Rank
According to Filmink magazine, "Rank would’ve been delighted with Lewis – he fitted right into what that studio thought a film star was: handsome, tall, and muscular with Brylcreamed hair, rather like Anthony Steel." The studio tried to build Lewis into a star, giving him the lead in a thriller, The Secret Place (1957), alongside Belinda Lee, replacing Anthony Steel who had pulled out. On British TV he was in Salome (1957) and the TV series Hour of Mystery in an adaption of Night Must Fall. He appeared regularly in Armchair Theatre over fifteen years and other British anthology dramas.
Lewis had a starring role as the bad brother in Robbery Under Arms (1957) and was a villain in The Wind Cannot Read (1958). He was in Schiller's Mary Stuart and Ibsen's Ghosts on stage (which was filmed), supported Hardy Krüger in the Rank comedy Bachelor of Hearts (1958), and was in a production of Miss Julie (1959) at the Old Vic. He was Mark Anthony in a production of Julius Caesar at the Old Vic.
In October 1958 Rank did not pick up its option on Lewis's services. However he was still employed by the studio in Conspiracy of Hearts (1960), playing an Italian officer helping some nuns.
He made The Full Treatment (1960) for Hammer, directed by Val Guest. Guest called Lewis and co-star Diane Cilento "two neglected stars... and I shall go all out to un-neglect them both." Hammer kept him on for another thriller, Taste of Fear (1961), which was a big hit. So too was Mr. Sardonicus (1961) made for William Castle. This was made in Hollywood and it has been argued that in hindsight Lewis might have had a stronger career staying in the US.
Around this time Lewis appeared on television in Ghosts, Lysette, and The Fabulous Money Maker; in the latter Variety felt Lewis "acted extraordinary well in the key role." Lewis had a support role in the comedy Twice Round the Daffodils (1962) and was back in the lead for Jigsaw (1962), a thriller directed by Guest.
Lewis had a support role in Billy Budd (1962) and was the romantic lead to star Juliet Mills in the comedy Nurse on Wheels (1963), made by the Carry On team. He had the star role in two costume pictures, Siege of the Saxons (1963) and Hammer's The Brigand of Kandahar (1965).
On stage he was in Poor Bitos (1963–64).
