Forrest Lewis

{{Short description|American actor (1899–1977)}}

{{more citations needed|date=December 2017}}

{{Infobox person

| name = Forrest Lewis

| image = Forrest Lewis in Medic (Break Through the Bars).jpg

| image_size =

| caption = Forrest Lewis in the TV series Medic, episode Break Through the Bars (1955)

| birth_name =

| birth_date = {{Birth date|1899|11|5}}

| birth_place = Knightstown, Indiana, U.S.

| death_date = {{Death date and age|1977|6|2|1899|11|5}}

| death_place =

| years_active = 1943–1973

| occupation = Actor

| spouse = {{marriage|Elsa Grace Cross|1917|end=divorced}}

| children = 1

}}

Raymond Forrest Lewis (November 5, 1899 – June 2, 1977){{Citation needed |date=November 2022}} was an American actor of the theater, radio, motion pictures and television.

Early years

Lewis was born in Knightstown, Indiana,{{cite news |last1=Terry |first1=Dickson |title=Forrest Lewis{{snd}}Man Of Thousand Voices |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/24225981/forrest_lewis/ |work=St. Louis Post-Dispatch |date=September 1, 1948 |location=Missouri, St. Louis |page=31|via = Newspapers.com|accessdate = October 2, 2018}} {{Open access}} the son of Joseph Saint Lewis and Myla Leota Lewis and attended Indiana University for a year.{{cite news |last1=McHatton |first1=Martha |title=Indianapolis on the Air |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/24227504/the_indianapolis_news/ |work=The Indianapolis News |date=January 23, 1948 |location=Indiana, Indianapolis |page=22|via = Newspapers.com|accessdate = October 2, 2018}} {{Open access}} On August 23, 1917, he married Elsa Grace Cross in Knightstown. They had a son, Forrest Gallion Lewis, and eventually divorced.{{Citation needed |date=April 2024}}

Stage

Lewis acted in repertory theater and then on Broadway with Lenore Ulric in Lulu Belle. He also acted in touring productions, including Broken Dishes (1930).

Radio

Lewis's roles on radio programs included those shown in the table below.

class="wikitable"
ProgramRole
The Great GildersleevePeavey{{r|rp|page1=136–138}}
I Love a MysteryMichael{{cite book |last1=Harmon |first1=Jim |title=Radio Mystery and Adventure and Its Appearances in Film, Television and Other Media |date=2003 |publisher=McFarland |isbn=978-0786485086 |page=51 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=fReqCt2Nqk4C&dq=%22Forrest+Lewis%22+actor&pg=PA73 |accessdate=3 October 2018 |language=en}}
Meet the MeeksMortimer Meek{{r|rp|page1=224–225}}
Mystery HouseDan Glenn{{r|rp|page1=250}}
Scattergood BainesJ. Wellington Keats{{r|rp|page1=296}}
The Woman in My HouseJames Carter{{cite book|last1=Terrace|first1=Vincent|title=Radio Programs, 1924–1984: A Catalog of More Than 1800 Shows|date=1999|publisher=McFarland & Company, Inc.|isbn=978-0786445134|page=358}}

Also in radio (1948–1950) he had parts in the anthology Destination Freedom, a series written by Richard Durham, dedicated to the retelling the lives of notable Negros in the Americas.{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=EwtRbXNca0oC&dq=%22destination+freedom%22&pg=PA197 |last=Dunning| first=John| author-link=John Dunning (detective fiction author) | title=On the Air: The Encyclopedia of Old-Time Radio| section=Destination Freedom| date=1998| publisher=Oxford University Press| location=New York| isbn=978-0195076783| pages=196–198 [196]| edition=Revised| accessdate=12 November 2022}}

Lewis was in the supporting cast of Family Skeleton{{r|rp|page1=114}} and The Roy Rogers Show.{{r|rp|page1=292}}

Television

Lewis played Peavey in the syndicated television version of The Great Gildersleeve (1954–1955){{cite book|last1=Terrace|first1=Vincent|title=Encyclopedia of Television Shows, 1925 through 2010|date=2011|publisher=McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers|location=Jefferson, N.C.|isbn=978-0786464777|page=414|edition=2nd}} and Mr. Mack, the host on the ABC children's series Sandy Strong (1952).{{r|etvs|page1=927}}

In the mid-1950s, he appeared as a deputy in the syndicated crime drama Sheriff of Cochise and its successor series, U.S. Marshal, both starring John Bromfield. He guest starred with Maudie Prickett in the episode "Brief Glory" of the syndicated Western series 26 Men, starring Tris Coffin. He appeared on a wide array of programs, ranging from the CBS Western series My Friend Flicka, set on a Wyoming ranch, to the NBC sitcom, The People's Choice, with Jackie Cooper, to the ABC's Western drama, The Man from Blackhawk, starring Robert Rockwell. He also appeared on the NBC Western series, Riverboat, starring Darren McGavin, and on the ABC sitcom, Harrigan and Son, starring Pat O'Brien, and the ABC drama series about the Roman Catholic priesthood, Going My Way.{{citation needed|date=December 2017}} In 1957 Lewis appeared as Charlie Miller in the TV Western Cheyenne in the episode titled "Land Beyond the Law."{{Citation needed |date=August 2019}} He played Doc Blake in Wanted Dead or Alive S2 E13 "No Trail Back" which aired 11/28/1959.

Lewis was cast as the recurring character, Colby, in the 1961–1962 CBS sitcom Ichabod and Me with Robert Sterling, George Chandler, Reta Shaw, and Burt Mustin. Lewis also guest starred in the ABC/Warner Brothers Western series, Colt .45 with Wayde Preston, on the syndicated Western Mackenzie's Raiders, starring Richard Carlson, on the CBS hit comedy, The Andy Griffith Show,{{Cite book |last1=Robinson |first1=Dale |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=tcr6UMkvVPwC&dq=%22forrest+lewis%22+%22andy+griffith%22&pg=PT266 |title=The Definitive Andy Griffith Show Reference: Episode-by-Episode, with Cast and Production Biographies and a Guide to Collectibles |last2=Fernandes |first2=David |date=2012-08-24 |publisher=McFarland |isbn=978-1-4766-0187-8 |language=en}} and on the ABC sitcom, The Real McCoys, starring Walter Brennan.{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=1elN_qUFC24C&q=%22forrest+lewis%22+%22the+real+mccoys%22 |title=Daily Variety |date=1961 |publisher=Daily Variety Limited |language=en}}

Partial filmography

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References

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