Albert Lewis (producer)
| Albert Lewis | |
|---|---|
Lewis on the set of The Show-Off in 1946
|
|
| Born |
15 March 1884 Kolno, Poland, Russian Empire |
| Died | 5 April 1978 (aged 93) Beverly Hills, California, USA |
| Nationality | Polish, American |
| Occupation | Stage and film producer |
| Known for | Ready for Love |
Albert E. Lewis (15 March 1884 – 5 April 1978) was a Broadway and film producer. Born in Poland his family emigrated to the Lower East Side of Manhattan, New York, when he was a boy. He became a vaudeville comedian, then started a partnership producing one-act plays for vaudeville. Around 1930 he moved to Hollywood, and worked as a film producer with Paramount, RKO and MGM until after World War II.
Albert E. Lewis was born on 15 March 1884 in Kolno, Poland, then part of the Russian Empire. His parents were Nathan and Ida Lewis. The family was Jewish. They settled in Manhattan's Lower East Side. Albert E. Lewis attended public and high school in New York City. He was an actor from 1909 to 1913. He would perform "Dutch" comedy skits in vaudeville shows.
In 1913 he became a member of the firm "Lewis & Gordon". His partner, Max Gordon, was also from a Lower East Side family of Polish Jewish immigrants, and had also performed a "Dutch" act in vaudeville. Their booking and production agency became known for creating high quality single-act plays for inclusion in vaudeville programs, such as Eugene O'Neill's In the Zone. This partnership produced the plays Welcome Stranger, Six Cylinder Love, The Nervous Wreck, Rain, Easy Come, Easy Go, Secrets and The Spider. In 1925 Lewis produced and directed the original Broadway production of The Jazz Singer, starring George Jessel.The Jazz Singer opened at the Fulton Theatre on 14 September 1925 and ran for 315 performances. It was the basis for the breakthrough talking picture The Jazz Singer (1927) starring Al Jolson.
Lewis was New York representative of Fox Film Corporation from 1922 to 1929. By the late 1920s vaudeville was dying, and the Lewis & Gordon partnership was dissolved. Lewis moved to Hollywood to work for William Fox, who had once partnered with Max's brother Cliff Gordon in vaudeville acts. From 1930 to 1931 he was head of the story department at the Fox studio. In September 1932 he joined the production staff of Paramount in Hollywood. He was made an associate producer. He produced Torch Singer in 1933.]
...
Wikipedia