Elliott Lewis (November 28, 1917 – May 23, 1990) was an American

actor An actor or actress is a person who portrays a character in a performance. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as film, radio, and television. The analogous Greek term is (), lit ...

writer A writer is a person who uses written words in different writing styles and techniques to communicate ideas. Writers produce different forms of literary art and creative writing such as novels, short stories, books, poetry, travelogues, ...

, producer and director who worked in radio and television during the twentieth century. He was known for his ability to work in these capacities across all genres during the

golden age of radio The Golden Age of Radio, also known as the old-time radio (OTR) era, was an era of radio in the United States where it was the dominant electronic home entertainment medium. It began with the birth of commercial radio broadcasting in the earl ...

, which earned him the nickname "Mr. Radio". Later in life, he wrote a series of detective novels.

Early years

Elliott Bruce Lewis was born in New York City, on November 28, 1917, to Julius Lewis and Anne Rabinowitz Lewis. His father was a printer. He had one younger brother, Raymond. By 1930, the family was living in

Mount Vernon, New York Mount Vernon is a city in Westchester County, New York, United States. It is an inner suburb of New York City, immediately to the north of the borough of the Bronx. As of the 2020 census, Mount Vernon had a population of 73,893, making it th ...

. Lewis headed west to Los Angeles to take a pre-law course in his twenties but found himself drawn to acting. He attended

Los Angeles City College Los Angeles City College (LACC) is a public community college in East Hollywood, Los Angeles, California. A part of the Los Angeles Community College District, it is located on Vermont Avenue south of Santa Monica Boulevard on the former campu ...

, where he studied music and drama.DeLong, Thomas A. (1996). ''Radio Stars: An Illustrated Biographical Dictionary of 953 Performers, 1920 through 1960''. McFarland & Company, Inc. . p. 165.

Radio career

Lewis made his radio debut in 1936, at the age of 18. While Lewis was a student at Los Angeles CIty College,

True Eames Boardman True Eames Boardman (born William True Boardman Jr., October 25, 1909 – July 28, 2003) was an American actor and scriptwriter. Born in Seattle, Washington, Boardman was the only child of actress Virginia Eames and action-adventure star Tr ...

noticed him in a college play and invited him to read four lines in a biography of Simon Bolivar Boardman was producing for '' Sunday Workshop''. Lewis' role was to scream and bang metal chairs in an earthquake scene. His mother drove him to the NBC studio, kissed him for luck, and waited in the car with the radio on. At the moment of her son's debut, a streetcar rumbled by, preventing her from hearing his big scene. Another early role was as Mr. Presto the Magician, on the transcription series ''

The Cinnamon Bear ''The Cinnamon Bear'' is an old-time radio program produced by Transco (Transcription Company of America), based in Hollywood, California. The series was specifically designed to be listened to six days a week between Thanksgiving and Christmas ...

'' (1937). In 1939, he became the host of '' Knickerbocker Playhouse''. As an

, Lewis was in high demand on

radio Radio is the technology of signaling and communicating using radio waves. Radio waves are electromagnetic waves of frequency between 30 hertz (Hz) and 300 gigahertz (GHz). They are generated by an electronic device called a tr ...

, and he displayed a talent for everything from

comedy Comedy is a genre of fiction that consists of discourses or works intended to be humorous or amusing by inducing laughter, especially in theatre, film, stand-up comedy, television, radio, books, or any other entertainment medium. The term o ...

melodrama A modern melodrama is a dramatic work in which the plot, typically sensationalized and for a strong emotional appeal, takes precedence over detailed characterization. Melodramas typically concentrate on dialogue that is often bombastic or exce ...

. He gave voice to the bitter Harvard-educated Soundman on the 1940–41 series of '' Burns and Allen'' and several characters (Rudy the radio detective, the quick-tempered delivery man, and Joe Bagley) on the 1947–48 series, many characters on ''The Jack Benny Radio Show'' (including the thuggish "Mooley", and cowboy star "Rodney Dangerfield"), a variety of characters on the

Parkyakarkus Harry Einstein (May 6, 1904 – November 24, 1958), known professionally as Harry Parke and other pseudonyms, most commonly Parkyakarkus, was an American comedian, writer, and character actor. A specialist in Greek dialect comedy, he became famo ...

show, and

Rex Stout Rex Todhunter Stout (; December 1, 1886 – October 27, 1975) was an American writer noted for his detective fiction. His best-known characters are the detective Nero Wolfe and his assistant Archie Goodwin, who were featured in 33 novels and ...

's roguish private eye Archie Goodwin, playing opposite Francis X. Bushman in ''

The Amazing Nero Wolfe ''The Amazing Nero Wolfe'' is a 1945 American radio drama series starring Francis X. Bushman as Rex Stout's fictional armchair detective Nero Wolfe. Broadcast July 17–November 30, 1945, the series was created by the Don Lee Network, a Californi ...

'' (1945). Lewis was one of several actors who had the title role in ''

The Casebook of Gregory Hood ''The Casebook of Gregory Hood'' was a radio detective program in the United States. It existed in several versions - with different stars on different networks in different years. Hood was an importer in San Francisco who dealt in rare items. Joh ...

'', and he portrayed the title character in ''

Hawk Durango ''Hawk Larabee'' is an American old-time radio western. It was broadcast on CBS from July 5, 1946, until February 7, 1948. Format In his book, ''On the Air: The Encyclopedia of Old-Time Radio'', radio historian John Dunning described ''Hawk Lar ...

''. He played Harry Graves on '' Junior Miss'', Barney Dunlap on ''

Speed Gibson of the International Secret Police ''Speed Gibson of the International Secret Police'' was a radio adventure series written by Virginia Cooke. It was centered on the adventures of Speed Gibson, a fifteen-year-old pilot who, through his uncle Clint Barlow, becomes a member of the I ...

'', Mr. Peterson on ''This Is Judy Jones'', and adventurer Phillip Carney on the

Mutual Broadcasting System The Mutual Broadcasting System (commonly referred to simply as Mutual; sometimes referred to as MBS, Mutual Radio or the Mutual Radio Network) was an American commercial radio network in operation from 1934 to 1999. In the golden age of U.S. ra ...

's ''

Voyage of the Scarlet Queen ''Voyage of the Scarlet Queen'' was a radio drama portraying the adventures of the 78-foot ketch ''Scarlet Queen'' in the South Pacific. It was broadcast on Mutual from 3 July 1947 to 14 February 1948. Personnel James Burton produced the scri ...

'' Lewis was an announcer on ''

Escape Escape or Escaping may refer to: Computing * Escape character, in computing and telecommunication, a character which signifies that what follows takes an alternative interpretation ** Escape sequence, a series of characters used to trigger some s ...

''. He was also heard as an actor on episodes of '' Adventures by Morse'', '' The Adventures of Maisie'' (1946–47), ''

The Adventures of Sam Spade ''The Adventures of Sam Spade, Detective'' was a radio series based loosely on the private detective character Sam Spade, created by writer Dashiell Hammett for '' The Maltese Falcon''. The show ran for 13 episodes on ABC in 1946, for 157 episod ...

'', '' Arch Oboler's Plays'', ''Best of the Week'', ''The Clock'', ''Columbia Presents Corwin,'' ''

The Hermit's Cave ''The Hermit's Cave'' was a syndicated radio horror series. The syndication was done via scripts, so that stations could broadcast the program with their own casts. The program began in September 1937 and continued into the mid-1940s on WJR AM ...

'', ''

I Love a Mystery ''I Love a Mystery'' is an American radio drama series that aired 1939–44, about three friends who ran a detective agency and traveled the world in search of adventure. Written by Carlton E. Morse, the program was the polar opposite of Morse's ...

'', ''Latitude Zero'', ''Orson Welles Theater'', ''Plays for Americans'' ''

Suspense Suspense is a state of mental uncertainty, anxiety, being Decision-making, undecided, or being Doubt, doubtful. In a Drama, dramatic work, suspense is the anticipation of the wikt:outcome, outcome of a plot (narrative), plot or of the solution t ...

'', '' The Whistler'', and dozens of other shows. He found acting, except for comedy, dull, and he preferred to write and to direct. He disliked hearing his own voice. He also taught radio classes at

UCLA The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a public land-grant research university in Los Angeles, California. UCLA's academic roots were established in 1881 as a teachers college then known as the southern branch of the California ...

in the early 1950s.

Military service

During

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

, Lewis was a master sergeant who regularly produced 120 shows for the

Armed Forces Radio Network The American Forces Network (AFN) is a government television and radio broadcast service the U.S. military provides to those stationed or assigned overseas. Headquartered at Fort George G. Meade, Maryland, AFN's broadcast operations, which i ...

. Much of his work involved recording programs from commercial networks and editing them before they were broadcast to military personnel. Lewis said, "We would take them off the air, take out anything that dated them or was commercial or censorable, reassemble them and ship them." In an era that preceded

tape recording An audio tape recorder, also known as a tape deck, tape player or tape machine or simply a tape recorder, is a sound recording and reproduction device that records and plays back sounds usually using magnetic tape for storage. In its presen ...

, that meant working with transcriptions on glass discs, which could easily be broken. Lewis received the

Legion of Merit The Legion of Merit (LOM) is a military award of the United States Armed Forces that is given for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services and achievements. The decoration is issued to members of the eight u ...

citation for his service. He left the Army on February 1, 1946, following three and a half years of service.

''The Phil Harris–Alice Faye Show''

Perhaps Lewis' most famous role on radio was that of the hard-living, trouble-making left-handed guitar player Frankie Remley on

NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American English-language commercial broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast, its headquarters are l ...

's '' The Phil Harris-Alice Faye Show''. This character, based in name only on the actual guitar-player in Harris' band, served only one purpose: to get Phil into trouble. Lewis's portrayal of the character, along with the rest of the Harris-Faye format, began on '' The Fitch Bandwagon'' (1946–48). Lewis was credited with saving the role, which had been filled by the real Frankie Remley for one episode.

Jeanine Roose Jeanine Ann Roose (October 24, 1937 – December 31, 2021) was an American child actress and psychologist. Life and career Roose was born on October 24, 1937, to Ivan R. and Agatha Roose. Her first job was on ''The Jack Benny Program'' at the ...

, who portrayed Alice Jr. on the program, described Lewis as a "totally extroverted wild man," adding, "He and Phil would play off each other all the time; they had such good rapport and a genuine liking for each other." Lewis said that, though he mostly played dramatic roles, he wished he could be a baggy-pants comic. The name "Frankie Remley" belonged to Harris's guitarist on ''

The Jack Benny Program ''The Jack Benny Program'', starring Jack Benny, is a radio-TV comedy series that ran for more than three decades and is generally regarded as a high-water mark in 20th century American comedy. He played one role throughout his radio and televis ...

'', on which Harris was a cast member. Frankie Remley taught Lewis to play a few guitar chords and allowed Lewis, who, like Remley, was left-handed, to use Remley's left-handed guitar for one episode. When Benny moved his show from NBC to CBS in 1949, rights to use references to Remley supposedly went with him.Dunning, John
Interview with Elliott Lewis
May 23, 1982. Recordings of the shows indicate, however, that the Remley character was still used at least as late as April 12, 1952, (in the episode "Alice's Easter Dress") while "Elliott Lewis" was being used for the character in the November 23, 1952, episode ("Chloe the Golddigger"). Harris left Benny's show at the end of the 1951–52 season, and the Frankie Remley name was changed in the first episode of the 1952–53 season of the ''Harris-Faye Show'' (October 5, 1952), "Hotel Harris", in which the character claimed "Frankie Remley" was just his stage name, and he now wanted to go by his given name of "Elliott Lewis". According to Lewis, the name change happened after lawyers convinced the real Remley to seek payment for the use of his name. Lawyers for both sides fought it out, until Harris, in frustration, decided to just call the character "Elliott Lewis". Lewis observed, "Frankie Remley" is a funny-sounding name, but "Elliott Lewis" isn't.

Radio production

The first radio script Lewis wrote was for ''Hermit's Cave'' ("The Drain"). Lewis' writing process involved thinking of a provocative sound or circumstance. He was considered one of the top talents in the radio world. In all, Lewis was involved in over 1200 radio productions, often working behind and in front of the microphone on the same episodes. Lewis took over directorship of Suspense from

William Spier William Hannan Spier (October 16, 1906 – May 30, 1973) was an American writer, producer, and director for television and radio. He is best known for his radio work, notably ''Suspense'' and ''The Adventures of Sam Spade''. Early life Wil ...

in 1950. One noteworthy undertaking is his adaptation of

William Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...

's ''

Othello ''Othello'' (full title: ''The Tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Venice'') is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare, probably in 1603, set in the contemporary Ottoman–Venetian War (1570–1573) fought for the control of the Island of Cyp ...

'' on ''Suspense'' in 1953. Lewis adapted, acted in, produced and directed; his wife,

Cathy ''Cathy'' is an American gag-a-day comic strip, drawn by Cathy Guisewite from 1976 until 2010. The comic follows Cathy, a woman who struggles through the "four basic guilt groups" of life—food, love, family, and work. The strip gently pokes f ...

, played

Desdemona Desdemona () is a character in William Shakespeare's play ''Othello'' (c. 1601–1604). Shakespeare's Desdemona is a Venetian beauty who enrages and disappoints her father, a Venetian senator, when she elopes with Othello, a Moorish Venetian ...

. He received positive notice for episodes like "The Death of Barbara Allen." Lewis said he disagreed with studio executives and sponsors who, he said, would ask for changes to a script shortly before a show was to record. On his desk was a mug with a question printed that Lewis had heard from

Fred Allen John Florence Sullivan (May 31, 1894 – March 17, 1956), known professionally as Fred Allen, was an American comedian. His absurdist, topically pointed radio program ''The Fred Allen Show'' (1932–1949) made him one of the most popular and for ...

: "Where were you when the page was blank?" He would turn to face people who entered his office requesting many changes to scripts. When studio executives tried to get a 1951 ''Suspense'', "Murder in G-Flat," which was to star Jack Benny, scrapped because they believed it was neither suspenseful nor funny, Lewis insisted on proceeding with the production, and it was a success. In 1946, Lewis and 26 other veterans who had worked in the AFRS joined forces to form Command Radio Productions for the creation of both transcribed and live radio programs. Lewis was second vice president of the company, which had offices in Hollywood and New York City. Lewis remarked to Shirley Gordon of ''Radio Life'': "Writing's fun. You can do it at home in your pajamas. You don't have to get dressed up and go some place." He wrote episodes of many radio shows, including ''Suspense'' ("Can't We Be Friends?" and "My Dear Niece"),''The Whistler'' ("Accident According to Plan), and ''

Twelve Players Twelve or 12 may refer to: * 12 (number) * December, the twelfth and final month of the year Years * 12 BC * AD 12 * 1912 * 2012 Film * ''Twelve'' (2010 film), based on the 2002 novel * ''12'' (2007 film), by Russian director and actor Nikita ...

''. As a producer, director and

, Lewis was a force behind such radio programs as '' The Lineup'', ''Mr. Aladdin'', ''Pursuit'' ''Suspense'', '' Broadway Is My Beat'', '' Crime Classics'' and numerous other shows. Lewis and his wife, Cathy Lewis, had wanted a half-hour weekly show over which they had creative control since at least 1946. Beginning January 1, 1953, Lewis and Cathy co-starred in the character-driven anthology series '' On Stage'' on CBS. Lewis also produced and directed the show over its two seasons. Lewis was against adapting movies for radio. "Material written for one medium shouldn't be used on an other. How can a story planned for ninety minutes of sight dimension be told in twenty-one minutes of sound?" He also believed that many movie stars were not suited for the work because they were uncomfortable performing for radio. Both Lewises believed in name billing for all radio performers. "We think the listeners want to know whom they are hearing on their radios, and if radio isn't willing to 'build up' its own people, it is only hurting itself."

Films and records

Lewis did work in film, although radio was his great passion, and he claimed to become extremely nervous in front of cameras. On the big screen, he played the distraught father of a child killed in a car accident in ''The Devil On Wheels'' (1947), narrated ''

The Winner's Circle ''The Winner's Circle'' is a 1948 American drama film directed by Felix E. Feist and written by Howard J. Green and Leonard Praskins. The film stars Jean Willes, Morgan Farley, Johnny Longden, Robert S. Howard, William Gould and John Beradin ...

'' (1948), and portrayed Rod Markle in '' The Story of Molly X'' (1949). He also appeared as a police officer in '' Ma and Pa Kettle Go to Town'' (1950), and as reporter Eddie Adams in ''

Saturday's Hero ''Saturday's Hero'' is a 1951 American film noir drama sports film directed by David Miller. It is also known as ''Idols in the Dust'', and stars John Derek and Donna Reed. ''Saturday's Hero'' was the first film for Aldo Ray, who was still goin ...

'' (1951). He was tested for the title role in

Jesse Lasky Jesse Louis Lasky (September 13, 1880 – January 13, 1958) was an American pioneer motion picture producer who was a key founder of what was to become Paramount Pictures, and father of screenwriter Jesse L. Lasky Jr. Early life Born in to ...

's ''

The Great Caruso ''The Great Caruso'' is a 1951 biographical film made by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and starring Mario Lanza as Enrico Caruso. It was directed by Richard Thorpe and produced by Joe Pasternak with Jesse L. Lasky as associate producer from a screenpla ...

'' film. The role ultimately went to

Mario Lanza Mario Lanza (, ; born Alfredo Arnold Cocozza ; January 31, 1921 – October 7, 1959) was an American tenor and actor. He was a Hollywood film star popular in the late 1940s and the 1950s. Lanza began studying to be a professional singer at ...

. Lewis served as narrator and male lead of

Gordon Jenkins Gordon Hill Jenkins (May 12, 1910 – May 1, 1984) was an American arranger, composer, and pianist who was influential in popular music in the 1940s and 1950s. Jenkins worked with The Andrews Sisters, Johnny Cash, The Weavers, Frank Sinatra, Lo ...

' musical narrative album ''Manhattan Tower'' in both the original 10 inch LP and the later recorded, expanded 12 inch LP version of the musical story. Lewis and his second wife, Cathy, released two musical story albums orchestrated by Ray Noble: ''Happy Anniversary'' (Columbia MC-160) and ''Happy Holidays''. Lewis reported that though the records never made much money, years later he learned that they were played annually by the CBS affiliate station in St. Louis,

KMOX KMOX (1120 AM) is a commercial radio station in St. Louis, Missouri. Owned by Audacy, Inc., it is a 50,000 watt Class A clear-channel station with a non-directional signal. The KMOX studios and offices are on Olive Street at Tucker Bouleva ...

Television

Though he was initially critical of television, Lewis began to work in the medium in the final years of the golden age of radio. Lewis was an announcer for the television series ''

'', the visual counterpart of the radio program of the same name. Lewis appeared on television only twice: with Phil Harris on an episode of ''

All Star Revue ''Four Star Revue'' (also known as ''All Star Revue'' and ''All Star Summer Revue'') was an American variety/comedy program that aired on NBC from October 4, 1950, to December 26, 1953. The series originally starred four celebrities, Ed Wynn, Dan ...

'', and as a judge on episode two of the 1975

Sheldon Leonard Sheldon Leonard Bershad (February 22, 1907 – January 11, 1997) was an American film and television actor, producer, director, and screenwriter. Early life Sheldon Leonard Bershad was born in Manhattan, New York City, the son of middle-cla ...

sitcom '' Big Eddie''. As the

Golden Age of Radio The Golden Age of Radio, also known as the old-time radio (OTR) era, was an era of radio in the United States where it was the dominant electronic home entertainment medium. It began with the birth of commercial radio broadcasting in the earl ...

ended, Lewis shifted his focus to television production, where he began by co-producing ''

Climax Climax may refer to: Language arts * Climax (narrative), the point of highest tension in a narrative work * Climax (rhetoric), a figure of speech that lists items in order of importance Biology * Climax community, a biological community t ...

'' and ''Kraft Mystery Theatre''''.'' In 1953, he, Cathy Lewis,

E. Jack Neuman Ernest Jack Neuman (February 27, 1921 – January 15, 1998) was an Edgar and Peabody award-winning American writer and producer. Early years Neuman was born in Toledo, Ohio. He moved to Denver, Colorado, as a child and graduated from Regis ...

and Irene M. Neuman formed a radio and television production company, Hawk-Lewis Enterprises. Lewis was one of three members of a "board of revue" established by NBC-TV to oversee development of color programming in 1955. He, Milt Josefsberg, and Jess Oppenheimer evaluated and supervised pilots of color programs and oversaw a development program for new writers. In 1956, he was executive producer of Tomado Productions' ''Crime Classics'', a TV version of the radio program of the same title. By the 1960s, Lewis was directing such shows as ''

The Mothers-in-Law ''The Mothers-in-Law'' is an American situation comedy featuring Eve Arden and Kaye Ballard as two women who were friends and next-door neighbors until their children's elopement made them in-laws. The show aired on NBC television from Septemb ...

'', ''

Petticoat Junction ''Petticoat Junction'' is an American television sitcom that originally aired on CBS from September 1963 to April 1970. The series takes place at the Shady Rest Hotel, which is run by Kate Bradley; her three daughters Billie Jo, Bobbie Jo, and ...

'', and

Bill Cosby William Henry Cosby Jr. ( ; born July 12, 1937) is an American stand-up comedian, actor, and media personality. He made significant contributions to American and African-American culture, and is well known in the United States for his eccentric ...

's and Andy Griffith's programs. He was director, producer, and writer for ''

Bat Masterson Bartholemew William Barclay "Bat" Masterson (November 26, 1853 – October 25, 1921) was a U.S. Army scout, lawman, professional gambler, and journalist known for his exploits in the 19th and early 20th-century American Old West. He was born to ...

'', ''

MacKenzie's Raiders ''Mackenzie's Raiders'' is an American Western television series starring Richard Carlson that aired thirty-nine episodes in syndication between 1958 and 1959. The series is narrated by Art Gilmore, and was produced by Ziv Television Programs. ...

'', and ''

This Man Dawson ''This Man Dawson'' is a syndicated drama television series that was broadcast during 1959-60, starring Keith Andes as a former United States Marine Corps colonel hired to clean up police corruption in an undisclosed American city. The series ...

''. before producing '' Guestward Ho'' and ''

The Lucy Show ''The Lucy Show'' is an American sitcom that aired on CBS from 1962 to 1968. It was Lucille Ball's follow-up to '' I Love Lucy''. A significant change in cast and premise for the fourth season (1965–1966) divides the program into two distin ...

'' (on which his wife Mary Jane Croft costarred as Lucy's sidekick Mary Jane Lewis – her married name). He was promoted to executive producer of ''The Lucy Show'' for its 1963–1964 season and stepped down at the end of that season. Lewis joined Bing Crosby Productions in 1964 to work on new projects. His final credited work was as an executive script consultant for ''

Remington Steele ''Remington Steele'' is an American television series co-created by Robert Butler and Michael Gleason. The series, starring Stephanie Zimbalist and Pierce Brosnan, was produced by MTM Enterprises and first broadcast on the NBC network from O ...

''.

Revival of radio

In the 1970s, Lewis produced radio dramas during a brief reincarnation of the medium. In 1973–74, he produced and directed Mutual's '' The Zero Hour'', hosted by

Rod Serling Rodman Edward Serling (December 25, 1924 – June 28, 1975) was an American screenwriter, playwright, television producer, and narrator/on-screen host, best known for his live television dramas of the 1950s and his anthology television series ...

. In 1979, he and Fletcher Markle produced the '' Sears Radio Theater'', with Sears as the sole sponsor. Lewis wrote the episodes "The Thirteenth Governess" and "Cataclysm at Carbon River" (the latter was pulled by CBS due to its subject matter of a nuclear disaster, and was never aired), and acted on the episodes "Getting Drafted", "The Old Boy", "Here's Morgan Again", "Here's Morgan Once More", and "Survival". In 1980, the series moved from CBS to Mutual and was renamed ''The Mutual Radio Theater'', sponsored by Sears and other sponsors. Lewis scripted the episodes "Yes Sir, That's My Baby" and "Our Man on Omega", and acted on the episodes "Interlude", "Night", "Hotel Terminal", and "Lion Hunt".

Novelist

In his later years, Lewis wrote seven detective novels about Fred Bennett, a police officer who becomes a private investigator. The series was published by

Pinnacle Books Kensington Publishing Corp. is an American, New York-based publishing house founded in 1974 by Walter Zacharius (1923–2011)Grimes, William"Walter Zacharius, Romance Publisher, Dies at 87,"''New York Times'' (MARCH 7, 2011). and Roberta Bender ...

from 1980–1983. # ''Two Heads Are Better'' (1980) # ''Dirty Linen'' (1980) # ''People in Glass Houses'' (1981) # ''Double Trouble'' (1981) # ''Bennett's World'' (1982) # ''Here Today, Dead Tomorrow'' (1982) # ''Death and the Single Girl'' (1983) ''Death and the Single Girl'' was nominated for a Shamus Award for Best Original P.I. Paperback from The Private Eye Writers of America in 1984, but lost to ''Dead in Centerfield'' by Paul Engelman.

Personal life

Lewis was an avid reader. He enjoyed playing the piano and cooking. He was a

stamp collector Stamp collecting is the collecting of postage stamps and related objects. It is an area of philately, which is the study (or combined study and collection) of stamps. It has been one of the world's most popular hobbies since the late nineteenth ...

and his collection contained some stamps from

Franklin Delano Roosevelt Franklin Delano Roosevelt (; ; January 30, 1882April 12, 1945), often referred to by his initials FDR, was an American politician and attorney who served as the 32nd president of the United States from 1933 until his death in 1945. As the ...

's collection.

Marriages

On August 30, 1940, Lewis eloped to

Las Vegas Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Veg ...

with surfer and model Ann "Nana" Wigton. Five days later, they separated. Wigton filed for an annulment on the grounds that Lewis had tricked her into marriage by falsely claiming he wanted to start a family. The annulment was granted a month later. Lewis met singer and actress

Cathy Lewis Catherine Lee Lewis (December 27, 1916 – November 20, 1968) was an American actress on radio, film, and television. She is remembered best for numerous radio appearances but also noted for making a number of film and television appearances in ...

(who had the same surname before their marriage) as they recorded at

The Woodbury Playhouse ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...

on November 6, 1940. On April 30, 1943, while on leave from the Army, Lewis married Cathy Lewis at Chapman Park Hotel in Los Angeles. Lewis' uncle Eddie Raiden was best man. Together, the couple worked on such

old time radio The Golden Age of Radio, also known as the old-time radio (OTR) era, was an era of radio in the United States where it was the dominant electronic home entertainment medium. It began with the birth of commercial radio broadcasting in the earl ...

classics as ''

'' and ''

''. They earned a combined income of $90,000 per year. The Lewises separated on their 14th anniversary, and Cathy filed for divorce, on the grounds of mental cruelty. The divorce was granted on April 16, 1958. In the spring of 1959, Lewis married actress Mary Jane Croft, and they remained together until Lewis' death from

cardiac arrest Cardiac arrest is when the heart suddenly and unexpectedly stops beating. It is a medical emergency that, without immediate medical intervention, will result in sudden cardiac death within minutes. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and possi ...

in Gleneden Beach,

Oregon Oregon () is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. The Columbia River delineates much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while the Snake River delineates much of it ...

, on May 23, 1990. His stepson Eric Zoller, from Croft's first marriage, was killed in

Vietnam Vietnam or Viet Nam ( vi, Việt Nam, ), officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam,., group="n" is a country in Southeast Asia, at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of and population of 96 million, making ...

on January 22, 1967.

Death

Lewis died on May 23, 1990.

Honors

He was nominated for induction to the

National Radio Hall of Fame The Radio Hall of Fame, formerly the National Radio Hall of Fame, is an American organization created by the Emerson Radio Corporation in 1988. Three years later, Bruce DuMont, founder, president, and CEO of the Museum of Broadcast Communicati ...

in 1999, but was not inducted.

References

External links

*
Elliott Lewis radio credits
at the Radio GOLDINdex
Elliott Lewis radio programs

Elliott Lewis on Find a Grave
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lewis, Elliott 1917 births 1990 deaths 20th-century American male actors American male radio actors American radio writers American radio producers American television producers American television directors American television writers 20th-century American novelists 20th-century American male writers American male television writers Recipients of military awards and decorations 20th-century American screenwriters Male actors from New York City Military personnel from New York City Writers from New York City