Jerry Lewis the following summer, and the audience was so enthusiastic that Kaye became Lewis' manager and guardian for Borscht Belt appearances. During World War II, he was rejected for military service because of a heart murmur. Lewis initially gained attention as part of a double act with singer Dean Martin, who served as straight man to Lewis' zany antics as the Martin and Lewis comedy team. They were different from other duo acts of the time because they played to each other and had ad-libbed improvisational segments within their planned routines. After forming in 1946, they quickly rose to national prominence,
Eric Lewis (actor) Gibbs", by Will Evans and Guy Reeves, at the Garrick. Lewis continued to perform until 1925, appearing in the films "Brown Sugar" (1922) as the Earl of Knightsbridge, and as Sir Anthony Fenwick in "The Happy Ending" (1925), which starred Fay Compton and Jack Buchanan. He also wrote sketch comedies and short plays. Lewis died in Margate, Kent, in 1935 at the age of 79. Eric Lewis (actor) Frederic Lewis Tuffley (23 October 1855 – 1 April 1935), better known by his stage name, Eric Lewis, was an English comedian, actor and singer. In a career spanning five decades, he