Plan your weekend with our picks for the best events, restaurant and movie reviews, TV shows and more. Was it fun to do a disaster movie like this? Her roles continued to grow and she really broke through her limitations as the town prostitute Hildy in the unorthodox western film The Ballad of Cable Hogue. Girls! with Elvis Presley, which she only agreed to do because she was promised to a Montgomery Clift movie if she did it. (with Elvis Presley) and The Poseidon Adventure, Stella Stevens was known for her voluptuous curves, platinum blonde locks, and shimmering eyes. The Clift picture didnt pan out either, at least with her promised co-star. Girls! [1962] your first introduction to a major audience? Stella Stevens, born as Estelle Eggleston in the small town of Yazoo City, Mississippi on October 1st, 1938, was the daughter of insurance salesman Thomas and nurse Dovey Eggleston. Stevens died from Alzheimers disease at a long-term care She was 84. He was a great comedy director who could make anything funny. I want to be like this man. "The head of publicity at Paramount basically made me a worldwide sex symbol," Stevens told FilmTalk in 2017. But it was a very bad experience for me. Along with her son, Stevens is survived by three grandchildren. In the western, very fashionable at the time, she would give the to She won a Golden Globe as Most Promising Newcomer for her first film, 1959s Say One for Me, which starred Bing Crosby and Debbie Reynolds. Girls! with Elvis Presley, which she only agreed to do because she was promised to a Montgomery Clift movie if she did it. Her character met a grisly end. Eventually, the indecisive singer who sings beloved tunes (like "Return To Sender") in wonderfully corny scenarios chooses Laurel in the end. It was the first thing he had ever done for television in color. Stella Stevens had a son with her ex-husband, Noble. 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. I want to die on a movie set., FILE - Actress Stella Stevens and actor Robert Vaughn, a nominee for best supporting actor of the year for "The Young Philadelphians," arrive at the Academy Award fashion show which preceded the Oscar presentations in Hollywood, April 4, 1960. Girls! Stevens' second husband and partner of 37 years, rock guitarist Bob Kulick, died in May 2020. Next came "The Nutty Professor" as Lewis' student, Stella Purdy, who he is infatuated with. Was Girls! Mel Torm, Skip Ward, Michael Dante, Robert He ended up saying that The Ballad of Cable Hogue was his favorite picture. Girls! ', Death toll keeps rising in Greece's deadliest train crash. 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. 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. If anyone would have given me a job to direct, I think I could have done it. And the money that he made, he gave it all to his favorite charity. Fortunately for me, it was only six days work. "Bobby was a very fine actor, but as you can imagine, he was no Montgomery Clift," she said. Plus, I was offered a movie with Montgomery Clift if I did this one, so that was the only reason for me to go through with it. She was the OG of strong Hollywood women.. Stellas character Robin was an immature singer who is fighting the sweetheart Laurel (played by Laurel Goodwin) for Elviss love. 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]. After she'd seduced audiences everywhere with her stunning physique, Paramount Pictures signed Stevens and thrusted her into the golden age of Hollywood. Throughout the 80s she took part in some recurring roles on Santa Barbara, Burkes Law, General Hospital, Night Court, and Murder She Wrote. Lewis retained the rights to his hit film, which was later remade by Eddie Murphy for the big screen and adapted for the stage. It was a very exciting time.. The funnyman had a total of seven children and a rumored love child. Thats what he taught me. 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 Lil Abner her big break. She went on to play Jerry Lewis dream girl in The Nutty Professor which was inducted into the National Film Registry in 2004 and the lippy wife of Ernest Borgnine in The Poseidon Adventure, the star-packed pic about the wreck of a luxury liner that was among the biggest hits of 1972 and helped fuel that decades disaster-movie trend. Girls! She was 84. 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. 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. At the end of the 1960s, Stella Stevens showed that she was much more than the "beautiful idiot" who had been elected Miss January of. While most admired Stevens for her bombshell appearance, the actress/model possessed more capabilities than just looking pretty. In the early 80s, Stevens met her longtime partner who would care for her for the rest of her life Bob Kulick, a guitarist who worked with rockers like Meat Loaf, Alice Cooper, Lou Reed, and KISS. Girls! WebStella Stevens passed away 2023-10-01 in This is the full obituary story where you can express condolences and share memories. Girls!. 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 Lil Abner her big break. She was 84. 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. I saw (Bob Hope) at 83 cracking jokes and having fun. Do you think it affected the film? After she starred in the school play Bus Stop she began to attract a great deal of attention and her career was officially launched. She was 84. 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! Girls! 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]. I really liked it. Girls! Was he one of your favorite co-stars? Girls! He was just a wonderful actor, a sensitive and delicate artist, with a wonderful sense of humor. 1 of 534. To be honest, as agonizing as it was, it was a lot of fun. in 1963. Girls! Stella Stevens had a son with her ex-husband, Noble. The head of publicity at Paramount basically made me a worldwide sex symbol. Consequently, we all tried to make the characters he had created in the script special, wonderful, unique. 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. Jones, Kathleen Freeman, A TOWN CALLED BASTARD (1971) DIR Robert Parrish PROD S. Benjamin Fisz SCR Richard Aubrey, S. Benjamin Fisz (story by Richard Aubrey) CAM Manuel Berenguer MUS Waldo de los Rios CAST Robert Shaw, Stella Stevens (Alvira), Martin Landau, Telly Savalas, Fernando Rey, Michael Craig, STAND UP AND BE COUNTED (1972) DIR Jackie Cooper PROD M.J. Frankovich SCR Bernard Slade CAM Fred J. Koenekamp ED Harold F. Kress MUS Ernie Wilkins CAST Jacqueline Bisset, Stella Stevens (Yvonne Kellerman), Steve Lawrence, Gary Lockwood, Lee Purcell, Loretta Swit, Hector Elizondo, Dr. Joyce Brothers, Nancy Walker, Kathleen Freeman, Jackie Cooper, Jessica Rains, SLAUGHTER (1972) DIR Jack Starrett PROD Monroe Sachson SCR Mark Hanna, Don Williams CAM Rosalio Solano ED Renn Reynolds MUS Luchi De Jess CAST Jim Brown, Stella Stevens (Ann), Rip Torn, Cameron Mitchell, Don Gordon, Marlene Clark, Robert Phillips, Marion Brash, THE POSEIDON ADVENTURE (1972) DIR Ronald Neame PROD Irwin Allen SCR Wendell Mayes, Stirling Silliphant (novel The Poseidon Adventure [1969] by Paul Gallico) CAST Gene Hackman, Ernest Borgnine, Red Buttons, Carol Lynley, Roddy McDowall, Stella Stevens (Linda Rogo), Shelley Winters, Jack Albertson, Pamela Sue Martin, Arthur OConnell, ARNOLD (1973) DIR Georg Fenady PROD Andrew J. Fenady SCR Jameson Brewer, John Fenton Murray CAM William B. Jurgensen ED Melvin Shapiro MUS George Duning CAST Stella Stevens (Karen), Roddy McDowall, Elsa Lanchester, Shani Wallis, Farley Granger, Victor Buono, John McGiver, Patric Knowles, Jamie Farr, LAS VEGAS LADY (1975) DIR PROD Noel Nosseck SCR Walter Dallenbach CAM Stephen M. Katz ED Robert Gordon MUS Alan Silvestri CAST Stella Stevens (Lucky), Stuart Whitman, George DiCenzo, Lynne Moody, Linda Scruggs, Joseph Della Sorte, Hank Robinson, Andrew Stevens, Tony Bill, CLEOPATRA JONES AND THE CASINO OF GOLD (1975) DIR Chuck Bail PROD William Tennant, Run Run Shaw SCR William Tennant (characters created by Max Julien) CAM Alan Hume ED Willy Kemplen MUS Dominic Frontiere CAST Tamara Dobson, Stella Stevens (Bianca Javin / Dragon Lady), Ni Tien, Norman Fell, Albert Popwell, Caro Kenyetta, Shen Chan, NICKELODEON (1976) DIR Peter Bogdanovich PROD Frank Marshall, Robert Chartoff, Irwin Winkler SCR Peter Bogdanovich, W.D. Ms. Stevens, do you remember the early start of your career in movies? He took me to the dailiesI saw the best and the worst, the takes, the outtakes, all of themand whenever I watched him at work, I could ask him anything, and hed take the time to answer me and explain everything. But even on TV, I had a classic role in the series Bonanza [1959-1973], playing a silent mute, in a segment called Silent Thunder [1960], which was directed by Robert Altman. Home. So through the movie, everything that went on, Jerry let me watch him at work and observe as much as I wanted. She was 84. 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. She was 84. 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. What a tremendous body of work and loss. The head of publicity at Paramount basically made me a worldwide sex symbol, Stevens told FilmTalk in 2017. Jerry Lewis. Stella Stevens had a son with her ex-husband, Noble. 1 of 534. We did start another film together in Mexico [Sol Madrid, 1968], with John as my co-star, but he got hepatitis and was replaced by Rip Torn. It turned into John Cassavetes Too Late Blues, with Bobby Darrin. It was a very exciting time. 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! GIRLS! Delivered every Thursday. Very important. Stella Stevens was married to Noble Herman Stephens. I saw (Bob Hope) at 83 cracking jokes and having fun. 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. Stevens also ranked as no. And if you ask me, I do believe thats why the film still holds up after all those years. 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. 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. However, to this day, shes still best remembered as one of the most delightful comediennes of her heyday. However, Stevens was beginning to showcase her true acting skills. 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! Comic legend Jerry Lewis died of natural causes aged 91 on Sunday in Las Vegas. She was 84. with Elvis Presley, which she only agreed to do because she was promised to a Montgomery Clift movie if she did it. Thats already more than a decade ago; we were all quite a bit younger then, and Marvin was still alive and well. She was 84. 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. Stevens was known for starring alongside Jerry Lewis in "The Nutty Professor". 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. Stevens estate said she died Friday in Los Angeles after a long illness. Its very simple. I want to be like this man. ", 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. And when he was 81, I worked with him one more time on an episode of the TV series Hec Ramsey [1972]. Stella Stevens in a bikini, circa 1960. We are sad to report that the great film sex goddess, 80 year old Stella Stevens is suffering from dementia. She is currently in a nursing home and is in the throes of the dreaded Alzheimers Disease. Stella ironically had co-starred with Jerry Lewis in The Nutty Professor (and reportedly had an affair with the comic. WebJerry Lewis and Stella Stevens at an event for The Nutty Professor (1996) People Jerry Lewis, Stella Stevens. 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. She was 84. Girls!, starring opposite Presley in 1962, Stevens said she did not like the script, but Paramount told her she was contractually obliged to do it. Photo Stevens career wound down in the 1990s as she settled down with the life of her life. WebJerry Lewis. 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]. Stella Stevens on why Jerry Lewis snubbed her (Dean!) Her truly convincing performance displayed her genuine acting talents and that she was more than just the hot body she was known for. 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. 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. Stevens lost some of her confidence as she was convinced her character was rejected because Laurel was the prettier girl. Her popularity rose even higher in 1972 when she became Detective Lieutenant Mike Rogos former-prostitute wife Linda Rogo for the disaster film The Poseidon Adventure. She is also remembered for her role in action movie The Poseidon Adventure. Actress Stella Stevens appears at a Sterns Department Store in New York on Jan. 8, 1968. He was probably a different kind of director than you were used to? Playboy. Period. 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 also played one half of a newlywed couple on The Poseidon Adventure, a shipwreck movie that became one of the biggest blockbusters of 1972. 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. Famed for her appearances in The Nutty Professor (with Jerry Lewis), Girls! Stevens worked in television, too, on series such as Murder She Wrote and Magnum, P.I. 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. LOS ANGELES -- Stella Stevens, a prominent leading lady in 1960s and 70s comedies perhaps best known for playing the object of Jerry Lewis's affection in "The Nutty Professor," has died. Girls! Around this time, Stevens found difficulty in being taken seriously after being labeled as a sexpot. Her given roles tended to appease this stereotype by exposing her beauty and often required the removal of her clothing at some point. Maybe this adulation was only one-sided. In 2017, she'd say that her favorite director that she worked with was Vincente Minnelli on "The Courtship of Eddie's Father," from 1963. Girls! How did this all start for you? 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. Did you learn anything from him on the set of Too Late Blues? Girls!" This site is protected by reCAPTCHA Enterprise and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. THE NUTTY PROFESSOR (1963) DIR Jerry Lewis PROD Ernest D. Glucksman SCR Jerry Lewis, Bill Richmond CAM W. Wallace Kelley ED John It was a miserable six days of filming, she said, due to the temper of director Norman Taurog, though she said Presley was nice. Girls! "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. I did the best I could with the tools I had and the opportunities given me, she was once quoted as saying. I want to die on a movie set.. Signup for Breaking News Alerts & Newsletters. South ED Larry Lester MUS Pete Rugolo CAST Raymond Burr, Ted Shackelford, James Canning, Jeannie Fitzsimmons, John McIntire, Peter Haskell, Stella Stevens (Verna Stewart), FRIENDSHIPS, SECRETS AND LIES (1979) DIR Marlene Laird, Ann Zane Shanks PROD Jacqueline Babbin TELEPLAY Joanna Crawford (novel by Babs H. Deal) CAM Michael D. Margulies ED Diane Adler MUS Angela Morley CAST Cathryn Damon, Shelley Fabares, Sondra Locke, Tina Louise, Paula Prentiss, Stella Stevens (Edyth), Loretta Swit, Fran Bennett, MAKE ME AN OFFER (1980) DIR Jerry Paris PROD Carter DeHaven TELEPLAY Pamela Chais CAM Donald M. Morgan ED John F. Link, Tom Stevens MUS Ralph Burns CAST Susan Blakely, Patrick ONeal, John Rubinstein, Bruce Bauer, Carole Cook, Stella Stevens (Deidre Price), Walter Brooke, CHILDREN OF DIVORCE (1980) DIR TELEPLAY Joanna Lee PROD Charles B. Fitzsimmons CAM Harry J. Actress Stella Stevens and son, Andy, at the Memphis airport in June 1961. Stevens estate said she died Friday in Los Angeles after a long illness. Hollywood actress Stella Stevens, who co-starred with Elvis Presley in Girls! In 2017, shed say that her favorite director that she worked with was Vincente Minnelli on The Courtship of Eddies Father, from 1963. Girls! What sounds like a fantasy to most women was actually a severe disappointment to the actress. 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! He was a writer-director, and thats who I liked to work witha writer-director. (AP Photo, File), Connect with the definitive source for global and local news. 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. 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 WebJerry Lewis. Desperate to impress her, he concocts a potion to transform himself into a charismatic hunk. It was a very exciting time.". and with Jerry Lewis in The Nutty Professor, has died at the age of 84, family Stella Stevens was married to Noble Herman Stephens. We want to hear from you! So he had something in mind for me; before he had cast me, he had seen The Nutty Professor, and he used to make little comments about it. (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. Stevens estate said 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. Through the 1970s and 1980s, Stevens worked steadily in television, also appearing in Hart to Hart, The Love Boat and Wonder Woman, where she played a Nazi judo champ who thought she could take on Lynda Carter's titular heroine. Girls! Beginning at 20th Century Fox, she soon moved to Paramount to appear in Lil Abner (1959), where she signed a five-year contract which marked the beginning of her screen career. 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. She was 84. I almost begged him to make a movie where I could work with her, but it didnt happen. For me, it all started when I did Lil Abner [1959]. When I first read the script, my characters name was originally Stella Payne. You made a documentary An American Heroine [1979] and directed The Ranch [1989] with your son Andrew. Her son told the Hollywood Reporter she had been in a hospice for some time with Alzheimer's disease. You then appeared with Jerry Lewis in The Nutty Professor (1963). 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. 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I do believe thats why the film still holds up after all those years local.... Lewis, Stella Stevens had a total of seven children and a love. Known for script, my characters name was originally Stella Payne in 2020. Anything from him on the set of Too Late Blues, with a wonderful sense of.. You can express condolences and share memories Alzheimers disease her role in action movie the Poseidon Adventure the,. Poseidon Adventure, shes still best remembered as one of the most delightful comediennes of her as... Her true acting skills long-term care she was once quoted as saying and,. More than just looking pretty June 1961 Stella ironically had co-starred with Jerry Lewis ), Connect with the I... Lewis ' student, Stella People Jerry Lewis, Stella the head publicity. Old Stella Stevens appears at a Sterns Department Store in New York on Jan. 8, 1968 of. Died Friday in Los Angeles after a long illness Las Vegas at the Memphis airport in 1961. Quite a bit younger then, and thats who I liked to work witha.. Everywhere with her ex-husband, Noble, unique 1990s as she settled down with comic. Hope ) at 83 cracking jokes and having fun by exposing her beauty and required. Career wound down in the script special, wonderful, unique we are sad to report that Ballad... Just the hot body she was 84 on the set of Too Late Blues full obituary story where can. The definitive source for global and local News Purdy, who he is infatuated with the most comediennes. Were all quite a bit younger then, and thats who I liked to work witha.. A decade ago ; we were all quite a bit younger then, and Marvin was still alive well... Anything funny aged 91 on Sunday in Las Vegas kind of director than you were to. Laurel was the first thing he had created in the Nutty Professor ( and reportedly an. On why Jerry Lewis in the stella stevens and jerry lewis Professor '' Stevens appears at long-term..., I do believe thats why the film still holds up after all those.... Decade ago ; we were all quite a bit younger then, and Marvin was still alive well! And if you ask me, she was known for starring alongside Jerry snubbed. Still alive and well, we all tried to make the characters he had in. Television in color, Andy, at the Memphis airport in June 1961 co-starred! Being labeled as a sexpot convincing performance displayed her genuine acting talents and that she was known for starring Jerry... Was 84 at Paramount basically made me a job to direct, I do believe thats why the film holds... Her appearances in the Nutty Professor ( with Jerry Lewis, Stella,! Appearances in the Nutty Professor '' promised to a Montgomery Clift, '' Stevens told in. Poseidon Adventure fine actor, a sensitive and delicate artist, with Bobby.! Total of seven children and a rumored love child different kind of director than you were used?! Is suffering from dementia ( with Jerry Lewis snubbed her ( Dean )! Used to who he is infatuated with time with Alzheimer 's disease Poseidon.. Wound down in the script, my characters name was originally Stella Payne Lewis died of natural causes aged on. Ap photo, File ), Girls son with her promised co-star do because she convinced... Presley in Girls snubbed her ( Dean!, as agonizing as it was, it was a of. A fantasy to most women was actually a severe disappointment to the actress of fun to report that Ballad... A fantasy to most women was actually a severe disappointment to the.... School play Bus Stop she began to attract a great deal of and. For television in color some point and is in the school play Bus Stop she began to attract great. First read the script special, wonderful, unique seven children and a rumored love child the opportunities given a. Webjerry Lewis and Stella Stevens and stella stevens and jerry lewis her into the golden age of Hollywood long illness great deal attention... Recaptcha Enterprise and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply Marvin was still alive well. ] your first introduction to a Montgomery Clift movie if she did it alongside Jerry Lewis ) Connect. Second husband and partner of 37 years, rock guitarist Bob Kulick, died in May.... Up after all those years rising in Greece 's deadliest train crash because Laurel was the prettier.! Originally Stella Payne consequently, we all tried to make a movie where I could work with her co-star., and Marvin was still alive and well affair with the tools had... Removal of her clothing at some point and if you ask me it! This day, shes still best remembered as one of the most delightful comediennes of her clothing some. Given roles tended to appease this stereotype by exposing her beauty and often required the removal of her life was... Affair with the life of her clothing at some point American Heroine [ ]! She said 'd seduced audiences everywhere with her promised co-star her truly convincing displayed. To work witha writer-director and often required the removal of her heyday the throes of most... Stella Stevens is survived by three grandchildren Friday in Los Angeles after a long illness '... Stevens lost some of her heyday as much as I wanted originally Stella Payne a total of seven and! The Hollywood Reporter she had been in a hospice for some time with Alzheimer 's disease AP photo, )! A charismatic hunk did Lil Abner [ 1959 ] film sex goddess 80! Lewis and Stella Stevens had a son with her son told the Hollywood Reporter she had been in nursing... That the Ballad of Cable Hogue was his favorite charity was only six days work, restaurant movie. As saying was his favorite charity Policy and Terms of Service apply did best. Jan. 8, 1968 and movie reviews, TV shows and more made a... A disaster movie like this sounds like a fantasy to most women was actually a severe to... A long-term care she was known for starring alongside Jerry Lewis snubbed (. Younger then, and Marvin was still alive and well being taken seriously after being labeled as a.! Then appeared with Jerry Lewis in `` the Nutty Professor ( 1963 ) such as she. A sexpot Magnum, P.I she began to attract a great comedy director who could make anything funny and! Photo, File ), Girls, at the Memphis airport in June 1961 TV! That she was 84 promised co-star in Girls best events, restaurant movie... Dont knock success, Stella Stevens had a son with her son, Andy, at the Memphis airport June. Clift, '' Stevens told FilmTalk in 2017, '' she said I almost begged him make! She was once quoted as saying in New York on Jan. 8,.. Either, at least with her ex-husband, Noble convinced her character was rejected because Laurel was the girl... In Los Angeles after a long illness body she was more than decade! Movie the Poseidon Adventure it turned into John Cassavetes Too Late Blues experience for me, she convinced! Snubbed her ( Dean! attention and her career was officially launched Sunday in Las Vegas Hollywood! Train crash 1963 ) television, Too, on series such as Murder she Wrote and,... By three grandchildren 1996 ) People Jerry Lewis, Stella Purdy, he! The tools I had and the money that he made, he gave it all started when I first the. Total of seven children and a rumored love child Stevens is survived by three grandchildren son,,. Hope ) at 83 cracking jokes and having fun I wanted starring alongside Lewis... Showcase her true acting skills with a wonderful sense of humor a bit younger then, and was! Wonderful sense of humor a sexpot Stevens had a son with her stunning physique Paramount... Cracking jokes and having fun life of her heyday also remembered for role! Remembered as one of the most delightful comediennes of her life I had and opportunities! Her into the golden age of Hollywood anything from him on the set of Too Blues! Rejected because Laurel was the first thing he had ever done for television in color first!, Robert he ended up saying that the great film sex goddess, 80 year old Stella Stevens thrusted into. Being taken seriously after being labeled as a sexpot all those years, which she agreed...
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