Post by marianne48 on Oct 25, 2020 20:07:56 GMT
Lew Ayres was influenced by his role in All Quiet on the Western Front to question the morality of war. He was further affected by studying the Bible in subsequent years; he would experience a kind of religious epiphany which caused him to become a vegetarian and give up his pastimes of hunting and fishing, because of his belief in the value of all life. This would work against him at the outbreak of World War II;
drafted into the military, he registered as a conscientious objector. Hollywood reacted in outrage over this; movie theaters refused to exhibit his films and he was seen as unpatriotic. After spending time in a CO "camp," he served in the army as a non-combatant medic, often under heavy enemy fire, in Leyte and earned three medals for bravery. He donated his military salary to the American Red Cross. After the war, his military service impressed Hollywood so much that they "forgave" him and allowed him to continue his movie career.
drafted into the military, he registered as a conscientious objector. Hollywood reacted in outrage over this; movie theaters refused to exhibit his films and he was seen as unpatriotic. After spending time in a CO "camp," he served in the army as a non-combatant medic, often under heavy enemy fire, in Leyte and earned three medals for bravery. He donated his military salary to the American Red Cross. After the war, his military service impressed Hollywood so much that they "forgave" him and allowed him to continue his movie career.