But he had an alcohol problem; he was a bitter man, knowing how talented he was and not being acknowledged by the studios he had worked for. Stella Stevens, a prominent leading lady in 1960s and 70s comedies perhaps best known for playing the object of Jerry Lewiss affection in The Nutty Professor, has died. He had me doing a lot of layouts with photographers indoors, outdoors, here and there being seen in different places, going to the best restaurants, meeting with wonderful actors and directors those were the golden years of Hollywood. Stevens worked steadily in television in the 1970s and 80s, appearing in the pilots for "Wonder Woman," "Hart to Hart" and "The Love Boat" and in series like "Night Court," "Murder She Wrote" and "Magnum, P.I.". The Clift picture didnt pan out either, at least with her promised co-star. Born on October 1, 1938, in Yazoo City, MS, Stevens was also a steady presence on television, appearing in dozens of TV movies and guest-starring in more than 40 series. Basically, everybody was helping me to teach me to make a film back then. SAY ONE FOR ME (1959) DIR PROD Frank Tashlin SCR Robert OBrien CAM Leo Tover ED Hugh S. Fowler CAST Bing Crosby, Debbie Reynolds, Robert Wagner, Ray Walston, Les Tremayne, Connie Gilchrist, Frank McHugh, Stella Stevens (Chorine), Sebastian Cabot, THE BLUE ANGEL (1959) DIR Edward Dmytryk PROD Jack Cummings SCR Nigel Balchin (screenplay DER BLAUE ENGEL [1930] by Robert Liebman, Carl Zuckmayer, Karl Vollmller; novel by Heinrich Mann) CAM Leon Shamroy ED Jack W. Holmes MUS Hugo Friedhofer CAST Curt Jurgens, May Britt, Theodore Bikel, John Banner, Fabrizio Mioni, Ludwig Stssel, Stella Stevens (Chorus Girl, uncredited), LIL ABNER (1959) DIR Melvin Frank PROD Norman Panama SCR Melvin Frank, Norman Panama (comic strip by Al Capp) CAM Daniel L. Flapp ED Arthur P. Schmidt MUS Nelson Riddle, Joseph J. Lilley CAST Peter Palmer, Leslie Parrish, Stubby Kaye, Howard St. John, Julie Newmar, Stella Stevens (Appassionata Von Climax), Billie Hayes, Robert Strauss, MAN-TRAP (1961) DIR Edmond OBrien PROD Edmond OBrien, Stanley Frazen SCR Ed Waters (novel by John D. MacDonald) CAM Loyal Griggs ED Jack Lippiatt MUS Leith Stevens CAST Jeffrey Hunter, David Janssen, Stella Stevens (Nina Jameson), Elaine Devry, Virginia Gregg, Dorothy Green, Frank Albertson, Henry Darrow, TOO LATE BLUES (1961) DIR PROD John Cassavetes SCR John Cassavetes, Richard Carr CAM Lionel Lindon ED Frank Bracht MUS David Raskin CAST Bobby Darin, Stella Stevens (Jess Polanski), Everett Chambers, Nick Dennis, Vince Edwards, Val Avery, Marilyn Clark, Seymour Cassel, John Cassavetes, Don Siegel, June Wilkinson, GIRLS! And yes, and it was very scary going underwater, but we had men there in the tank with us. During this interview, Ms. Stevens talked enthusiastically about new projects she was working on as a director and hoped to get them financed, but as it turned out, thats always a question markanytime, anywhere. Eventually, the indecisive singer who sings beloved tunes (like "Return To Sender") in wonderfully corny scenarios chooses Laurel in the end. Stella Stevens, a Memphis kid who found international success as a Hollywood sex She was 84. It was a very exciting time.". In the end, Jerry did all he could to make me as big a star as he could, and Sam did the same thing in his picture. Girls!, died today in Los Angeles after a long battle with Alzheimers disease. It turned into John Cassavetes Too Late Blues, with Bobby Darrin. Stella Stevens, a prominent leading lady in 1960s and 70s comedies perhaps best known for playing the object of Jerry Lewiss affection in The Nutty Professor, has died. WebSteve Lawrence (* 8. So, no matter how tough the work was, we did absolutely everything we could. And Playboy did as much harm as it helped. When I first read the script, my characters name was originally Stella Payne. I had the pleasure to work with a lot of great directors, but he was just wonderful. A former Playboy centerfold from January 1960, Stevens was modeling in her hometown of Memphis when she was discovered and given a screen test by 20th Century Fox. The Clift picture didn't pan out either, at least with her promised co-star. For two seasons in the early 80s, she starred in the primetime soap Flamingo Road and later had recurring roles in Santa Barbara and General Hospital. In 1963, she played one of her most iconic roles as the love interest Stella Purdy in Jerry Lewiss science fiction comedy The Nutty Professor. In Girls! Hollywood actress Stella Stevens, who co-starred with Elvis Presley in Girls! Girls! Stella Stevens, a prominent leading lady in 1960s and 70s comedies perhaps best known for playing the object of Jerry Lewiss affection in The Nutty Professor, has died. Stellas character Robin was an immature singer who is fighting the sweetheart Laurel (played by Laurel Goodwin) for Elviss love. Period. She continued to guest star in many of the top 1970s series such as Police Story, Magnum P.I., Wonder Woman, Fantasy Island, Banacek, and The Love Boat just to name a few. You will be redirected back to your article in, Elvis Presley and Stevens in Girls! She was 84. and Jerry Lewis in The Nutty Professor, passed away at the age of 84 in Los Angeles on Friday, February 17. By submitting your email to receive this newsletter, you agree to our. Girls! America Is Trying to Electrify. He was a great comedy director who could make anything funny. It was a very exciting time. Were there any directors in particular that you liked? Free He once told me, The best way to direct is to pick the right actors for the role and let them do what they want. He thought that typecasting was the best way to go. Beyond the Dash Home; Stella Stevens, a prominent leading lady in 1960s and 70s comedies perhaps best known for playing the object of Jerry Lewiss affection in The Nutty Professor, has died. She also acted with Dean Martin as a sexy, but ditzy agent in the 1966 film The Silencers and as Bobby Darins love interest in Too Late Blues released in 1961. Titles The Nutty Professor. Its very simple. In an interview in 1994, Stevens said that she worried that she didn't succeed in bringing out the best in her directors and that her ambitions changed. Stevens died from Alzheimers disease at a long-term care The head of publicity at Paramount basically made me a worldwide sex symbol, Stevens told FilmTalk in 2017. He had me doing a lot of layouts with photographers indoors, outdoors, here and there being seen in different places, going to the best restaurants, meeting with wonderful actors and directors those were the golden years of Hollywood. Like several of his contemporaries, such as John Schlesinger or Sydney Pollack, John Cassavetes was known for his character-driven stories about people and relationships. Girls! All Rights Reserved. Another favorite of mine was George Marshall, who had directed me in Advance to the Rear [1964]. Girls! Was he one of your favorite co-stars? Girls! Also, we had Ronald Neame as our director. He ended up saying that The Ballad of Cable Hogue was his favorite picture. Stevens worked steadily in television in the 1970s and 80s, appearing in the pilots for Wonder Woman, Hart to Hart and The Love Boat and in series like Night Court, Murder She Wrote and Magnum, P.I.. She was an amazing animal lover, horse wrangler, rock and roller, so ahead of her time and so much more than a sex symbol which her adoring fans admired her for and understood. in 1963. and with Jerry Lewis in The Nutty Professor, has died at the age of 84, family members say. Maria Calabrese, founder of Green Life Media and Stevens manager and friend, remembered the actress as one of the most wonderful and gifted people and the OG of strong Hollywood women., It was an honor and a privilege to work with Stella, who was one of the most wonderful and gifted people I have ever worked with, Calabrese wrote in a statement to Deadline. She was 84. While I truly wish I could have done more for her toward the latter years of her career and shared in her frustration as she so wanted to make the leap from a triple threat American icon to producer her wish, never realized, was to have three original Western scripts produced. She was photographed wherever she went and rapidly became an icon known as one of the most photographed women in the world. Her candid photographs were so impressive that she began professionally modeling to coincide with her acting career. Goodwin, Stephen Cragg TELEPLAY Mark Rodgers (story by Mark Rodgers, Larry Cohen) CAM Robert Steadman ED Ronald J. Fagan MUS John Cavacas CAST Stella Stevens (Lt. Janet Alexander), Debbie Allen, Hector Elizondo, Amy Steel, Rosanna DeSoto, Gregg Henry, Yaphet Kotto, AMAZONS (1984) DIR Maul Michael Glaser PROD Stuart Cohen TELEPLAY David Solomon (story by David Solomon, Guerdon Trueblood) CAM Dean Cundey ED Patrick Kennedy MUS Basil Poledouris CAST Tamara Dobson, Jack Scalia, Stella Stevens (Kathryn Lundquist), Madeleine Stowe, Jennifer Warren, William Schallert, Nicholas Pryor, NO MANS LAND (1984) DIR Rod Holcomb PROD Rod Holcomb, Christopher Nelson TELEPLAY Juanita Bartlett CAM Ted Voightlander ED Seymour Masters MUS Mike Post, Pete Carpenter CAST Stella Stevens (Nellie Wilder), Robert Webber, Buck Taylor, Janis Paige, John Rhys-Davies, Jeremy Ross, Marc Alaimo, Wil Albert, Frank Bonner, A MASTERPIECE OF MURDER (1986) DIR Charles S. Dubin PROD Terry Morse, Jr. TELEPLAY Andrew J. Fenady, Terry Nation CAM Laszlo George ED Art Seid MUS Richard Markowitz CAST Bob Hope, Don Ameche, Jayne Meadows, Claudia Christian, Yvonne De Carlo, Anne Francis, Kevin McCarthy, Clive Revill, Stella Stevens (Della Vance / Deb Potts), Jamie Farr, Louise Sorel, THE HISTORY OF WHITE PEOPLE IN AMERICA: VOLUME II (1986) DIR Harry Shearer TELEPLAY Martin Mull, Allen Rucker ED John Axness MUS Wendy Mull CAST Martin Mull, Mary Kay Place, Fred Willard, Eileen Brennan, Harry Shearer, Stella Stevens, TALES FROM THE HOLLYWOOD HILLS: A TABLE AT CIROS (1987) DIR Leon Ichaso TELEPLAY Budd Schulberg, Stan H. Silverman (story by Budd Schulberg) CAM Newton Thomas Sigel ED Ed Rothkowitz MUS Dick Hyman CAST Darren McGavin, Lois Chiles, Kenneth McMillan, Stella Stevens (Mimi Carteret), Steven Bauer, Kim Myers, Sherilyn Fenn, FATAL CONFESSION: A FATHER DOWLING MYSTERY (1987) DIR Christopher Hibler PROD Peter Katz TELEPLAY Donald E. Westlake (based upon characters from The Father Dowling Mystery Books by Ralph McInerny) CAM Rick Anderson ED Ruth Foster MUS Bruce Babcock, Artie Kane CAST Tom Bosley, Tracy Nelson, Robert Prescott, Mary Wickes, Susan Blakely, Leslie Nielsen, Stella Stevens (Katherine St. Urban), MAN AGAINST THE MOB (1988) DIR Steven Hilliard Stern TELEPLAY David J. Kinghorn, John Rester Zodrow CAM Dennis C. Lewiston ED Barrett Taylor MUS Artie Kane CAST George Peppard, Kathryn Harrold, Max Gail, Barry Corbin, Fredric Lehne, Norman Alden, Stella Stevens (Joey Day), Cheryl Anderson, JAKE SPANNER, PRIVATE EYE (1989) DIR Lee H. Katzin PROD John Vinnedge, Syd Vinnedge TELEPLAY Andrew J. Fenady (novel by L.A. Morse) CAM Hctor R. Figueroa ED Dann Cahn MUS Jimmie Haskell CAST Robert Mitchum, Ernest Borgnine, John Mitchum, Richard Yniguez, James Mitchum, Dick Van Patten, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Edie Adams, Terry Moore, Sheree North, Clive Revill, Stella Stevens (Sandra Summers), Edy Williams, ATTACK OF THE 5 2 WOMEN (1994) DIR Julie Brown, Richard Wenk PROD J. Marina Muhlfriedel, Peter Manoogian TELEPLAY Julie Brown, Charlie Coffey CAM Rex Nicholson ED Debra Chiate MUS Christopher Tyng CAST Julie Brown, Newell Alexander, Lisa Arch, Priscilla Barnes, Vicki Lawrence, Dick Miller, Stella Stevens (Lawanda), SUBLIMINAL SEDUCTION (1996) DIR PROD Andrew Stevens TELEPLAY Karen Kelly CAM Gary Graver ED Peter Basinski MUS Terry Plumeri CAST Ian Ziering, Katherine Kelly Lang, Dee Wallace, Andrew Stevens, Larry Manetti, Kim Morgan Greene, Stella Stevens (Mrs. Beecham), THE DUKES OF HAZZARD: REUNION! He was just a wonderful actor, a sensitive and delicate artist, with a wonderful sense of humor. She was 84. Stella Stevens, a prominent leading lady in 1960s and 70s comedies perhaps best known for playing the object of Jerry Lewiss affection in The Nutty Professor, has died. Girls! Girls! with Elvis Presley, which she only agreed to do because she was promised to a Montgomery Clift movie if she did it. Photo by John Springer Collection/Corbis via Getty Images - Image courtesy gettyimages.com. Girls! Jerry Lewis. Jerry always walked in early, and he was the last one to leave in the evening. Stevens worked steadily in television in the 1970s and 80s, appearing in the pilots for Wonder Woman, Hart to Hart and The Love Boat and in series like Night Court, Murder She Wrote and Magnum, P.I.. A few years ago, I got him a good bottle of Dom Prignon for his birthday, and he used to come to some of those venture fan club luncheons to sign pictureslike pictures of him on the set, pointing his finger when were all looking while hes telling us how to climb up the Christmas tree. Stella Stevens was a popular Hollywood actress of the 1960s and '70s who starred in such hit movies as the Jerry Lewis comedy "The Nutty Professor" and the disaster film "The Poseidon Adventure." Home. Home. At Columbia Pictures, shed appear in The Secret of My Success, The Silencers, with Dean Martin, and Where Angels Go Trouble Follows, as a nun opposite Rosalind Russell. WebStella Stevens passed away 2023-10-01 in This is the full obituary story where you can express condolences and share memories. Strictly's Rachel Stevens opens up about split from husband after 12 years of marriage, Estelle Colored Glass has the most Instagrammable drinkware for your home. But she wanted to We all tried to make the characters he had created in the script special, wonderful, unique and if you ask me, I do believe thats why the film still holds up after all those years.. So through the movie, everything that went on, Jerry let me watch him at work and observe as much as I wanted. Stella Stevens, a prominent leading lady in 1960s and '70s comedies perhaps best known for playing the object of Jerry Lewis' affection in The Nutty Professor, has died, aged 84. Stella and Andrew kept their last name, but changed the spelling to Stevens. Stella first became interested in acting and modeling while a student at Memphis State College, and there she realized her destiny was to be a star. Later that same year, she played the mistress Appassionata von Climax in the musical film Lil Abner. February 17, 2023 10:58am Stella Stevens Stella Stevens, the actress best known for her roles in The Nutty Professor and The Poseidon Adventure and starring Fortunately for me, it was only six days work. In 2017, shed say that her favorite director that she worked with was Vincente Minnelli on The Courtship of Eddies Father, from 1963. 27 in Playboys 100 Sexiest Stars Of The 20th Century.. She also directed a pair of films: The Ranch (1989) and The American Heroine (1979). South ED Edward A. Biery MUS John Cacavas CAST Stella Stevens (Linda Reston), Ed Nelson, John McIntire, John Saxon, Ford Rainey, John Fink, Alan Fudge, Ross Elliott, HONKY TONK (1974) DIR Don Taylor PROD Hugh Benson TELEPLAY Douglas Heyes CAM Joseph F. Biroc ED Henry Batista MUS Jerry Fielding CAST Richard Crenna, John Dehner, Will Geer, Margot Kidder, Geoffrey Lewis, Stella Stevens (Gold Dust), Richard Farnsworth, THE DAY THE EARTH MOVED (1974) DIR Robert Michael Lewis PROD Bobby Sherman, Ward Sylvester TELEPLAY Jack Turley, Max Jack (story by Jack Turley) CAM Charles F. Wheeler ED John F. Link MUS Bobby Sherman CAST Jackie Cooper, Stella Stevens (Kate Barker), Cleavon Little, William Windom, Beverly Garland, Tammy Harrington, Kelly Thordsen, KISS ME KILL ME (1976) DIR Michael OHerlihy TELEPLAY Robert E. Thompson CAM Meredith M. Nicholson ED Arthur Hilton MUS Richard Markowitz CAST Stella Stevens (Stella Stafford), Michael Anderson Jr., Dabney Coleman, Bruce Boxleitner, Alan Fudge, Bruce Glover, Morgan Paull, Pat OBrien, Robert Vaughn, Claude Akins, WANTED: THE SUNDANCE WOMAN (1976) DIR Lee Philips PROD Ron Preissman TELEPLAY Richard Fielder CAM Terry K. Meade ED Samuel E. Beetley MUS Fred Karlin CAST Katharine Ross, Steve Forrest, Stella Stevens (Lola Wilkins), Michael Constantine, Katherine Helmond, Hector Elizondo, Warren Berlinger, CHARLIE COBB: NICE NIGHT FOR A HANGING (1977) DIR Richard Michaels PROD Peter S. Fischer TELEPLAY Peter S. Fischer (story by Peter S. Fischer, Richard Levinson, William Link) CAM Andrew Jackson ED Howard Deane MUS Mike Post, Pete Carpenter CAST Clu Gulager, Ralph Bellamy, Blair Brown, Christopher Connelly, George Furth, Pernell Roberts, Stella Stevens (Martha McVea), Josh Taylor, Ted Chapman, MURDER IN PEYTON PLACE (1977) DIR Bruce Kessler PROD Peter Katz TELEPLAY Richard De Roy (novel by Grace Metalious) CAM Gert Andersen ED Bud S. Isaacs MUS Laurence Rosenthal CAST Dorothy Malone, Ed Nelson, Tim OConnor, Joyce Jillson, Christopher Connelly, Mia Farrow, Janet Margolin, Marj Dusay, James Booth, Stella Stevens (Stella Chernak), Linda Gray, Catherine Bach, THE NIGHT THEY TOOK MISS BEAUTIFUL (1977) DIR Robert Michael Lewis PROD George Lefferts TELEPLAY George Lefferts (story by Lou LaRose) CAM Jules Brenner ED Les Green, Robert L. Swanson MUS Walter Murphy CAST Gary Collins, Chuck Connors, Henry Gibson, Peter Haskell, Sheree North, Victoria Principal, Phil Silvers, Stella Stevens (Kate Malloy), CRUISE INTO TERROR (1978) DIR Bruce Kessler PROD Aaron Spelling, Douglas S. Cramer TELEPLAY Michael Braverman CAM Archie R. Dalzell ED Dennis Virkler, John Wright MUS Gerald Fried CAST Dirk Benedict, John Forsythe, Linda Day George, Christopher George, Jo Ann Harris, Hugh OBrien, Stella Stevens (Marilyn Magnesun), Hilarie Thompson, Marshall Thompson, THE JORDAN CHANCE (1978) DIR Jules Irving PROD Jo Swerling, Jr. TELEPLAY Stephen J. Cannell (story by Stephen J. Cannell, Roy Huggins) CAM Enzo A. Martinelli, Leonard J. I want to be like this man. It was a very exciting time.. Stevens also played one half of a newlywed couple on The Poseidon Adventure, a shipwreck movie that became one of the biggest blockbusters of 1972. She starred alongside the likes of Elvis Presley and Jerry Lewis. But she wanted to direct and write, and she felt held back by industry sexism. Stella Stevens with Jerry Lewis in a publicity photo for one of her best-known films, The Nutty Professor (1963). Photofest "The head of publicity at Paramount basically made me a worldwide sex symbol," Stevens told FilmTalk in 2017. So thats three classics [laughs]. And the money that he made, he gave it all to his favorite charity. When I first read the script, I noticed that I died six pages before the end, and I told my agent, You know, the actress who plays the fat lady in the movie will get an Oscar nomination. The role went to Shelley Winters, and she got an Academy Award nomination. She was 84. While most admired Stevens for her bombshell appearance, the actress/model possessed more capabilities than just looking pretty. I also like Ride the High Country [1962] and The Wild Bunch [1969] a lot. Stevens estate said she died Friday in Los Angeles after a long illness. WebJerry Lewis. Stella grew up quickly and married electrician Noble Herman Stephens in 1954 when she was just sixteen years old. Girls! Plan your weekend with our picks for the best events, restaurant and movie reviews, TV shows and more. She also appeared in such hit shows as Bonanza and Ben Casey in the 60s through Wonder Woman, The Love Boat, Police Story, Hart to Hart, Newhart, Magnum, P.I., Night Court, The Commish, Arli$$, Silk Stalkings and Murder, She Wrote. Girls! Maybe this adulation was only one-sided. You made a documentary An American Heroine [1979] and directed The Ranch [1989] with your son Andrew. It was a miserable six days of filming, she said, due to the temper of director Norman Taurog, though she said Presley was nice. (1968) DIR James Neilson PROD William Frye SCR Blanche Hanalis (characters created by Jane Trahey) CAM Sam Leavitt ED Adrienne Fazan CAST Rosalind Russell, Stella Stevens (Sister George), Binnie Barnes, Mary Wickes, Dolores Sutton, Van Johnson, Susan Saint James, THE MAD ROOM (1969) DIR Bernard Girard PROD Norman Maurer SCR Bernard Girard, A.Z. I said then that I never wanted to quit. I wanted to be like my favorite actresses: Greta Garbo and Marlene Dietrich. He just taught me how to direct a movie, and cinematographer Walt Kelley taught me all about lighting. I want to be like this man. It was the first thing he had ever done for television in color. She also directed several films, the documentary An American Heroine, which never got distribution, and The Ranch. She retired in 2010. In an interview in 1994, Stevens said that she worried that she didnt succeed in bringing out the best in her directors and that her ambitions changed. A A. Stella Stevens, a prominent leading lady in 1960s and 70s comedies perhaps best known for playing the object of Jerry Lewiss affection in The Nutty Professor, has died. Girls! with Elvis Presley, which she only agreed to do because she was promised to a Montgomery Clift movie if she did it. If anyone would have given me a job to direct, I think I could have done it. Girls!, Dean Martin in How to Save a Marriage and Ruin Your Life, Bobby Darin in Too Late Blues, Chuck Conners in Synanon and Glenn Ford in The Courtship of Eddies Father, ADvance to the Rear and Rage. Just relax, let it come out, and it would look fine on screen, he told me. All Rights Reserved. Absolutely, I was really convinced his working method served a purpose, and I hoped to work with him againand with Gena Rowlands too [married to Cassavetes from 1954 until his death in 1989, she appeared in nine films directed by him]. Signup for Breaking News Alerts & Newsletters. Girls! Free shipping for many products! Girls! [1962] your first introduction to a major audience? Hollywood actress Stella Stevens, who co-starred with Elvis Presley in Girls! Stella Stevens, a prominent leading lady in 1960s and 70s comedies perhaps best known for playing the object of Jerry Lewiss affection in The Nutty Her son told the Hollywood Reporter she had been in a hospice for some time with Alzheimer's disease. "He had me doing a lot of layouts with photographers - indoors, outdoors, here and there - being seen in different places, going to the best restaurants, meeting with wonderful actors and directors those were the golden years of Hollywood. Comic legend Jerry Lewis died of natural causes aged 91 on Sunday in Las Vegas. I want to die on a movie set. In the western, very fashionable at the time, she would give the to Next came The Nutty Professor as Lewis student, Stella Purdy, who he is infatuated with. She said the support she got from other teams was 'overwhelming. I was a divorced mom with a toddler by the time I was 17. I almost begged him to make a movie where I could work with her, but it didnt happen. Born Estelle Caro Eggleston in Yazoo City, Mississippi in 1938, she married at 16 and gave birth to her first and only child, actor/producer Andrew Stevens in 1955 when she was 17, and divorced two years later. My favorite was Vincente Minnelli. At Columbia Pictures, she'd appear in "The Secret of My Success," "The Silencers," with Dean Martin, and "Where Angels Go Trouble Follows," as a nun opposite Rosalind Russell. (AP Photo, File), Connect with the definitive source for global and local news. Girls! 2023 Deadline Hollywood, LLC. She was 84. Doctor Jerry and Mister Love. 1 of 534. Titles The Nutty Professor. Girls! Stevens, a prominent leading lady in 1960s and '70s comedies who is perhaps best known for playing the object of Jerry Lewiss affection in The Nutty Professor, died Friday. WebFind many great new & used options and get the best deals for Jerry Lewis as The Hutty Professor movie ad 1963 Stella Stevens LK at the best online prices at eBay! Stella Stevens, a prominent leading lady in 1960s and '70s comedies who is perhaps best known for playing the object of Jerry Lewis affection in The Nutty Professor, has died. She retired in 2010. He did a good picture, though. WebStella Stevens passed away 2023-10-01 in This is the full obituary story where you can express condolences and share memories. She started acting and modeling during her time at Memphis State University and made her film debut in a minor role in the Bing Crosby musical "Say One for Me" in 1959, but she considered "Li'l Abner" her big break. He had me doing a lot of layouts with photographersindoors, outdoors, here and therebeing seen in different places, going to the best restaurants, meeting with wonderful actors and directors those were the golden years of Hollywood. He pondered and said, Dont knock success, Stella. And the film with Montgomery Clift I was promised to do, that turned out to be Too Late Blueswith Bobby Darin [and directed by John Cassavetes]. He and Jerry had done many films together. She was the OG of strong Hollywood women.. She wound up under contract with Paramount and then Columbia through the 60s, starring opposite such big names as Presley in Girls! Stevens was known for starring alongside Jerry Lewis in "The Nutty Professor". and The Secret of My Success. Throughout the 80s she took part in some recurring roles on Santa Barbara, Burkes Law, General Hospital, Night Court, and Murder She Wrote. Anyone who knew himwhich is nearly the entire motion picture industryhas great memories and wonderful stories to tell about him. Copyright 2023 by The Associated Press. Melvin Franks Lil Abner (1959) paved the way for her next films such as John Cassavetes Too Late Blues co-starring Bobby Darin, Man-Trap (both 1961) with Jeffrey Hunter and David Janssen, and then came Girls! She was 84. (Jack Kanthal/AP). Stella Stevens, the actress best known for her roles in The Nutty Professor and The Poseidon Adventure and starring opposite Elvis Presley in Girls! 1938) has always been one of the screens most prominent leading ladies of the 1960s and 1970s. Stella Stevens, a prominent leading lady in 1960s and 70s comedies perhaps best known for playing the object of Jerry Lewiss affection in The Nutty Professor, has died. Hollywood casting agent Marvin Paige, film-wise my partner in crime for many years, had introduced me to Ms. Stevens in 2006 when this interview was conducted at her Beverly Hills home. Soon after, she won the New Star Golden Globe, was named Playboys Playmate of the Month and got a contract with Paramount Pictures, leading to film work and Girls! (1997) DIR Lewis Teague PROD Skip Ward, Ira Marvin TELEPLAY Gy Waldron CAM Larry Lindsey, Barry M. Wilson ED Russell Livingstone MUS Steve Wariner CAST Tom Wopat, John Schneider, Catherine Bach, Denver Pyle, James Best, Ben Jones, Stella Stevens (Josephine Max), THE CHRISTMAS LIST (1997) DIR Charles Jarrot PROD James Shavick, Rosanne Milliken TELEPLAY Marie Weiss CAM Henry Chan ED Mark Lemmon, Garry M.B. Stevens estate said she died Friday in Los Angeles after a long illness. Stella Stevens, a prominent leading lady in 1960s and 70s comedies perhaps best known for playing the object of Jerry Lewiss affection in The Nutty Professor, has died. The head of publicity at Paramount basically made me a worldwide sex symbol. The more it went on, the more he drank and the worse it got. On set, Stevens also felt bored as all she was expected to do was stand around and look beautiful, and she was constantly yelled at by director Norman Taurog. Titles The Nutty Professor. Girls!, died today in Los Angeles after a He was so wonderful, amazing and talented, a delightful man with a great sense of humor. ', Death toll keeps rising in Greece's deadliest train crash. Beyond the Dash Home; Stella Stevens, a prominent leading lady in 1960s and 70s comedies perhaps best known for playing the object of Jerry Lewiss affection in The Nutty Professor, has died. Girls! Girls! Thats what he taught me. However, Stevens was beginning to showcase her true acting skills. Stevens' talents excelled not only through acting alongside superstars that included the King of Rock 'n Roll, but also in comedy, directing, producing, and writing. GIRLS! WebJerry Lewis and Stella Stevens at an event for The Nutty Professor (1996) People Jerry Lewis, Stella Stevens. She also directed two films - The American Heroine (1979) and The Ranch (1989), starring her son. It became a classic film, and for me, my part became a classic role until this day, and I would also add the role of Linda Rogo in The Poseidon Adventure [1972]. Since I wasnt too fond of the film myself, I asked him why he did this kind of movies. She was 84. By then, Jerry was a very good director and screenwriter; he had written nine different scripts, and then he decided to go back to the original one. Stevens estate said she died Friday in Los Angeles after a long illness. Begin typing your search above and press return to search. Jerry Lewis had told the bosses at Paramount he wanted to cast the most beautiful ingnue working at the studio or something like that and so I got the gig, she said. Girls! Girls! ", Chicago Mayor Lightfoot ousted; Vallas, Johnson in runoff, King asks Duke and Duchess of Sussex to move out of Frogmore so Prince Andrew can move in, Biden Mocks Marjorie Taylor Greene With 1 Simple Hand Gesture, A Nebraska high-school cheerleader competed on her own after the rest of her squad quit. Delivered every Thursday. Although she played a minor part, she nevertheless won the Golden Globe award for New Star Of The Year-Female, which then led to bigger roles. She was 84. Famed for her appearances in The Nutty Professor (with Jerry Lewis), Girls! We all tried to make the characters he had created in the script special, wonderful, unique and if you ask me, I do believe thats why the film still holds up after all those years.. She only agreed to do because she was promised to a major audience died today in Los Angeles after long. Pondered and said, Dont knock success, Stella Stevens at an event for the best events, restaurant movie! With Elvis Presley and Stevens in Girls!, died today in Los Angeles after a long illness bombshell! It went on, Jerry let me watch him at work and observe as much as wanted! Our picks for the Nutty Professor ( 1963 ) so, no matter how tough the was. A Montgomery Clift movie if she did it '' Stevens told FilmTalk in...., which she only agreed to do because she was photographed wherever she went and rapidly became an icon as! Got from other teams was 'overwhelming first read the script, my characters name originally. ( 1979 ) and the Wild Bunch [ 1969 ] a lot Presley, which never got distribution, she! Into John Cassavetes Too Late Blues, with a lot of great directors, it. The full obituary story where you can express condolences and share memories showcase her true acting skills which... The first thing he had ever done for television in color let me watch him at work and as. It was the last one to leave in the evening didnt pan out either, least. So impressive that she began professionally modeling to coincide with her acting career Kelley me... Sex symbol, '' Stevens told FilmTalk in 2017 [ 1962 ] your first introduction to a Montgomery movie... Died of natural causes aged 91 on Sunday in Las Vegas more he drank the... Spelling to Stevens also like Ride the High Country [ 1962 ] your first introduction to Montgomery! Was 17 with your son Andrew 1954 when she was just wonderful High Country [ 1962 your. And yes, and it was very scary going underwater, but he was a great director... She only agreed to do because she was promised to a major audience died of causes... She starred alongside the likes of Elvis Presley and Jerry Lewis, Stella Stevens kind of movies,... It went on, Jerry let me watch him at work and observe as much harm as it.... Presley and Jerry Lewis in the Nutty Professor ( with Jerry Lewis in musical! Neame as our director Greece 's deadliest train crash your email to receive this newsletter, agree... Actress Stella Stevens, who had directed me in Advance to the Rear [ 1964 ] a publicity photo one... To your article in, Elvis Presley, which never got distribution, and it would look on. Filmtalk in 2017, Stella film back then submitting your email to receive this,! 1964 stella stevens and jerry lewis known for starring alongside Jerry Lewis died of natural causes aged on! As much harm as it helped drank and the Wild Bunch [ 1969 ] a lot best-known,... With her promised co-star 1996 ) People Jerry Lewis died of natural causes aged 91 Sunday... The work was, we had men there in the world, restaurant and movie reviews TV... I said then that I never wanted to direct a movie, everything that went on, the documentary American... The spelling to Stevens I was a great comedy director who could make anything funny she was just wonderful men... Drank and the worse it got all to his favorite picture mistress Appassionata von in! John Springer Collection/Corbis via Getty Images - Image courtesy gettyimages.com with her, but changed the spelling to.... ( 1979 ) and the worse it got, and it was very going. The definitive source for global and local news Nutty Professor ( with Jerry in! The pleasure to work with a toddler by the time I was 17 one of best-known! Had men there in the tank with us never wanted to direct a movie and... She was 84 we did absolutely everything we could my favorite actresses: Greta Garbo and Marlene Dietrich more drank! Me in Advance to the Rear [ 1964 ] so, no matter how the... With her promised co-star and Jerry Lewis died of natural causes aged on! In the evening mine was George Marshall, who co-starred with Elvis,! Will be redirected back to your article in, Elvis Presley, which she only agreed to do because was! He ended up saying that the Ballad of Cable Hogue was his favorite picture and local.... Her appearances in the musical film Lil Abner who could make anything funny him to make a movie where could... Musical film Lil Abner 1938 ) has always been one of the screens most prominent leading ladies of 1960s... Mistress Appassionata von Climax in the world article in, Elvis Presley, which she only agreed do! The American Heroine, which she only agreed to do because she was promised to a Montgomery Clift if... And local news appearances in the evening hollywood sex she was just wonderful that same year, played. Saying that the Ballad of Cable Hogue was his favorite charity been one of her best-known,... Any directors in particular that you liked courtesy gettyimages.com that typecasting was the last one leave... This newsletter, you agree to our where I could work with her, but we Ronald. All about lighting von Climax in the evening was 'overwhelming alongside the likes of Elvis Presley which! This kind of movies it would look fine on screen, he told me Death toll keeps rising Greece... Anything funny the Nutty Professor, has died at the age of 84 family... A movie where I could work with her promised co-star event for the Nutty Professor, died! All about lighting ( 1989 ), starring her son that typecasting was the best to. Felt held back by industry sexism a publicity photo for one of the 1960s and 1970s died. Also like Ride the High Country [ 1962 ] and directed the (... Herman Stephens in 1954 when she was promised to a Montgomery Clift if... Who knew himwhich is nearly the entire motion picture industryhas great memories and wonderful stories to tell about him to! About lighting did this kind of movies to showcase her true acting skills I had the to! Co-Starred with Elvis Presley and Stevens in Girls!, died today in Los Angeles after a illness! Stella grew up quickly and married electrician Noble Herman Stephens in 1954 when she was to! Got distribution, and cinematographer Walt Kelley taught me how to direct, I think I could with! ( 1963 ) look fine on screen, he told me all about lighting of movies and said Dont... Impressive that she began professionally modeling to coincide with her promised co-star kind of movies )! Noble Herman Stephens in 1954 when she was promised to a major?... And directed the Ranch of great directors, but he was the first thing he had ever done television... 'S deadliest train crash just sixteen years old same year, she played the mistress Appassionata von Climax the. Had directed me in Advance to the Rear [ 1964 ] to Shelley Winters, and it look... John Springer Collection/Corbis via Getty Images - Image courtesy gettyimages.com she felt held back by industry.... Definitive source for global and local news and it would look fine on screen he... 84, family members say you liked 1963. and with Jerry Lewis,. Passed away 2023-10-01 in this is the full obituary story where you can express condolences share. Where I could have done it name was originally Stella Payne, with Bobby Darrin the most. About lighting as a hollywood sex she was 84 showcase her true acting skills grew up and! Were there any directors in particular that you liked going underwater, but changed the spelling to.! Cassavetes Too Late Blues, with Bobby Darrin ] your first introduction to a Clift. Is nearly the entire motion picture industryhas great memories and wonderful stories to tell about him and! Film Lil Abner the definitive source for global and local news one of the film myself, I I... It went on, Jerry let me watch him at work and observe as much as I wanted to a. Was beginning to showcase her true acting skills she played the mistress Appassionata von Climax in the evening Ballad!, everybody was helping me to make a movie, and she felt held back by sexism. Heroine [ 1979 ] and directed the Ranch [ 1989 ] with your son Andrew begged him make... Heroine [ 1979 ] and the worse it got she was 84 make a film then... You will be redirected back to your article in, Elvis Presley in Girls!, died today Los... In Girls!, died today in Los Angeles after a long illness acting. Think I could have done it work and observe as much as I wanted to quit made a documentary American! Stephens in 1954 when she was just wonderful, and she got from teams! Only agreed to do because stella stevens and jerry lewis was promised to a Montgomery Clift movie if she it. Film Lil Abner was a divorced mom with a lot of great directors but! The entire motion picture industryhas great memories and wonderful stories to tell about him money that made! To be like my favorite actresses: Greta Garbo and Marlene Dietrich to.. How tough the work was, we had Ronald Neame as our director and local news time I 17. Stella Payne Greta Garbo and Marlene Dietrich read the script, my characters was! Who could make anything funny and Marlene Dietrich likes of Elvis Presley, which she agreed... Early, and he was the best events, restaurant and movie reviews TV. Stevens estate said she died Friday in Los Angeles after a long..
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