--- name: "Lewis R. Foster" canonical: "https://film.one/person/lewis-r-foster" roles: ["Writer"] born: "5 August 1898" died: "10 June 1974" reviewed_on_fi1m: 2 average_fi1m_score: 83 average_as: "writer" average_over: 2 updated: "2026-09-20T01:04:26.966023+00:00" licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Lewis R. Foster Writer. Born 5 August 1898 in Brookfield, Missouri, USA. Died 10 June 1974. ## Details - **Work:** Writer - **Born:** 5 August 1898, Brookfield, Missouri, USA - **Died:** 10 June 1974 - **Active:** 1939–1943 - **Also known as:** Lew Foster, Lewis Foster , L.R. Foster , L R Foster - **Academy Awards:** 1 Oscar (1 won · 1 nominated) - **Average Fi1m score:** 83, as writer, over 2 titles - **Fi1m score by decade:** 1930s 84 (1), 1940s 82 (1) - **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lewis_R._Foster, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1822152, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0287931/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/30207 ## Streaming the US now - **The Roku Channel:** [*The More the Merrier*](https://film.one/film/the-more-the-merrier.md) (82) For United States; add `?region=XX` for another country. ## Biography Lewis R. Foster (1898–1974) was an American screenwriter, director and producer. He began working in Hollywood in the 1920s and contributed to more than one hundred films and television productions through 1960. Foster received sole credit for the original story of *Mr. Smith Goes to Washington* (1939), which won him the Academy Award for Best Original Story. He shared screenplay credit on *The More the Merrier* (1943), for which he received an Academy Award nomination. His other credits include the story for *It Happened Tomorrow* (1944) and writing and directing episodes of the television series *Zorro* (1957–1959) as well as the feature *Tonka* (1958). Early in his career Foster directed several short films featuring Laurel and Hardy. He was married to actress Dorothy Wilson from 1936 until his death. *Sources: en.wikipedia.org, imdb.com.* ## On Fi1m (2) - *The More the Merrier* (1943), Fi1m 82, Screenplay — [page](https://film.one/film/the-more-the-merrier.md) - *Mr. Smith Goes to Washington* (1939), Fi1m 84, Story — [page](https://film.one/film/mr-smith-goes-to-washington.md) ## Complete filmography (90) Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page. - *The Wonderful World of Disney* (1961), series, Director - *Daniel Boone: The Wilderness Road* (1961), Director - *Daniel Boone: And Chase the Buffalo* (1960), Director - *Daniel Boone: The Warrior's Path* (1960), Director - *The Islanders* (1960), series, Director - *Pony Express* (1960), series, Director - *The Swamp Fox* (1959), series, Writer - *Tonka* (1958), Director, Screenplay - *The Sign of Zorro* (1958), Director - *Zorro* (1957), series, Director, Writer - *Tales of Wells Fargo* (1957), series, Writer, Director - *Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre* (1956), series, Director - *The Adventures of Jim Bowie* (1956), series, Producer, Director - *Dakota Incident* (1956), Director - *The Bold and the Brave* (1956), Director - *Crossroads* (1955), series, Director - *The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp* (1955), series, Director - *Top of the World* (1955), Director - *Crashout* (1955), Writer, Director - *The Wonderful World of Disney* (1954), series, Director - *Those Redheads from Seattle* (1953), Screenplay, Director - *Jamaica Run* (1953), Director, Writer - *Tropic Zone* (1953), Director, Screenplay - *The Blazing Forest* (1952), Screenplay - *Cavalcade of America* (1952), series, Director - *Hong Kong* (1952), Director, Story - *Crosswinds* (1951), Writer, Director - *Passage West* (1951), Director, Screenplay - *The Last Outpost* (1951), Director - *The Eagle and the Hawk* (1950), Director, Writer - *Captain China* (1950), Director, Writer - *Special Agent* (1949), Screenplay - *Manhandled* (1949), Director, Screenplay - *The Lucky Stiff* (1949), Director, Screenplay - *El Paso* (1949), Director, Screenplay - *I Wonder Who's Kissing Her Now* (1947), Screenplay - *Never Say Goodbye* (1946), Adaptation - *Can't Help Singing* (1944), Screenplay - *It Happened Tomorrow* (1944), Idea - *Hers to Hold* (1943), Screenplay - *Alaska Highway* (1943), Screenplay - *The More the Merrier* (1943), Screenplay — Fi1m 82, [page](https://film.one/film/the-more-the-merrier.md) - *The Mayor of 44th Street* (1942), Screenplay - *I Live on Danger* (1942), Screenplay, Story - *Adventure in Washington* (1941), Screenplay - *Golden Gloves* (1940), Screenplay - *The Farmer's Daughter* (1940), Screenplay - *Mr. Smith Goes to Washington* (1939), Story — Fi1m 84, [page](https://film.one/film/mr-smith-goes-to-washington.md) - *Night Work* (1939), Screenplay - *Million Dollar Legs* (1939), Story, Screenplay - *Some Like It Hot* (1939), Screenplay - *Sudden Money* (1939), Writer - *Tom Sawyer, Detective* (1938), Writer - *Illegal Traffic* (1938), Writer - *Sons of the Legion* (1938), Screenplay, Story - *The Man Who Cried Wolf* (1937), Director - *Armored Car* (1937), Director, Writer - *She's Dangerous* (1937), Director - *Love Letters of a Star* (1936), Director, Screenplay - *The Magnificent Brute* (1936), Adaptation - *Two in a Crowd* (1936), Story, Screenplay - *The Luckiest Girl in the World* (1936), Writer - *Stolen Harmony* (1935), Writer - *Let's Talk It Over* (1934), Story - *Eight Girls in a Boat* (1934), Writer - *Cheating Blondes* (1933), Writer - *Billboard Girl* (1932), Writer - *Dream House* (1932), Writer - *The All-American Kickback* (1931), Writer - *Taxi Troubles* (1931), Writer - *Blondes Prefer Bonds* (1931), Director, Writer - *Second Hand Kisses* (1931), Director - *Lime Juice Nights* (1931), Director - *Dumbbells in Derbies* (1931), Director - *The Itching Hour* (1931), Director - *Knights Before Christmas* (1930), Director - *Boarding House Blues* (1930), Director - *Angora Love* (1929), Director - *Bacon Grabbers* (1929), Director - *Hotter Than Hot* (1929), Director - *Men O' War* (1929), Director - *Berth Marks* (1929), Director - *Double Whoopee* (1929), Director - *Movie Night* (1929), Director - *Unaccustomed as We Are* (1929), Director - *Loud Soup* (1929), Director - *Wrong Again* (1929), Story, Assistant Director - *The Gaucho* (1927), Assistant Director - *Merry Widower* (1926), Writer - *Stage 7*, series, Director ## Awards ### Academy Awards — 1 won, 1 nominated - 1944: Best Writing, Adapted Screenplay (nominated), for *The More the Merrier* - 1940: Best Story (won), for *Mr. Smith Goes to Washington* *From Wikidata, which records wins more completely than nominations.* --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/person/lewis-r-foster