A Golden Globe winner as Most Promising Newcomer for her screen debut in Frank Tashlin’s 1959 romantic comedy “Say One For Me”—along with Tuesday Weld, Angie Dickinson, and Janet Munro—actress Stella Stevens (b. 1938) has always been one of the screen’s most prominent leading ladies of the 1960s and 1970s. With “The Nutty Professor” (1963) as a major highlight of her long career, the 78-year-old blonde kept on acting for many years in supporting roles and various genres. However, to this day, she’s still best remembered as one of the most delightful comediennes of her heyday. Beginning at 20th Century Fox, she soon moved to Paramount to appear in “Li’l Abner” (1959), where she signed a five-year contract which marked the beginning of her screen career.

Melvin Frank’s “Li’l 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! Girls! Girls!” (1962) with Elvis Presley—incidentally, all co-stars mentioned here died prematurely—before she was cast to appear in “The Nutty Professor” (1963).

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. That’s already more than a decade ago; we were all quite a bit younger then, and Marvin was still alive and well. Anyone who knew him—which is nearly the entire motion picture industry—has great memories and wonderful stories to tell about him.

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, that’s always a question mark—anytime, anywhere. The competition is tough, young people replace older generations of actors, and even they have to wait and see what their chances will be like in the near future.

Ms. Stevens, do you remember the early start of your career in movies?

I do; the first director I worked with was Frank Tashlin [“Say One For Me”]. He was a writer-director, and that’s who I liked to work with—a writer-director. He was sort of my mentor, and later, he introduced me to Jerry Lewis. He and Jerry had done many films together. For me, it all started when I did “Li’l Abner” [1959]. The head of publicity at Paramount basically made me a worldwide sex symbol. 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. It was a very exciting time.

Was “Girls! Girls! Girls!” [1962] your first introduction to a major audience? Directed by screen veteran Norman Taurog and starring Elvis Presley while still at the peak of his popularity, I suppose it gave your career a boost?

I wouldn’t say that. First, I didn’t want to do this film, but I was under contract to Hal Wallis to do one more film. 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. But it was a very bad experience for me. I didn’t want to do the movie, and I was treated pretty badly. Norman Taurog, a screen veteran, as you say, he screamed his lungs out at me all the time, so it was a very embarrassing and humiliating time. Fortunately for me, it was only six days’ work.

What about Elvis Presley, did he support you in any way?

Well, he was nice; he was someone you could talk to. Since I wasn’t too fond of the film myself, I asked him why he did this kind of movies. He pondered and said, ‘Don’t knock success, Stella.’ And the film with Montgomery Clift I was promised to do, that turned out to be “Too Late Blues”—with Bobby Darin [and directed by John Cassavetes]. Bobby was a very fine actor, but as you can imagine, he was no Montgomery Clift.

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. Did you learn anything from him on the set of “Too Late Blues”?

Absolutely, I was really convinced his working method served a purpose, and I hoped to work with him again—and with Gena Rowlands too [married to Cassavetes from 1954 until his death in 1989, she appeared in nine films directed by him]. I almost begged him to make a movie where I could work with her, but it didn’t happen. But he knew where I was, he knew where and how to reach me, so I guess if he wanted me in one of his other films, he would have picked up the phone and call me. Maybe this adulation was only one-sided. 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.

You then appeared with Jerry Lewis in “The Nutty Professor” (1963). How did this all start for you?

It’s very simple. I was under contract to Paramount in those days. Jerry Lewis had told the bosses at Paramount he wanted to cast the most beautiful ingénue working at the studio—or something like that—and so I got the gig. I really liked it. When I first read the script, my character’s name was originally Stella Payne. I thought it wasn’t such a great idea to play a character by the name of ‘pain.’ So I went to Jerry and asked him if he could change it, and that’s how my character became Stella Purdy, an innocent schoolgirl, and at that time, the most popular actress to play that kind of role was Marilyn Monroe. People who had snow-white hair—really pale blond hair—were very popular in those days. 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. Maybe that was an exaggeration, but I know he did a lot of rewriting. Consequently, we all tried to make the characters he had created in the script special, wonderful, unique. And if you ask me, I do believe that’s why the film still holds up after all those years. 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]. 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. It was the first thing he had ever done for television in color. So that’s three classics [laughs].

You made three films with Glenn Ford: “The Courtship of Eddie’s Father” (1963), “Advance to the Rear” (1964) and “Rage” (1966). Was he one of your favorite co-stars?

He was just a wonderful actor, a sensitive and delicate artist, with a wonderful sense of humor. He could touch you—a little smile on his face or a wink of an eye. And he never overacted; he always was a bit underplaying. That’s what he taught me. Never push anything and hope that everything will be perfect. ‘Just relax, let it come out, and it would look fine on screen,’ he told me.

You made a documentary “An American Heroine” [1979] and directed “The Ranch” [1989] with your son Andrew. But if I’m correct, directing has always been a passion of yours. Were there any directors in particular that you liked?

My favorite was Vincente Minnelli. Period. We did “The Courtship of Eddie’s Father” [1963] together. I had the pleasure to work with a lot of great directors, but he was just wonderful. Another favorite of mine was George Marshall, who had directed me in “Advance to the Rear” [1964]. And when he was 81, I worked with him one more time on an episode of the TV series “Hec Ramsey” [1972]. He was a great comedy director who could make anything funny. But for me, Jerry Lewis was very important when we were shooting “The Nutty Professor.” When we started working on that film, I told Jerry that Frank Tashlin had been teaching me how to be a director. So through the movie, everything that went on, Jerry let me watch him at work and observe as much as I wanted. He took me to the dailies—I saw the best and the worst, the takes, the outtakes, all of them—and whenever I watched him at work, I could ask him anything, and he’d take the time to answer me and explain everything. He just taught me how to direct a movie, and cinematographer Walt Kelley taught me all about lighting. Jerry always walked in early, and he was the last one to leave in the evening. Isn’t that something? Basically, everybody was helping me to teach me to make a film back then. If anyone would have given me a job to direct, I think I could have done it.

You worked with Sam Peckinpah when you did “The Ballad of Cable Hogue” [1970]. He was probably a different kind of director than you were used to?

Sam was okay, but he was tough to put up with. He did a good picture, though. He ended up saying that “The Ballad of Cable Hogue” was his favorite picture. If he wanted you in his film, he would tell you everything you wanted to hear. 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. The more it went on, the more he drank and the worse it got.

Do you think it affected the film? Because if it did, it doesn’t show.

I think it’s a good film; I like it. I also like “Ride the High Country” [1962] and “The Wild Bunch” [1969] a lot. 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. 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. 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. But they were two different people.

“The Poseidon Adventure” [1972] turned out to be your biggest commercial success. How important has that film been in your career?

Very important. 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. But I’m glad I did “The Poseidon Adventure.” It had a lot of potential, we all saw that. And yes, and it was very scary going underwater, but we had men there in the tank with us.

Was it fun to do a disaster movie like this?

To be honest, as agonizing as it was, it was a lot of fun. Also, we had Ronald Neame as our director. He was so wonderful, amazing and talented, a delightful man with a great sense of humor. So, no matter how tough the work was, we did absolutely everything we could. There was never enough we could do for him. A few years ago, I got him a good bottle of Dom Pérignon for his birthday, and he used to come to some of those venture fan club luncheons to sign pictures—like pictures of him on the set, pointing his finger when we’re all looking while he’s telling us how to climb up the Christmas tree. And the money that he made, he gave it all to his favorite charity. He was just one of the sweetest and brightest young old men.

Beverly Hills, California
March 2, 2006

+ Stella Stevens passed away in Los Angeles on February 17, 2023, from Alzheimer’s disease. She was 84.

“The Nutty Professor” (1963, trailer)

FILMS

SAY ONE FOR ME (1959) DIR – PROD Frank Tashlin SCR Robert O’Brien 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 Vollmöller; 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 Stössel, Stella Stevens (Chorus Girl, uncredited)

LI’L 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 O’Brien PROD Edmond O’Brien, 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! GIRLS! GIRLS! (1962) DIR Norman Taurog PROD Hal B. Wallis SCR Edward Anhalt, Allan Weiss (story by Allan Weiss) CAM Loyal Griggs ED Stanley E. Johnson MUS Joseph J. Lilley CAST Elvis Presley, Stella Stevens (Robin Gantner), Jeremy Slate, Lionel Goodwin, Benson Fong, Robert Strauss, Guy Lee

THE COURTSHIP OF EDDIE’S FATHER (1963) DIR Vincente Minnelli PROD Joe Pasternak SCR John Gay (novel by Mark Toby) CAM Milton Kasner ED Adrienne Fazan MUS George Stoll CAST Glenn Ford, Shirley Jones, Stella Stevens (Dollye Daly), Roberta Sherwood, Ron Howard, Jerry Van Dyke, Clint Howard, Andrew Stevens

THE NUTTY PROFESSOR (1963) DIR Jerry Lewis PROD Ernest D. Glucksman SCR Jerry Lewis, Bill Richmond CAM W. Wallace Kelley ED John Woodcock MUS Walter Scharf CAST Jerry Lewis, Stella Stevens (Stella Purdy), Del Moore, Kathleen Freeman, Med Flory, Norman Alden, Howard Morris, Seymour Cassel, Richard Kiel, Francine York

ADVANCE TO THE REAR (1964) DIR George Marshall PROD Ted Richmond SCR William Bowers, Samuel A. Peeples (story by Jack Schaefer; novel by William Chamberlain) CAM Milton R. Krasner ED Archie Marshek MUS Randy Sparks CAST Glenn Ford, Stella Stevens (Martha Lou Williams), Melvyn Douglas, Jim Backus, Joan Blondell, Andrew Pine, Alan Hale Jr., Britt Ekland, Hal Needham

SYNANON (1965) DIR – PROD Richard Quine SCR S. Lee Pogostin, Ian Bernard (story by S. Lee Pogostin, Barry Oringer) CAM Harry Stradling, Jr. ED David Wages MUS Neal Hefti CAST Edmond O’Brien, Chuck Connors, Stella Stevens (Joaney Adamic), Alex Cord, Richard Conte, Eartha Kitt, Alejando Rey

THE SECET OF MY SUCCESS (1965) DIR – SCR Andrew L. Stone PROD Andrew L. Stone, Virginia Stone CAM Davis Boulton ED Noreen Ackland MUS Roland Shaw CAST Shirley Jones, Stella Stevens (Violet Lawson), Honor Blackman, James Booth, Lionel Jeffries, Richard Vernon

THE SILENCERS (1966) DIR Phil Karlson PROD Irving Allen SCR Oscar Saul (novel by Donald Hamilton) CAM Burnett Guffey ED Charles Nelson MUS Elmer Bernstein CAST Dean Martin, Stella Stevens (Gail Hendricks), Daliah Lavi, Victor Buono, Arthur O’Connell, Robert Webber, James Gregory, Cyd Charisse

RAGE (1966) DIR – PROD Gilberto Gazcón SCR Gilberto Gazcón, Teddi Sherman, Fernando Méndez (story by Gilberto Gazcón, Jesús Velásquez, Guillermano Hernández) CAM Rosalío Solano ED Carlos Savage, Walter Thompson MUS Gustavo César Carrión CAST Glenn Ford, Stella Stevens (Perla), David Reysono, Armando Silvestre, Ariadna Welter, Dacia Gonzàlez, Pancho Córdova

HOW TO SAVE A MARRIAGE AND RUIN YOUR LIFE (1968) DIR Fielder Cook PROD Stanley Shapiro SCR Stanley Shapiro, Nate Monaster CAM Lee Garmes ED Philip W. Anderson MUS Michel Legrand CAST Dean Martin, Stella Stevens (Carol Corman), Eli Wallach, Anne Jackson, Betty Field, Jack Albertson, Katharine Bard

SOL MADRID (1968) DIR Brian G. Hutton PROD Elliott Kastner, Hall Bartlett SCR David Karp (novel by Robert Wilder) CAM Fred J. Koenekamp ED John McSweeney, Jr. MUS Lalo Schifrin CAST David McCallum, Stella Stevens (Stacey Woodward), Telly Savalas, Rip Torn, Ricardo Montalban, Pat Hingle, Paul Lukas, Michael Ansara

WHERE ANGELSO GO TROUBLE FOLLOWS! (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. Martin (screenplay LADIES IN RETIREMENT [1941] by Reginald Denham, Garrett Fort; play by Reginald Denham, Edward Percy) CAM Harry Stradling, Jr. ED Pat Somerset MUS Dave Grusin CAST Stella Stevens (Ellen Hardy), Shelley Winters, Skip Ward, Carol Cole, Beverly Garland, Michael Burns

THE BALLAD OF CABLE HOGUE (1970) DIR – PROD Sam Peckinpah SCR John Crawford, Edmund Penney CAM Lucien Ballard ED Lou Lombardo, Frank Santillo MUS Jerry Goldsmith CAST Jason Robards, Stella Stevens (Hildy), David Warner, Strother Martin, Slim Pickens, L.Q. 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 Jesús 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 O’Connell

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. Richter CAM László Kovács ED William Carruth MUS Richard Hazard CAST Ryan O’Neal, Burt Reynolds, Tatum O’Neal, Brian Keith, Stella Stevens (Marty Reeves), John Ritter, Jane Hitchcock, Jack Perkins, Brion James, Priscilla Pointer, Frank Marshall, Harry Carey Jr., M. Emmet Walsh, Griffin O’Neal, Patricia O’Neal

MISTER DEATHMAN (1977) DIR Michael D. Moore PROD Raymond R. Homer SCR Emmett Murphy (original story by David Broadnax) CAM Hans Kühle, Jr. ED Elka Bijker, Herbert Taschner CAST David Broadnax, Stella Stevens (Liz), Arthur Brauss, Lena Farugia, Brian O’Shaughnessy, Ian Hamilton, Len Sparrowhawk, Bill Curry

THE MANITOU (1978) DIR – PROD William Girdler SCR William Girlder, Jon Cedar, Thomas Pope (novel by Graham Masterton) CAM Michel Hugo ED Bub Asman MUS Lalo Schifrin CAST Tony Curtis, Susan Strasberg, Stella Stevens (Amelia Crusoe), Jon Cedar, Ann Sothern, Burgess Meredith, Michael Ansara

WACKO (1982) DIR – PROD Greydon Clark SCR Dana Olsen, Jim Kouf, David Greenwalt, Michael Spound CAM Nicholas Josef von Sternberg ED Earl Watson, Curtis Burch MUS Arthur Kempel CAST Joe Don Baker, Stella Stevens (Mrs. Doctor Graves), George Kennedy, Julia Duffy, Scott McGinnis, Elizabeth Daily, Michele Tobin, Andrew Dice Clay, David Greenwalt, Jim Kouf

LADIES NIGHT (1983) DIR – CAM – ED Enzo Giobbe PROD Logan Clarke SCR Enzo Giobbe (story by Nick De Noia; original idea by Steve Banerjee) CAST Stella Stevens (Shelly), Dan Haggerty, Jill Baker, Sharon Clark, Logan Clarke, Kathleen Conklin, Michael Cutt, Joe Davis

CHAINED HEAT (1983) DIR Paul Nicholas PROD Billy Fine, Monica Teuber SCR Paul Nicholas, Vincent Mongol CAM Mac Ahlberg ED Anthony DiMarco MUS Joseph Conlan CAST Linda Blair, John Vernon, Sybill Danning, Tamara Dobson, Stella Stevens (Captain Taylor), Henry Silva, Sharon Hughes, Kendal Kaldwell, Edy Williams

THE LONGSHOT (1986) DIR Paul Bartel PROD Lang Elliott SCR Tim Conway CAM Robby Müller ED Alan Toomayan MUS Charles Fox CAST Tim Conway, Harvey Korman, Jack Weston, Ted Wass, Stella Stevens (Nicki Dixon), George DiCenzo, Edie McClurg, Jonathan Winters, Paul Bartel

MONSTER IN THE CLOSET (1986) DIR Bob Dahlin PROD David Levy, Robert Rock, Terrence Corey, Peter L. Bergquist, Michel Billot SCR (story by Bob Dahlin) CAM Ronald W. McLeish ED Stephanie Palewski, Mark Conte, Jacque Elaine Toberen, Raja Gosnell MUS Barrie Guard CAST Donald Grant, Denise DuBarry, Henry Gibson, Claude Akins, Stella Stevens (Margo), Howard Duff, Paul Dooley, John Carradine, Paul Walker

THE RANCH (1989) DIR Stella Stevens PROD Madeline Hombert SCR Madeline Hombert, Neil Gordon ED Richard Benwick MUS Luciano Giachetta CAST Andrew Stevens, Gary Fjellgaard, Elizabeth Keefe, Jennifer Fahrmi, Marlene Fedorah, Bruce McInnes, Lou Ann Schmidt

DOWN THE DRAIN (1990) DIR Robert C. Hughes PROD Ronnie Hadar SCR Moshe Hadar CAM James Mathers ED Michael Ruscio MUS Rick Krizman CAST Andrew Stevens, Teri Copley, John Matuszak, Joseph Campanella, Don Stroud, Stella Stevens (Sophia)

THE TERROR WITHIN II (1991) DIR Andrew Stevens PROD Mike Elliott SCR Andrew Stevens (characters created by Thomas McKelvey Cleaver) CAM Janusz Kaminski ED Brent A. Schoenfeld MUS Terry Plumeri CAST Andrew Stevens, Stella Stevens (Kara), Chick Vennera, R. Lee Ermey, Burton Gilliam, Clare Hoak, Larry Gilman

LAST CALL (1991) DIR Jag Mundhra EXEC PROD Ashok Amritraj SCR Steven Iyama CAM James Mathers ED Brian Evans MUS Michael Bishop CAST William Katt, Shannon Tweed, Joseph Campanella, Stella Stevens (Betty), Karen Elise Baldwin, Alvin Silver, Matt Roe

MOM (1991) DIR – ED Patrick Rand PROD Leon Dudevoir SCR Patrick Rand (story by Patrick Rand, Kevin Watson) CAM David Sperling MUS Ernest Troost CAST Mark Thomas Miller, Jeanne Bates, Brion James, Mary Beth McDonough, Art Evans, Stella Stevens (Beverly Hills), Claudia Christian, Maray Ayres, Christopher Doyle

THE NUTT HOUSE (1992) DIR Adam Rifkin PROD Brad Wyman, David Rotman SCR Alan Smithee [Sam Raimi, Ivan Raimi] (story by Alan Smithee Jr. [Sam Raimi], Alan Smithee Sr. [Ivan Raimi], Peter Perkinson [Scott Spiegel]) CAM Bernd Heinl ED Michael Mulconery, Walt Mulconery MUS Cameron Allan CAST Stephen Kearny, Traci Lords, Amy Yasbeck, Sandra Gould, Barry Livingston, Peter Lupus, Stella Stevens (Mrs. Robinson), Constance Towers, Catherine Bach, Ben Stiller

EXILED IN AMERICA (1992) DIR – ED Paul Leder PROD Paul Leder, Ralph Tornberg SCR Paul Leder (play by William W. Norton) CAM Francis Grumman MUS Jay Asher CAST Maxwell Caulfield, Edward Albert, Wings Hauser, Viveca Lindfors, Stella Stevens (Sonny Moore), Kamala Lopez, John Considine, Gina Gallego, Bill Cobbs

SOUTH BEACH (1993) DIR Fred Williamson, Alain Zaloum PROD Fred Williamson, Krishna Shah SCR Michael Thomas Montgomery CAM Carlos González ED Doug Bryan MUS Joe Renzetti CAST Fred Williamson, Gary Busey, Peter Fonda, Robert Forster, Vanity, Isabel Sanford, Sam J. Jones, Stella Stevens (Nancy), Henry Silva, John Rhys-Davies

LITTLE DEVILS: THE BIRTH (1993) DIR George Pavlou PROD George Pavlou, Elliott Stein SCR Elliott Stein CAM Jens Sturup ED John Whitcher MUS Francis Haines CAST Russ Tamblyn, Marc Price, Nancy Valen, Wayne McNamara, Stella Stevens (Clara Madison), Donald Saunders, Jerry Levitan

THE EYE OF THE STRANGER (1993) DIR – PROD – SCR David Heavener CAM Paul A. Edwards ED Christopher Roth MUS Robert Garrett CAST Martin Landau, Sally Kirkland, David Heavener, Stella Stevens (Doc), Don Swayze, John Pleshette, Sy Richardson

HARD DRIVE (1994) DIR James Merendino PROD Leo Damian, Michael Kastenbaum SCR James Merendino, Gary Van Haas (story by Leo Damian) CAM Seo Mutarevic ED Ethan Holzman MUS Nels Cline CAST Matt McCoy, Christina Fulton, Edward Albert Jr., Leo Damian, Stella Stevens (Susan), Jane Damian, Jessica Hopper

MOLLY & GINA (1994) DIR – ED Paul Leder PROD Paul Leder, Ralph Tornberg SCR Paul Leder, Reuben Leder CAM Francis Grumman MUS Dana Walden CAST Frances Fisher, Natasha Gregson Wagner, Bruce Weitz, Stella Stevens (Mrs. Sweeny), Peter Fonda, George Murdock, Elizabeth Berkley

ILLICENT DREAMS (1994) DIR Andrew Stevens PROD Ashok Amritraj SCR Karen Kelly CAM Christian Sebaldt ED Terry J. Chiappe MUS Claude Gaudette CAST Andrew Stevens, Shannon Tweed, Joe Cortese, Michelle Johnson, Brad Blaisdell, Stella Stevens (Cicily), Rochelle Swanson, Dave Carlton

BIKINI HOTEL (1997) DIR Jeff Frey ASSOC PROD David Huey, Tina-Desiree Berg, Jeff Frey SCR David Huey, Dom Magwili (story by David Huey, Christopher Wolf) CAM Ed Tillman ED Greg Cannone MUS Paul Nelson CAST J.J. North, Julie Strain, Stella Stevens (Gail Regent), Tina-Desiree Berg, Kareem Elseify, Tim Lovestedt, Paul Hannum, Mike Urdaneta

THE LONG RIDE HOME (2003) DIR Robert Marcarelli PROD Paul Tinder SCR Vaughn Taylor (story by Mike Dougherty) CAM Gary Graver ED Scott Popjes MUS Gela Sawall Ashcroft CAST Randy Travis, Eric Roberts, Ernest Borgnine, Vaughn Taylor, Jeff McGrail, Garry Marshall, Stella Stevens (Fiona Champyon), Rance Howard, Jerry Doyle

BLESSED (2004) DIR Simon Fellows PROD Andrew Stevens, Brad Wyman, Ron Schmidt, Pierre Spengler, Donald Kushner SCR Jayson Rothwell (story by Robert Mearns) CAM Gabriel Kosuth ED Kant Pan MUS Stephen Jones CAST Heather Graham, James Purefoy, Fionnula Flanagan, Alan McKenna, Michael J. Reynolds, Stella Stevens (Betty), William Hootkins, Andy Serkis

GLASS TRAP (2005) DIR Ed Raymond [Fred Olen Ray] EXEC PROD Andrew Stevens, Robert Snukal, Jeff Beach, Daniel Grodnik SCR Brett Thompson, Lisa Morton CAM Andrea V. Rossotto ED Randy Carter MUS Christopher Farrell CAST C. Thomas Howell, Stella Stevens (Joan Higsmith), Siri Baruc, Brent Huff, Chick Vennera, Andrew Pine, Peter Spellos, Martin Kove, Tracy Brooks Swope

HELL TO PAY (2005) DIR – SCR – PROD Chris McIntyre CAM Stephen G. Shank ED Dan Reid MUS Nate Cryns, Noah Cryns CAST Lee Majors, Stella Stevens (Mary Potter), Buck Taylor, James Drury, Andrew Pine, Bo Svenson, Mark Warner, William Smith

POPSTAR (2005) DIR Richard Gabai PROD Steve Austin SCR Timothy Barton CAM Andrea V. Rossotto ED Lawrence A. Maddox MUS Boris Zelkin, Deeji Mincey CAST Aaron Carter, Alana Austin, David Cassidy, Kimberly Jeppson, Andrew Stevens, Natalia Livingston, Leif Garrett, Tom Bosley, Stella Stevens (Henrietta)

TV MOVIES

IN BROAD DAYLIGHT (1971) DIR Robert Day PROD Robert Mirisch TELEPLAY Larry Cohen CAM Archie R. Dalzell ED Edward Mann MUS Leonard Rosenman CAST Richard Boone, Suzanne Pleshette, Stella Stevens (Elizabeth Chappel), John Marley, Fred Beir, Whit Bissell, Paul Smith

CLIMB AN ANGRY MOUNTAIN (1972) DIR Leonard Horn TELEPLAY Sam Rolfe, Joseph Calvelli CAM Michel Hugo ED Nick Archer, Neil Travis MUS George Duning CAST Fess Parker, Marj Dusay, Arthur Hunnicutt, Barry Nelson, Joe Kapp, Stella Stevens (Sheila Chilko), Clay O’Brien, Constance Towers

LINDA (1973) DIR Jack Smight PROD William Frye TELEPLAY Merwin Gerard (novel by John D. MacDonald) CAM Leonard J. 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 O’Herlihy 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 O’Brien, 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 O’Connor, 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 O’Brien, 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. 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 O’Neal, 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. May ED Carroll Sax MUS Raoul Kraushaar, Minette Allton CAST Barbara Feldon, Lance Kerwin, Stacey Nelkin, Carmine Caridi, Christopher Ciampa, Olivia Cole, Stella Stevens (Sherry Malik), Fritz Weaver, Billy Dee Williams

TWIRL (1981) DIR Gus Trikonis PROD Gabriel Grunfeld TELEPLAY Bernard M. Kahn (story by Gabriel Grunfeld, Ken Vrana) CAM Gil Hubbs ED John A. Barton, Thomas Fries MUS Jimmie Haskell CAST Stella Stevens (Carolyn Moore), Charles Haid, Erin Moran, Lisa Whelchel, Edd Byrnes, Sharon Spelman, Matthew Tobin, Heather Locklear

WOMEN OF SAN QUENTIN (1983) DIR William A. Graham PROD R.W. 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 MAN’S 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 CIRO’S (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 Héctor 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! (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. Smith MUS Brahm Wenger CAST Mimi Rogers, Rob Stewart, Stella Stevens (Natalie Parris), Bill Switzer, Enuka Okuma, Jano Frandsen, Madison Graie

BY DAWN’S EARLY LIGHT (2000) DIR Arthur Allan Seidelman TELEPLAY Jacqueline Feather, David Seidler CAM Andreas Poulsson ED Bert Glatstein MUS Lee Holdridge CAST Richard Crenna, David Carradine, Chris Olivero, Patrick David, Gary Bisig, Ben Cardinal, Tim Henry, Stella Stevens (Eli)

MINI-SERIES

THE FRENCH ATLANTIC AFFAIR (1979) DIR Douglas Heyes PROD Robert Mintz TELEPLAY Douglas Heyes (novel by Ernest Lehman) CAM Ralph Woolsey ED Tom Stevens, Jamie Caylor MUS John Addison CAST José Ferrer, John Houseman, Carolyn Jones, Richard Jordan, Louis Jourdan, Michelle Phillips, Marie-France Pisier, Donald Pleasence, Telly Savalas, Stella Stevens (Louise Crawford), Shelley Winters, Richard Anderson, Corinne Calvet, Philippe Léotard, Jean-Pierre Aumont, Horst Buchholz, James Coco

IN COLD BLOOD (1996) DIR Jonathan Kaplan PROD Tom Rowe TELEPLAY Benedict Fitzgerald (book ‘In Cold Blood’ [1966] by Truman Capote) CAM Peter F. Woeste ED Michael D. Ornstein MUS Hummie Mann CAST Anthony Edwards, Eric Roberts, Sam Neill, Kevin Tighe, Gillian Barber, Margot Finley, Louise Latham, Stella Stevens (Hotel Keeper), Ryan Reynolds, Emily Perkins