Stella Stevens, the beautiful and talented American
actress, who enjoyed a long career, passed away on February 17. She was 84.
Stella was my friend.
We became friends in early 2000 when I co-hosted a
benefit screening of The Poseidon Adventure on board the Queen Mary ocean liner
in Long Beach, CA. Stella was gorgeous and wonderful during the question and
answer portion of the evening. Stella loved her fans, and she sparkled on stage
between Shelley Winters and Pamela Sue Martin. Over the years, a group of
mutual friends would have a potluck dinner and show Stella’s films on a 16mm projector.
Halfway through the film, we would have desert. Stella told fascinating stories
about the films we saw and how they were made. She had a great sense of humor,
and the evening was always filled with laughter.
Stella loved animals, especially her cats and her horses.
She had an outdoor spirit, but she could easily dress up and look every inch a
movie star. Somewhere I read that Stella was one of the most photographed women
on earth in the 1960s. Stella was extremely talented and left behind a large
body of work. She was requested to be in films by some of the major male actors
and directors in the business.
Stella was very kind to me. She invited me to her home,
she had lunch with me in Beverly Hills, and she had dinner at my home many
times. She was gracious to everyone. I shared holidays with Stella and her
partner, Bob, on several occasions. Laughter and friendship is what I think of
when I think of Stella.
Rest in peace.
(James Radford is the author of "Adventures on the
Queen Mary".)
Stella Stevens, who started in show business after overcoming the hardships of being a single mother at age 17, has passed away at age 84 after a lengthy battle with Alzheimer's Disease. Her death was announced by her son, actor and producer Andrews Stevens. She was born in Yazoo City, Mississippi and her family moved to Memphis when she was four years-old. By the time she was out of high school, she had been married and divorced and had a young son Stevens was always obsessed with movies and was eventually signed under contract with Fox. She earned a Golden Globe for her screen debut in the 1959 film "Say One for Me" as Most Promising Newcomer. With her voluptuous figure, she caught the eye of Hugh Hefner and she
appeared as Playmate of the Month during 1960. She would two more photo
shoots for the magazine in the years that followed. Fame eventually followed despite the fact that Fox, which had her under contract, released her from the agreement. She balked at co-starring with Elvis Presley in the 1964 film "Girls! Girls! Girls" because she felt the movie had a poor script. Nonetheless, she needed the money and the film was a high profile hit.
Stevens would go on to become an in-demand popular leading lady, appearing opposite the top male stars of the 1960s. She often was cast as a ditzy blonde but these roles proved she had considerable comedic skills. Among the movies she appeared in were "Too Late Blues", the Jerry Lewis comedy classic "The Nutty Professor", "Advance to the Rear", the first Dean Martin Matt Helm film "The Silencers" and again with Martin in "How to Save a Marriage and Ruin Your Life". She gave an impressive dramatic performance opposite David McCallum in the 1968 crime thriller "Sol Madrid" (aka "The Heroin Gang") and earned praise for her comedic skills in Sam Peckinpah's "The Ballad of Cable Hogue". In 1972, she was prominent in the all-star cast in the blockbuster disaster movie "The Poseidon Adventure", which spawned a fan cult that exists to this day. As the good roles began to diminish, Stevens found work in television, starring in the series "Flamingo Road" in the early 1980s. She would appear frequently in guest star roles on series in the ensuing years. Stevens desired to be a director but found few opportunities, though she did direct two low-budget films. Perhaps the her most impressive achievement was overcoming personal challenges through sheer determination to fulfill her dream of becoming a major star on the silver screen. For more about her life and career, click here.