Lew Ayres: Hollywood's Conscientious Objector

CHAPTER 6. At the Helm

53 Chapter Six AT THE HELM By 1935, Lew was frustrated by the failure of his once promising contract with Fox and withdrew further from society, even from Ginger. Although he had given up hunting and fishing due to moral objections, he still enjoyed the solitude of outdoors for walks in the woods and astronomy studies. When not in nature, he could be found in the house, either consumed by a book or in his art studio completing one of his many art projects. More and more, his time was committed to his hobbies , at the expense of his career and marriage. The house was full of his statues and paintings, and he was even attempting to write a sevenminute -long symphony, which was ultimately played by a professional orchestra in Los Angeles, one of Lew’s proudest professional moments. But after more than five years in the business, Lew was turning most of his artistic ambition to a new artistic pursuit: filmmaking. Lew purchased a movie camera, and began filming short movies at home with his industry friends. They were not simply home movies, but narratives he had written; they often had an avant-garde quality. Lew drained his swimming pool to create a small sound stage at home, so he could film a version of “The Little Red Riding Hood” story with Ginger, her mother, her sister Phyllis Fraser, and Lew in the various roles.1 He then wrote his own story called “The Disinherited,” a fifty-minute movie with Ginger and the couple’s friend Bob Burns.2 But this wasn’t just another of Lew’s hobbies; it was an artistic interest he wanted to turn into a profession. At the height of the studio system, the transition from on-screen talent to off-screen artist was difficult. Lew’s films, although often utterly forgettable, made the studios money and offered the steady income they wanted. Fox would never allow their new star to move into the director’s chair. And so Lew took his short movies to Republic Pictures. Having merged the studios Monogram, Mascot, Liberty, Majestic, Chesterfield, and Invincible—all small, struggling, independent studios—Republic had At the heLm 54 been created in order to support and keep an active independent spirit in film. Having merged just a year before, it was still struggling to compete with the major studios. The independent spirit of the company intrigued Lew. They made him an offer to come to their studio, with the condition that he star in at least one of their movies while apprenticing as a director . He happily ended his contract with Fox and took the new contract, a substantial cut in pay, with Republic Pictures. Ironically, although his contract with Republic promised Lew new opportunities that he would not have received at the major studios, his first starring role at Republic was yet another military film, although this time, rather than a navy man, Lew played a marine. However, unlike the light comedies in which he had been featured at Fox, The฀Leathernecks฀ Have฀Landed is an unusually well-crafted film in this specifically limited sub-genre. Lew portrays a hot-tempered marine who feels guilty when a drunk kills Lew’s character’s friend, who had stepped in to defend Lew. Lew finally demonstrates a previously untapped masculinity in the film, especially when his character turns to illegal business after being dishonorably discharged from the marines. Although far from a box office Fig. 6.1. Lew signing his republic pictures contract. private collection. At the heLm 55 success on the level of one of the major studios, his first movie with Republic Pictures was a step above his last films with Fox. During the production of Leathernecks, Lew worked as an apprentice director. He used the time to learn as many technical skills as possible and proved to be a remarkably good and passionate student of filmmaking . The first film he was assigned to direct was set during the Civil War and titled Hearts฀in฀Bondage. Mae Clarke also owed Republic a film and when she was given the female lead, she was asked if she would like to work with Lew as her director. She had liked working with him on their previous collaborations and, excited by the prospect, gave her blessing to give him the picture. Lew also asked his friend Ben Alexander to take a small part...