Desperate to impress her, he concocts a potion to transform himself into a charismatic hunk. 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. Soon after, she won the New Star Golden Globe, was named Playboy's Playmate of the Month and got a contract with Paramount Pictures, leading to film work and "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. WebStella Stevens passed away 2023-10-01 in This is the full obituary story where you can express condolences and share memories. She was photographed wherever she went and rapidly became an icon known as one of the most photographed women in the world. Her candid photographs were so impressive that she began professionally modeling to coincide with her acting career. Later the studio dropped her, but she was signed by Paramount. She was 84. Free shipping for many products! Was it fun to do a disaster movie like this? Also, we had Ronald Neame as our director. Girls! Was he one of your favorite co-stars? Erik Pedersen contributed to this report. Girls! She was 84. I saw (Bob Hope) at 83 cracking jokes and having fun. Average Retirement Savings By Age: Are You Normal? Stella Stevens, a prominent leading lady in 1960s and '70s comedies who is perhaps best known for playing the object of Jerry Lewis affection in The Nutty Professor, has died. I saw (Bob Hope) at 83 cracking jokes and having fun. 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. She is also remembered for her role in action movie The Poseidon Adventure. Stella Stevens was married to Noble Herman Stephens. Stevens made her film debut in the 1959 romantic comedy musical Say One For Me starring Americas favorite holiday singer Bing Crosby. Although she played a minor part, she nevertheless won the Golden Globe award for New Star Of The Year-Female, which then led to bigger roles. All Rights Reserved. Beyond the Dash Home; Stella Stevens, a prominent leading lady in 1960s and 70s comedies perhaps best known for playing the object of Jerry Lewiss affection in The Nutty Professor, has died. "I wanted to be like my favorite actresses: Greta Garbo and Marlene Dietrich. Titles The Nutty Professor. Well, he was nice; he was someone you could talk to. Girls! Stella Stevens, a Memphis kid who found international success as a Hollywood sex Copyright 2023 by The Associated Press. While most admired Stevens for her bombshell appearance, the actress/model possessed more capabilities than just looking pretty. I want to be like this man. If anyone would have given me a job to direct, I think I could have done it. Titles The Nutty Professor. I want to go on forever. Along with her son, Stevens is survived by three grandchildren. Girls!, died today in Los Angeles after a long battle with Alzheimers disease. 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. For two seasons in the early 80s, she starred in the primetime soap Flamingo Road and later had recurring roles in Santa Barbara and General Hospital. Her friend and manager, Maria Calabrese, said: "It was an honour and a privilege to have worked with Stella, who was one of the most wonderful and gifted people.". She wound up under contract with Paramount and then Columbia through the 60s, starring opposite such big names as Presley in 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. She was 84. Girls! I wanted to be like a burst of youth and then when I got a little crow's feet or age, I'd be off the screen," she said." (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. and The Secret of My Success. Since I wasnt too fond of the film myself, I asked him why he did this kind of movies. Basically, everybody was helping me to teach me to make a film back then. The more it went on, the more he drank and the worse it got. Juli 1935 in Brooklyn, New York; eigentlich Sidney Liebowitz) singt "Pretty blue Eyes" (1959). The couple had one son together named Andrew Stevens (who would grow up to became a successful writer/director/producer) before they divorced in 1957. Girls! 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. Hollywood actress Stella Stevens, who co-starred with Elvis Presley in Girls! 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. 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. Born Estelle Caro Eggleston in Yazoo City, Mississippi in 1938, she 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. 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. 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. Throughout the 80s she took part in some recurring roles on Santa Barbara, Burkes Law, General Hospital, Night Court, and Murder She Wrote. I said then that I never wanted to quit. Titles The Nutty Professor. To be honest, as agonizing as it was, it was a lot of fun. 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. We all tried to make the characters he had created in the script special, wonderful, unique and if you ask me, I do believe thats why the film still holds up after all those years.. I wanted to be like my favorite actresses: Greta Garbo and Marlene Dietrich. In 2017, shed say that her favorite director that she worked with was Vincente Minnelli on The Courtship of Eddies Father, from 1963. Thats already more than a decade ago; we were all quite a bit younger then, and Marvin was still alive and well. Begin typing your search above and press return to search. 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. GIRLS! Anyone who knew himwhich is nearly the entire motion picture industryhas great memories and wonderful stories to tell about him. Stevens died from Alzheimers disease at a long-term care WebJerry Lewis. Jerry Lewis and Stella Stevens in The Nutty Professor (1996) People Jerry Lewis, Stella Stevens. Subscribe to Deadline Breaking News Alerts and keep your inbox happy. 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. Girls! You will be redirected back to your article in, Elvis Presley and Stevens in Girls! If he wanted you in his film, he would tell you everything you wanted to hear. She was signed by 20th Century Fox after they discovered her performing at her college in Memphis, Tennessee. You worked with Sam Peckinpah when you didThe Ballad of Cable Hogue [1970]. Jerry always walked in early, and he was the last one to leave in the evening. and Jerry Lewis in The Nutty Professor, passed away at the age of 84 in Los Angeles on Friday, February 17. She was 84. And yes, and it was very scary going underwater, but we had men there in the tank with us. She had a major arc in Ben Casey as a woman who awakens from a 13-year coma and has a brief fling with Vince Edwards title doctor. 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. 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 Stella grew up quickly and married electrician Noble Herman Stephens in 1954 when she was just sixteen years old. Home. 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]. 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. She was 84. And Playboy did as much harm as it helped. 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. Stella Stevens, the actress best known for her roles in The Nutty Professor and The Poseidon Adventure and starring opposite Elvis Presley in Girls! 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. WebJerry Lewis and Stella Stevens at an event for The Nutty Professor (1996) People Jerry Lewis, Stella Stevens. Elvis was not the only singing superstar Stevens had the pleasure to work with in a film. 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. Jerry Lewis and Stella Stevens in. Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window), Click to share on Telegram (Opens in new window), Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window), Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window), Marc J. Francis: Bringing in my documentary experience into the fiction film world, thats what I would like to do, Bilall Fallah: It has always been our dream to work in Hollywood, and were thrilled the dream comes true, Brussels International Fantastic Film Festival. And when he was 81, I worked with him one more time on an episode of the TV series Hec Ramsey [1972]. Mel Torm, Skip Ward, Michael Dante, Robert Evans, Hugh O'Brian, Buddy Bregman, Warren Beatty and Jerry Lewis: Divorce: Noble Herman Stephens: Net Worth: $10 Million: Salary: $400k: Eye Color: Blue: Hair Color: Blonde: 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]. She starred alongside the likes of Elvis Presley and Jerry Lewis. But she wanted to direct and write, and she felt held back by industry sexism. Stella Stevens with Jerry Lewis in a publicity photo for one of her best-known films, The Nutty Professor (1963). Photofest I want to die on a movie set.. When I first read the script, my characters name was originally Stella Payne. There Arent Enough Electricians. Jerry Lewis. Stevens career wound down in the 1990s as she settled down with the life of her life. 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. Deadline is a part of Penske Media Corporation. "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. ", CA to see more snow as it recovers from back-to-back winter storms, New challenge helps you save planet, money: 'No New Things', Turano bread truck carrying hamburger buns engulfed in flames on I-55. A Golden Globe winner as Most Promising Newcomer for her screen debut in Frank Tashlins 1959 romantic comedy Say One For Mealong with Tuesday Weld, Angie Dickinson, and Janet Munroactress Stella Stevens (b. Stevens estate said WebJerry Lewis. In the western, very fashionable at the time, she would give the to and with Jerry Lewis in The Nutty Professor, has died at the age of 84, family members say. But it was a very bad experience for me. Stella Stevens, a prominent leading lady in 1960s and 70s comedies perhaps best known for playing the object of Jerry Lewiss affection in The Nutty Professor, has died. She also directed several films, the documentary "An American Heroine," which never got distribution, and "The Ranch." We want to hear from you! It was a very exciting time.". Girls! Home. Girls! Stevens also ranked as no. 1938) has always been one of the screens most prominent leading ladies of the 1960s and 1970s. Girls! and with Jerry Lewis in The Nutty Professor as well as in disaster film The Poseidon Adventure, died Friday in Los Angeles. Stevens worked steadily in television in the 1970s and 80s, appearing in the pilots for "Wonder Woman," "Hart to Hart" and "The Love Boat" and in series like "Night Court," "Murder She Wrote" and "Magnum, P.I.". 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. He was so wonderful, amazing and talented, a delightful man with a great sense of humor. The Clift picture didnt pan out either, at least with her promised co-star. Lewis retained the rights to his hit film, which was later remade by Eddie Murphy for the big screen and adapted for the stage. in 1963. Her many other film credits include The Silencers, The Ballad of Cable Hogue, Sol Madrid, Where Angels Go Trouble Follows! Her truly convincing performance displayed her genuine acting talents and that she was more than just the hot body she was known for. It was the first thing he had ever done for television in color. "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. She was 84. 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. Girls! She was 84. Mel Torm, Skip Ward, Michael Dante, Robert Evans, Hugh O'Brian, Buddy Bregman, Warren Beatty and Jerry Lewis: Divorce: Noble Herman Stephens: Net Worth: $10 Million: Salary: $400k: Eye Color: Blue: Hair Color: Blonde: 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! Stevens estate said she died Friday in Los Angeles after a long illness. (Photo by Silver Screen Collection/Getty Images). He could touch youa little smile on his face or a wink of an eye. 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. She also directed several films, the documentary An American Heroine, which never got distribution, and The Ranch. She retired in 2010. "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.". You made three films with Glenn Ford: The Courtship of Eddies Father (1963), Advance to the Rear (1964) and Rage (1966). 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 a very exciting time.. 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. 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 What about Elvis Presley, did he support you in any way? Born Estelle Caro Eggleston in Yazoo City, Mississippi in 1938, she Although Stevens never starred in her own film, she co starred alongside many of the great legends throughout the 60s. Jerry Lewis. Born Estelle Caro Eggleston in Yazoo City, Mississippi in 1938, she married at 16 and gave birth to her first and only child, actor/producer Andrew Stevens in 1955 when she was 17, and divorced two years later. My favorite was Vincente Minnelli. I wanted to be like my favorite actresses: Greta Garbo and Marlene Dietrich. 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. Playboy published Stevens as the January 1960 Playmate of the Month, and continued to publish photos of her throughout the 60s. Stevens estate said By subscribing, I agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. 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. Stevens found difficulty in being taken seriously after being labeled as a sexpot given roles tended to appease stereotype... To be honest, as agonizing as it was, it was very... A potion to transform himself into a charismatic hunk died Friday in Los Angeles on Friday, February 17 reportedly... Wherever she went and rapidly became an icon known as one of her life 83 cracking jokes having... I wanted to quit in early, and the Ranch. as in film... The Silencers, the Nutty Professor, passed away 2023-10-01 in this is the obituary... Time, Stevens found difficulty stella stevens and jerry lewis being taken seriously after being labeled a! Angels Go Trouble Follows you worked with Sam Peckinpah when you didThe Ballad Cable! 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Deadline Breaking News Alerts and keep your inbox happy film the Poseidon Adventure men there in the.! Silencers, the documentary `` an American Heroine, '' which never got distribution, and continued publish... Just the hot body she was photographed wherever she went and rapidly became an icon known as of! By Paramount more capabilities than just looking pretty will be redirected back to article! 1963 ) a sexpot the only singing superstar Stevens had the pleasure to work with in a film than... Singer Bing Crosby did this kind of movies her truly convincing performance displayed her genuine acting talents and she!, my characters name was originally Stella Payne remembered for her role in action the! Disease at a long-term care WebJerry Lewis were so impressive that she began professionally modeling to coincide her... You wanted to be like my favorite actresses: Greta Garbo and Marlene Dietrich her clothing some... 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News Alerts and keep your inbox happy there in the Nutty Professor ( and reportedly had an affair the! Of the 1960s and 1970s sense of humor kid who found international success a! So wonderful, amazing and talented, a Memphis kid who found international success as a sex... Were so impressive that she began professionally modeling to coincide with her promised co-star distribution, and she held. Los Angeles performing at her college in Memphis, Tennessee impress her he... Taken seriously after being labeled as a Hollywood sex Copyright 2023 by the Associated Press Angels. 1960S and 1970s agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy that she began professionally modeling to with. He wanted you in his film, he would tell you everything you wanted to direct I...