Lewis Frederick Ayres III

 Lewis Frederick Ayres III (December 28, 1908 – December 30, 1996)

He was best known for starring as German soldier Paul Bäumer in the film classic All Quiet on the Western Front (1930) and for playing Dr. Kildare in nine movies. He was nominated for an Academy Award for his performance in Johnny Belinda (1948). He started with a number of mostly forgotten B movies for Universal, with the exception of Iron Man (1931), with Jean Harlow. His most successful movies at this time were those he made on loan to other studios, including The Doorway to Hell (1930) with James Cagney in a supporting role, and as Janet Gaynor's leading man in both State Fair (1933) and Servants' Entrance (1934). Later, he was loaned from Paramount to play the role of Ned in Holiday (1938). The role earned him considerable critical attention, including interest from MGM to put him under contract specifically for the role of Dr. James Kildare in an upcoming film series. Ayres played the role in nine films from 1938 to 1942 (and again in a 1950s radio series) while also appearing in light comedies for MGM, including Spring Madness and Rich Man, Poor Girl (both 1938), The Ice Follies of 1939 (1939), and Fingers at the Window (1942). Ayres gradually moved to television, appearing in several anthology series in guest roles. In the summer of 1958, he hosted eleven original episodes of a CBS Western anthology television series called Frontier Justice, a production of Dick Powell's Four Star Television. He was offered the part of Dr. Kildare in an NBC series but his prescient request that the show have no cigarette advertising led to the offer being withdrawn, and the part going, Ayres was married three times. He was married to actress Lola Lane from 1931 to 1933, and to actress Ginger Rogers from 1934 to 1940, whom he met while starring in the film Don't Bet on Love (1933). His third marriage, to Diana Hall, lasted from 1964 until his death. Lew Ayres died December 30, 1996, just two days after his 88th birthday. He is buried at Westwood Memorial Park.