JackFavell You said that one of the reasons he and Ginger Rogers split up was that she was gregarious and outgoing, while he preferred to be alone. Was he a solitary man within his relationships? I mean, did he withdraw from his romantic partners more and more, spending time in his own head? Or was ...

clore "Who would you have liked to have been cast as Ashley in GWTW other than Leslie Howard?" No slight intended toward Howard, but I've always thought that Lew Ayres would have been perfect in the role. He would have been age-appropriate for the early scenes and to me, of the ideal tempe...

Kingme, Thank you so much for this ... The Bionic Woman Episode was my Favorite All-Time. I did not know that he was involved in Fantastic Journey ... this is totally caught me by surprise. Thanks for a great write up too! He worked with Roddy McDowall twice (McDowall also took a few of his infamous...

I've always liked the fun little musical he did with Alice Faye, SHE LEARNED ABOUT SAILORS. Didn't Ayers also connect (musically) to Alice's future husband Phil Harris and his band? Any comments on Ayers work with Faye and Harris? Although he had considerable musical talents, he was almost never pe...

JackFavell I am curious about Lew's early life and career. What made him pick acting? Was there something in his childhood that steered him in that direction? Was he close with his parents? His first ambition as a child was to become an actor, largely thanks to the encouragement of his grandmother. ...

Glad to see people are enjoying Advise and Consent. Lew was very sick when performing the role and almost had to drop out. According to younger actors Don Murray and Betty White however, he was a delight to have on set.

Thank you all for your comments. I hope some of you are getting the opportunity to watch Advise and Consent this evening.

Sue Sue Applegate First, I have to say I completely agree with you about his role on Mary Tyler Moore. It was a very smart performance and the fact that he and Moore were able to have so much chemistry without their age difference being unsettling was a testament to both of them. Did Ayres have that...

kingme He did many television shows in his lifetime (Haven't read his book, but someday I will) what shows that he enjoyed the most doing and least doing? Excellent question and I wish I could definitively answer what his least and favorite roles were, but he rarely spoke of such things (out of mode...

moirafinnie Lesley, could you please talk about the house that Lew Ayres built on Lookout Mountain in the Laurel Canyon area? It always sounds as though it was an enchanting (if remote) place when he lived there. Lookout Mountain looks down on the lights of Los Angeles and then was extremely isolate...

Didn't he serve in a none military capacity, as a medical orderly? And did he declare himself a conscientious objector because he would have had to have joined up or because he felt he had to make his feelings known. ' He initially wanted to serve as a medic and would only serve in the military if ...

Professional Tourist Speaking of Johnny Belinda, Lesley, have you come across any memories of Mr. Ayres' experiences working on that film as regards his co-star Agnes Moorehead? On a person level, since they were both students of religion, they may have found much to talk about. He loved working wit...

mongoII When Lew was making "Johnny Belinda" did he actually have a romance with his co-star Jane Wyman? If so, was it hot and heavy? Both always insisted that their romantic relationship didn't begin until after Wyman seperated from Ronald Reagan, but there chemistry off set was certainly...

MissGoddess\ Can you tell us just a little about how Ayers came to his convictions that led to his conscientious objection? Were they formed prior to his involvement with All Quiet on the Western Front or was the film itself an influence...or was there some private, formative experience? Although th...

Also, I've always found his marriage to Ginger Rogers rather odd. She hardly seems like the intellectual/spiritual type, and on talk shows she always came across as rather conservative. Details please. I have no doubt that his marriage to Ginger Rogers was out of geniune, mutual affection. Despite ...