Harvey Stephens

Harvey Stephens
Harvey Stephens
	Stephens in Swing High, Swing Low (1937)
Born	August 21, 1901; Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Died	December 22, 1986 (aged 85); Laguna Hills, California, U.S.
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1931–1965
Spouse(s)	Beatrice Nichols (m. 1929; div. 1944); Barbara Adams; (m. 1946)
Children	2

Harvey Stephens (August 21, 1901 – December 22, 1986)^[3] was an American actor, known initially for his performances in Broadway productions, and thereafter for his work in film and on television. He was most active in film beginning in the 1930s and through the mid-1940s. Beginning in the mid-1950s, he transitioned to television and enjoyed success there through the 1960s.

Stephens was also an avid competitive glider pilot. He was inducted into the Soaring Hall of Fame in 1966 for his contributions to the sport.

Early years

Stephens was born in Los Angeles. As a student at the University of California at Los Angeles, he earned letters in basketball and football.^[4] Before he turned to acting, Stephens worked in western copper mines and Mexican oil fields in addition to working around the world on a freighter.^[5]

Stage

Stephens (right) opposite Katharine Cornell in the 1930 Broadway production of *Dishonored Lady*

Stephens' debut in the theater came in 1920 at the Pilgrimage Play in Hemet, California. Following that, he toured for two years in a troupe headed by Walter Hampden and worked in stock theater companies in several cities.^[4]

On Broadway, Stephens appeared as Sam Worthing in Other Men's Wives, written by Walter C. Hackett, late in 1929. He also appeared as Richard Wadsworth in Dishonored Lady (1930); as Gail Redman in Tomorrow and Tomorrow (1931);^[6] as Joe Fisk in The Animal Kingdom (1932);^[6] Fred Barton in Best Years (1932); Bruce Blakely in The Party's Over (1933); and John Palmer in Conquest (1933). He also appeared in South Pacific as Commander Harbison, alongside Mary Martin; he was one of only two cast members who did not sing.^[6]

For the summer of 1931, Stephens was a member of the Summer stock cast at Elitch Theatre.^[7]

Film

Stephens made his leading debut opposite Tallulah Bankhead in The Cheat (1931). After appearing in The Texans (1938) and The Oklahoma Kid (1939), he began appearing in many Western films, although he also appeared with Gary Cooper, Joan Leslie, and Walter Brennan in Sergeant York (1941).

Television

Stephens appeared on a number of television shows beginning in the early 1950s and continuing through the late 1960s, including The Aquanauts, Ripcord, 77 Sunset Strip, Ben Casey and The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis, as well as multiple episodes of Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Wagon Train, Bat Masterson, Perry Mason, and Bonanza.

Activities outside of acting

Beginning in the late 1930s, Stephens was one of the earliest major proponents of gliders,^[8] and pursued an interest in the sport throughout his life.^[9] In 1937, Harland Ross custom built a glider for Stephens, which became the Ross RS-1 Zanonia (The "RS" designation stands for "Ross-Stephens"). He organized a number of competitions and was still participating after his retirement from acting into the 1960s.

Personal life

On January 20, 1946, Stephens married Barbara Adams, a stage director.^[5] He had previously been married to stage actress Beatrice Nichols.^[4]

Partial filmography

The Cheat (1931) – Jeffrey Carlyle
Paddy the Next Best Thing (1933) – Jack Breen
Jimmy and Sally (1933) – Ralph Andrews
The Worst Woman in Paris? (1933) – John Strong
Sleepers East (1934) – Martin Knox (uncredited)
Evelyn Prentice (1934) – Lawrence Kennard
After Office Hours (1935) – Tommy Bannister
One New York Night (1935) – Collis
Baby Face Harrington (1935) – Ronald
Let 'Em Have It (1935) – Van Rensseler
The Murder Man (1935) – Henry Mander
Orchids to You (1935) – George Draper
It's in the Air (1935) – Sidney Kendall
Whipsaw (1935) – Ed Dexter
Tough Guy (1936) – Chief Davison
Robin Hood of El Dorado (1936) – Captain Osborne
Absolute Quiet (1936) – Barney Tait
The Three Wise Guys (1936) – Ambersham
Sworn Enemy (1936) – District Attorney Paul Scott
All American Chump (1936) – Jim Crawford
Maid of Salem (1937) – Dr. John Harding
Murder Goes to College (1937) – Paul Broderick
Swing High, Swing Low (1937) – Harvey Howell
King of Gamblers (1937) – J.G. Temple
Night of Mystery (1937) – Dr. Von Blon
Forlorn River (1937) – Les Setter
Night Club Scandal (1937) – Frank Marsh
Dangerous to Know (1938) – Philip Easton
Tip-Off Girls (1938) – Chief Agent Jason Baardue
The Texans (1938) – Lieutenant David Nichols
The Oklahoma Kid (1939) – Ned Kincaid
The House of Fear (1939) - Richard 'Dick' Pierce
You Can't Get Away with Murder (1939) – Fred Burke
Grand Jury Secrets (1939) – Michael Keefe
Beau Geste (1939) – Lieutenant Martin
Abe Lincoln in Illinois (1940) – Ninian Edwards
The Fighting 69th (1940) – Major Anderson
Parole Fixer (1940) – Bartley Hanford
Stagecoach War (1940) – Neal Holt
When the Daltons Rode (1940) – Rigby
The Texas Rangers Ride Again (1940) – Ranger Blair
Sergeant York (1941) – Captain Danforth
Our Wife (1941) – Dr. Cassell
Joe Smith, American (1942) – Freddie Dunhill
The Lady Is Willing (1942) – Dr. Golding
The Courtship of Andy Hardy (1942) – Roderick O. Nesbit
Tombstone, the Town Too Tough to Die (1942) – Morgan Earp
George Washington Slept Here (1942) – Jeff Douglas
Lady in the Dark (1944) – Liza's Father
The Story of Dr. Wassell (1944) – Captain in Charge of Evacuation (uncredited)
Three Young Texans (1954) – Jim Colt
Cell 2455, Death Row (1955) – Prison Warden
The Girl in the Red Velvet Swing (1955) – Dr. Hollingshead DDS
Alfred Hitchcock Presents (1956) (Season 2 Episode 7: "Alibi Me") - Lieutenant James Larkin
Oregon Passage (1957) – Captain Boyson
Wagon Train (1958) S1 E39 "The Sacramento Story" - Maxwell Revere
Alfred Hitchcock Presents (1958) (Season 3 Episode 25: "Flight to the East") - European Bureau Manager
The World Was His Jury (1958) – Judge Arthur Farrell
Official Detective "Tinseled Alibi" – Houston – (1958)
The Young Lions (1958) – Brigadier General Sam Rockland (uncredited)
In Love and War (1958) – Amory Newcombe
North by Northwest (1959) – US Intelligence Agency official (uncredited)
The Bat (1959) – John Fleming
The Flight That Disappeared (1961) – Walter Cooper
Diary of a Madman (1963) – Louis Girot
Advance to the Rear (1964) – General Dunlop (uncredited)
Joy in the Morning (1965) – Dr. Marson

References

^ "Mrs. B. N. Stephens". October 29, 1970 – via NYTimes.com.
^ Ap (December 26, 1986). "Harvey Stephens, 85, Dies; Acted on Stage and in Films" – via NYTimes.com.
^ "Harvey Stephens, 85, Actor in Theater, Films". Newsday. December 26, 1986.
^ ^a ^b ^c "Quits Mining for Movies". Times Union. New York, Brooklyn. May 27, 1935. p. 17. Retrieved November 12, 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
^ ^a ^b Adams, Marjory. "Harvey Stephens Says Minots Light Ideal for Honeymoon". The Boston Globe. Massachusetts, Boston. p. 30 A. Retrieved November 12, 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
^ ^a ^b ^c "Character Actor Harvey Stephens". Daytona Beach News-Journal. December 26, 1986. Retrieved April 8, 2012.
^ Levy, Edwin Lewis, "Elitch's Gardens, Denver, Colorado: A History of the Oldest Summer Theatre in the United States (1890-1941)" [Doctoral dissertation, Columbia University, 1960]
^ Barnes, Fred C. (April 1937). "Seven Hours in a Two-Seater". Soaring. 1 (4): 9.
^ "Harvey Stephens, 85; Character Actor on Stage and in Films". Los Angeles Times. December 25, 1986. Retrieved April 8, 2012.