Ronald Glasfryn Lewis (11 December 1928 – 7 January 1982) was a Welsh actor, best known for his appearances in British films of the 1950s and 1960s. According to one magazine, "Lewis never really became a star. However, he almost became one – indeed, he played the lead roles in several key films, some quite famous, before his life and career took a disastrous turn."

Early life and career

Lewis was born in

Port Talbot Port Talbot (, ) is a town and community (Wales), community in the county borough of Neath Port Talbot, Wales, situated on the east side of Swansea Bay, approximately from Swansea. The Port Talbot Steelworks covers a large area of land which d ...

Glamorgan Glamorgan (), or sometimes Glamorganshire ( or ), was Historic counties of Wales, one of the thirteen counties of Wales that existed from 1536 until their abolishment in 1974. It is located in the South Wales, south of Wales. Originally an ea ...

, the son of an accountant. He moved with his family to London when he was seven. During the war he was evacuated back to south Wales, where he attended Bridgend Grammar School. There he played Bassanio in the school production of ''

The Merchant of Venice ''The Merchant of Venice'' is a play by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1596 and 1598. A merchant in Venice named Antonio defaults on a large loan taken out on behalf of his dear friend, Bassanio, and provided by a ...

''. He decided to become an actor after seeing

George Bernard Shaw George Bernard Shaw (26 July 1856 – 2 November 1950), known at his insistence as Bernard Shaw, was an Irish playwright, critic, polemicist and political activist. His influence on Western theatre, culture and politics extended from the 188 ...

's '' Saint Joan'' at the

Prince of Wales Theatre The Prince of Wales Theatre is a West End theatre in Coventry Street, near Leicester Square in London. It was established in 1884 and rebuilt in 1937, and extensively refurbished in 2004 by Sir Cameron Mackintosh, its current owner. The theatre ...

in Cardiff. Lewis attended the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and at the end of the first year was given a scholarship for the most promising student.

Early roles

Lewis's first professional role was in

Oscar Wilde Oscar Fingal O'Fflahertie Wills Wilde (16 October 185430 November 1900) was an Irish author, poet, and playwright. After writing in different literary styles throughout the 1880s, he became one of the most popular and influential playwright ...

's ''

An Ideal Husband ''An Ideal Husband'' is a four-act play by Oscar Wilde that revolves around blackmail and political corruption, and touches on the themes of public and private honour. It was first produced at the Haymarket Theatre, London in 1895 and ran for ...

'' (1950) in repertory at Worthing. He was in '' The Square Ring'' at Hammersmith. He worked at Regents Park Open Air Theatre appearing in Christopher Fry's ''Boy with a Cart'' in July 1952. He was also in a play '' The Bad Samaritan'' that played in 1953. Lewis had an uncredited bit part in ''

Valley of Song ''Valley of Song'' (U.S.: ''Men Are Children Twice'' ) is a 1953 British second feature ('B') comedy drama film directed by Gilbert Gunn and starring Mervyn Johns, Clifford Evans, Maureen Swanson and the London Welsh Association Choral Societ ...

'', set in Wales. He was credited for the film version of '' The Square Ring'' (1953), for Ealing; '' The Beachcomber'' (1954), as a native islander; '' The Face of Love'' (1954) for the BBC; and ''Fantastic Summer'' (1955) for TV. He had a larger part in ''

Helen of Troy Helen (), also known as Helen of Troy, or Helen of Sparta, and in Latin as Helena, was a figure in Greek mythology said to have been the most beautiful woman in the world. She was believed to have been the daughter of Zeus and Leda (mythology), ...

'' (1955) as

Aeneas In Greco-Roman mythology, Aeneas ( , ; from ) was a Troy, Trojan hero, the son of the Trojan prince Anchises and the Greek goddess Aphrodite (equivalent to the Roman Venus (mythology), Venus). His father was a first cousin of King Priam of Troy ...

and provided some romantic interest in ''

The Prisoner ''The Prisoner'' is a British television series created by Patrick McGoohan. McGoohan portrays Number Six (The Prisoner), Number Six, an unnamed British intelligence agent who is abducted and imprisoned in a The Village (The Prisoner), mysteri ...

'' (1955), with

Alec Guinness Sir Alec Guinness (born Alec Guinness de Cuffe; 2 April 1914 – 5 August 2000) was an English actor. In the BFI, British Film Institute listing of 1999 of BFI Top 100 British films, the 100 most important British films of the 20th century ...

Rise to stardom

Lewis achieved attention with his stage performance in ''

Mourning Becomes Electra ''Mourning Becomes Electra'' is a play cycle written by American playwright Eugene O'Neill. The play premiered on Broadway at the Guild Theatre on 26 October 1931 where it ran for 150 performances before closing in March 1932, starring Lee Ba ...

'' by

Eugene O'Neill Eugene Gladstone O'Neill (October 16, 1888 – November 27, 1953) was an American playwright. His poetically titled plays were among the first to introduce into the U.S. the drama techniques of Realism (theatre), realism, earlier associated with ...

, directed by Peter Hall (1955). This led to

Alexander Korda Sir Alexander Korda (; born Sándor László Kellner; ; 16 September 1893 – 23 January 1956)

signing Lewis to a contract with

London Films London Films Productions is a British film and television production company founded in 1932 by Alexander Korda and from 1936 based at Denham Film Studios in Buckinghamshire, near London. The company's productions included '' The Private Li ...

in August 1955 and giving him a role in ''

Storm Over the Nile ''Storm Over the Nile'' is a 1955 British adventure film adaptation of the 1902 novel '' The Four Feathers'', directed by Terence Young and Zoltan Korda. The film not only extensively used footage of the action scenes from the 1939 film ver ...

'' (1956), as one of the main group of friends. Lewis was third billed in the comedy '' Sailor Beware'' (1956), one of the ten most popular films at the British box office in 1956. He played the important role of Private Wyatt in ''

A Hill in Korea ''A Hill in Korea'' is a 1956 British war film based on Max Catto's 1953 novel of the same name. The original name was ''Hell in Korea'', but it was changed for distribution reasons—except in the US. It was directed by Julian Amyes and pro ...

'' (1956), a

Korean War The Korean War (25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953) was an armed conflict on the Korean Peninsula fought between North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea; DPRK) and South Korea (Republic of Korea; ROK) and their allies. North Korea was s ...

film. Caine described Lewis in his memoirs as "a goodlooking Welshman in the cast who I thought had the chance to become a star." Lewis was cast opposite

Vivien Leigh Vivien Leigh ( ; born Vivian Mary Hartley; 5 November 1913 – 8 July 1967), styled as Lady Olivier after 1947, was a British actress. After completing her drama school education, Leigh appeared in small roles in four films in 1935 and progress ...

in the London production of

Noël Coward Sir Noël Peirce Coward (16 December 189926 March 1973) was an English playwright, composer, director, actor, and singer, known for his wit, flamboyance, and what ''Time (magazine), Time'' called "a sense of personal style, a combination of c ...

's ''

South Sea Bubble South is one of the cardinal directions or compass points. The direction is the opposite of north and is perpendicular to both west and east. Etymology The word ''south'' comes from Old English ''sūþ'', from earlier Proto-Germanic ''*sunþa ...

'' (1956), replacing

Peter Finch Frederick George Peter Ingle Finch (28 September 191614 January 1977) was an English-Australian actor of theatre, film and radio. Born in London, he emigrated to Australia at the age of ten and was raised in Sydney, where he worked in vaudevi ...

at the last minute. ''Variety'' wrote he "scores as the native male charmer, using his handsome mien, flashing teeth and an attractive broken accent to spout his oddly-constructed sentences. His beach-house flirtation scene with Miss Leigh neatly done." Lewis reprised this role on British TV. In June 1956, following the death of Alex Korda, Lewis' contract with London Films transferred to the Rank Organisation.

Rank

According to ''Filmink'' magazine, "Rank would’ve been delighted with Lewis – he fitted right into what that studio thought a film star was: handsome, tall, and muscular with Brylcreamed hair, rather like Anthony Steel." The studio tried to build Lewis into a star, giving him the lead in a thriller, '' The Secret Place'' (1957), alongside Belinda Lee, replacing Anthony Steel who had pulled out. On British TV he was in ''Salome'' (1957) and the TV series '' Hour of Mystery'' in an adaption of '' Night Must Fall''. He appeared regularly in ''

Armchair Theatre ''Armchair Theatre'' is a British television drama anthology series of single plays that ran on the ITV network from 1956 to 1974. It was originally produced by ABC Weekend TV. Its successor Thames Television took over from mid-1968. The Ca ...

'' over fifteen years and other British anthology dramas. Lewis had a starring role as the bad brother in ''

Robbery Under Arms ''Robbery Under Arms'' is a bushranger novel by Thomas Alexander Browne, published under his pen name Rolf Boldrewood. It was first published in serialised form by ''The Sydney Mail'' between July 1882 and August 1883, then in three volumes in ...

'' (1957) and was a villain in ''

The Wind Cannot Read ''The Wind Cannot Read'' is a 1958 British drama film directed by Ralph Thomas and starring Dirk Bogarde, Yoko Tani, Ronald Lewis and John Fraser. It was based on the 1946 novel by Richard Mason, who also wrote the screenplay. Ralph Thom ...

'' (1958). He was in Schiller's ''Mary Stuart'' and Ibsen's ''Ghosts'' on stage (which was filmed), supported

Hardy Krüger Hardy Krüger (; born Eberhard August Franz Ewald Krüger; 12 April 1928 – 19 January 2022) was a German actor and author who appeared in more than 60 films from 1944 onwards. After becoming a film star in Germany in the 1950s, Krüger increas ...

in the Rank comedy ''

Bachelor of Hearts ''Bachelor of Hearts'' is a 1958 British comedy film directed by Wof Rilla starring Hardy Krüger as a German who studies at Cambridge University. It was written by Leslie Bricusse and Frederic Raphael. Plot Young German maths scholar Wolf H ...

'' (1958), and was in a production of ''

Miss Julie ''Miss Julie'' () is a naturalistic play written in 1888 by August Strindberg. It is set on Midsummer's Eve and the following morning, which is Midsummer and the Feast Day of St. John the Baptist. The setting is an estate of a count in Sweden. ...

'' (1959) at the

Old Vic Old or OLD may refer to: Places *Old, Baranya, Hungary *Old, Northamptonshire, England *Old Street station, a railway and tube station in London (station code OLD) *OLD, IATA code for Old Town Municipal Airport and Seaplane Base, Old Town, Mai ...

. He was Mark Anthony in a production of ''Julius Caesar'' at

the Old Vic The Old Vic is a 1,000-seat, nonprofit producing theatre in Waterloo, London, England. It was established in 1818 as the Royal Coburg Theatre, and renamed in 1833 the Royal Victoria Theatre. In 1871 it was rebuilt and reopened as the Royal ...

. In October 1958 Rank did not pick up its option on Lewis's services. However he was still employed by the studio in '' Conspiracy of Hearts'' (1960), playing an Italian officer helping some nuns. He made ''

The Full Treatment ''The Full Treatment'' (released in the US as ''Stop Me Before I Kill!'') is a 1960 black-and-white British Thriller film, thriller film directed by Val Guest and starring Claude Dauphin (actor), Claude Dauphin, Diane Cilento and Ronald Lewis (a ...

'' (1960) for Hammer, directed by

Val Guest Val Guest (born Valmond Maurice Grossman; 11 December 1911 – 10 May 2006) was an English film director and screenwriter. Beginning as a writer (and later director) of comedy films, he is best known for his work for Hammer Film Productions, ...

. Guest called Lewis and co-star

Diane Cilento Elizabeth Diane Cilento (2 April 1932 – 6 October 2011) was an Australian actress. She is best known for her film roles in '' Tom Jones'' (1963), which earned her an Academy Award nomination, '' Hombre'' (1967) and '' The Wicker Man'' (1973). ...

"two neglected stars... and I shall go all out to un-neglect them both." Hammer kept him on for another thriller, ''

Taste of Fear ''Taste of Fear'' (U.S. title: ''Scream of Fear'') is a 1961 British Thriller (genre), thriller film directed by Seth Holt. The film stars Susan Strasberg, Ronald Lewis (actor), Ronald Lewis, Ann Todd, and Christopher Lee in a supporting role. ...

'' (1961), which was a big hit. So too was '' Mr. Sardonicus'' (1961) made for

William Castle William Castle (born William Schloss Jr.; April 24, 1914 – May 31, 1977) was an American film director, producer, screenwriter, and actor. He is known for the horror film, horror and thriller film, thriller B movie, B-movies he directed durin ...

. This was made in Hollywood and it has been argued that in hindsight Lewis might have had a stronger career staying in the US. Around this time Lewis appeared on television in ''

Ghosts In folklore, a ghost is the soul or Spirit (supernatural entity), spirit of a dead Human, person or non-human animal that is believed by some people to be able to appear to the living. In ghostlore, descriptions of ghosts vary widely, from a ...

'', '' Lysette'', and '' The Fabulous Money Maker''; in the latter ''Variety'' felt Lewis "acted extraordinary well in the key role." Lewis had a support role in the comedy '' Twice Round the Daffodils'' (1962) and was back in the lead for '' Jigsaw'' (1962), a thriller directed by Guest. Lewis had a support role in ''

Billy Budd ''Billy Budd, Sailor (An Inside Narrative)'', also known as ''Billy Budd, Foretopman'', is a novella by American writer Herman Melville, left unfinished at his death in 1891. Acclaimed by critics as a masterpiece when a hastily transcribed vers ...

'' (1962) and was the romantic lead to star

Juliet Mills Juliet Maryon Mills (born 21 November 1941) is a British-American actress. Mills began her career as a child actress and was nominated at age 18 for a Tony Award for her stage performance in ''Five Finger Exercise'' in 1960. She progressed to ...

in the comedy '' Nurse on Wheels'' (1963), made by the ''Carry On'' team. He had the star role in two costume pictures, '' Siege of the Saxons'' (1963) and Hammer's ''

The Brigand of Kandahar ''The Brigand of Kandahar'' is a 1965 British adventure film directed by John Gilling and starring Ronald Lewis, Oliver Reed and Duncan Lamont. Case, a British Indian Army officer, is discharged from his regiment after being accused of coward ...

'' (1965). On stage he was in ''Poor Bitos'' (1963-64).

Decline

In May 1965 Lewis appeared in court for drinking driving and assault. Lewis received two black eyes, both in retaliation to his aggression: one from a man who had taken his car keys as Lewis was evidently unfit to drive; and another, at his home in Grays, from the arresting police officer whose presence was prompted by Mrs Lewis' visit to a police station in a "distressed" state. At the trial Lewis admitted driving while unfit through drink, assaulting a police officer, and being drunk and disorderly. He was fined £65 and banned from driving for a year, but he was not charged with assaulting his wife. In December 1965 a warrant was issued for Lewis' arrest while he was appearing in ''

Peter Pan Peter Pan is a fictional character created by Scottish novelist and playwright J. M. Barrie. A free-spirited and mischievous young boy who can fly and never grows up, Peter Pan spends his never-ending childhood having adventures on the mythical ...

'' on stage (as

Hook A hook is a tool consisting of a length of material, typically metal, that contains a portion that is curved/bent back or has a deeply grooved indentation, which serves to grab, latch or in any way attach itself onto another object. The hook's d ...

alongside

Sylvia Syms Sylvia May Laura Syms (6 January 1934 – 27 January 2023) was an English stage and screen actress. Her best-known film roles include '' My Teenage Daughter'' (1956), '' Woman in a Dressing Gown'' (1957), for which she was nominated for a BAFTA ...

in the title role). His wife alleged he had assaulted her in August. Lewis failed to turn up at court and a warrant was issued for his arrest in December. This possibly contributed to Lewis no longer playing lead roles in films although it has been pointed out he continued to play leads on television and in theatre until the end of his career. Another reason for the decline in his film career may have been a shift in public taste and Lewis' association with the 1950s. He focused on stage work in productions such as ''Raymond and Agnes'' (1965).

Final years

Lewis was a regular in the TV series '' His and Hers'' (1970–72). Apart from a role in ''

Friends ''Friends'' is an American television sitcom created by David Crane (producer), David Crane and Marta Kauffman, which aired on NBC from September 22, 1994, to May 6, 2004, lasting List of Friends episodes, ten seasons. With an ensemble cast ...

'' (1971) and its sequel ''

Paul and Michelle ''Paul and Michelle'' is a 1974 drama film directed and produced by Lewis Gilbert, whose story Vernon Harris and Angela Huth dramatized. It is a sequel to the 1971 film ''Friends,'' by the same director and with the same lead actors. Gilbert says ...

'' (1974), his final credits were in TV: '' Tales of Unease'' (1970), ''

Hine ''Hine'' is a surname deriving from Middle English. Etymology According to the '' Oxford Dictionary of Family Names in Britain and Ireland'', the modern name ''Hine'' and its variants derive from the Middle English word ''hine'' (with the addit ...

'' (1971), '' The Rivals of Sherlock Holmes'' (1973), ''

Harriet's Back in Town ''Harriet's Back in Town'' is a 1972 British television series produced by Thames Television. The cast included Pauline Yates, William Russell, Edwin Richfield and Sally Bazely. The show featured a newly divorced woman (Harriet Preston, ...

'' (1973), '' Nightingale's Boys'' (1975), '' Public Eye'' (1975), and ''

Crown Court The Crown Court is the criminal trial court, court of first instance in England and Wales responsible for hearing all indictable offences, some Hybrid offence, either way offences and appeals of the decisions of magistrates' courts. It is ...

'' ('Do Your Worst' episode, 1974), '' Big Boy Now!'' (1976), ''

Warship A warship or combatant ship is a naval ship that is used for naval warfare. Usually they belong to the navy branch of the armed forces of a nation, though they have also been operated by individuals, cooperatives and corporations. As well as b ...

'' (1977), ''

The XYY Man ''The XYY Man'' is a series which began in 1970 as a series of novels by Kenneth Royce, featuring the character of William "Spider" Scott, a one-time cat-burglar who leaves prison aiming to go straight. Adapted for television, ''The XYY Man'' ...

'' (1977), and ''

Z Cars ''Z-Cars'' or ''Z Cars'' (pronounced "zed cars") is a British television police procedural series centred on the work of mobile uniformed police and CID detectives in the fictional town of Newtown, based on Kirkby, near Liverpool. Produced by ...

'' (1978). ''Filmink'' noted "Like many a self-destructive drunk (Tony Hancock, Robert Newton, Judy Garland), Lewis wound up in Australia towards the end of his career, appearing in '' The John Sullivan Story'' (1979)." He was meant to be First Voice in a production of ''

Under Milk Wood ''Under Milk Wood'' is a 1954 radio drama by Welsh people, Welsh poet Dylan Thomas. The BBC commissioned the play, which was later adapted for the stage. The first public reading was in New York City in 1953. A Under Milk Wood (1972 film), f ...

'' at Theatre Gwynedd in 1975. He stopped drinking to prepare himself for the role, but wound up having a heart attack on opening night.

Personal life

Lewis was married twice, both times to actresses:

Norah Gorsen Norah Ethel Gaussen (22 November 1931 – 15 April 2020), better known as Norah Gorsen, was a British actress. Gorsen was born in Weymouth, Dorset, on 22 November 1931. Her first big role was on stage as Wendy in a 1953 production of ''Peter Pan' ...

(m 1955) and Elizabeth Marlow (m 1967). He had two daughters with Marlow. Once the marriage broke up, he began drinking heavily. In September 1979, Lewis collapsed in his dressing room while rehearsing for a stage appeanace in ''Sleuth''. In 1981, at the age of 52, he was declared bankrupt with debts of £21,188.

Death

On 11 January 1982, Lewis took his own life by taking a

barbiturate Barbiturates are a class of depressant, depressant drugs that are chemically derived from barbituric acid. They are effective when used medication, medically as anxiolytics, hypnotics, and anticonvulsants, but have physical and psychological a ...

overdose at a

boarding house A boarding house is a house (frequently a family home) in which lodging, lodgers renting, rent one or more rooms on a nightly basis and sometimes for extended periods of weeks, months, or years. The common parts of the house are maintained, and ...

in Pimlico. According to his brother, Lewis had been unable to find work for the past 18 months. He did not leave a note, but there were three empty bottles of aspirin and three empty bottles of whiskey so the coroner ruled suicide.

Kenneth Williams Kenneth Charles Williams (22 February 1926 – 15 April 1988) was a British actor and comedian. He was best known for his comedy roles and in later life as a raconteur and diarist. He was one of the main ensemble in 26 of the 31 ''Carry ...

recorded in his diary entry for 12 January 1982: "The paper says Ronald Lewis has taken an overdose! He was declared bankrupt last year! Obviously nobody offered him work & he was driven to despair. I remember Ronnie... and that drinking session at the White Horse all those years ago... he was a kind boy & people used him. He was 53."'' The Kenneth Williams Diaries'', edited by Russell Davies, published 1993 by Harper Collins

Partial filmography

* ''

'' (1953) – Morgan – Miner (uncredited) * '' The Square Ring'' (1953) – Eddie Lloyd *'' The Face of Love'' (1954) (TV play) * '' The Beachcomber'' (1954) – Headman's Son *'' Fantastic Summer'' (1955) (TV) * ''

'' (1955) – The Guard * ''

'' (1955) – Peter Burroughs * ''

'' (1956) – Aeneas * '' Sailor Beware!'' (1956) – Albert Tufnell * ''

'' (1956) – The National Servicemen: Pte. Wyatt / Pte Wyatt *''

The Hollow Crown ''The Hollow Crown'' may refer to: * a passage in Shakespeare's play ''Richard II Richard II (6 January 1367 – ), also known as Richard of Bordeaux, was King of England from 1377 until he was deposed in 1399. He was the son of Edward ...

'' (1956) (TV play) * '' The Secret Place'' (1957) – Gerry Carter *''

'' (1957) (TV play) * ''

'' (1957) – Dick Marston * ''

'' (1958) – Squadron Leader Fenwick * ''

'' (1958) – Hugo Foster *'' The Grandma Bandit'' (1959) (TV play) *'' Fifth Floor People'' (1960) (TV play) * '' Conspiracy of Hearts'' (1960) – Major Spoletti * ''

'' (1960) – Alan Colby * ''

'' (1961) – Robert * '' Mr. Sardonicus'' (1961) – Sir Robert Cargrave * '' Twice Round the Daffodils'' (1962) – Bob White * '' Jigsaw'' (1962) – Det. Sgt. Jim Wilks * ''

'' (1962) – Enoch Jenkins – Maintopman * '' Nurse on Wheels'' (1963) – Henry Edwards * '' Siege of the Saxons'' (1963) – Robert * ''

'' (1965) – Case * ''

Out of the Unknown ''Out of the Unknown'' is a British television science fiction and horror anthology drama series, produced by the BBC and broadcast on BBC2 in four series between 1965 and 1971. Most episodes of the first three series were dramatisations of s ...

'' (1965) – Some Lapse of Time – Max Harrow * ''

'' (1966) – Lambda 1 – Benedict * ''

'' (1971) – Mr. Harrison * '' The Rivals of Sherlock Holmes'' (1973, TV Series) – Dagobert Trostler * ''

'' (1974) – Sir Robert * ''

'' (1974–1975, TV series) – Dr. Swale / Laurence King / Alexander Gruda * '' Public Eye'' (1975, TV series) – The Fall Guy – Julian Bradley * '' Big Boy Now!'' (1976, TV series) – Roy Marchant * ''

'' (1977, TV series) – Peter Thresher

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Lewis, Ronald 1928 births 1982 deaths People from Port Talbot Welsh male stage actors Welsh male film actors Welsh male television actors Drug-related suicides in England Barbiturates-related deaths 20th-century Welsh male actors 1982 suicides