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TCM Schedule for Thursday, August 3, 2023 -- Summer Under the Stars: Stella Stevens
It's that wonderful time of the year, Summer Under the Stars, and it's about time I got my butt back to the Classic Films Group. My apologies for missing the better part of the last six months. Much of it was spent dealing with my 99-year-old mother's health issues, including gallbladder surgery and a first cancer diagnosis (at 99!). That said, today's star is the beautiful and beautifully talented Stella Stevens. From her TCMdb bio:A popular screen siren of the early 1960s, actress Stella Stevens lent sex appeal to such popular light dramas and comedies as "The Courtship of Eddie's Father" (1963) and "The Nutty Professor" (1964) before becoming a staple of TV and low-budget films for the next three decades. Though a talented actress, especially in gentle comedies, casting agents found it difficult to see past Stevens' statuesque frame, which was the subject of three Playboy pictorials. Despite solid turns in Sam Peckinpah's "The Ballad of Cable Hogue" (1970) as Jason Robards' feisty lover and "The Poseidon Adventure" (1972), Stevens never found the proper vehicle for her abilities, and spent most of her time under the radar in episodic TV or genuinely awful films like "Monster in the Closet" (1986). Nevertheless, she continued to log appearances well into her seventh decade, which was a testimony to her professionalism, talent and apparent good humor.
Stella Stevens was born Estelle Caro Eggleston on Oct. 1, 1938, the only child of Thomas Ellett Eggleston and his wife, Dovey Estelle Caro. Sources frequently cited her birthplace as Hot Coffee, MS, but the moniker was simply a nickname for the town of Meridian, which lay near the Mississippi-Alabama border. When Stevens was four, she moved with her family to Tennessee; there she met Herman Stephens, an electrician whom she married when she was just 15. A year later, she gave birth to her only child, future actor and producer Andrew Stevens. By 17, she had divorced Stephens, but kept a modified version of his surname for her professional career. While studying medicine at Memphis State College, she became interested in acting and modeling, and was reportedly discovered while appearing in a production of "Bus Stop" at the college. Stevens signed with 20th Century Fox, which provided her film debut with "Say One for Me" (1959), a modest musical starring and produced by Bing Crosby. For her minor turn as a chorus girl, Stevens shared the Golden Globe for Most Promising Newcomer - Female, with fellow up-and-comers Tuesday Weld, Angie Dickinson and Janet Muro.
However, the promising start led to few subsequent opportunities, and Fox dropped her after six months. Stevens turned to the burgeoning gentleman's magazine Playboy to boost her image, and in 1960, she became the publications Playmate of the Month for January. The layout, which tastefully revealed Stevens' voluptuous frame, had the desired effect, and that year, she landed the role of Appassionata von Climax in the screen version of "L'il Abner" (1960). A steady stream of television appearances, magazine layouts and features soon followed, but most emphasized Stevens' physical appeal rather than her talents. Occasionally, she received a solid vehicle for her acting skills, like "Too Late Blues" (1961), director John Cassavetes' drama about a jazz musician (Bobby Darin) who abandoned his idealistic dreams for a sultry singer (Stevens).
Stevens also had a particular gift for light comedy, as seen in her turns as a former beauty queen who caught Glenn Ford's eye in "The Courtship of Eddie's Father" (1963) and in particular, Jerry Lewis' "The Nutty Professor" (1964), where she played the comely college girl who is wooed by the smooth Buddy Love, but saw the good in his alter ego, the hapless Professor Kelp. Despite these highlights, Stevens was found mostly in ornamental roles in features like "Girls! Girls! Girls!" (1962) with Elvis Presley, which she reportedly loathed and was forced to participate in, creating much friction between her and Paramount, and "The Silencers" (1966), one of the Matt Helm spy spoofs with Dean Martin. Stevens would return to Playboy for two subsequent layouts in 1965 and 1968 to help boost her visibility.
Stevens began the 1970s with critically praised turns in Sam Peckinpah's "The Ballad of Cable Hogue" and "The Poseidon Adventure" (1972). In the former, she played a former prostitute who developed a tender romance with dogged cowboy Jason Robards, while in the latter, she was Ernest Borgnine's determined ex-streetwalker wife, who survived most of the horrors of the sinking ocean liner, only to perish in the final reel. The pictures helped to solidify the idea that Stevens was more than an attractive figure, and she worked steadily throughout the decade on television and in features, though few were as high profile as her early efforts. By the late 1970s, she had resorted to B-pictures like "The Manitou" (1978), and eventually turned to television, where she co-starred on "Flamingo Road" (NBC, 1980-82) as a kindly madam who aided series lead John Beck. In 1979, she directed a feature length documentary called "The American Heroine," about women from all walks of life, but the project was never released.
Stevens remained busy as she entered her fifth decade in the 1980s, though quality projects continued to elude actresses - particularly one-time sex symbols - of a certain age. She was a staple of episodic television, but her features had sunk to exploitative trash like "Chained Heat"
1983), a women-in-prison melodrama with Linda Blair, and direct-to-cable softcore efforts like "Body Chemistry III: Point of Seduction" (1994), many of which co-starred her son, Andrew Stevens. In 1989, he joined her for her second directorial effort, a low-budget comedy called "The Ranch," about a city slicker who turned an inherited ranch into a spa. That same year, she joined the cast of the daytime soap opera "Santa Barbara" (NBC, 1983-1994) as star Robin Mattson's troublemaking mother, Phyllis Blake. In the 1990s and 2000s, Stevens was a regular on television programs and in the occasional low-budget feature, though the 2004 horror film "Blessed," produced by her son, was a rare exception. She published her first novel, Razzle Dazzle, in 1999 and launched a line of fragrances for men and women that, like her career itself, emphasized sexiness.
Stella Stevens was born Estelle Caro Eggleston on Oct. 1, 1938, the only child of Thomas Ellett Eggleston and his wife, Dovey Estelle Caro. Sources frequently cited her birthplace as Hot Coffee, MS, but the moniker was simply a nickname for the town of Meridian, which lay near the Mississippi-Alabama border. When Stevens was four, she moved with her family to Tennessee; there she met Herman Stephens, an electrician whom she married when she was just 15. A year later, she gave birth to her only child, future actor and producer Andrew Stevens. By 17, she had divorced Stephens, but kept a modified version of his surname for her professional career. While studying medicine at Memphis State College, she became interested in acting and modeling, and was reportedly discovered while appearing in a production of "Bus Stop" at the college. Stevens signed with 20th Century Fox, which provided her film debut with "Say One for Me" (1959), a modest musical starring and produced by Bing Crosby. For her minor turn as a chorus girl, Stevens shared the Golden Globe for Most Promising Newcomer - Female, with fellow up-and-comers Tuesday Weld, Angie Dickinson and Janet Muro.
However, the promising start led to few subsequent opportunities, and Fox dropped her after six months. Stevens turned to the burgeoning gentleman's magazine Playboy to boost her image, and in 1960, she became the publications Playmate of the Month for January. The layout, which tastefully revealed Stevens' voluptuous frame, had the desired effect, and that year, she landed the role of Appassionata von Climax in the screen version of "L'il Abner" (1960). A steady stream of television appearances, magazine layouts and features soon followed, but most emphasized Stevens' physical appeal rather than her talents. Occasionally, she received a solid vehicle for her acting skills, like "Too Late Blues" (1961), director John Cassavetes' drama about a jazz musician (Bobby Darin) who abandoned his idealistic dreams for a sultry singer (Stevens).
Stevens also had a particular gift for light comedy, as seen in her turns as a former beauty queen who caught Glenn Ford's eye in "The Courtship of Eddie's Father" (1963) and in particular, Jerry Lewis' "The Nutty Professor" (1964), where she played the comely college girl who is wooed by the smooth Buddy Love, but saw the good in his alter ego, the hapless Professor Kelp. Despite these highlights, Stevens was found mostly in ornamental roles in features like "Girls! Girls! Girls!" (1962) with Elvis Presley, which she reportedly loathed and was forced to participate in, creating much friction between her and Paramount, and "The Silencers" (1966), one of the Matt Helm spy spoofs with Dean Martin. Stevens would return to Playboy for two subsequent layouts in 1965 and 1968 to help boost her visibility.
Stevens began the 1970s with critically praised turns in Sam Peckinpah's "The Ballad of Cable Hogue" and "The Poseidon Adventure" (1972). In the former, she played a former prostitute who developed a tender romance with dogged cowboy Jason Robards, while in the latter, she was Ernest Borgnine's determined ex-streetwalker wife, who survived most of the horrors of the sinking ocean liner, only to perish in the final reel. The pictures helped to solidify the idea that Stevens was more than an attractive figure, and she worked steadily throughout the decade on television and in features, though few were as high profile as her early efforts. By the late 1970s, she had resorted to B-pictures like "The Manitou" (1978), and eventually turned to television, where she co-starred on "Flamingo Road" (NBC, 1980-82) as a kindly madam who aided series lead John Beck. In 1979, she directed a feature length documentary called "The American Heroine," about women from all walks of life, but the project was never released.
Stevens remained busy as she entered her fifth decade in the 1980s, though quality projects continued to elude actresses - particularly one-time sex symbols - of a certain age. She was a staple of episodic television, but her features had sunk to exploitative trash like "Chained Heat"
1983), a women-in-prison melodrama with Linda Blair, and direct-to-cable softcore efforts like "Body Chemistry III: Point of Seduction" (1994), many of which co-starred her son, Andrew Stevens. In 1989, he joined her for her second directorial effort, a low-budget comedy called "The Ranch," about a city slicker who turned an inherited ranch into a spa. That same year, she joined the cast of the daytime soap opera "Santa Barbara" (NBC, 1983-1994) as star Robin Mattson's troublemaking mother, Phyllis Blake. In the 1990s and 2000s, Stevens was a regular on television programs and in the occasional low-budget feature, though the 2004 horror film "Blessed," produced by her son, was a rare exception. She published her first novel, Razzle Dazzle, in 1999 and launched a line of fragrances for men and women that, like her career itself, emphasized sexiness. Enjoy!
6:00 AM -- Sol Madrid (1968)
1h 30m | Crime | TV-PG
An undercover narcotics agent tries to track a Mafia chief.
Director: Brian G. Hutton
Cast: David Mccallum, Stella Stevens, Telly Savalas
John Cassavettes, who was originally set to star in this film in the Rip Torn role, specifically requested Stella Stevens for the role of Stacey. She was under contract to Columbia at the time and her schedule was adjusted to accommodate the loan out. She has said she was thrilled to work with William Tuttle (makeup), Sydney Guilaroff (hair) and Moss Mabry (wardrobe) again. She had previously worked with some or all of them on Advance to the Rear and The Courtship of Eddie's Father for MGM.
7:45 AM -- Rage (1966)
1h 43m
Bit by a rabid dog in Mexico, a doctor goes overland with a prostitute to get treated in time.
Director: Gilberto Gazcón
Cast: Glenn Ford, Stella Stevens, David Reynoso
The film was critically drubbed, but Stella Stevens has cited her character -- Pearla, the whore with a heart of gold -- as one of her preferred performances.
9:30 AM -- The Secret of My Success (1965)
1h 52m | Comedy | TV-PG
A young innocent becomes the prey for a series of devious, if unlucky females.
Director: Andrew L. Stone
Cast: Shirley Jones, Stella Stevens, Honor Blackman
The movie poster is by renowned fantasy artist Frank Frazetta.
11:30 AM -- How To Save a Marriage--And Ruin Your Life (1968)
1h 42m
A womanizer sets out to end a friend's extra-marital affair but romances the wrong woman.
Director: Fielder Cook
Cast: Dean Martin, Stella Stevens, Eli Wallach
Stella Stevens' co-starring role in this film opposite Dean Martin led to a falling out with her The Nutty Professor (1963) co-star/director/paramour Jerry Lewis, who refused to speak to her for two decades. Martin and Lewis were famously feuding after the breakup of their comedy duo from the 1950s, themselves not speaking for years. Only her unannounced backstage visit after seeing Lewis perform in "Damn Yankees" on Broadway in the late 1980s brought the two together again.
1:30 PM -- Advance to the Rear (1964)
1h 40m | Comedy | TV-G
Civil War rejects are sent to the West, supposedly out of harm's way.
Director: George Marshall
Cast: Glenn Ford, Stella Stevens, Melvyn Douglas
After their success in "The Courtship Of Eddie's Father", Glenn Ford specifically requested Stella Stevens for her role. She was under contract to Paramount at the time and loaned out to MGM. They went on to co-star in a third film, "Rage", at her new studio, Columbia, two years later.
3:30 PM -- The Courtship of Eddie's Father (1963)
1h 57m | Comedy | TV-G
A young boy plays matchmaker for his widowed father.
Director: Vincente Minnelli
Cast: Glenn Ford, Shirley Jones, Stella Stevens
Stella Stevens said in a 2004 interview that her favorite director is Vincente Minnelli, who directed her in this film. She said she felt he was "the most fabulous genius with whom I've ever worked." She added that the Motion Picture Academy of Arts and Sciences recently had an evening of Minnelli's work. She attended it and they had shown excerpts from almost all his films, but nothing from this one. She she thought it was wrong to exclude this film.
5:45 PM -- The Ballad of Cable Hogue (1970)
2h 1m | Western | TV-14
A prospector creates a thriving stagecoach stop at the site of a spring.
Director: Sam Peckinpah
Cast: Jason Robards Jr., Stella Stevens, David Warner
Stella Stevens was always Sam Peckinpah's first choice for the role of Hildy, and he reassured her, even when Stevens doubted she was right for the part. As Stevens and the producers clashed over money and billing, executive producer Phil Feldman looked at Joanne Woodward as a possible replacement, but, she wanted too much money, so Stevens got the part.
WHAT'S ON TONIGHT: SUMMER UNDER THE STARS -- STELLA STEVENS
8:00 PM -- Girls! Girls! Girls! (1962)
1h 46m
A Hawaiian fisherman is torn between a sexy nightclub singer and a nice girl with a secret.
Director: Norman Taurog
Cast: Elvis Presley, Stella Stevens, Laurel Goodwin
Stella Stevens did not want to do this movie and was nearly suspended by Paramount. Her protests hurt her relationship with the studio. She also has stated several times that she refuses to watch this film because she was so mistreated by the producer and the director.
10:00 PM -- Where Angels Go ... Trouble Follows! (1968)
1h 35m
A young progressive nun creates headaches for the Mother Superior.
Director: James Neilson
Cast: Rosalind Russell, Stella Stevens, Binnie Barnes
The producers wanted Hayley Mills to play the now-grown-up Mary Clancy as Sister George, but she turned them down. This led to the casting of Stella Stevens (who was 29) as Sister George.
12:00 AM -- The Silencers (1966)
1h 44m
In the first Matt Helm adventure, the over-sexed secret agent comes out of retirement to defend a nuclear testing ground.
Director: Phil Karlson
Cast: Dean Martin, Stella Stevens, Daliah Lavi
Stella Stevens said in an interview that she can play any role, but has always considered herself a comedic actor. She's always enjoyed doing sexy things for fun and joking in films. She then said the scene in this film where she gets locked outside the car in the rain is one of her favorite examples.
2:00 AM -- Slaughter (1972)
1h 31m
Ex-green beret Jim Brown stars as Slaughter, a man who avenges the gangland murder of his parents by massacring half of Central America.
Director: Jack Starrett
Cast: Jim Brown, Stella Stevens, Rip Torn
Stella Stevens revealed once that, being from Mississippi, there was a big resentment towards her in the South because her character had sex with and fell in love with Jim Brown's character. She said she heard that a man in a theater in Memphis stood up, screamed "You slut!" at her on the screen, then walked out of the theater.
4:00 AM -- Cleopatra Jones and the Casino of Gold (1975)
1h 34m
A drug agent hunts down two colleagues taken hostage by a ruthless casino owner.
Director: Chuck Bail
Cast: Tamara Dobson, Stella Stevens, Norman Fell
Stella Stevens was chosen for the role of Dragon Lady when the Hong Kong production company could not find a suitable Chinese actress that spoke fluent English.
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Welcome back! 