Editing Lewis Stone (section)

== Career ==
{{Moresources|section|date=June 2023}}
In the early-1900s Stone was considered by the critics to be the most popular leading man in stock in America. For eight years, he held the role as leading man with the [[Oliver Morosco]] Stock Company in Los Angeles.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book|last=Borrillo|first=Theodore A.|url=http://worldcat.org/oclc/823177622|title=Denver's historic Elitch Theatre : a nostalgic journey (a history of its times)|date=2012|publisher=[publisher not identified]|isbn=978-0-9744331-4-1|pages=103–104|oclc=823177622}}</ref>

In 1912, Stone found success in the popular play ''Bird of Paradise'', which starred [[Laurette Taylor]]. The play was later filmed in [[Bird of Paradise (1932 film)|1932]] and [[Bird of Paradise (1951 film)|1951]].

For the summer of 1913 Stone appeared at [[Elitch Theatre]] in Denver, Colorado, as the leading man for the season. The proprietor of the theatre, [[Mary Elitch Long]], recalled an event when Stone heard of a nearby family in need and he "went to a neighborhood grocery and, placing $25.00 on the counter, told the storekeeper to see to it that the bereaved little family wanted for nothing; and to let him know when more money was needed and to say nothing about it."<ref name=":0" />

His career was interrupted by a return to the Army in [[World War I]], serving as a major in the [[United States Cavalry|cavalry]].<ref name="VarObit" />

Before leaving for the war he made his feature film debut in ''Honor's Altar'' in 1916.<ref name="VarObit" /> He showed up in [[First National Pictures|First National]]'s 1920 ''[[Nomads of the North]]'' to good effect playing a Royal Canadian Mounted Policeman. He portrayed the title role in the 1922 silent film version of ''[[The Prisoner of Zenda (1922 film)|The Prisoner of Zenda]]''.

From 1920 to 1927, he lived in Los Angeles at 212 S. Wilton Place. The home is now Los Angeles Cultural-Historic Monument #925 and is in the [[Wilton Historic District]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Historic–Cultural Monuments (HCM) Listing: City Declared Monuments|url=http://preservation.lacity.org/files/HCMDatabase%23073114.pdf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180909223843/http://preservation.lacity.org/files/HCMDatabase|archive-date=September 9, 2018|website=Los Angeles City Planning}}</ref>

In 1924, Stone joined the newly formed [[Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer]] studio as a contract player, where he remained until his death in 1953.<ref name="VarObit" />

Stone was nominated for the [[Academy Award for Best Actor]] in 1929 for ''[[The Patriot (1928 film)|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 (1932 film)|Grand Hotel]]'', in which he utters the famous closing line "Grand Hotel. People coming. Going. Nothing ever happens."
[[File:Lewis Stone in Woman Wanted trailer.jpg|thumb|right|Stone in the trailer of ''[[Woman Wanted (1935 film)|Woman Wanted]]'' (1935)]]
He played a larger role in the 1933 Garbo film ''[[Queen Christina (film)|Queen Christina]]''. His appearance in the successful prison film ''[[The Big House (1930 film)|The Big House]]'' furthered his career. He played adventurers in the [[dinosaur]] epic [[The Lost World (1925 film)|''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).

[[File:Lewis Stone in The Prisoner of Zenda (1952 film).png|thumb|Stone in the trailer of ''[[The Prisoner of Zenda (1952 film)|The Prisoner of Zenda]]'' (1952)]]

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]].<ref name=VarObit /> 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.<ref name=VarObit />

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.<ref name=VarObit /> 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.<ref name=VarObit />