Charlie and Robert Lewis in Monsieur Verdoux

Robert Lewis was an actor, director, teacher, founding member of the Group Theater in the 1930s & co-founder of the Actor's Studio. But among Chaplin fans he might be best-remembered for his role as Henri Verdoux's pharmacist friend, Maurice Botello, in 1947's Monsieur Verdoux.  Lewis met Charlie in the 1930s through Clifford Odets and was delighted to get a chance to work with him. He recalled that as a director, Chaplin was an actor's dream. "He gave me one direction: 'He's the kind of bore who doesn't talk. He lectures.' That was all I needed."

Lewis was also in attendance at the premiere of Monsieur Verdoux in New York City. The film was disastrously received with some members of the audience hissing & booing. Charlie left before the film was finished. At a party at "21" following the premiere, Charlie quickly downed two drinks at once, which was rare for him. Lewis and Donald Ogden Stewart escorted a tipsy & "genuinely shaken" Charlie back to his hotel. "Don and I helped Charlie undress. In his shorts, sitting on the side of his bed, the twentieth century's mighty performing artist sniffled like a little boy. 'They couldn't take it, could they?' he kept repeating, 'I kicked them in the balls, didn't I? I hit them where it hurt.'"

Robert Lewis died 15 years ago today at age 88.