Harry L. Lewis (April 1, 1920 – June 9, 2013) was a supporting actor in films and was the founder, along with his wife Marilyn, of the Hamburger Hamlet and Kate Mantilini restaurant chains.
Biography
Lewis was born in Los Angeles, California, on April 1, 1920.[1] His first film role was as a flagman in Dive Bomber (1941). He was immediately put under contract to Warner Bros., at which he made several films. He is perhaps best remembered for his role as Edward "Toots" Bass, one of Edward G. Robinson's henchmen, in 1948's Key Largo.[2]
In 1950, Lewis and his then girlfriend Marilyn Friedman,[3] invested US$3,500 (equivalent to $44,300 in 2023) to open the Hamburger Hamlet restaurant at the corner of Sunset Boulevard and Hilldale Avenue on the Sunset Strip in Los Angeles. The restaurant was successful and grew into a chain of 24 locations. The couple's two children, David and Adam, joined them in the restaurant business. The Lewises took Hamburger Hamlet public in 1969, and sold the company for $29.2 million in 1987 (equivalent to $78.3 million in 2023).
Lewis and his wife Marilyn later owned the Beverly Hills restaurant institution Kate Mantilini, which closed in 2014 after operating for 27 years. The restaurant was named after a mistress of Marilyn's uncle.
Lewis died on June 9, 2013, at the age of 93.[4] His widow Marilyn died on May 3, 2017.[5]
