Louis Stevens (December 25, 1896 – September 29, 1963) was an American screenwriter of the silent and

sound film A sound film is a Film, motion picture with synchronization, synchronized sound, or sound technologically coupled to image, as opposed to a silent film. The first known public exhibition of projected sound films took place in Paris in 1900, bu ...

eras. Born on Christmas Day 1896 in

Riga Riga ( ) is the capital, Primate city, primate, and List of cities and towns in Latvia, largest city of Latvia. Home to 591,882 inhabitants (as of 2025), the city accounts for a third of Latvia's total population. The population of Riga Planni ...

Governorate of Livonia The Governorate of Livonia, also known as the Livonia Governorate, was a province (''guberniya'') and one of the Baltic governorates of the Russian Empire, Baltic Governorate-General until 1876. Governorate of Livonia bordered Governorate of E ...

, Russian Empire, Stevens entered the film industry in 1920 when he co-wrote the silent film ''A World of Folly'', with Jane Grogan. In his over 30-year career he worked on over 40 screenplays, as well as several film shorts and two television series. Among his more notable films were: contributing to the script of the 1931 version of ''

Dracula ''Dracula'' is an 1897 Gothic fiction, Gothic horror fiction, horror novel by Irish author Bram Stoker. The narrative is Epistolary novel, related through letters, diary entries, and newspaper articles. It has no single protagonist and opens ...

'', starring

Bela Lugosi Blaskó Béla Ferenc Dezső (; October 20, 1882 – August 16, 1956), better known by the stage name Bela Lugosi ( ; ), was a Hungarian–American actor. He was best remembered for portraying Count Dracula in the horror film classic Dracula (19 ...

; co-writing the story for

What Price Hollywood? ''What Price Hollywood?'' is a 1932 American pre-Code drama film directed by George Cukor and starring Constance Bennett with Lowell Sherman. The screenplay by Gene Fowler, Rowland Brown, Jane Murfin and Ben Markson is based on a story by ...

(1932); the screenplay for the 1940 western, ''

Colorado Colorado is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States. It is one of the Mountain states, sharing the Four Corners region with Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah. It is also bordered by Wyoming to the north, Nebraska to the northeast, Kansas ...

'', directed by

Joseph Kane Jasper Joseph Inman Kane (March 19, 1894, San Diego – August 25, 1975, Santa Monica, California) was an American film director, film producer, film editor and screenwriter. He is best known for his extensive directorship and focus on Western ...

, and starring

Roy Rogers Roy Rogers (born Leonard Franklin Slye; November 5, 1911 – July 6, 1998), nicknamed the King of the Cowboys, was an American singer, actor, television host, and Rodeo, rodeo performer. Following early work under his given name, first as a c ...

; the story for '' Streets of Laredo'' (1949), starring

William Holden William Franklin Holden (né Beedle Jr.; April 17, 1918 – November 12, 1981) was an American actor and one of the biggest box-office draws of the 1950s. He won the Academy Award for Best Actor for the film '' Stalag 17'' (1953) and the Pri ...

Macdonald Carey Edward Macdonald Carey (March 15, 1913 – March 21, 1994) was an American actor, best known for his role as the patriarch Dr. Tom Horton on NBC's soap opera '' Days of Our Lives''. For almost three decades, he was the show's central cast membe ...

and

William Bendix William Bendix (January 14, 1906 – December 14, 1964) was an American film, radio, and television actor, known for his portrayals of rough, blue-collar characters. He gained significant recognition for his role in ''Wake Island'', for wh ...

; 1951's ''

The Cimarron Kid ''The Cimarron Kid'' is a 1952 American western film directed by Budd Boetticher and starring Audie Murphy, Beverly Tyler and Yvette Duguay. It was produced and distributed by Universal Pictures. Plot Bill Doolin (Audie Murphy) is released f ...

'', starring

Audie Murphy Audie Leon Murphy (20 June 1925 – 28 May 1971) was an American soldier, actor, and songwriter. He was widely celebrated as the most decorated American combat soldier of World War II, and has been described as the most highly decorated enli ...

; and ''

Horizons West ''Horizons West'' is a 1952 American Western film directed by Budd Boetticher and starring Robert Ryan, Julia Adams and Rock Hudson Rock Hudson (born Roy Harold Scherer Jr.; November 17, 1925 – October 2, 1985) was an American actor. On ...

'' (1952), starring

Robert Ryan Robert Bushnell Ryan (November 11, 1909 – July 11, 1973) was an American actor and activist. Known for his portrayals of hardened cops and ruthless villains, Ryan performed for over three decades. He was nominated for the Academy Award for B ...

Julie Adams Julie Adams (born Betty May Adams; October 17, 1926 – February 3, 2019) was an American actress, billed as Julia Adams in her early career, primarily known for her numerous television guest roles. She starred in a number of films in the 1 ...

, and

Rock Hudson Rock Hudson (born Roy Harold Scherer Jr.; November 17, 1925 – October 2, 1985) was an American actor. One of the most popular film stars of his time, he had a screen career spanning more than three decades, and was a prominent figure in the G ...

. Stevens' final screenplay was for ''

Flaming Frontier ''Flaming Frontier'' is a 1958 Canadian-American Western film produced and directed by Sam Newfield in his final credited feature film, from a screenplay by Louis Stevens. Produced by Regal Pictures in Canada, where Newfield was shooting his ...

'' in 1958, although he did some work on additional dialogue for the 1959 film, ''

Desert Desperadoes ''Desert Desperadoes'' () is a 1959 American/Italian Biblical drama film directed by Steve Sekely from an original screenplay by Victor Stoloff and Robert Hill. Co-produced by the Italian company Venturini Express and the American studio Nasht P ...

''. Stevens also wrote several television episodes, one for ''

Cheyenne The Cheyenne ( ) are an Indigenous people of the Great Plains. The Cheyenne comprise two Native American tribes, the Só'taeo'o or Só'taétaneo'o (more commonly spelled as Suhtai or Sutaio) and the (also spelled Tsitsistas, The term for th ...

'', and two for ''

Hawkeye and the Last of the Mohicans ''The Last of the Mohicans'', later retitled ''Hawkeye and the Last of the Mohicans'', is a 1957 historical drama television series made for Television syndication, syndication by ITC Entertainment and Normandie Productions. It ran for one season ...

'', all in 1957. Stevens died on September 29, 1963, at the age of 66, in Hollywood, California.

Filmography

(Per

AFI AFI may refer to: * Actual flip-angle imaging, a type of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) * ''Address-family identifier'', a 16 bit field of the Routing Information Protocol * AFI (band), an American rock band ** ''AFI'' (2017 album), the tenth ...

database) * ''A World of Folly'', screenplay (1920) * ''

The Bronze Bell ''The Bronze Bell'' is a 1921 American silent drama film directed by James W. Horne and written by Del Andrews and Louis Stevens based upon a novel by Louis Joseph Vance. The film stars Courtenay Foote, Doris May, John Davidson, Claire Du B ...

'', screenplay (1921) * ''

The Home Stretch ''The Home Stretch'' is a surviving 1921 American silent drama film directed by Jack Nelson and written by Louis Stevens. The film stars Douglas MacLean, Beatrice Burnham, Walt Whitman, Margaret Livingston, Wade Boteler, Mary Jane Irving, ...

'', screenplay (1921) * ''Dollar Devils'', screenplay (1923) * ''

The Ne'er-Do-Well ''The Ne'er-Do-Well'' is a 1923 American comedy silent film directed by Alfred E. Green. The film stars Thomas Meighan, Lila Lee, Gertrude Astor, John Miltern, Gus Weinberg, and Sidney Smith. The screenplay by Rex Beach and Louis Steven ...

'', screenplay (1923) * ''

Babe Comes Home ''Babe Comes Home'' is a 1927 American silent sports comedy film produced and distributed through First National and directed by Ted Wilde. The film is a baseball-styled sports film centering on Babe Ruth and Anna Q. Nilsson and was based on t ...

'', screenplay (1927) * '' Easy Pickings'', screenplay (1927) *''

United States Smith ''United States Smith'' is a 1928 American silent drama film directed by Joseph Henabery and starring Eddie Gribbon, Lila Lee and Kenneth Harlan.Hemenez p.537 Cast * Eddie Gribbon as Sgt. Steve Riley * Lila Lee as Molly Malone * Mickey Bennet ...

'', scenario (1928) * ''

Burning Daylight ''Burning Daylight'' is a novel by Jack London, published in 1910, one of the best-selling books of that year and London's best-selling book in his lifetime. The novel has been adapted for film. Plot The first part of the novel takes place in ...

'', screenplay (1928) * ''Hell Ship Bronson'', screenplay (1928) * ''Hot Stuff'', scenario (1929) * ''

Scarlet Seas ''Scarlet Seas'' is a surviving 1929 American synchronized sound romantic adventure film produced by Richard A. Rowland and distributed by First National Pictures. Although there is no audible dialogue, the film was released with a musical score ...

'', titles (1929) * '' Heads Up'', continuity (1930) * ''

'', screenplay (1932) * ''

Girl of the Rio ''Girl of the Rio'' is a 1932 American pre-Code RKO musical film starred Dolores del Río and Leo Carrillo. Directed by Herbert Brenon, the screenplay was written by Elizabeth Meehan and Louis Stevens, based on the play, ''The Dove'' by Wi ...

'', screenplay (1932) * ''

Men of Chance ''Men of Chance'' is a 1931 American pre-Code drama film directed by George Archainbaud, starring Ricardo Cortez, Mary Astor, and John Halliday. Plot A destitute Marthe Preston is in dire straits in Paris until gambler Richard Dorval comes to ...

'', screenplay (1932) * ''

State's Attorney In the United States, a district attorney (DA), county attorney, county prosecutor, state attorney, state's attorney, prosecuting attorney, commonwealth's attorney, or solicitor is the chief prosecutor or chief law enforcement officer represen ...

'', story (1932) * ''

Flying Devils ''Flying Devils'' (a.k.a. ''The Flying Circus'' or ''Flying Circus'') is a 1933 American Pre-Code action film dealing with aviation. The film was directed by former Hollywood agent Russell Birdwell and photographed by film noir cinematographer ...

'', story & screenplay (1933) * '' Gridiron Flash'' (1934) * ''Hot Tip'' (1935) * ''

Mary Burns, Fugitive ''Mary Burns, Fugitive'' is a 1935 American drama film directed by William K. Howard. Sylvia Sidney plays a small-town coffee-shop owner who falls for a gangster, ends up in prison and then released in a scheme to trap him. Plot Mary Burns (Sy ...

'', continuity (1935) * '' The Texas Rangers'', screenplay (1936) * ''

Special Investigator In the United States, a special agent is an official title used to refer to certain investigators or detectives of federal, military, tribal, or state agencies who primarily serve in criminal investigatory positions. Additionally, some special ...

'', screenplay (1936) * ''

Criminal Lawyer A criminal defense lawyer is a lawyer (mostly barristers) specializing in the defense of individuals and companies charged with criminal activity. Some criminal defense lawyers are privately retained, while others are employed by the various j ...

'', story (1937) * ''

The Last Train from Madrid ''The Last Train from Madrid'' is a 1937 American war drama film directed by James P. Hogan and starring Dorothy Lamour, Lew Ayres and Gilbert Roland. It is set during the Spanish Civil War. The film was one of the few contemporary Hollywood f ...

'', screenplay (1937) * ''

Sinners in Paradise ''Sinners in Paradise'' is a 1938 American south seas adventure film directed by James Whale and starring Madge Evans, John Boles, Bruce Cabot, Marion Martin and Gene Lockhart. In 1966, the film entered the public domain in the United States be ...

'', screenplay (1938) * ''

The Border Legion ''The Border Legion'' is a 1916 Western novel written by Zane Grey, first published by Harper & Brothers in 1916. Plot It tells the story of a cold hearted man named Jack Kells who falls in love with Miss Joan Randle, a girl his legion has take ...

'', screenplay (1940) * ''

'', screenplay (1940) * ''Amazon Quest'', dialogue (1949) * '' Massacre River'', screenplay (1949) * '' Streets of Laredo'', story (1949) * '' Santa Fe'', story (1951) * ''

'', story & screenplay (1952) * ''

Border River Border river may refer to * a river that forms a natural border A natural border is a border between states or their subdivisions which is concomitant with natural formations such as rivers or mountain ranges. The "doctrine of natural boundaries ...

'',story & screenplay (1954) * '' Gun Duel in Durango'', screenplay (1957) * ''The Beast of Budapest'', story (1958) * ''

Wolf Dog ''Wolf Dog'', also known as ''A Boy and His Dog'', is a 1958 Western film directed and produced by Sam Newfield and produced by Regal Films. The film stars Jim Davis and Allison Hayes. Plot Cast *Jim Davis Production In August 1957, Newfield ...

'', screenplay (1958) * ''

'', dialogue (1959)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Stevens, Louis 1896 births 1963 deaths Burials at Valhalla Memorial Park Cemetery American male screenwriters Film people from Riga Emigrants from the Russian Empire to the United States 20th-century American male writers 20th-century American screenwriters