Sylvia Lewis
Encyclopedia
Sylvia Lewis is an American
actress, dancer and choreographer.
. She first performed as a young child in the last days of vaudeville in Baltimore, Maryland. She received her first classical training as a scholarship student at the Peabody Conservatory of Music, studying dance, voice and piano. She went to Hollywood at the age of twelve.
Lewis began her film career in Singin' in the Rain
and Red Garters
as a dancer, then in Drums of Tahiti
as an actress. Later she added choreography on her list of credits, which began while she was a regular featured character on the ABC
television series Where's Raymond?
, in which she played the dance partner named "Sylvia" of series star Ray Bolger
. In the second season, the program was renamed The Ray Bolger Show
.
Lewis has choreographed many television shows since the 1950s
, including Who's the Boss?
and Married... with Children
. Guest appearance
s on shows like The Dick Van Dyke Show
, The Beverly Hillbillies
and Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.
, plus a healthy stage career on both coasts, earned her a reputation as a triple-threat performer.
Sylvia Lewis lives in Thousand Oaks
, California
, with her husband of 30 years, attorney Philip Gunning. She has one daughter (Catherine) from her early marriage to director John Rich
, who was a director on Where's Raymond?
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
actress, dancer and choreographer.
Career
Sylvia Lewis was born in York, PennsylvaniaYork, Pennsylvania
York, known as the White Rose City , is a city located in York County, Pennsylvania, United States which is in the South Central region of the state. The population within the city limits was 43,718 at the 2010 census, which was a 7.0% increase from the 2000 count of 40,862...
. She first performed as a young child in the last days of vaudeville in Baltimore, Maryland. She received her first classical training as a scholarship student at the Peabody Conservatory of Music, studying dance, voice and piano. She went to Hollywood at the age of twelve.
Lewis began her film career in Singin' in the Rain
Singin' in the Rain
Singin' in the Rain is a 1952 American comedy musical film starring Gene Kelly, Donald O'Connor and Debbie Reynolds and directed by Gene Kelly and Stanley Donen, with Kelly also providing the choreography...
and Red Garters
Red Garters (film)
Red Garters is a 1954 film starring Rosemary Clooney, Guy Mitchell, and Jack Carson. It was a musical spoof of Westerns. The director was George Marshall....
as a dancer, then in Drums of Tahiti
Drums of Tahiti (1954)
Drums of Tahiti is a 1954 Technicolor drama directed by William Castle, starring Dennis O'Keefe and Patricia Medina. Drums of Tahiti was released in 3-D, and was one of three 3-D movies made by director William Castle....
as an actress. Later she added choreography on her list of credits, which began while she was a regular featured character on the ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
television series Where's Raymond?
Where's Raymond?
Where's Raymond? is a 1953-1954 ABC situation comedy television series starring Ray Bolger as Raymond Wallace, a song-and-dance man who is consistently barely on time for his performances...
, in which she played the dance partner named "Sylvia" of series star Ray Bolger
Ray Bolger
Raymond Wallace "Ray" Bolger was an American entertainer of stage and screen, best known for his portrayal of the Scarecrow and Kansas farmworker Hank in The Wizard of Oz.-Early life:...
. In the second season, the program was renamed The Ray Bolger Show
Where's Raymond?
Where's Raymond? is a 1953-1954 ABC situation comedy television series starring Ray Bolger as Raymond Wallace, a song-and-dance man who is consistently barely on time for his performances...
.
Lewis has choreographed many television shows since the 1950s
1950s
The 1950s or The Fifties was the decade that began on January 1, 1950 and ended on December 31, 1959. The decade was the sixth decade of the 20th century...
, including Who's the Boss?
Who's the Boss?
Who's the Boss? is an American sitcom created by Martin Cohan and Blake Hunter, which aired on ABC from September 20, 1984 to April 25, 1992...
and Married... with Children
Married... with Children
Married... with Children is an American surrealistic sitcom that aired for 11 seasons that featured a dysfunctional family living in Chicago, Illinois. The show, notable for being the first prime time television series to air on Fox, ran from April 5, 1987, to June 9, 1997. The series was created...
. Guest appearance
Guest appearance
In show business , a guest appearance is a participation of an outsider performer , usually called guest artist , in an event , i.e., the participation of a performer which does not belong to the regular crew In performance...
s on shows like The Dick Van Dyke Show
The Dick Van Dyke Show
The Dick Van Dyke Show is an American television sitcom that initially aired on the Columbia Broadcasting System from October 3, 1961, until June 1, 1966. The show was created by Carl Reiner and starred Dick Van Dyke and Mary Tyler Moore. It was produced by Reiner with Bill Persky and Sam Denoff....
, The Beverly Hillbillies
The Beverly Hillbillies
The Beverly Hillbillies is an American situation comedy originally broadcast for nine seasons on CBS from 1962 to 1971, starring Buddy Ebsen, Irene Ryan, Donna Douglas, and Max Baer, Jr....
and Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.
Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.
Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.The show renders the title as Gomer Pyle - USMC. is an American situation comedy that originally aired on CBS from September 25, 1964, to May 2, 1969. The series was a spinoff of The Andy Griffith Show, and the pilot was aired as the finale of the fourth season of The Andy...
, plus a healthy stage career on both coasts, earned her a reputation as a triple-threat performer.
Sylvia Lewis lives in Thousand Oaks
Thousand Oaks, California
Thousand Oaks is a city in southeastern Ventura County, California, in the United States. It was named after the many oak trees that grace the area, and the city seal is adorned with an oak....
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, with her husband of 30 years, attorney Philip Gunning. She has one daughter (Catherine) from her early marriage to director John Rich
John Rich (director)
John Rich is a film and television director. He directed such television shows as Where's Raymond?, Mister Ed, The Dick Van Dyke Show, All in the Family, The Jeffersons, Maude, Good Times, Barney Miller, Newhart, Benson, The Brady Bunch, and Gilligan's Island...
, who was a director on Where's Raymond?
Filmography
- The Las Vegas StoryThe Las Vegas Story (film)The Las Vegas Story is a 1952 suspense film noir directed by Robert Stevenson and produced by Robert Sparks and Howard Hughes with Samuel Bischoff as the executive producer. The screenplay was by Paul Jarrico, Earl Felton, and Harry Essex from a story by Jay Dratler. The music score was by Leigh...
(1952) - Harem Girl (1952)
- Singin' in the RainSingin' in the RainSingin' in the Rain is a 1952 American comedy musical film starring Gene Kelly, Donald O'Connor and Debbie Reynolds and directed by Gene Kelly and Stanley Donen, with Kelly also providing the choreography...
(1952) - She's Working Her Way Through College (1952)
- Just for You (1952)
- Hans Christian AndersenHans Christian Andersen (film)Hans Christian Andersen is a 1952 Hollywood musical film directed by Charles Vidor, with words and music by Frank Loesser. The story was by Myles Connolly, its screenplay was by Moss Hart and Ben Hecht , and was produced by The Samuel Goldwyn Company...
(1952) - Androcles and the Lion (1952)
- Siren of Bagdad (1953)
- Cruisin' Down the River (1953)
- Those Redheads from Seattle (1953)
- GumsmokeGunsmoke (film)Gunsmoke is a 1953 western film directed by Nathan Juran and starring Audie Murphy alongside Susan Cabot, Paul Kelly, Charles Drake. Gunsmoke is a Technicolor film for action star and war hero Audie Murphy.-Plot:...
(1953) - Drums of TahitiDrums of Tahiti (1954)Drums of Tahiti is a 1954 Technicolor drama directed by William Castle, starring Dennis O'Keefe and Patricia Medina. Drums of Tahiti was released in 3-D, and was one of three 3-D movies made by director William Castle....
(1954) - Red GartersRed Garters (film)Red Garters is a 1954 film starring Rosemary Clooney, Guy Mitchell, and Jack Carson. It was a musical spoof of Westerns. The director was George Marshall....
(1954) - Bedlam in ParadiseBedlam in ParadiseBedlam in Paradise is the 162nd short subject starring the American slapstick comedy team Three Stooges who made a total of 190 shorts for Columbia Pictures between 1934 and 1959.-Plot:...
(1955) - The Lieutenant Wore Skirts (1956)
- The ConquerorThe Conqueror (film)The Conqueror is a 1956 CinemaScope epic film produced by Howard Hughes and starring John Wayne as the Mongol conqueror Genghis Khan. Other performers included Susan Hayward, Agnes Moorehead, and Pedro Armendáriz. Directed by actor/director Dick Powell, the film was principally shot near St...
(1956) - Cha-Cha-Cha-Boom (1956)
- The Ladies ManThe Ladies ManThe Ladies Man is a 1961 American comedy film directed by and starring Jerry Lewis. It was released on June 28, 1961 by Paramount.-Plot:...
(1961)
Television work
- The Colgate Comedy HourThe Colgate Comedy HourThe Colgate Comedy Hour is an American comedy-musical variety series that aired live on the NBC network from 1950 to 1955. The show stars many notable comedians and entertainers of the era, including Eddie Cantor, Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis, Fred Allen, Donald O'Connor, Bud Abbott and Lou...
(1951–1952) (Supporting player / dancer) - Where's Raymond?Where's Raymond?Where's Raymond? is a 1953-1954 ABC situation comedy television series starring Ray Bolger as Raymond Wallace, a song-and-dance man who is consistently barely on time for his performances...
(1953–1955) (Series regular) - The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show (1956) (Guest appearance)
- The Bob Cummings ShowThe Bob Cummings ShowThe Bob Cummings Show is an American sitcom starring Robert "Bob" Cummings which was produced from January 2, 1955 to September 15, 1959, and originally sponsored by R.J. Reynolds' Winston cigarettes...
(1956–1958) (Series regular / 2 Guest appearances) - Steve CanyonSteve CanyonSteve Canyon was a long-running American adventure comic strip by writer-artist Milton Caniff. Launched shortly after Caniff retired from his previous strip, Terry and the Pirates, Steve Canyon ran from January 13, 1947 until June 4, 1988, shortly after Caniff's death...
(1958) (Guest appearance) - The Dennis O'Keefe ShowThe Dennis O'Keefe ShowThe Dennis O'Keefe Show is a 1959-1960 sitcom produced by United Artists Television which aired on CBS for sponsor General Motors' Oldsmobile division. It was not a ratings success during its original run, and was largely forgotten until a "Best Of" DVD release by Alpha Video during 2004. Certain...
(1959) (Guest appearance) - Zorro (1959) (Guest appearance)
- Peter GunnPeter GunnPeter Gunn is an American private eye television series which aired on the NBC and later ABC television networks from 1958 to 1961. The show's creator was Blake Edwards...
(1959) (Guest appearance) - Johnny StaccatoJohnny StaccatoJohnny Staccato is an American private detective series which ran for 27 episodes on NBC from September 10, 1959 through March 24, 1960.-Synopsis:...
(1959) (Guest appearance) - The New Steve Allen Show (1959) (Sketch performer)
- The Dick Van Dyke ShowThe Dick Van Dyke ShowThe Dick Van Dyke Show is an American television sitcom that initially aired on the Columbia Broadcasting System from October 3, 1961, until June 1, 1966. The show was created by Carl Reiner and starred Dick Van Dyke and Mary Tyler Moore. It was produced by Reiner with Bill Persky and Sam Denoff....
(1963) (Guest appearance) - The Danny Kaye ShowThe Danny Kaye ShowThe Danny Kaye Show is an American variety show hosted by Danny Kaye that aired on CBS from 1963 to 1967 on Wednesday nights. Directed by Robert Scheerer, the show premiered in black-and-white, but later switched to color broadcasts...
(1963) (Guest appearance) - Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.The show renders the title as Gomer Pyle - USMC. is an American situation comedy that originally aired on CBS from September 25, 1964, to May 2, 1969. The series was a spinoff of The Andy Griffith Show, and the pilot was aired as the finale of the fourth season of The Andy...
(1965) (Guest appearance) - The Beverly HillbilliesThe Beverly HillbilliesThe Beverly Hillbillies is an American situation comedy originally broadcast for nine seasons on CBS from 1962 to 1971, starring Buddy Ebsen, Irene Ryan, Donna Douglas, and Max Baer, Jr....
(1965) (Guest appearance) - The Andy Griffith ShowThe Andy Griffith ShowThe Andy Griffith Show is an American sitcom first televised by CBS between October 3, 1960, and April 1, 1968. Andy Griffith portrays a widowed sheriff in the fictional small community of Mayberry, North Carolina...
(1965) (Guest appearance) - The Jerry Lewis Show (1967) (Sketch performer)