Lewis Stone

American film actor Lewis Stone (1879–1953) is best known for his role as Judge James Hardy in the Andy Hardy film series and as an MGM studio contract player. In 1929, he was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor for Ernst Lubitsch's lost film The Patriot (1928). With his distinguished look and grey hair, Stone was able to play the roles of well-mannered romantic men, and he appeared in seven films with Greta Garbo.


British postcard in the Picturegoer Series, London, no. 27b.


Spanish collectors card by Chocolate Amatller, Series EE, artist 41, no. 83. Lewis Stone In The Prisoner of Zenda (Rex Ingram, 1922).


German postcard by Ross Verlag, no. 6219/1, 1931-1932. Photo: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM). Greta Garbo and Lewis Stone in Romance (Clarence Brown, 1930).


British postcard in the Picturegoer Series, London, no. 1280. Photo: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Publicity still for Love Finds Andy Hardy (George B. Seitz, 1938) with (back row) Cecilia Parker, Ann Rutherford, Judy Garland, Gene Reynolds, Lana Turner, and (front row) Mary Howard, Lewis Stone, Fay Holden, and Mickey Rooney.

Two elegant and popular Swashbucklers

Lewis Shepard Stone was born in Worcester, Massachusetts, in 1879, to Bertrand Stone and Philena Heald Ball.

Reportedly, by age 20, Lewis's hair had turned gray prematurely. He served in the United States Army in the Spanish–American War as a lieutenant, then returned to a career as a writer.

He soon began acting. In 1912, he found success in the popular play 'Bird of Paradise' which starred Laurette Taylor. The play was later filmed in 1932 and 1951. Stone's career was interrupted by World War I where he served again in the United States Army in the cavalry as a major.

After the war, he went to China to train troops. After returning from China, he made his feature film debut either in The Man Who Found Out (Unkown director, 1915), according to IMDb or in Honor's Altar (Walter Edwards, 1916), according to Wikipedia.

Stone showed up in First National's Nomads of the North (David Hartford, 1920) as a Royal Canadian Mounted Policeman opposite Lon Chaney. He portrayed the title role in the silent film version of The Prisoner of Zenda (Rex Ingram, 1922) with Alice Terry and Ramon Novarro.

The three stars reunited for another elegant and popular Swashbuckler, Scaramouche (Rex Ingram, 1923). In 1924, Stone joined the newly-formed Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer where he remained for the rest of his career.

The next years, he was busy. He played an adventurer opposite Wallace Beery in the dinosaur epic The Lost World (Harry O'Hoyt, 1925), adapted from Arthur Conan Doyle's 1912 novel of the same name. The film featured pioneering stop motion special effects by Willis O'Brien, a forerunner of his work on the original King Kong.

Stone was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor in 1929 for The Patriot (Ernst Lubitsch, 1928). He played the character that gives the film its title, but he was not the top-billed star. That was Emil Jannings who starred as Emperor Paul I of Russia.


Spanish card by La Novela Semanal Cinematográfica, no. 102.


German postcard by Ross Verlag, Berlin, no. 679/2. Photo: Bafag. Alice Terry as Princess Flavia and Lewis Stone as King Rudolf in The Prisoner of Zenda (Rex Ingram, 1922).


German postcard by Ross Verlag, no. 679/4. Lewis Stone as Rudolph Rassendyll and Alice Terry as Princess Flavia in The Prisoner of Zenda (Rex Ingram, 1922). The Bismarck-like guy behind Terry is the actor Robert Edeson, who plays Colonel Sapt. Behind him is actor Malcolm McGregor, who plays Captain Fritz von Tarlenheim. Both are the loyal aids of the King, defending him against his evil half-brother Michael (Stuart Holmes, who might be the man in black on the right) and his plotting cronies: his mistress Antoinette (Barbara la Marr) and Rupert von Hentzau (Ramon Novarro). Trying to stop a coup by Michael, who has abducted and imprisoned the real king, Sapt and Tarlenheim arrange a lookalike cousin of the king to be crowned (which we see on this card). The substitute king falls in love with Princess Flavia but he cannot tell the truth... Stone played both the King and his lookalike.


French postcard. Lewis Stone in Scaramouche (Rex Ingram, 1923).

Grand Hotel. People coming. Going. Nothing ever happens

Lewis Stone made the transition from silent to sound with The Trial of Mary Dugan (Bayard Veiller, 1929), which starred Norma Shearer. The sound film did not cause Lewis any problems and his appearance in the successful prison film The Big House (George Hill, 1930) furthered his career.

He continued to be busy with his roles as the distinguished lead and appeared in seven films with Greta Garbo, spanning both the silent and early sound periods. He played the role of Dr. Otternschlag in Grand Hotel (Edmund Goulding, 1932), in which he utters the famous closing line: "Grand Hotel. People coming. Going. Nothing ever happens."

The following year, he had a larger role in Queen Christina (Rouben Mamoulian, 1933). Stone also played an adventurer in The Mask of Fu Manchu (Charles Brabin, 1932) with Boris Karloff and a police captain in Bureau of Missing Persons (Roy Del Ruth, 1933) with Bette Davis.

In 1937, Stone essayed the role which would become his most famous, that of Judge James Hardy in the Andy Hardy series. Stone appeared as the judge in fourteen of the sixteen Andy Hardy features, beginning with You're Only Young Once (George B. Seitz, 1937).

Tony Fontana at IMDb: "Judge Hardy was the father audiences wanted in the late 30s early 40s. He was kind, intellectual, fair and as patient as he had to be with Andy, played by Mickey Rooney. This series occupied most of his screen time until it ended and he did slow down during the late 40s."

Stone also appeared in the short Andy Hardy's Dilemma, which promoted charitable donations to the Community Chest, but he had died by the time of the final Hardy feature, Andy Hardy Comes Home (Howard W. Koch, 1958).


German postcard by Ross Verlag, Berlin, no. 1168/1, 1927-1928. Photo: First National Pictures.


German collectors card by Ross Verlag for Filmalbum 4 'Aus Tönenden Filmen', Serie 4, no. 637, by A. Batschari Cigarettenfabrik, Baden-Baden. Photo: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Greta Garbo and Lewis Stone in Romance (Clarence Brown, 1930).


British postcard by Film Weekly. Photo: M.G.M. Lionel Barrymore, Lewis Stone, and John Barrymore in Grand Hotel (Edmund Goulding, 1932).


German postcard by Ross Verlag, no. 194/4. Photo: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Greta Garbo, Lewis Stone and John Gilbert in Queen Christina (Rouben Mamoulian, 1933).

A heart attack while chasing away some neighborhood kids

During World War II, Lewis Stone was a lieutenant colonel in the California National Guard. Stone was MGM's longest-contracted actor and the longest-ever-contracted actor at a studio up to his death.

In the 1950s he continued to appear in a number of films including remakes of the two Swashbucklers he had made 30 years before with Alice Terry: Scaramouche (George Sidney, 1952), and The Prisoner of Zenda (Richard Thorpe, 1952), both starring Stewart Granger.

The week before his death, he (together with Lionel Barrymore) received a gold key to his dressing room. He had made approximately 100 films.

Lewis Stone died in Hancock Park, Los Angeles in 1953, aged 73. He reportedly suffered a heart attack while chasing away some neighborhood kids who were throwing rocks at his garage.

Another published report states that on that date Stone and his third wife were watching television when they heard a racket in the backyard. When he investigated, Stone found lawn furniture once again floating in the pool and glimpsed three or perhaps four teenage boys running towards the street. Stone gave chase despite his wife's warning not to exert himself. Upon reaching the sidewalk, Stone suddenly collapsed. A gardener, Juan Vergara, witnessed the chase and summoned aid.

A photo published in newspapers of the day showed Stone lying on the sidewalk immediately after the incident. Following his death, he was interred at Angelus Rosedale Cemetery in Los Angeles, California. He was married three times. His wives were Florence Oakley, Margaret Langham, and Hazel Elizabeth Wolf. With Oakley, he had two children. Lewis Stone was later honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6524 Hollywood Blvd.


French postcard by Europe, no. 692. Photo: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.


Italian postcard by B.F.F. Edit. (Casa Editr. Ballerini & Fratini, Firenze), no. 2460. Photo: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.


British postcard in the Picturegoer Series, London, no. 1346. Photo: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.


British postcard in the Picturegoer Series, London, no. D. 251. Photo: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Stewart Granger and Lewis Stone (left) in The Prisoner of Zenda (Richard Thorpe, 1952).

Sources: Tony Fontana (IMDb), Wikipedia, and IMDb.

The Prisoner of Zenda (1922)

Alice Terry and Lewis Stone were the stars of Rex Ingram's classic silent Swashbuckler The Prisoner of Zenda (1922). It is an adaptation of Anthony Hope's popular 1894 novel 'The Prisoner of Zenda' and the subsequent 1896 play by Hope and Edward Rose. Ramon Novarro had his breakthrough in the film as the roguish Rupert von Hentzau. The story was previously filmed in 1913 and 1915 and would enjoy five more remakes during the sound era.


German postcard by Ross Verlag, Berlin, no. 679/2. Photo: BAFAG (British-American-Films A.G.).. Alice Terry as Princess Flavia and Lewis Stone as King Rudolf in The Prisoner of Zenda (Rex Ingram, 1922).


German postcard by Ross Verlag, no. 679/4. Photo: BAFAG (British-American-Films A.G.). Lewis Stone as Rudolph Rassendyll and Alice Terry as Princess Flavia in The Prisoner of Zenda (Rex Ingram, 1922). The Bismarck-like guy behind Terry is the actor Robert Edeson, who plays Colonel Sapt. Behind him is actor Malcolm McGregor, who plays Captain Fritz von Tarlenheim. Both are the loyal aids of the King, defending him against his evil half-brother Michael (Stuart Holmes, who might be the man in black on the right) and his plotting cronies: his mistress Antoinette (Barbara la Marr) and Rupert von Hentzau (Ramon Novarro). Trying to stop a coup by Michael, who has abducted and imprisoned the real king, Sapt and Tarlenheim arrange a lookalike cousin of the king to be crowned (which we see on this card). The substitute king falls in love with Princess Flavia but he cannot tell the truth... Stone played both the King and his lookalike.


German postcard by Ross Verlag, no. 697/5. Photo: BAFAG (British-American-Films A.G.). Ramon Novarro and Barbara la Marr in The Prisoner of Zenda (Rex Ingram, 1922).

Trouble and Love in Ruritania

Upon the death of his father the King, Rudolph V (Lewis Stone) is set to assume the throne of Ruritania. Both he and his half-brother, the treacherous Grand Duke 'Black' Michael (Stuart Holmes), love Princess Flavia (Alice Terry), their orphaned cousin who lives in a wing of the palace located in the Ruritanian capital of Strelsau.

While half the populace favours the King and the other half the Grand Duke, the entire populace loves Flavia. She is attracted to the Grand Duke's magnetism, but she, in a sense of obligation to her country to support his reign, believes that she will marry the King despite she not being in love with him due to he indulging excessively in his vices, such as the drink, and thus often acting irresponsibly and not in the manner of a king.

The Grand Duke, with his longtime faithful companions De Gautet (Al Jennings), Bersonin (Fairfax Burger), and Rupert of Hentzau (Ramon Novarro), plan to detain the King at the Grand Duke's hunting lodge on the grounds of his castle at Zenda on the day of the coronation so that Michael can assume the throne in Strelsau in his place. Englishman Rudolf Rassendyll (also Lewis Stone) decides to pass the time by attending the coronation of his distant relation. He encounters an acquaintance on the train there, Antoinette de Mauban (Barbara La Marr), the mistress of the king's brother, Grand Duke 'Black' Michael.

The day before the coronation, Rassendyll is seen by Colonel Sapt (Robert Edeson) and Captain Fritz von Tarlenheim (Malcolm McGregor). Astounded by the uncanny resemblance between Rassendyll and their liege, they take him to meet Rudolf at a hunting lodge. The king is delighted with his double and invites him to dinner. During the meal, a servant brings in a fine bottle of wine, a present from Michael delivered by his henchman, Rupert of Hentzau. After Rudolf tastes it, he finds it so irresistible that he drinks the entire bottle by himself.

The next morning, Sapt is unable to rouse him; the wine was drugged. Sapt is afraid that if the coronation is postponed, Michael will seize the throne. The country is dangerously divided between the supporters of Rudolf and of Michael. The colonel declares that it is Fate that brought Rassendyll to Ruritania; he can take Rudolf's place with no one the wiser. The Englishman is less certain, but he tosses a coin, which lands in Rudolf's favor, and Rassendyll goes through with the ceremony. Afterwards, he is driven to the palace in the company of the universally adored Princess Flavia.

Later, when Rassendyll returns to the lodge to switch places with the king once more, he and Sapt find only the corpse of Josef (Snitz Edwards), the servant left to guard the king. Rassendyll is forced to continue the masquerade. With Rudolf guarded by a handful of trusted retainers at Zenda Castle, Michael tries unsuccessfully to bribe Rassendyll into leaving. In the days that follow, Rasssendyll becomes acquainted with Flavia, and the two fall in love. Meanwhile, Rupert tries to alienate Antoinette from Michael by telling her that Michael will marry Flavia once Rudolf is out of the way. However, it has an unintended effect; Antionette reveals Michael's plans and Rudolf's location to von Tarlenheim.

A dwarf assassin (John George) in Michael's pay tries to garrot Rassendyll, but Sapt interrupts him before he can finish the job. The would-be killer mistakenly signals to an anxiously waiting Michael that the deed is done, and the duke hastens to Zenda to quietly dispose of the real king. However, Rassendyll was only rendered unconscious. When von Tarlenheim arrives with his news, the three men chase after Michael. Sapt and von Tarlenheim split up to find a way into the castle, but when Antoinette lowers the drawbridge, Rassendyll goes inside alone. Though outnumbered, he manages to kill Michael in a sword fight. Then Sapt and von Tarlenheim come to his aid. When Rupert is cornered by the three men, he chooses death over a waterfall rather than execution for treason.

In the aftermath, Rudolf resumes his rightful position, while Rassendyll hides out at the lodge. By chance, Flavia stops there to speak with Colonel Sapt. Despite Sapt's attempt to shield the princess from heartbreak, a servant girl blurts out that the "king" is staying at the lodge. Rassendyll is forced to tell his beloved the bitter truth. When he tries to persuade her to leave with him, her sense of honour and duty to her country compel her to stay, and Rassendyll departs alone.

The film was received positively by critics. The New York Times called it "well worth seeing" though "needlessly talky", and wrote that "much of the acting is excellent", if occasionally "overdone". "It couldn't miss", wrote Variety of the film's content. "It probably would have been proof against bad direction, but done with perfect stage management and exquisite literary taste it is faultless."

Modern critic Richard Gilliam at AllMovie: "Among the silent era's most handsome motion pictures, this was the third and best filming of Anthony Hope's popular novel within a ten year period. Ramon Novarro, playing the villainous Count Rupert, gets top billing over the dual-role hero Lewis Stone and leading lady Alice Terry. All give strong performances, particularly Terry, who was married at the time to (Rex) Ingram. The film's major flaw is a lack of visual style. Nonetheless, the strength of the story and quality of production more than carry the film. "



German postcard by Ross Verlag, no. 783/1. Photo: BAFAG (British-American-Films A.G.). Alice Terry as Princess Flavia in The Prisoner of Zenda (Rex Ingram, 1922).


German postcard by Ross Verlag, Berlin, no. 807/1, 1925-1926. Photo: BAFAG (British-American-Films A.G.). Director Rex Ingram and his wife and star Alice Terry.


Spanish collectors card by Chocolate Amatller, Series EE, artist 41, no. 83. Lewis Stone In The Prisoner of Zenda (Rex Ingram, 1922).


British postcard on the Picturegoer Series, London, no. D 252. Photo: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Stewart Granger and Deborah Kerr in The Prisoner of Zenda (Richard Thorpe, 1952).

Sources: Richard Gilliam (AllMovie),  Wikipedia, and IMDb.