Craig Stevens (born Gail Shikles Jr.; July 8, 1918 – May 10, 2000) was an American film and television

actor An actor or actress is a person who portrays a character in a performance. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as film, radio, and television. The analogous Greek term is (), l ...

, best known for his starring role on television as private detective ''

Peter Gunn ''Peter Gunn'' is an American private eye television series, starring Craig Stevens as Peter Gunn with Lola Albright as his girlfriend, Edie Hart. The series aired on NBC from September 22, 1958, to 1960 and on ABC in 1960–1961. The ser ...

'' from 1958 to 1961.

Early life

Stevens was born in

Liberty, Missouri Liberty is a city in and the county seat of Clay County, Missouri, United States and is a suburb of Kansas City, located in the Kansas City Metropolitan Area. As of the 2020 United States Census the population was 30,167. Liberty is home to W ...

, to Marie and Gail Shikles."Fourteenth Census of United States: 1920"
Liberty Township, Clay County, Missouri, enumeration date January 3, 1920.

FamilySearch FamilySearch is a nonprofit organization and website offering genealogical records, education, and software. It is operated by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), and is closely connected with the church's Family Histo ...

; retrieved October 11, 2017. His father was a high school teacher in Liberty and later an elementary school principal in Kansas City, Missouri. He studied

dentistry Dentistry, also known as dental medicine and oral medicine, is the branch of medicine focused on the teeth, gums, and mouth. It consists of the study, diagnosis, prevention, management, and treatment of diseases, disorders, and conditions ...

at the

University of Missouri-Kansas City A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. ''University'' is derived from the Latin phrase ''universitas magistrorum et scholarium'', which r ...

, from which he received a

bachelor's degree A bachelor's degree (from Middle Latin ''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from Modern Latin ''baccalaureatus'') is an undergraduate academic degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to six ...

in 1936. Later, in the early 1940s, he also majored in theatre at the

University of Kansas The University of Kansas (KU) is a public research university with its main campus in Lawrence, Kansas, United States, and several satellite campuses, research and educational centers, medical centers, and classes across the state of Kansas. Tw ...

at Lawrence."Alexis and Craig Stevens Performing Arts Scholarship"
Department of Theatre, website of The University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas; retrieved October 12, 2017.

Acting career

Early roles

Acting with the university's drama club prompted him to halt his studies to audition in the

Hollywood Hollywood usually refers to: * Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California * Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States Hollywood may also refer to: Places United States * Hollywood District (disambiguation) * Hollywoo ...

film industry. Under the name Michael Gale (a play on his first name), his first screen role was a sailor in ''

Coast Guard A coast guard or coastguard is a Maritime Security Regimes, maritime security organization of a particular country. The term embraces wide range of responsibilities in different countries, from being a heavily armed military force with cust ...

'' (1939). After his debut in a small role in 1939, he adopted the

stage name A stage name is a pseudonym used by performers and entertainers—such as actors, comedians, singers, and musicians. Such professional aliases are adopted for a wide variety of reasons and they may be similar, or nearly identical, to an individu ...

Craig Stevens. For the next period of his film career, he played mainly secondary parts. He could be glimpsed in ''

Mr. Smith Goes to Washington ''Mr. Smith Goes to Washington'' is a 1939 American Political drama, political Comedy drama, comedy-drama film directed by Frank Capra, starring Jean Arthur and James Stewart, and featuring Claude Rains and Edward Arnold (actor), Edward Arnold. ...

'' (1939); ''

Alice in Movieland Alice may refer to: * Alice (name), most often a feminine given name, but also used as a surname Literature * Alice (''Alice's Adventures in Wonderland''), a character in books by Lewis Carroll * ''Alice'' series, children's and teen books by ...

'' (1940), a short at Warner Bros; ''

Those Were the Days! ''Those Were the Days!'' is a 1940 comedy film directed by Theodore Reed and starring William Holden and Bonita Granville.

'' (1940); '' Argentine Nights'' (1940); '' Lady with Red Hair'' (1940) at Warners; and ''

I Wanted Wings ''I Wanted Wings'' is a 1941 American drama film directed by Mitchell Leisen and based on a book by Lieutenant Beirne Lay Jr. The film stars Ray Milland and William Holden. The supporting cast includes Wayne Morris (American actor), Wayne Morris ...

'' (1941), at Paramount.

WWII service

During World War II he served in the

United States Army Air Corps The United States Army Air Corps (USAAC) was the aerial warfare service component of the United States Army between 1926 and 1941. After World War I, as early aviation became an increasingly important part of modern warfare, a philosophical ri ...

' First Motion Picture Unit based in

Culver City, California Culver City is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 40,779. Founded in 1917 as a "whites only" sundown town, it is now an ethnically diverse city with what was called the "third-most ...

acting in propaganda and training films. That unit came to be known as "The Culver City Commandos".

Warner Bros

Stevens signed a contract with Warner Bros. They put him in '' Affectionately Yours'' (1941), then in ''

Dive Bomber A dive bomber is a bomber aircraft that Dive (aviation), dives directly at its targets in order to provide greater accuracy for the Aerial bomb, bomb it drops. Diving towards the target simplifies the bomb's trajectory and allows the pilot to ...

'' (1941); the latter starred his future wife Alexis Smith, although they shared no scenes in the film."Craig Stevens, the Suave Star Of 'Peter Gunn,' Dies at 81"
obituary, ''The New York Times,'' May 13, 2000; retrieved October 11, 2017. Stevens had a support role in '' Law of the Tropics'' (1941) and the lead in a short, ''At the Stroke of Twelve'' (1941). He was in '' The Body Disappears'' (1941) and was third billed in '' Steel Against the Sky'' (1941), with Smith top billed. Stevens' first lead in a feature was '' Spy Ship'' (1942), a B movie. He followed it with leads in two other "B"s, '' Secret Enemies'' (1942), and '' The Hidden Hand'' (1942). He and Alexis Smith married June 18, 1944. He appeared in films like ''Three Cadets'' (1943), ''Learn and Live'' (1944), and '' Resisting Enemy Interrogation'' (1944). He also appeared in the training film ''How to Fly the B-26 Airplane'' (1944). Stevens had a small role in '' Since You Went Away'' (1944) for

David O. Selznick David O. Selznick (May 10, 1902June 22, 1965) was an American film producer, screenwriter and film studio executive who produced ''Gone with the Wind'' (1939) and ''Rebecca'' (1940), both of which earned him an Academy Award for Best Picture. E ...

and '' The Doughgirls'' (1944) for Warners. He played himself in Warners' ''

Hollywood Canteen The Hollywood Canteen operated at 1451 Cahuenga Boulevard in the Los Angeles, California, neighborhood of Hollywood between October 3, 1942, and November 22, 1945 (Thanksgiving Day), as a club offering food, dancing and entertainment for servi ...

'' (1944) and had the lead in ''

Plantation Melodies A plantation is an agricultural estate, generally centered on a plantation house, meant for farming that specializes in cash crops, usually mainly planted with a single crop, with perhaps ancillary areas for vegetables for eating and so on. Th ...

'' (1945) playing

Stephen Foster Stephen Collins Foster (July 4, 1826January 13, 1864), known also as "the father of American music", was an American composer known primarily for his parlour and minstrel music during the Romantic period. He wrote more than 200 songs, inclu ...

. Stevens had support roles in '' Too Young to Know'' (1945), '' God Is My Co-Pilot'' (1945), '' Humoresque'' (1946), '' The Man I Love'' (1946), ''

That Way with Women ''That Way with Women'' is a 1947 American comedy film directed by Frederick de Cordova, written by Leo Townsend and Francis Swann, and starring Dane Clark, Martha Vickers, Sydney Greenstreet, Alan Hale, Sr., Craig Stevens and Barbara Brown. It ...

'' (1947), '' Love and Learn'' (1947), '' Night Unto Night'' (1948), and '' The Lady Takes a Sailor'' (1949).

Post-Warners

Stevens appeared on an episode of ''

The Lone Ranger The Lone Ranger is a fictional masked former Texas Ranger who fought outlaws in the American Old West with his Native American friend Tonto. The character has been called an enduring icon of American culture. He first appeared in 1933 in ...

'', then had support parts in '' Where the Sidewalk Ends'' (1950), ''

Blues Busters ''Blues Busters'' is a 1950 comedy film directed by William Beaudine and starring The Bowery Boys. The film was released on October 29, 1950 by Monogram Pictures and is the twentieth film in the series. Plot Sach develops an uncanny ability to ...

'' (1950), ''

Katie Did It ''Katie Did It'' is a 1951 American romantic comedy film directed by Frederick De Cordova and starring Ann Blyth, Mark Stevens and Cecil Kellaway.Stephens p.63 A small town girl falls in love with a big city artist, but mistakenly believes he al ...

'' (1951) and ''

The Lady from Texas ''The Lady from Texas'' is a 1951 American comedy Western film directed by Joseph Pevney and starring Howard Duff, Mona Freeman and Josephine Hull. Plot A ranch cook and a cowboy save a poor old Civil War widow from a land grabber in the Old W ...

'' (1951). Stevens guested on shows like '' Stars Over Hollywood'', '' The Bigelow Theatre'' and ''

Hollywood Opening Night ''Hollywood Opening Night'' is an American anthology television program that was broadcast on CBS in 1951-1952 and on NBC in 1952-1953. The NBC version was the first dramatic anthology presented live from the West Coast. Episodes were 30 minutes l ...

'' as well as appearing in films like '' Drums in the Deep South'' (1951) and ''

Phone Call from a Stranger ''Phone Call from a Stranger'' is a 1952 American film noir drama film directed by Jean Negulesco from a screenplay by Nunnally Johnson, based on the 1950 novelette of the same name by I. A. R. Wylie. The film centers on the survivor of an aircr ...

'' (1951). Increasingly Stevens was focused on TV: '' The Unexpected'', '' Gruen Guild Theater'', ''

Fireside Theatre ''Fireside Theatre'' (also known as ''Jane Wyman Presents'') is an American anthology drama series that ran on NBC from 1949 to 1958, and was the first successful filmed series on American television. Productions were low-budget and often ba ...

'', and '' Chevron Theatre''. Stevens had a lead role in the low budget '' Murder Without Tears'' (1953) and was the romantic male lead in ''

Abbott and Costello Meet Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde ''Abbott and Costello Meet Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde'' is a 1953 American horror comedy film starring the comedy team of Abbott and Costello, co-starring Boris Karloff, and directed by Charles Lamont.Furmanek and Palumbo Inspired by the 1886 nov ...

'' (1953). He was down to support in '' The French Line'' (1953) and '' Duel on the Mississippi'' (1955). Stevens was in '' The Revlon Mirror Theater'', '' The Lineup'', '' The Star and the Story'', ''

The Eddie Cantor Comedy Theater ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...

'', ''

Private Secretary A private secretary (PS) is a civil servant in a governmental department or ministry, responsible to a secretary of state or minister; or a public servant in a royal household, responsible to a member of the royal family. The role exists in t ...

'', '' The Pepsi-Cola Playhouse'', ''

The Whistler ''The Whistler'' is an American radio mystery drama which ran from May 16, 1942, until September 22, 1955, on the west-coast regional CBS radio network. The show was also broadcast in Chicago and over Armed Forces Radio. On the west coast, it ...

'', '' The Millionaire'', ''

Science Fiction Theatre ''Science Fiction Theatre'' was an American science fiction anthology television series that was produced by Ivan Tors and Maurice Ziv and originally aired in syndication. It premiered on April 9, 1955 and ended on April 6, 1957, with a total ...

'', ''

Matinee Theatre ''Matinee Theater'' is an American anthology series that aired on NBC during the Golden Age of Television, from October 31, 1955, to June 27, 1958. Its name is often seen as ''Matinee Theatre''. The series, which ran daily from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. ...

'', ''

Four Star Playhouse ''Four Star Playhouse'' is an American anthology series that ran from 1952 to 1956. Four Star Playhouse was owned by Four Star International. Its episodes ranged anywhere from surreal mysteries, such as "The Man on the Train", to light comedie ...

'', '' Chevron Hall of Stars'', '' The Ford Television Theatre'', ''

Jane Wyman Presents The Fireside Theatre ''Fireside Theatre'' (also known as ''Jane Wyman Presents'') is an American anthology drama series that ran on NBC from 1949 to 1958, and was the first successful filmed series on American television. Productions were low-budget and often bas ...

'', '' The Gale Storm Show: Oh! Susanna'', ''

Mr. Adams and Eve ''Mr. Adams and Eve'' is an American situation comedy television series about a married couple who are both movie stars. It stars Howard Duff and Ida Lupino (who were actually married at the time) and aired on CBS from January 4, 1957, to July ...

'', '' The Silent Service'', ''

Lux Video Theatre ''Lux Video Theatre'' is an American television anthology series that was produced from 1950 until 1957. The series presented both comedy and drama in original teleplays, as well as abridged adaptations of films and plays. Overview The ''Lux Vi ...

'', ''

Studio 57 ''Studio 57'' (also known as ''Heinz Studio 57'') is an American anthology series that was broadcast on the now-defunct DuMont Television Network from September 1954 to July 1955, and in syndication from 1955 to 1958. " It's a Small World", the ...

'', ''

Alfred Hitchcock Presents ''Alfred Hitchcock Presents'' is an American television anthology series created, hosted and produced by Alfred Hitchcock, aired on CBS and NBC between 1955 and 1965. It features dramas, thrillers and mysteries. Between 1962 and 1965 it was r ...

'', ''

The Loretta Young Show ''The Loretta Young Show'' (originally known as ''Letter to Loretta'') is an American anthology drama television series broadcast on Sunday nights from September 2, 1953, to June 4, 1961, on NBC for a total of 165 episodes. The series was hoste ...

'', '' Schlitz Playhouse'', and ''

State Trooper State police, provincial police or regional police are a type of sub-national territorial police force found in nations organized as federations, typically in North America, South Asia, and Oceania. These forces typically have jurisdiction ...

''. On October 29, 1954, Stevens guest-starred on the 1953–1955 ABC

sitcom A sitcom, a Portmanteau, portmanteau of situation comedy, or situational comedy, is a genre of comedy centered on a fixed set of characters who mostly carry over from episode to episode. Sitcoms can be contrasted with sketch comedy, where a troup ...

with a

variety show Variety show, also known as variety arts or variety entertainment, is entertainment made up of a variety of acts including musical performances, sketch comedy, magic, acrobatics, juggling, and ventriloquism. It is normally introduced by a com ...

theme, ''

The Ray Bolger Show ''Where's Raymond?'' is an American sitcom that aired on American Broadcasting Company, ABC, starring Ray Bolger. The series aired from October 1953 to April 22, 1955. The series' title was spurred by Bolger's Broadway (theatre), Broadway stage h ...

''.

Ray Bolger Raymond Wallace Bolger (January 10, 1904 – January 15, 1987) was an American actor, dancer, singer, vaudevillian and stage performer (particularly musical theatre) who started in the silent-film era. Bolger was a major Broadway performer in ...

portrayed Raymond Wallace, a song-and-dance man who repeatedly arrived for his performances barely on time. Stevens portrayed a novelist interested in Ray's girlfriend, Susan, played by Marjie Millar. In 1956, Stevens and Smith toured the country in a musical ''Plain and Fancy''. They later appeared in ''King of Hearts''. Stevens had the lead in the sci-fi classic '' The Deadly Mantis'' (1957) and was second billed in ''

Buchanan Rides Alone ''Buchanan Rides Alone'' is a 1958 American Western film directed by Budd Boetticher and starring Randolph Scott, Craig Stevens, and Barry Kelley. Based on the 1956 novel ''The Name's Buchanan'' by Jonas Ward, the film is about a Texan return ...

'' (1958).

''Peter Gunn''

In 1958, after 19 years working in films, Stevens gained national prominence for his starring role in the

private detective A private investigator (often abbreviated to PI and informally called a private eye), a private detective, or inquiry agent is a person who can be hired by individuals or groups to undertake investigatory law services. Private investigators of ...

series ''

'', which ran on

NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American English-language commercial broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast, its headquarters ...

from September 1958 to September 1960 and then moved to ABC, where it continued for another year. The series was produced by

Blake Edwards Blake Edwards (born William Blake Crump; July 26, 1922 – December 15, 2010) was an American film director, producer, screenwriter and actor. Edwards began his career in the 1940s as an actor, but he soon began writing screenplays and radio s ...

, who also wrote and directed many of the episodes. The iconic theme music for the series was composed by

Henry Mancini Henry Mancini ( ; born Enrico Nicola Mancini, ; April 16, 1924 – June 14, 1994) was an American composer, conductor, arranger, pianist and flautist. Often cited as one of the greatest composers in the history of film, he won four Academy Award ...

. On May 7, 1959, Stevens was a guest star on the NBC variety series '' The Ford Show, Starring Tennessee Ernie Ford.'' He and

Tennessee Ernie Ford Ernest Jennings Ford (February 13, 1919 – October 17, 1991), known professionally as Tennessee Ernie Ford, was an American singer and television host who enjoyed success in the country and western, pop, and gospel musical genres. Noted for ...

did a comedy skit based on ''Peter Gunn.'' He sang on '' The Dinah Shore Chevy Show'' with

Dinah Shore Dinah Shore (born Frances Rose Shore; February 29, 1916 – February 24, 1994) was an American singer, actress, and television personality, and the top-charting female vocalist of the 1940s. She rose to prominence as a recording artist during ...

. During the run of ''Peter Gunn'' Stevens guest starred on '' Special Agent 7'', '' The Dinah Shore Chevy Show'', and ''

The Chevy Show ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things that are already or about to be mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in ...

''. He shot a pilot called ''The Mighty O'' that was not picked up in 1961. After the show ended he and Smith toured in a 13-week run of '' Critic's Choice'' from 1961-62.Teamwork Sets the Stage for Partnership, By Elizabeth Shelton, Washington Post Staff Writer. The Washington Post and Times-Herald 25 Aug 1965: E3.

''Man of the World'' and ''Mr Broadway''

After ''Peter Gunn'' ended, Stevens was called on by Sir

Lew Grade Lew Grade, Baron Grade, (born Lev Winogradsky; 25 December 1906 – 13 December 1998) was a British media proprietor and impresario. Originally a dancer, and later a talent agent, Grade's interest in television production began in 1954 ...

of ITV to move to

London, England London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a major s ...

, to play the lead role in the television series '' Man of the World'' in 1962. During 1963-64, he appeared in the Broadway musical ''

Here's Love ''Here's Love'' is a musical with a book, music, and lyrics by Meredith Willson. Based on the 1947 film ''Miracle on 34th Street'', it tells the tale of a skeptical young girl who doubts the existence of Santa Claus. When the real Kris Kringle ...

'', which ran for 334 performances. In 1964, Stevens followed this series with ''

Mr. Broadway Mr. Broadway may refer to: * ''Mr. Broadway'' (TV series), an American adventure and drama television series * ''Mr. Broadway'' (film), a 1933 American pre-Code comedy film * '' Mr. Broadway: Tony's Greatest Broadway Hits'', a 1962 album by T ...

'', the 13-week CBS

drama Drama is the specific Mode (literature), mode of fiction Mimesis, represented in performance: a Play (theatre), play, opera, mime, ballet, etc., performed in a theatre, or on Radio drama, radio or television.Elam (1980, 98). Considered as a g ...

in which he starred as Mike Bell, a

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the U ...

public relations Public relations (PR) is the practice of managing and disseminating information from an individual or an organization (such as a business, government agency, or a nonprofit organization) to the public in order to influence their perception. ...

specialist. Horace McMahon played his assistant and police contact, Hank McClure. The series was produced by

David Susskind David Howard Susskind (December 19, 1920 – February 22, 1987) was an American producer of TV, movies, and stage plays and also a TV talk show host. His talk shows were innovative in the genre and addressed timely, controversial topics beyond th ...

. In 1965, he and Smith toured on stage once more in a production of '' Mary, Mary''. Stevens and Blake Edwards brought ''Peter Gunn'' to the big screen in 1967 with the

feature film A feature film or feature-length film is a narrative film (motion picture or "movie") with a running time long enough to be considered the principal or sole presentation in a commercial entertainment program. The term ''feature film'' originall ...

'' Gunn''. Though advertised as "''Gunn-Number One''", no sequels followed.

TV guest star

Stevens shot an unsold pilot ''The Best Years'', and guest starred on several television series including ''

The Name of the Game Name of the Game may refer to: Television * ''The Name of the Game'' (TV series), a 1968–1971 American drama ** ''Fame Is the Name of the Game'', a 1966 American television film and pilot for the series * "The Name of the Game" (''Grey's Anato ...

''; '' The Bold Ones: The Lawyers''; '' McCloud''; '' My World and Welcome to It''; '' The Governor & J.J.''; ''

My Three Sons ''My Three Sons'' is an American television sitcom that aired from September 29, 1960, to April 13, 1972. The series was broadcast on ABC during its first five seasons, before moving to CBS for the remaining seasons. ''My Three Sons'' chroni ...

''; '' To Rome with Love''; '' Bracken's World''; '' The Virginian''; ''

Gunsmoke ''Gunsmoke'' is an American radio and television Western drama series created by director Norman Macdonnell and writer John Meston. It centers on Dodge City, Kansas, in the 1870s, during the settlement of the American West. The central chara ...

''; '' Marcus Welby, M.D.''; ''

Alias Smith and Jones ''Alias Smith and Jones'' is an American Western series that originally aired on ABC from January 1971 to January 1973. The show initially starred Pete Duel as Hannibal Heyes and Ben Murphy as Jedediah "Kid" Curry, outlaw cousins who are tr ...

''; ''

Medical Center Medical center or medical centre may refer to: Medical care * A collection of medical services on the same site, such as the services of a general practitioner, pharmacist, pathology, radiology, dentist etc. * Clinic * Hospital * Academic medic ...

''; ''

Owen Marshall, Counselor at Law ''Owen Marshall, Counselor at Law'' is an American legal drama, jointly created by David Victor and former law professor Jerry McNeely, that starred Arthur Hill (Canadian actor), Arthur Hill. The series was broadcast on American Broadcasting Com ...

''; ''

The Rookies ''The Rookies'' is an American police procedural series that aired on ABC from 1972 until 1976. It follows the exploits of three rookie police officers working in an unidentified city for the fictitious Southern California Police Department (SC ...

''; ''

Here's Lucy ''Here's Lucy'' is an American sitcom starring Lucille Ball. The series co-starred her long-time comedy partner Gale Gordon and her real-life children Lucie Arnaz and Desi Arnaz Jr. It was broadcast on CBS from 1968 to 1974. It was Ball's thi ...

''; ''

Love, American Style ''Love, American Style'' is an anthology comedy television series that aired on ABC from 1969 to 1974. The series was produced by Paramount Television. During the 1971–72 and 1972–73 seasons, it was a part of ABC's Friday primetime lineup ...

''; ''

The Snoop Sisters ''The Snoop Sisters'' is an American comedy-mystery television show that aired on NBC during the 1973–1974 season, airing on a monthly rotation (referred to as a "wheel") as part of the '' NBC Wednesday Mystery Movie'', sharing the timeslot with ...

''; ''

Circle of Fear ''Ghost Story'' was an American television horror anthology series that aired for one season on NBC from 1972 to 1973. Executive-produced by William Castle, ''Ghost Story'' featured supernatural entities such as ghosts, vampires, and witches. The ...

''; ''

Search Searching or search may refer to: Computing technology * Search algorithm, including keyword search ** :Search algorithms * Search and optimization for problem solving in artificial intelligence * Search engine technology, software for findi ...

''; ''

Faraday and Company ''Faraday & Company'' is an American crime drama television series that was part of the ''NBC Mystery Movie''. It lasted for only four episodes, which were rotated with ''Banacek'', ''The Snoop Sisters'', and ''Tenafly'' on Wednesday nights from 8 ...

''; and '' Chase''. He later starred as Professor Higgins in a national touring production of ''

My Fair Lady ''My Fair Lady'' is a musical theatre, musical based on George Bernard Shaw's 1913 play ''Pygmalion (play), Pygmalion'', with a book and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner and music by Frederick Loewe. The story concerns Eliza Doolittle, a Cockney flowe ...

'' with

Jane Powell Jane Powell (born Suzanne Lorraine Burce; April 1, 1929 – September 16, 2021) was an American actress, singer, and dancer who first appeared in Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer musicals in the 1940s and 50s. With her soprano voice and girl-next-door ima ...

. He also made lengthy national tours in '' Cactus Flower'', co-starring again with his wife.

''The Invisible Man'' and later career

Stevens co-starred with

David McCallum David Keith McCallum Jr. (born 19 September 1933) is a Scottish actor and musician. He first gained recognition in the 1960s for playing secret agent Illya Kuryakin in the television series '' The Man from U.N.C.L.E''. In recent years, McCall ...

in ''

The Invisible Man ''The Invisible Man'' is a science fiction novel by H. G. Wells. Originally serialized in '' Pearson's Weekly'' in 1897, it was published as a novel the same year. The Invisible Man to whom the title refers is Griffin, a scientist who has devo ...

'' for a single season on NBC during 1975-1976. After the series ended, he guest starred on ''

Starsky and Hutch ''Starsky & Hutch'' is an American action television series, which consisted of a 72-minute pilot movie (originally aired as a '' Movie of the Week'' entry) and 92 episodes of 50 minutes each. The show was created by William Blinn (inspired by ...

'', '' Gibbsville'', ''

Police Woman The integration of women into law enforcement positions can be considered a large social change. A century ago, there were few jobs open to women in law enforcement. A small number of women worked as correctional officers, and their assignment ...

'', and ''

Project U.F.O. ''Project U.F.O.'' is an American television series which ran on NBC from 1978 to 1979. Running for two seasons of 13 episodes each, the show was based loosely on the real-life Project Blue Book. The show was created by Jack Webb, who pored throu ...

''. He had a role in ''

Secrets of Three Hungry Wives ''Secrets of Three Hungry Wives'' is a 1978 American television thriller film directed by Gordon Hessler, and starring Jessica Walter, Gretchen Corbett, Eve Plumb, and Heather MacRae. It was one of the later scripts written by Jo Heims prior to her ...

'' (1978) and could be seen on ''

The Incredible Hulk The Hulk is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in the debut issue of '' The Incredible Hulk'' (May 1962). In his comic book ...

''; '' Flying High''; ''

The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries ''The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries'' (re-titled ''The Hardy Boys'' for season three) is an American television mystery series based on the ''Hardy Boys'' and ''Nancy Drew'' juvenile novels. The series, which ran from January 30, 1977, to Janu ...

''; ''

David Cassidy - Man Undercover ''David Cassidy: Man Undercover'' (the word "undercover" in the series title appeared at various times written as one word or two) is an American police drama starring David Cassidy, four years after his run starring in ''The Partridge Family'', ...

''; '' B.J. and the Bear''; ''

Dallas Dallas () is the List of municipalities in Texas, third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of metropolitan statistical areas, fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 ...

''; '' The Tony Randall Show''; '' Quincy, M.E.''; ''

Happy Days ''Happy Days'' is an American television sitcom that aired first-run on the ABC network from January 15, 1974, to July 19, 1984, with a total of 255 half-hour episodes spanning 11 seasons. Created by Garry Marshall, it was one of the most su ...

''; ''

Fantasy Island ''Fantasy Island'' is an American fantasy drama television series created by Gene Levitt. It aired on ABC from 1977 to 1984. The series starred Ricardo Montalbán as the mysterious Mr. Roarke and Hervé Villechaize as his assistant, Tattoo ...

''; ''

Hotel A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. Facilities provided inside a hotel room may range from a modest-quality mattress in a small room to large suites with bigger, higher-quality beds, a dresser, a ref ...

''; ''

The Love Boat ''The Love Boat'' is an American romantic comedy/drama television series that aired on ABC from 1977 to 1986; in addition, four three-hour specials aired in 1986, 1987, and 1990. The series was set on the luxury passenger cruise ship MS ''Pa ...

''; ''

Murder, She Wrote ''Murder, She Wrote'' is an American crime drama television series, created by Peter S. Fischer, Richard Levinson and William Link, starring Angela Lansbury, and produced and distributed by Universal Television for the CBS network. The ser ...

''; and ''

Supercarrier An aircraft carrier is a warship that serves as a seagoing airbase, equipped with a full-length flight deck and facilities for carrying, arming, deploying, and recovering aircraft. Typically, it is the capital ship of a fleet, as it allows a ...

''. Stevens reunited with director

in the comedy film '' S.O.B.'' (1981). He also appeared in '' La truite'' (1982) directed by

Joseph Losey Joseph Walton Losey III (; January 14, 1909 – June 22, 1984) was an American theatre and film director, producer, and screenwriter. Born in Wisconsin, he studied in Germany with Bertolt Brecht and then returned to the United States. Blacklisted ...

and the TV movie ''Condor'' (1985). Stevens' final acting appearance was in the TV movie ''Marcus Welby, M.D.: A Holiday Affair'' (1988)

Personal life

On June 18, 1944, Stevens married actress Alexis Smith at the Church of the Recessional, Forest Lawn. They were married for 49 years, until her death in 1993. They had no children. Stevens died of

cancer Cancer is a group of diseases involving abnormal cell growth with the potential to invade or spread to other parts of the body. These contrast with benign tumors, which do not spread. Possible signs and symptoms include a lump, abnormal bl ...

Cedars-Sinai Medical Center Cedars-Sinai Medical Center is a nonprofit, tertiary, 886-bed teaching hospital and multi-specialty academic health science center located in Los Angeles, California. Part of the Cedars-Sinai Health System, the hospital employs a staff of over 2, ...

Los Angeles, California Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the wo ...

, on May 10, 2000, at the age of 81.

Legacy

The year after Stevens’ death funds were granted by his estate to the

to endow the Alexis and Craig Stevens Performing Arts Scholarship in the school's theatre department. The scholarship provides financial aid to undergraduate and graduate students who are studying theatre. His physical features and performance in the TV series ''Peter Gunn'' were the inspiration for the Dutch comics character '' Agent 327'' by Martin Lodewijk. He was also the inspiration for the cartoon character Sterling Archer.

Partial filmography

* ''

'' (1939) - Sailor (uncredited) * ''

'' (1939) - Senate Reporter (uncredited) * ''

Those Were the Days! ''Those Were the Days!'' is a 1940 comedy film directed by Theodore Reed and starring William Holden and Bonita Granville.

'' (1940) - Second Passenger (uncredited) * '' Argentine Nights'' (1940) - Gaucho (uncredited) * '' Lady with Red Hair'' (1940) - Bit Role (uncredited) * ''

'' (1941) - Corporal (uncredited) * '' Affectionately Yours'' (1941, unbilled) - Airline Official Talking to Ricky in Ambulance (uncredited) * ''

'' (1941) - John Thomas Anthony * '' Law of the Tropics'' (1941) - Alfred King, Jr. * '' The Body Disappears'' (1941) - Robert Struck * '' Steel Against the Sky'' (1941) - Chuck Evans * '' Spy Ship'' (1942) - Ward Prescott * '' Secret Enemies'' (1942) - Carl Edward Becker * '' The Hidden Hand'' (1942) - Peter Thorne * ''Learn and Live'' (1943) - Bob (uncredited) * '' Since You Went Away'' (1944) - Danny Williams * '' Resisting Enemy Interrogation'' (1944) - B-26 Pilot (uncredited) * '' The Doughgirls'' (1944) - Craig Stevens * ''

'' (1944) - Craig Stevens * ''

Roughly Speaking ''Roughly Speaking'' is the sixteenth studio album by the Canadian rock band April Wine, released in November 2006. The album was recorded without computerized modern digital recording techniques. Instead, the group employed the same type of au ...

'' (1945) - Jack Leslie (uncredited) * '' God Is My Co-Pilot'' (1945) - Ed Rector * '' Too Young to Know'' (1945) - Major Bruce * '' Humoresque'' (1946) - Monte Loeffler * '' The Man I Love'' (1947) - Bandleader * ''

'' (1947) - Carter Andrews * '' Love and Learn'' (1947) - Willard Deckerr * '' Night Unto Night'' (1949) - Tony Maddox * '' The Lady Takes a Sailor'' (1949) - Danvers (uncredited) * '' Where the Sidewalk Ends'' (1950) - Ken Paine * ''

'' (1950) - Rick Martin * ''

'' (1951) - Stuart Grumby * ''

'' (1951) - Cyril Guthrie * '' Drums in the Deep South'' (1951) - Col. Braxton Summers * ''

'' (1952) - Mike Carr * '' Murder Without Tears'' (1953) - Detective Sergeant Steve O'Malley * ''

'' (1953) - Bruce Adams * '' The French Line'' (1953) - Phil Barton * '' Duel on the Mississippi'' (1955) - René LaFarge * ''From the Desk of Margaret Tyding'' (1956) * '' The Deadly Mantis'' (1957) - Col. Joe Parkman * ''

'' (1958) - Abe Carbo * '' Gunn'' (1967) - Peter Gunn * '' The Limbo Line'' (1968) - Richard Manston * '' The Elevator'' (1974) - Dr. Stuart Reynolds * '' Killer Bees'' (1974) - Rudolf van Bohlen * '' S.O.B.'' (1981) - Willard * '' The Trout'' (1982) - Carter

References

Sources

* Maltin, Leonard (1994). "Alexis Smith". ''Leonard Maltin's Movie Encyclopedia'', New York: Dutton, 1994. .

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Stevens, Craig 1918 births 2000 deaths 20th-century American male actors American male film actors American male television actors Deaths from cancer in California First Motion Picture Unit personnel People from Liberty, Missouri People from Greater Los Angeles Warner Bros. contract players