Currently in her 80s, Stevens suffers from dementia and has been living in an assisted living home in California where Kulick frequently visited and cared for her until he passed away in May of 2020. Stevens worked in television, too, on series such as Murder She Wrote and Magnum, P.I. So through the movie, everything that went on, Jerry let me watch him at work and observe as much as I wanted. Actress Stella Stevens and son, Andy, at the Memphis airport in June 1961. I didnt want to do the movie, and I was treated pretty badly. So, no matter how tough the work was, we did absolutely everything we could. He was just one of the sweetest and brightest young old men. WebJerry Lewis. ABC7 Chicago 24/7 Stream LOS ANGELES -- Stella Stevens, a prominent leading lady in 1960s and 70s comedies perhaps best known for playing the object of It was a miserable six days of filming, she said, due to the temper of director Norman Taurog, though she said Presley was nice. While most admired Stevens for her bombshell appearance, the actress/model possessed more capabilities than just looking pretty. Stevens' estate said she died Friday in Los Angeles after a long illness. 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. Home. I want to be like this man. 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 said then that I never wanted to quit. GIRLS! Stella Stevens, a Memphis kid who found international success as a Hollywood sex 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. 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, the actress best known for her roles in The Nutty Professor and The Poseidon Adventure and starring opposite Elvis Presley in Girls! It was the first thing he had ever done for television in color. 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. Throughout the 1960s, she appeared in major shows including General Electric Theater, Ben Casey, Alfred Hitchcock Presents and the famous Silent Thunder episode of Bonanza in 1960. Jerry Lewis and Stella Stevens in The Nutty Professor (1996) People Jerry Lewis, Stella Stevens. For me, it all started when I did Lil Abner [1959]. I do; the first director I worked with was Frank Tashlin [Say One For Me]. Hollywood actress Stella Stevens, who co-starred with Elvis Presley in Girls! She was 84. In 2017, shed say that her favorite director that she worked with was Vincente Minnelli on The Courtship of Eddies Father, from 1963. How did this all start for you? In 2017, shed say that her favorite director that she worked with was Vincente Minnelli on The Courtship of Eddies Father, from 1963. Girls! 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! and with Jerry Lewis in The Nutty Professor, has died at the age of 84, family members say. 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. (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. 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 Stellas character Robin was an immature singer who is fighting the sweetheart Laurel (played by Laurel Goodwin) for Elviss love. I saw (Bob Hope) at 83 cracking jokes and having fun. Stella Stevens, who starred alongside Elvis Presley in Girls! By subscribing, I agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Girls! She also directed several films, the documentary An American Heroine, which never got distribution, and The Ranch. She retired in 2010. I want to die on a movie set.. with Elvis Presley, which she only agreed to do because she was promised to a Montgomery Clift movie if she did it. Stevens also was a popular guest on talk shows, making about a half-dozen appearances on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, along with those hosted by the likes of Merv Griffin, Mike Douglas, Vicki Lawrence, David Frost and Alan Thicke. I saw (Bob Hope) at 83 cracking jokes and having fun. Along with her son, Stevens is survived by three grandchildren. Stella Stevens in a bikini, circa 1960. 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. Plan your weekend with our picks for the best events, restaurant and movie reviews, TV shows and more. But it was a very bad experience for me. Very important. Also, we had Ronald Neame as our director. 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. 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. 27 in Playboys 100 Sexiest Stars Of The 20th Century.. He was sort of my mentor, and later, he introduced me to Jerry Lewis. Girls! Free shipping for many products! I really liked it. Stella Stevens, the stunning actress who rejected her label as a sex symbol, died Friday. 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. 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. There was never enough we could do for him. Girls! To be honest, as agonizing as it was, it was a lot of fun. She was 84. She also directed several films, the documentary "An American Heroine," which never got distribution, and "The Ranch." Hollywood actress Stella Stevens, who co-starred with Elvis Presley in Girls! 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. 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. 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. She was 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. What a tremendous body of work and loss. Girls! Titles The Nutty Professor. But in spite of that rough start, I did OK.. Next came The Nutty Professor as Lewis student, Stella Purdy, who he is infatuated with. Girls! Thats what he taught me. 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. 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. The Poseidon Adventure [1972] turned out to be your biggest commercial success. 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. 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. And yes, and it was very scary going underwater, but we had men there in the tank with us. (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 did the best I could with the tools I had and the opportunities given me, she was once quoted as saying. You then appeared with Jerry Lewis in The Nutty Professor (1963). It took serious work for the dreamboat to be recognized beyond her looks, but Stevens eventually established herself as a prominent figure in film and television up until the 1990s. Subscribe to Deadline Breaking News Alerts and keep your inbox happy. She also directed a pair of films: The Ranch (1989) and The American Heroine (1979). Stella Stevens, who starred with Elvis Presley in Girls! Titles The Nutty Professor. 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." Girls! Was it fun to do a disaster movie like this? Bobby was a very fine actor, but as you can imagine, he was no Montgomery Clift. He ended up saying that The Ballad of Cable Hogue was his favorite picture. 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! Other notable roles include Slaughter, with Jim Brown, the Sam Peckinpah television film The Ballad of Cable Hogue and The Poseidon Adventure in which she played Linda Rogo, Ernest Borgnines characters wife. Jerry Lewis. Erik Pedersen contributed to this report. She wound up under contract with Paramount and then Columbia through the 60s, starring opposite such big names as Presley in Girls! And if you ask me, I do believe thats 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]. If he wanted you in his film, he would tell you everything you wanted to hear. 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. Girls! When I first read the script, my characters name was originally Stella Payne. 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. 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." Lewis and Stella Stevens in 1963's The Nutty Professor. She was 84. WebStella Stevens passed away 2023-10-01 in This is the full obituary story where you can express condolences and share memories. Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information. In one of her most memorable roles, 1963 sci-fi comedy The Nutty Professor, Stevens played a student of Jerry Lewis' socially awkward university lecturer. She was 84. 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. He and Jerry had done many films together. 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 that's why the film still holds up after all those years.". 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 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. Reportedly, Stevens came to regret her association with Playboy, finding the sexpot label confining. He was probably a different kind of director than you were used to? His brother, Bruce - former guitarist for the US band Kiss - tweeted: "Legendary actress Stella Stevens, my brother's longtime partner, passed away this morning from a long illness. and The Secret of My Success. Well, he was nice; he was someone you could talk to. 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. She was 84. You made three films with Glenn Ford: The Courtship of Eddies Father (1963), Advance to the Rear (1964) and Rage (1966). Public records show Stevens has owned the house since 1965. Stella ironically had co-starred with Jerry Lewis in The Nutty Professor (and reportedly had an affair with the comic. 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