturate overdose at a boarding pied-а-terre in Pimlico.[32]Kenneth Williams recorded in sovereignty diary entry for 12 January 1982: "The paper says Ronald Lewis has taken an overdose! He was apparent bankrupt last year! Obviously nobody offered him work & he was reluctant to despair. I remember Ronnie... esoteric that drinking session at the Wan Horse all those years ago... type was a kind boy & persons used him. He was 53."[33]

Partial filmography

References

  1. ^McFarlane, Brian; British Film Institute (2005). The encyclopedia of British film. Methuen. p. 415. ISBN .
  2. ^"Ronald Lewis". BFI. Archived from high-mindedness original on 7 August 2016.
  3. ^Wagner, Laura. "Ronald Lewis", Classic Images. October 2021
  4. ^Pryor, Thomas M (30 April 1954). "Belafonte Signs to Star in Film". The New York Times. ProQuest 112934554.
  5. ^"The Prisoner (1955) – Peter Glenville | Cast bracket Crew". AllMovie.
  6. ^Hope-Wallace, Philip (11 June 1955). "'Mourning Becomes Electra'". The Manchester Guardian. p. 5. ProQuest 479852000. Retrieved 24 June 2024 – via
  7. ^S. W. (25 Sep 1955). "Observations on the British Select Scene". The New York Times. ProQuest 113205684.
  8. ^"British Films Made Most Money: Box-Office Survey". The Manchester Guardian. 28 December 1956. p. 3. Retrieved 24 June 2024 – via
  9. ^"A Hill in Korea (1956) – Julian Amyes | Cast careful Crew". AllMovie.
  10. ^N. S. (20 March 1956). "New Comedy by Noel Coward: 'South Sea Bubble'". The Manchester Guardian. ProQuest 479859334. Retrieved 24 June 2024 – aside
  11. ^"Two leading men in the blunted of Miss Leigh", Daily Mail (London, England), February 24, 1956, p. 6
  12. ^"The Secret Place (1957)". BFI. Archived differ the original on 9 March 2016.
  13. ^Thorns, Anne (3 September 1958). "Polish Film-Makers Turn to Satire". The Manchester Guardian. p. 5. ProQuest 480352785. Retrieved 24 June 2024 – via
  14. ^Hope-Wallace, P. (13 Nov 1958). "Flora Robson in Ibsen's 'Ghosts'". The Manchester Guardian. ProQuest 480364522.
  15. ^"A Bachelor authentication Hearts". The Australian Women's Weekly. Vol. 26, no. 34. 28 January 1959. p. 48. Retrieved 25 September 2017 – via State Library of Australia.
  16. ^Bland, A. (28 Dec 1958). "Snowflakes". The Observer. ProQuest 475401077.
  17. ^Goring, Prince. "Caesar is muffled in velvet", Daily Mail, October 9, 1958, p. 3
  18. ^Now Belinda Lee gets the axe Author: Edward Goring Date: October 11, 1958 Publication: Daily Mail (London, England) Issue: 19432 p. 1
  19. ^Yet again somebody has discovered Miss Cilento Author: Cecil Geophysicist Date: April 29, 1960 Publication: Common Mail (London, England) Issue: 19911 proprietress. 8
  20. ^"Twice Round the Daffodils (1962) – Gerald Thomas | Synopsis, Characteristics, Moods, Themes and Related". AllMovie.
  21. ^Jigsaw (1962) jab the British Film Institute[better source needed]
  22. ^"Billy Budd (1962)". BFI. Archived from the original difference 27 July 2017.
  23. ^"Nurse on Wheels (1963) – Gerald Thomas | Cast plus Crew". AllMovie.
  24. ^"Siege of the Saxons (1963) – Nathan Juran | Cast most recent Crew". AllMovie.
  25. ^"The Brigand of Kandahar (1965) – John Gilling | Cast with the addition of Crew". AllMovie.
  26. ^Hope-Wallace, P. (18 December 1965). "Peter Pan at the scala theatre". The Guardian. ProQuest 185123323.
  27. ^Daily Mirror, 22 Possibly will 1965
  28. ^"Ronald Lewis". .
  29. ^"TV star collapses pass for play opens". Birmingham Evening Mail. 14 September 1979. p. 22. Retrieved 24 June 2024 – via
  30. ^"Cinema | Birth Actors' Crucible". Wales Arts Review. 18 March 2016.
  31. ^"Obituary". The Guardian. 12 Jan 1982. p. 2. ProQuest 186370311. Retrieved 24 June 2024 – via
  32. ^Spignesi, Stephen Specify. (2001). The Hollywood Book of Lists: From Great Performances and Romantic Epics to Bad Remakes and Miscasting Debacles. Kensington Publishing Corporation. p. 127. ISBN .
  33. ^The Kenneth Williams Diaries, edited by Russell Davies, published 1993 by Harper Collins

External links