Joe E. Lewis (born Joseph Klewan; January 12, 1902 – June 4, 1971) was an American comedian, actor and singer.Obituary ''

Variety Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...

'', June 9, 1971, page 54.

Early life

Lewis was born was born into a family of Russian immigrants on January 12, 1902 in New York City, New York. He added the E. to distinguish himself from the boxer. Dropping out of De Witt Clinton High School after two years, the 15‐year‐old Lewis enlisted in the Marine Corps, but was found out and released. He got into third‐rate burlesque and vaudeville in 1923. However, he made his breakthrough as a nightclub star in Chicago in the days of what he liked to call “the Great Drought,” Prohibition. As portrayed in his 1957 biographic film,

The Joker is Wild ''The Joker Is Wild'' is a 1957 American musical drama film directed by Charles Vidor, starring Frank Sinatra, Mitzi Gaynor, Jeanne Crain, and Eddie Albert, and released by Paramount Pictures. The film is about Joe E. Lewis, the popular si ...

, Mr. Lewis started out as a popular crooner in a gang-owned speakeasy during the prohibition years of the 1920s.

Biography

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

in 1927, Lewis refused the request of Jack "Machine Gun" McGurn (an

Al Capone Alphonse Gabriel Capone (; January 17, 1899 – January 25, 1947), sometimes known by the nickname "Scarface", was an American gangster and businessman who attained notoriety during the Prohibition era as the co-founder and boss of the ...

lieutenant) to renew a contract that would have bound him to sing and perform at the

Green Mill Cocktail Lounge The Green Mill Cocktail Lounge (or Green Mill Jazz Club) is an entertainment venue on Broadway in Uptown, Chicago. It is known for its jazz and poetry performances, along with its connections to Chicago mob history. History Originally named Pop ...

, which was partly owned by Capone. After refusing, because he had been offered more money by a rival gang to appear at their own club, "The New Rendezvous", he was assaulted in his 10th floor Commonwealth Hotel room, on November 8, 1927, by three enforcers sent by McGurn. The enforcers, who included

Sam Giancana Salvatore Mooney Giancana (; born Gilormo Giangana; ; May 24, 1908 – June 19, 1975) was an American mobster who was boss of the Chicago Outfit from 1957 to 1966. Giancana was born in Chicago to Italian immigrant parents. He joined the 42 ...

and Leonard "Needles" Gianola, mutilated Lewis (his throat and tongue were cut) and left him for dead. It took him several years to be able to speak again. Capone, who was fond of Lewis, was displeased with the assault, but would not take action against one of his top lieutenants. He instead provided Lewis with $10,000 (equal to $ today) to recover properly and eventually resume his career. Lewis toured in the

USO The United Service Organizations Inc. (USO) is an American nonprofit-charitable corporation that provides live entertainment, such as comedians, actors and musicians, social facilities, and other programs to members of the United States Armed F ...

shows with

Ray Bolger Raymond Wallace Bolger (January 10, 1904 – January 15, 1987) was an American actor, dancer, singer, vaudevillian and stage performer (particularly musical theatre) who started in the silent-film era. Bolger was a major Broadway performer in ...

in the

Pacific Theater The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean (or, depending on definition, to Antarctica) in the south, and is bounded by the continen ...

during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

. Joe appeared in the movies ''Too Many Husbands'' (the 1931 short comedy), '' Private Number'' (1936), '' The Holy Terror'' (1937), ''

Private Buckaroo ''Private Buckaroo'' is a 1942 American comedy-musical film directed by Edward F. Cline starring The Andrews Sisters, Dick Foran, Harry James, Shemp Howard, Joe E. Lewis, and Jennifer Holt. The film tells the story of army recruits following b ...

'' (1942), and (playing himself) ''

Lady in Cement ''Lady in Cement'' is a 1968 American neo-noir mystery crime comedy thriller film directed by Gordon Douglas, based on the 1961 novel ''The Lady in Cement'' by Marvin H. Albert. The film stars Frank Sinatra, Raquel Welch, Dan Blocker, Richa ...

'' (1968). He appeared frequently on ''

The Ed Sullivan Show ''The Ed Sullivan Show'' is an American television program, television variety show that ran on CBS from June 20, 1948, to March 28, 1971, and was hosted by New York City, New York entertainment columnist Ed Sullivan. It was replaced in Septembe ...

'', was the "Mystery Guest" three different times on ''

What's My Line? ''What's My Line?'' is a panel game show that originally ran in the United States on the CBS Television Network from 1950 to 1967, originally in black and white and later in color, with subsequent U.S. revivals. The game uses celebrity panelis ...

'', and was interviewed on ''

Person to Person ''Person to Person'' is a popular television program in the United States that originally ran from 1953 to 1961, with two episodes of an attempted revival airing in 2012. Edward R. Murrow hosted the original series from its inception in 1953 unti ...

'' in 1956. In 1946 he married actress Martha Stewart; they

divorce Divorce (also known as dissolution of marriage) is the process of terminating a marriage or marital union. Divorce usually entails the canceling or reorganizing of the legal duties and responsibilities of marriage, thus dissolving the ...

d in 1948.

Random House Random House is an American book publisher and the largest general-interest paperback publisher in the world. The company has several independently managed subsidiaries around the world. It is part of Penguin Random House, which is owned by Germ ...

published Lewis's biography, ''The Joker Is Wild'', written by Art Cohn, in 1955. Lewis and

Frank Sinatra Francis Albert Sinatra (; December 12, 1915 – May 14, 1998) was an American singer and actor. Nicknamed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Chairman of the Board" and later called "Ol' Blue Eyes", Sinatra was one of the most popular ...

had a longtime friendship predating Sinatra's portrayal of the comedian in ''

The Joker Is Wild ''The Joker Is Wild'' is a 1957 American musical drama film directed by Charles Vidor, starring Frank Sinatra, Mitzi Gaynor, Jeanne Crain, and Eddie Albert, and released by Paramount Pictures. The film is about Joe E. Lewis, the popular si ...

''. In 1961 Sinatra signed Lewis to record for his label,

Reprise Records Reprise Records is an American record label founded in 1960 by Frank Sinatra. It is owned by Warner Music Group, and operates through Warner Records, one of its flagship labels. Artists currently signed to Reprise Records include Enya, Michael ...

. The result, ''It Is Now Post Time'', is one of the first LPs released by Reprise, and one of the few recorded examples of Lewis at work as a

stand-up comedian Stand-up comedy is a comedy, comedic performance to a live audience in which the performer addresses the audience directly from the stage. The performer is known as a comedian, a comic or a stand-up. Stand-up comedy consists of One-line joke ...

. The title references a well-known part of his act, holding up a drink on stage and saying “Post time!”. This is a horse racing term, meaning the race is about to start; its use here implies that the drinker is about to start on a long binge. On his live album ''

Sinatra at the Sands ''Sinatra at the Sands'' is a live album by Frank Sinatra accompanied by Count Basie and his orchestra, and conducted and arranged by Quincy Jones, recorded live in the Copa Room of the former Sands Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas in 1966. It w ...

'' (1966), Sinatra says that even though he recently celebrated his 50th birthday, he would have the body of a 22-year-old man, "if I hadn't spent all those years drinking with Joe E. Lewis."

Death

Lewis, who had been in a diabetic coma, died of a

heart attack A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when blood flow decreases or stops to the coronary artery of the heart, causing damage to the heart muscle. The most common symptom is chest pain or discomfort which may tr ...

in 1971, aged 69, and was buried in

Cedar Park Cemetery, Emerson, New Jersey Cedar Park and Beth El Cemetery is a cemetery located in Emerson and Paramus, in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. Noted interments * Martin Balsam (1919–1996) Academy Award winning best supporting actor * Julian Beck (1925–1985) ...

Portrayal in film

In the film ''

'' (1957), Lewis was portrayed by

Filmography

* '' The Big Show'' (1926) – Abie * '' Private Number'' (1936) – Smiley Watson * '' The Holy Terror'' (1937) – Pelican Beek * ''

'' (1942) – Lancelot Pringle McBiff * ''

'' (1968) – Himself (uncredited; final appearance)

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Lewis, Joe E. 1902 births 1971 deaths American stand-up comedians Jewish American comedians Jewish American male actors Singers from New York City Vaudeville performers 20th-century American singers Burials at Cedar Park Cemetery (Emerson, New Jersey) 20th-century American comedians 20th-century American male singers 20th-century American Jews