Harry Lewis (actor)

Harry L. Lewis (April 1, 1920 – June 9, 2013) was a supporting actor in films and was the founder, along with his wife Marilyn, of the "Hamburger Hamlet" restaurant chain.

Harry Lewis
Born(1920-04-01)April 1, 1920
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
DiedJune 9, 2013(2013-06-09) (aged 93)
Beverly Hills, California, U.S.
Other namesCpl. Harry Lewis
OccupationActor, restaurateur
Years active1941–1985
Spouse(s)Marilyn Friedman Lewis
(1952–2013; his death)

Biography

Lewis was born in Los Angeles, California, on April 1, 1920.[1] His first film role was as a flagman in Dive Bomber (1941). He was immediately put under contract to Warner Bros., at which he made several films. He is perhaps best remembered for his role as Edward "Toots" Bass, one of Edward G. Robinson's henchmen, with his film career interrupted when he enlisted in the Army Air Forces and appeared in the cast of Winged Victory (1944). After the war he returned to Warners and appeared in 1948's Key Largo.[2]

Other small film roles included appearances as Claude Rains's butler in The Unsuspected (1947), Sheriff Clyde Boston in Gun Crazy (1949), the head of a gang of criminals in Blonde Dynamite (1950), and as a gangster in "The Monkey Mystery" episode of Adventures of Superman on television (1951).[3] He also had a minor role as a slave in Cecil B. Demille's epic The Ten Commandments.

In 1950, Lewis and his then girlfriend Marilyn Friedman,[4] invested $3,500 to open the Hamburger Hamlet restaurant at the corner of Sunset Boulevard and Hilldale Avenue on the Sunset Strip in Los Angeles. The restaurant was successful and grew into a chain of 24 locations. The couple's two children, David and Adam, joined them in the restaurant business. The Lewises took Hamburger Hamlet public in 1969, and sold the company for $29.2 million in 1987. After the sale, the couple opened new independent restaurants in the Los Angeles area. The reason they gave for the name "Hamburger Hamlet" was because they meant for the eatery to be a restaurant where actors could hang out, and that it was every actor's dream to play Hamlet.

In the late 1960s, Marilyn Lewis launched a ready-to-wear line of clothing under the brand name Cardinali, which was sold at prestigious stores including Saks Fifth Avenue and Bergdorf Goodman and Bullock's Wilshire. The clothing line lasted just nine years, but was influential in its time (featured in Vogue magazine), and was a favorite of Nancy Reagan, Dyan Cannon and Marlo Thomas. The Cardinali line was credited for influencing designers such as Marc Jacobs and various gowns worn to the Oscars.[5]

Lewis died on June 9, 2013 at the age of 93.[6] His widow Marilyn died on May 3, 2017.[7]

Filmography
Year Title Role Notes
1941Dive BomberFlag ManUncredited
1941International SquadronPilotUncredited
1941One Foot in HeavenYoung Soldier in HospitalUncredited
1941They Died with Their Boots OnYouthUncredited
1941The Body DisappearsElevator OperatorUncredited
1941You're in the Army NowRecruitUncredited
1942Captains of the CloudsMr. Burton - RCAF ApplicantUncredited
1942Always in My HeartSteve
1942Secret EnemiesRadio OperatorUncredited
1942Busses RoarDanny
1942Desperate JourneyEvansUncredited
1943The Hard WaySerious Young ManUncredited
1943Air ForceMinor RoleUncredited
1944The Last RideHarry Bronson
1944Winged VictoryCadet Peter Clark
1946Her Kind of ManCandy
1947The UnsuspectedMax
1947Always TogetherReporterUncredited
1948Winter MeetingJuvenileUncredited
1948WallflowerArthurUncredited
1948Key LargoEdward 'Toots' Bass
1948Adventures of Don JuanInnkeeper's SonUncredited
1948The Decision of Christopher BlakeJuvenile in PlayUncredited
1948WhiplashPress ManUncredited
1949Joe Palooka in the CounterpunchChick Bennett
1949Bomba on Panther IslandRobert Maitland
1950Gun CrazyDeputy Clyde Boston
1950Blonde DynamiteChamp Fallon
1950My Friend Irma Goes WestTrooperUncredited
1950Southside 1-1000FBI AgentUncredited
1951The Fat ManHappy Stevens
1953Run for the HillsMr. Carewe
1953Vice SquadArresting DetectiveUncredited
1956The Harder They FallNew York Ring AnnouncerUncredited
1956The Ten CommandmentsSlaveUncredited
1956Accused of MurderBartenderUncredited
1956The Man Is ArmedCole
1959I MobsterGangsterUncredited
1969PendulumBrooks Elliot
1978Invisible StranglerStage Manager
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References
  1. "California births at Family Tree Legends". Family Tree Legends. Retrieved 2010-08-16.
  2. Crowther, Bosley (July 17, 1948). "Key Largo: Movie Review". New York Times. Retrieved January 27, 2008.
  3. Harry Lewis on IMDb
  4. Lynch, Rene (June 10, 2013). "Harry Lewis dies at 93; launched Hamburger Hamlet chain". Los Angeles Times.
  5. Apodaca, Rose (March 18, 2007). "The Cardinali Touch". The Los Angeles Times.
  6. Lynch, Rene (June 10, 2013). "Actor and Hamburger Hamlet founder Harry Lewis dies at 93". The Los Angeles Times. Retrieved June 10, 2013.
  7. Seitz, John L. (May 5, 2017). "Marilyn Lewis Of Hamburger Hamlet, Cardinali Fame Died Wednesday" (PDF). The Beverly Hills Courier. Retrieved May 5, 2017.
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