Lewis Lord Russell (born George Lewis Lord, September 10, 1889 – November 12, 1961) was an American actor of the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s who starred in a number of

vaudeville Vaudeville (; ) is a theatrical genre of variety entertainment which began in France in the middle of the 19th century. A ''vaudeville'' was originally a comedy without psychological or moral intentions, based on a comical situation: a drama ...

shows, Broadway dramas and

Hollywood film The cinema of the United States, primarily associated with major film studios collectively referred to as Hollywood, has significantly influenced the global film industry since the early 20th century. Classical Hollywood cinema, a filmmakin ...

s, including the

Academy Award The Academy Awards, commonly known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit in film. They are presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) in the United States in recognition of excellence ...

winning ''

The Lost Weekend ''The Lost Weekend'' is a 1945 American drama film noir directed by Billy Wilder, and starring Ray Milland and Jane Wyman. It was based on Charles R. Jackson's 1944 novel about an alcoholic writer. The film was nominated for seven Academy Aw ...

'' (1945) and the

Marx Brothers The Marx Brothers were an American family comedy act known for their anarchic humor, rapid-fire wordplay, and visual gags. They achieved success in vaudeville, on Broadway, and in 14 motion pictures. The core group consisted of brothers Chi ...

film, '' A Night in Casablanca'' (1946).

Early life and work

Russell was born in Farmington, Illinois to British immigrants Samuel and Martha Jane (Wood) Lord, he was the only child of nine born in the United States and, curiously, the only one who developed an English accent.Interview with Mrs. Frances Lord Robinson, niece. January 18, 2009. His father was an Illinois coal miner. After running away from home as a teenager, he began his life in the restaurant business, becoming an avid cook and eventually owning two restaurants.Lord, James L. ''The Lord Family History''. St. Louis: unpublished, 1976. Private Collection. He also designed rugs and tapestries and worked as a tailor in New York, creating elaborate costumes for the stage.

Career

As a vaudeville actor, Russell toured the U.S. and played at the Palace Theater in

Peoria, Illinois Peoria ( ) is a city in Peoria County, Illinois, United States, and its county seat. Located on the Illinois River, the city had a population of 113,150 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, making it the List of municipalities in Ill ...

, at a time when the phrase "

Will it play in Peoria? ''Will it play in Peoria?'' is an American English figure of speech that is traditionally used to ask whether a given product, person, promotional theme, or event will appeal to mainstream audiences or across a broad range of demographic and psy ...

" was well-known to vaudevillians who tested out their routines and sketches in front of the demanding and often difficult-to-please Peoria crowds. Billing himself as an actor from

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

,. Accessed January 31, 2009. Russell broke into the Broadway scene in the mid 1930s and starred as "The Squire" in the Broadway revival production of

Emlyn Williams George Emlyn Williams, CBE (26 November 1905 – 25 September 1987) was a Welsh writer, dramatist and actor. Early life Williams was born into a Welsh-speaking, working class family at 1 Jones Terrace, Pen-y-ffordd, Ffynnongroyw, Flintshi ...

's ''

The Corn is Green ''The Corn Is Green'' is a 1938 semi-autobiographical play by Welsh dramatist and actor Emlyn Williams. The play premiered in London at the Duchess Theatre in September 1938; with Sybil Thorndike as Miss Moffat and Williams himself portraying Mo ...

'' (1943) with leading lady

Ethel Barrymore Ethel Barrymore (born Ethel Mae Blythe; August 15, 1879 – June 18, 1959) was an American actress and a member of the Barrymore family of actors. Barrymore was a stage, screen and radio actress whose career spanned six decades, and was regarde ...

at the

Martin Beck Theatre The Al Hirschfeld Theatre, originally the Martin Beck Theatre, is a Broadway theater at 302 West 45th Street in the Theater District of Midtown Manhattan in New York City, New York, U.S. Opened in 1924, it was designed by G. Albert Lansburg ...

in New York. He also toured with actress

Glenda Farrell Glenda Farrell (June 30, 1904 – May 1, 1971) was an American actress. Farrell personified the smart and sassy, wisecracking blonde of the Classic Hollywood films. Her career spanned more than 50 years, and she appeared in numerous Broadwa ...

for several years in the New Rochelle Circuit. According to legend, he declined the starring role in '' The Man who Came to Dinner'' (1942) with

Bette Davis Ruth Elizabeth "Bette" Davis (; April 5, 1908 – October 6, 1989) was an American actress of film, television, and theater. Regarded as one of the greatest actresses in Hollywood history, she was noted for her willingness to play unsympatheti ...

, and created the role of the janitor in '' My Sister Eileen'' (1942/1955). He played

Pancho Villa Francisco "Pancho" Villa ( , , ; born José Doroteo Arango Arámbula; 5 June 1878 – 20 July 1923) was a Mexican revolutionary and prominent figure in the Mexican Revolution. He was a key figure in the revolutionary movement that forced ...

and had several starring roles in silent pictures, acting at least once opposite

Pola Negri Pola Negri (; born Barbara Apolonia Chałupiec ; 3 January 1897 – 1 August 1987) was a Polish stage and film actress and singer. She achieved worldwide fame during the silent and golden eras of Hollywood and European film for her tragedienn ...

. He also played

Jane Wyman Jane Wyman ( ; born Sarah Jane Mayfield; January 5, 1917 – September 10, 2007). was an American actress. A star of both movies and television, she received an Academy Award for Best Actress, four Golden Globe Awards and nominations for two Pr ...

’s concerned father, Charles St. James, in ''

'',

Ray Milland Ray Milland (born Alfred Reginald Jones; 3 January 1907 – 10 March 1986) was a Welsh-American actor and film director. He is often remembered for his portrayal of an alcoholic writer in Billy Wilder's ''The Lost Weekend'' (1945), which wo ...

’s most popular film. The playbill for the opening night of ''Bright Rebel'' (1938), a drama about the British Romantic-Era poet

Lord Byron George Gordon Byron, 6th Baron Byron (22 January 1788 – 19 April 1824) was an English poet. He is one of the major figures of the Romantic movement, and is regarded as being among the greatest poets of the United Kingdom. Among his best-kno ...

, features the following biographical note, which not only confirms Russell's adoption of an English identity but also suggests that he starred in many more plays than currently on record: "LEWIS L. RUSSELL (''Lord Melbourne'') is both an Englishman and an actor by birth. He was born in Leeds, England, shortly after his mother, a well-known English actress, gave one of those 'the show must go on' performances. With as dramatic a beginning as that he could hardly help getting back on the stage and there has been for some fifty years. A few scattered plays among the innumerable he has appeared in are 'The Rosary,' 'Lombardy, Ltd.,' 'The Bad Man,' 'Within the Law,' 'Madame X,' 'Accent on Youth,' and 'Yes My Darling Daughter.'"Lewis L. Russell at th
Playbill Vault
. Accessed September 1, 2014.

Later life

He designed his own home in

Pasadena, California Pasadena ( ) is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States, northeast of downtown Los Angeles. It is the most populous city and the primary cultural center of the San Gabriel Valley. Old Pasadena is the city's original commerci ...

, where he kept house,

Ernest Hemingway Ernest Miller Hemingway ( ; July 21, 1899 – July 2, 1961) was an American novelist, short-story writer and journalist. Known for an economical, understated style that influenced later 20th-century writers, he has been romanticized fo ...

-style, with his two-dozen cats. He died in Reseda, California at the age of 72.

Roles

Broadway

* ''Dead End'' (October 28, 1935 – June 12, 1937) as Medical Examiner * ''

London Assurance ''London Assurance'' (originally entitled ''Out of Town'') is a five-act comedy co-authored by Dion Boucicault and John Brougham. While the play was collaboratively written by both playwrights, after the play's initial premiere Broughman, who o ...

'' (February 18, 1937 – February 1937) as Max Harkaway * '' Abe Lincoln in Illinois'' (October 15, 1938 – December 1939) as Judge Bowling Green * ''Bright Rebel'' (December 27, 1938 – January 1939) as Lord Melbourne * ''Return Engagement'' (November 1, 1940 – November 7, 1940) as Baldy Bemis * ''Cuckoos on the Hearth'' (September 16, 1941 – January 3, 1942) as Zadoc Grimes * ''

The Corn Is Green ''The Corn Is Green'' is a 1938 semi-autobiographical play by Welsh dramatist and actor Emlyn Williams. The play premiered in London at the Duchess Theatre in September 1938; with Sybil Thorndike as Miss Moffat and Williams himself portraying Mo ...

'' (May 3, 1943 – June 19, 1943) as The Squire

Films

* '' The Affairs of Susan'' (1945) as Mr. Cusp * '' Molly and Me'' (1945) as Sir Arthur Burroughs * '' You Came Along'' (1945) as Chairman * ''

'' (1945) as Charles St. James * '' Hold That Blonde!'' (1945) as Henry Carteret * '' She Wouldn't Say Yes'' (1945) as Colonel Brady * ''

One Way to Love ''One Way to Love'' is a 1946 American comedy film directed by Ray Enright and starring Willard Parker, Marguerite Chapman, Chester Morris and Janis Carter. It was produced and distributed by Columbia Pictures. The plot has some similarities to Co ...

'' (1946) as Roger Winthrop * '' A Night in Casablanca'' (1946, a Marx Bros. film) as Governor Galoux * '' She Wrote the Book'' (1946) as George Dixon * '' If I'm Lucky'' (1946) as P.H. Gillingwater (uncredited) * '' Monsieur Beaucaire'' (1946) as Chief Justice (uncredited) * '' Cross My Heart'' (1946) as Judge * '' Ladies Man'' (1947) as David Harmon * '' Jewels of Brandenburg'' (1947) as Roger Hamilton * '' The Trouble with Women'' (1947) as Dr. Wilmer Dawson * '' I Wonder Who's Kissing Her Now'' (1947) as T.J. Milford (uncredited) * '' The Prince of Thieves'' (1948) as Sir Fitz-Alwin (uncredited) * ''

My Dog Rusty ''My Dog Rusty'' is a 1948 American drama film directed by Lew Landers and starring Ted Donaldson, John Litel and Ann Doran. It was part of the eight-film Rusty series of films produced by Columbia Pictures, about a boy and his valiant German ...

'' (1948) as Mayor Fulderwilder * '' Kiss the Blood Off My Hands'' (1948) as Tom Widgery * '' When the Redskins Rode'' (1951) as Gov. Dinwiddie * '' The Underworld Story'' (1950) as Calvin * '' Corky of Gasoline Alley'' (1951) as Hull (uncredited) * ''

Les Misérables ''Les Misérables'' (, ) is a 19th-century French literature, French Epic (genre), epic historical fiction, historical novel by Victor Hugo, first published on 31 March 1862, that is considered one of the greatest novels of the 19th century. '' ...

'' (1952) as Waiter (uncredited) * ''

Against All Flags ''Against All Flags'' is a 1952 American pirate film directed by George Sherman, with uncredited assist from Douglas Sirk. It features Errol Flynn as Lt. Brian Hawke, Maureen O'Hara as Prudence "Spitfire" Stevens, and Anthony Quinn as Roche Brazi ...

'' (1952) as Oxford (uncredited) * '' Sangaree'' (1953) as Capt. Bronson * '' The King's Thief'' (1955) as Gentleman (uncredited) * '' The Naked Hills'' (1956) as Baxter (uncredited) (final film role)

Television

* ''

Public Prosecutor A prosecutor is a legal representative of the prosecution in states with either the adversarial system, which is adopted in common law, or inquisitorial system, which is adopted in civil law. The prosecution is the legal party responsible ...

'', episode "The Case of the Missing Hour" (1947) as Jerome O. Kendrick * ''The Life of Riley'', "Egbert's Chemistry Set" (1949) as Doctor * '' China Smith'', "Shanghai Clipper" (1952) as Lord Ratcliffe * '' Front Page Detective'', "Seven Seas to Danger" (1952) as Dr. Oscar Grandell * '' Adventures of Superman'', "Five Minutes to Doom" (1953) as W. T. Wayne * '' I Married Joan'', "Brad's Moustache" (1953) as a Member of the Nominating Committee

References

External links

* * *
archive
{{DEFAULTSORT:Russell, Lewis 1889 births 1961 deaths American people of British descent People from Farmington, Illinois Male actors from Illinois American male film actors American male stage actors American vaudeville performers 20th-century American male actors Actors from Pasadena, California