The Wilmington morning star., 1940-08-18
ADVENTURE FILM
BILLED AT ROYAL
The Golden Fleeing Stars
Lew Ayres, Erstwhile
Band Leader

leader and now one of the brilliant
figures on the cinematic horizon,
has adventured through m a n y
countries, has had hectic ex-
periences both in and out of pic
lures, but today boasts the most
hectic Of all. He has walked along
the ledge of an Office building sew
en- stories above the street. He per.
formed this little thrill, w h i C h
gave him more of a 'kick" than
taking off from La Paz in the And
es Mountains, highest airplane
landing field in the world, for a
thrill in 'The Golden Fleeing"
comical adventure of an insur-
ance clerk among racketeers, COM
ing tomorrow to the Royal Thea
ire.
Ups and Downs
The adventure marks a life with
more ups and downs than a roller
coaster. Ayres' career began al
most with his birth in Minneapolis
on December 18th. Before he was
very old his grandmother, who was
an accomplished musician, began
giving him piano lessons. When he
was eight, his parents were di-
vorced. His mother married again
and moved to San Diego, Californ-
ia, when Ayres was about ten.
When he was sixteen, he w a S
sent to the University of Arizona
for an education and got into the
college orchestra as a banjo and
guitar player. There were others
in the orchestra who felt that col
lege was a waste of time, so they
organized their own band and
drifted toward the Mexican border.
Aqua Prieta, Mexicali, Nogales, 81
Centre and Tia Juana were some
of the towns the orchestra hit and
if Ayres didn't make much money
he did gain a lot of human ex-
perience.
One day a talent scout S a W
Ayres and after many weeks of
waiting won a test for the banjo
player at Pathe Studios. After six
months of acting as "amosphere'
and playing one small bit in 1.-The
Shopomore," he once more was out
of a job. He called Paul Bern, who
had been instrumental in getting
him his Pathe contract. Bern had
moved to Metro-G oldwyn-May-
er, where Greta Carlo was to
make 1.-THE Kiss" She was shown
a test of Ayres and personally sell
ected him for the young romantic
lead in her picture.
A contract at Universal followed
and his first picture was the sen
sational "All Quiet on the Western
Front" Ayres made thirty pictures
in four years, including Common
Clay" Doorway to He'll" a n d
"Okay, America" For two more
years he was under contract to
Fox, where he appeared in State
Fair" with Janet Gaynor, among
other pictures.
About this time, Ayres got the
urge to be a director and chucked
it all for a contract at Republic
where he directed James Dunn,
Mae Clark and Henry B. Walthall.
1t was his only picture as a direc-
tor although he signed contracts
with Columbia and Paramount.
Resumes Acting Career
Then came his success as Kath-
arine Hepburn's imbibing broth
er in Holiday" and an offer from
Metro-G oldwyn-Mayer to play
Cousin Henry in "Rich Man, Poor
Girl" This brought him back 10
the front of the acting profession.
Ayres is five feet eleven inches
tall, weighs 1865 pounds, has brown
hair and hazel eyes. He is single,
although he has been married
twice during his nine years in
Hollywood-to Lola Lane and Gin
ger Rogers.
Besides the "Dr. Kildare series
his most recent appearances have
been in Spring Madness" THE
Ice Follies of 1885," broadway
Serenades," these Glamour Girl
and Remember"