George J. Lewis
Encyclopedia
George J. Lewis was a Mexican-born actor who appeared in many films and eventually TV series from the 1920s through the 1960s, usually specializing in westerns. He is probably best known for playing Don Alejandro de la Vega, who was Don Diego de la Vega
's father in the 1950s Disney
television series Zorro.
short-subject series, The Collegians. The arrival of sound movies came as a blessing for Lewis, who was bilingual. He spoke English without any trace of accent, and could play character or dialect roles of practically any ethnicity. His language skills earned him leading roles in Spanish-dialogue features, produced by American studios for international release. He also played supporting roles in Educational Pictures
shorts.
Most of George's screen work was in low-budget films, although he can be seen in a few major productions (in Casablanca he's an Arab peddler with a monkey). Some of his roles were sympathetic; he played the male leads in the 1944 serial Zorro's Black Whip
and in the Vera Vague comedy shorts of the 1940s. Usually, George J. Lewis played villains in westerns and serials, chiefly at Republic Pictures
. Cast as a sinister henchman, Lewis would carry out the villain's diabolical orders, setting death traps and ambushes week after week. The high point of Lewis's serial career was probably the 1945 Republic cliffhanger Federal Operator 99
, in which he was the full-fledged villain of the piece, playing "Moonlight Sonata" on a piano while plotting crimes. Holding the heroine captive, the nonchalant Lewis asks the hero: "What will it be? Cash for me... or incineration for Miss Kingston?" He appeared in Three Stooges
films as Vernon Dent
's knife-wielding conspirator in the Stooge short Malice in the Palace
, and its remake, Rumpus in the Harem
. He was also featured with the Stooges (as George Lewis) in Hollywood's final two-reel comedy release, Sappy Bull Fighters
.
Many low-budget filmmakers scored successes in early television, and many familiar faces turned up in half-hour action fare. George J. Lewis appeared in the first episode of The Lone Ranger
, called "Enter the Lone Ranger", as a villain who helps betray a group of Texas Rangers
and leads them all into a deadly ambush, with the series star of course being the lone survivor. He played a Native American
in an Adventures of Superman
episode called "Test of a Warrior." Lewis continued to work in dozens of TV episodes including Daniel Boone
until he retired in 1969.
Zorro
Zorro is a fictional character created in 1919 by New York-based pulp writer Johnston McCulley. The character has been featured in numerous books, films, television series, and other media....
's father in the 1950s Disney
The Walt Disney Company
The Walt Disney Company is the largest media conglomerate in the world in terms of revenue. Founded on October 16, 1923, by Walt and Roy Disney as the Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio, Walt Disney Productions established itself as a leader in the American animation industry before diversifying into...
television series Zorro.
Career
Lewis broke into films in the 1920s, and his handsome presence led to leading roles in a Universal PicturesUniversal Pictures
-1920:* White Youth* The Flaming Disc* Am I Dreaming?* The Dragon's Net* The Adorable Savage* Putting It Over* The Line Runners-1921:* The Fire Eater* A Battle of Wits* Dream Girl* The Millionaire...
short-subject series, The Collegians. The arrival of sound movies came as a blessing for Lewis, who was bilingual. He spoke English without any trace of accent, and could play character or dialect roles of practically any ethnicity. His language skills earned him leading roles in Spanish-dialogue features, produced by American studios for international release. He also played supporting roles in Educational Pictures
Educational Pictures
Educational Pictures was a film distribution company founded in 1919 by Earle Hammons . Educational primarily distributed short subjects, and today is probably best known for its series of 1930s comedies starring Buster Keaton, as well as for a series of one-reel comedies featuring Shirley...
shorts.
Most of George's screen work was in low-budget films, although he can be seen in a few major productions (in Casablanca he's an Arab peddler with a monkey). Some of his roles were sympathetic; he played the male leads in the 1944 serial Zorro's Black Whip
Zorro's Black Whip
Zorro's Black Whip is a 1944 Republic Pictures film serial starring Linda Stirling. The film was made after the popular 1940 20th Century-Fox remake of The Mark of Zorro and Republic was unable to use the character himself, but still wanted to capitalize on it. However, and despite the title,...
and in the Vera Vague comedy shorts of the 1940s. Usually, George J. Lewis played villains in westerns and serials, chiefly at Republic Pictures
Republic Pictures
Republic Pictures was an independent film production-distribution corporation with studio facilities, operating from 1934 through 1959, and was best known for specializing in westerns, movie serials and B films emphasizing mystery and action....
. Cast as a sinister henchman, Lewis would carry out the villain's diabolical orders, setting death traps and ambushes week after week. The high point of Lewis's serial career was probably the 1945 Republic cliffhanger Federal Operator 99
Federal Operator 99
Federal Operator 99 is a 1945 Republic film serial.-Cast:* Marten Lamont as Jerry Blake, Federal Operator 99* Helen Talbot as Joyce Kingston* George J...
, in which he was the full-fledged villain of the piece, playing "Moonlight Sonata" on a piano while plotting crimes. Holding the heroine captive, the nonchalant Lewis asks the hero: "What will it be? Cash for me... or incineration for Miss Kingston?" He appeared in Three Stooges
Three Stooges
The Three Stooges were an American vaudeville and comedy act of the early to mid–20th century best known for their numerous short subject films. Their hallmark was physical farce and extreme slapstick. In films, the Stooges were commonly known by their first names: "Moe, Larry, and Curly" and "Moe,...
films as Vernon Dent
Vernon Dent
Vernon Bruce Dent was a comic actor who appeared in over 400 films in his career. He co-starred in many short films for Columbia Pictures, frequently as the foil to the Three Stooges.-Early career:...
's knife-wielding conspirator in the Stooge short Malice in the Palace
Malice in the Palace
Malice in the Palace is the 117th short subject starring American slapstick comedy team the Three Stooges. The trio made a total of 190 shorts for Columbia Pictures between 1934 and 1959.-Plot:...
, and its remake, Rumpus in the Harem
Rumpus in the Harem
Rumpus in the Harem is the 171st short subject starring American slapstick comedy team the Three Stooges. The trio made a total of 190 shorts for Columbia Pictures between 1934 and 1959.-Plot:...
. He was also featured with the Stooges (as George Lewis) in Hollywood's final two-reel comedy release, Sappy Bull Fighters
Sappy Bull Fighters
Sappy Bull Fighters is the 190th and final short subject starring American slapstick comedy team the Three Stooges. The trio made a total of 190 shorts for Columbia Pictures between 1934 and 1959.- Plot :...
.
Many low-budget filmmakers scored successes in early television, and many familiar faces turned up in half-hour action fare. George J. Lewis appeared in the first episode of The Lone Ranger
The Lone Ranger (TV Series)
The Lone Ranger is an American western television series starring Clayton Moore and Jay Silverheels as Tonto. The live-action series initially featured Gerald Mohr as the episode narrator...
, called "Enter the Lone Ranger", as a villain who helps betray a group of Texas Rangers
Texas Ranger Division
The Texas Ranger Division, commonly called the Texas Rangers, is a law enforcement agency with statewide jurisdiction in Texas, and is based in Austin, Texas...
and leads them all into a deadly ambush, with the series star of course being the lone survivor. He played a Native American
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
in an Adventures of Superman
Adventures of Superman (TV series)
Adventures of Superman is an American television series based on comic book characters and concepts created in 1938 by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. The show is the first television series to feature Superman and began filming in 1951 in California...
episode called "Test of a Warrior." Lewis continued to work in dozens of TV episodes including Daniel Boone
Daniel Boone (TV series)
Daniel Boone is an American action/adventure television series starring Fess Parker as Daniel Boone that aired from September 24, 1964 to September 10, 1970 on NBC for 165 episodes, and was made by 20th Century Fox Television. Ed Ames co-starred as Mingo, Boone's Native American friend, for the...
until he retired in 1969.
Selected filmography
- BatmanBatman (1966 film)Batman, often promoted as Batman: The Movie, is a 1966 film based on the Batman television series, and the first full-length theatrical adaptation of the DC Comics character of the same name. Released by 20th Century Fox, the film starred Adam West as Batman and Burt Ward as Robin. The film was...
(1966) - Spanish Delegate - Sappy Bull FightersSappy Bull FightersSappy Bull Fighters is the 190th and final short subject starring American slapstick comedy team the Three Stooges. The trio made a total of 190 shorts for Columbia Pictures between 1934 and 1959.- Plot :...
(1959) - Rumpus in the HaremRumpus in the HaremRumpus in the Harem is the 171st short subject starring American slapstick comedy team the Three Stooges. The trio made a total of 190 shorts for Columbia Pictures between 1934 and 1959.-Plot:...
(19561956 in filmThe year 1956 in film involved some significant events.-Events:* October 5 - The Ten Commandments opens in cinemas and becomes one of the most successful and popular movies of all time, currently ranking 5th on the list of all time moneymakers * February 5 - First showing of documentary films by...
) - Davy CrockettDavy Crockett (TV miniseries)Davy Crockett is a five part serial which aired on ABC in one-hour episodes on the Disneyland series. The series stars Fess Parker as real-life frontiersman Davy Crockett and Buddy Ebsen as his fictional best friend, George Russel....
(1955) - Chief Black Eagle (uncredited) - SaskatchewanSaskatchewan (film)Saskatchewan is a 1954 fictional American Northern/ western Technicolor film directed by Raoul Walsh and starring Alan Ladd and Shelley Winters. The film was shot in Banff National Park, Alberta, Canada, not far from the headwaters of the Saskatchewan River...
(19541954 in filmThe year 1954 in film involved some significant events and memorable ones.-Events:*May 12 - The Marx Brothers' Zeppo Marx divorces wife Marion Benda...
) - Ghost of ZorroGhost of ZorroGhost of Zorro is a Republic Movie serial. It uses substantial stock footage from earlier serials, including Son of Zorro and Daredevils of the West. This movie was shot in Chatsworth, Los Angeles.-Cast:...
(1949) - Moccasin - Malice in the PalaceMalice in the PalaceMalice in the Palace is the 117th short subject starring American slapstick comedy team the Three Stooges. The trio made a total of 190 shorts for Columbia Pictures between 1934 and 1959.-Plot:...
(1949) - Radar Patrol vs. Spy King (19491949 in filmThe year 1949 in film involved some significant events.-Top grossing films :- Awards :Academy Awards:*Abbott and Costello Meet the Killer, Boris Karloff, starring Bud Abbott and Lou Costello...
) - The Feathered SerpentThe Feathered Serpent (film)The Feathered Serpent is a 1948 mystery film, the fifth of six in which Roland Winters portrayed Charlie Chan. It is the only Chan film which featured both Keye Luke and Victor Sen Yung together. Luke had been popular in the Warner Oland Chan films while Yung appeared primarily in the Sidney...
(1948) - The Phantom RiderThe Phantom Rider (Republic serial)The Phantom Rider is a Republic Movie serial. It was later re-released under the new title Ghost Riders of the West.-Plot:Dr Jim Sterling attempts to create a police force on the Big Tree Indian Reservation...
(19461946 in filmThe year 1946 in film involved some significant events.-Events:*November 21 - William Wyler's The Best Years of Our Lives premieres in New York featuring an ensemble cast including Fredric March, Myrna Loy, Dana Andrews, Teresa Wright, and Harold Russell.*December 20 - Frank Capra's It's a...
) - Federal Operator 99Federal Operator 99Federal Operator 99 is a 1945 Republic film serial.-Cast:* Marten Lamont as Jerry Blake, Federal Operator 99* Helen Talbot as Joyce Kingston* George J...
(19451945 in filmThe year 1945 in film involved some significant events.-Events:* Paramount Studios releases theatrical short cartoon titled The Friendly Ghost, featuring a ghost named Casper.* With Rossellini's Roma Città aperta, Italian neorealist cinema begins....
) - Zorro's Black WhipZorro's Black WhipZorro's Black Whip is a 1944 Republic Pictures film serial starring Linda Stirling. The film was made after the popular 1940 20th Century-Fox remake of The Mark of Zorro and Republic was unable to use the character himself, but still wanted to capitalize on it. However, and despite the title,...
(19441944 in filmThe year 1944 in film involved some significant events, including the wholesome, award-winning Going My Way plus popular murder mysteries such as Double Indemnity, Gaslight and Laura.-Events:*July 20 - Since You Went Away is released....
) - Vic Gordon - Oh, What a NightOh, What a Night (1944 film)Oh, What A Night is a 1944 crime drama starring Edmund Lowe & Jean Parker and directed by William Beaudine.The films story was written by Marian Orth and the screenplay by Paul Girard Smith.-Cast:* Edmund Lowe as Rand* Jean Parker as Valerie...
(1944) - The Tiger WomanThe Tiger Woman (1944 film)The Tiger Woman is a 12-chapter Republic film serial starring Allan Lane and Linda Stirling . The serial was re-released in 1951 under the title Perils of the Darkest Jungle and, in 1966, it was edited into the 100-minute Century-66 film Jungle Gold.Linda Stirling is a jungle girl lost in the...
(1944) - Captain AmericaCaptain America (serial)Captain America is a Republic black-and-white serial film based on the comic book character Captain America. It was the last Republic serial made about a superhero...
(1944) - The Blocked TrailThe Blocked TrailThe Blocked Trail is a 1943 American Western "Three Mesquiteers" B-movie directed by Elmer Clifton.- Cast :* Bob Steele as Tucson Smith* Tom Tyler as Stony Brooke* Jimmie Dodd as Lullaby Joslin* Helen Deverell as Ann Martin...
(1943) - Daredevils of the WestDaredevils of the WestDaredevils of the West is a Republic Movie serial.Daredevils of the West is a lightning-fast-paced Western cliffhanger serial released by Republic Pictures in 1943 starring Allan Lane and Kay Aldridge...
(19431943 in filmThe year 1943 in film involved some significant events.-Events:* January 3 - 1st missing persons telecast * February 20 - American film studio executives agree to allow the Office of War Information to censor films....
) - G-Men vs the Black DragonG-Men vs the Black DragonG-Men vs The Black Dragon is a Republic Pictures Movie serial. It is noteworthy among adventure serials as containing an unusually high number of fistfights, all staged by director William Witney and a team of stuntmen....
(1943) - Perils of NyokaPerils of NyokaPerils of Nyoka is a 1942 Republic Movie serial directed by William Witney. It starred Kay Aldridge as Nyoka the Jungle Girl, a character who first appeared in the Edgar Rice Burroughs-inspired serial "Jungle Girl."-Plot:...
(19421942 in filmThe year 1942 in film involved some significant events, in particular the release of a film consistently rated as one of the greatest of all time, Casablanca.-Events:...
) - Captain CalamityCaptain Calamity (film)Captain Calamity is a 1936 American film directed by John Reinhardt and starring George Houston.- Cast :*George Houston as Captain Bill Jones / Captain Calamity*Marian Nixon as Madge Lewis*Vince Barnett as Burp*Juan Torena as Mike*Movita as Annana...
(19361936 in filmThe year 1936 in film involved some significant events.-Events:*May 29 - Fritz Lang's first Hollywood film Fury, starring Spencer Tracy and Bruce Cabot, is released.*November 6 - first Porky Pig animated cartoon...
) - Dummy AcheDummy AcheDummy Ache is a 1936 short comedy film directed by Leslie Goodwins. It was nominated for an Academy Award at the 9th Academy Awards in 1936 for Best Short Subject .-Cast:* Edgar Kennedy - Edgar* Florence Lake - Florence...
(19361936 in filmThe year 1936 in film involved some significant events.-Events:*May 29 - Fritz Lang's first Hollywood film Fury, starring Spencer Tracy and Bruce Cabot, is released.*November 6 - first Porky Pig animated cartoon...
) - The Fighting MarinesThe Fighting MarinesThe Fighting Marines is a Mascot movie serial. This was the last serial ever produced by Mascot. The studio was bought out and merged with others to become Republic Pictures...
(19351935 in film-Events:*Judy Garland signs a contract with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer .*Seven year old Shirley Temple wins a special Academy Award.*The Bantu Educational Kinema Experiment started in order to educate the Bantu peoples.-Top grossing films:-Academy Awards:...
) - Allez OopAllez Oop-Cast:* Buster Keaton - Elmer* Dorothy Sebastian - Paula Stevens* George J. Lewis - The Great Apollo* Harry Myers - Circus spectator* The Flying Escalantes - Acrobatic Troupe* Leonard Kibrick - Boy watching Buster...
(19341934 in film-Events:*January 26 - Samuel Goldwyn purchases the film rights to The Wonderful Wizard of Oz from the L. Frank Baum estate for $40,000.*February 19 - Bob Hope marries Dolores Reade...
) - Lazy RiverLazy River (film)-Cast:* Jean Parker as Sarah Lescalle* Robert Young as William 'Bill' Drexel* Ted Healy as William 'Gabby' Stone* Nat Pendleton as Alfred 'Tiny' Smith* C. Henry Gordon as Sam Kee* Ruth Channing as Ruby Drexel* Maude Eburne as Miss Minnie Lescalle...
(1934)