Stone Wardens

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Stone was born in Worcester, Massachusetts, in 1879, the youngest of four children of Philena (née Ball) and Bertrand Stone. His father supported the family as a boot cutter. After public education, Stone joined the United States Army during the Spanish–American War, serving as a lieutenant and later being deployed to China to train troops. In the early-1900s critics considered him the most popular leading man in stock in America. For eight years, he was leading man with the Oliver Morosco Stock Company in Los Angeles. In 1912, he found success in the popular play Bird of Paradise, starring Laurette Taylor. For the summer of 1913 Stone appeared at Elitch Theatre in Denver, Colorado, as the leading man. His career was interrupted by a return to the Army in World War I, serving as a major in the cavalry. Before leaving for the war he made his feature film debut in Honor's Altar in 1916. In 1924, Stone joined the newly formed Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer studio as a contract player, where he remained until his death in 1953. Stone was under contract to MGM for 29 years, the studio's longest-contracted actor, as well as the actor with the longest contract at any Hollywood movie studio. The week before his death, he and longtime MGM contract player Lionel Barrymore received gold keys to their dressing rooms. Stone appeared in approximately 100 films for MGM from 1924 to 1953.

In Their Own Story

In 1937, Stone first appeared in the role which became his most famous, that of wise and kindly Judge James Hardy in the Andy Hardy film series, starring Mickey Rooney. Stone appeared as the judge in 14 of the 16 Hardy movies, beginning with You're Only Young Once (1937). Lionel Barrymore had portrayed the judge in the first Hardy movie, and Stone died before the making of the last one, Andy Hardy Comes Home (1958), so Judge Hardy's death was written into the script. During the heyday of the series, Stone also appeared with Rooney in the short subject Andy Hardy's Dilemma, which promoted charitable donations to the Community Chest. During World War II, the 60-plus year-old Stone was a lieutenant colonel in the California National Guard. Stone died in Hancock Park, Los Angeles, on September 12, 1953, aged 73. He reportedly suffered a heart attack while chasing away some neighborhood kids who were throwing rocks at his garage or trampling his meticulously kept prized garden. Another published report states that on that date Stone and his third wife were watching television when they heard a racket in the back yard. When he investigated, Stone found lawn furniture once again floating in the pool and glimpsed three or perhaps four teenage boys running toward 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. The New York Times reported: 'The police said the actor had gone to his swimming pool to investigate a noise he thought had been caused by rocks being thrown into the water. He chased some boys into the street and collapsed on the sidewalk. He did not regain consciousness.' A photo published in newspapers of the day showed Stone lying on the sidewalk immediately after the incident. The photo was later included in Kenneth Anger's book of scandals titled Hollywood Babylon.

Reader's Guide

Stone was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor in 1929 for The Patriot. He played the character that gives the film its title, but he was not the top-billed star. He appeared in seven films with Greta Garbo, spanning both the silent and early sound period. In 1932, he portrayed Dr. Otternschlag in the Garbo film Grand Hotel, in which he utters the famous closing line 'Grand Hotel. People coming. Going. Nothing ever happens.' He played a larger role in the 1933 Garbo film Queen Christina. His appearance in the successful prison film The Big House furthered his career. He played adventurers in the dinosaur epic The Lost World (1925) with Wallace Beery and The Mask of Fu Manchu (1932) with Boris Karloff, and a police captain in Bureau of Missing Persons (1933). Stone owned a beach house in the beachfront Venice neighborhood of Los Angeles. In 1930 the oil drilling boom in the Venice Beach-Del Ray oil field caused him to file a lawsuit to stop the drilling in order to prevent property damage and public nuisance. 'The court ruled for Stone even though derricks ringed the beach ...' In the 1930s he owned a 104-foot luxury schooner yacht named Serena. In 1937 the yacht was sold to Robert Paine Scripps (the father of Charles Scripps) and converted to a research vessel named the E. W. Scripps. Stone campaigned for the reelection of President Herbert Hoover in 1932. Lewis Stone was later honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6524 Hollywood Blvd.

Did You Know?

• Stone served in the U.S. Army during the Spanish–American War as a lieutenant and was later deployed to China to train troops.
• He was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor in 1929 for The Patriot, playing Russian Count Pahlen.
• Stone appeared in seven films with Greta Garbo, including Grand Hotel (1932) where he utters the famous closing line: 'Grand Hotel. People coming. Going. Nothing ever happens.'
• He was under contract to MGM for 29 years, the longest contract of any actor at any Hollywood movie studio.
• Stone died at age 73 after collapsing while chasing teenage boys who had thrown lawn furniture into his pool.