Warren Stevens

Warren Albert Stevens (November 2, 1919 – March 27, 2012) was an American stage, screen, and television actor.[1]

Warren Stevens
Stevens circa 1950
Born
Warren Albert Stevens

(1919-11-02)November 2, 1919
Clarks Summit, Pennsylvania, U.S.
DiedMarch 27, 2012(2012-03-27) (aged 92)
Sherman Oaks, California, U.S.
NationalityAmerican
Alma materThe Actors Studio
OccupationActor
Years active1947–2007
Spouse(s)Susan Tucker Huntington
(1942 – ?; divorced); 1 child
Barbara French
(1969 – 2012) 2 children
Children3

Early life and career

Born in Clarks Summit, Pennsylvania, Stevens entered the United States Naval Academy in 1937 but was medically discharged in 1940. During World War II he served in the United States Army Air Forces as a pilot.

A founding member of The Actor's Studio in New York,[2] Stevens received notice on Broadway in the late 1940s, and thereafter was offered a Hollywood contract at 20th Century Fox. His first Broadway role was in The Life of Galileo (1947)[3] and his first movie role followed in The Frogmen (1951). As a young studio contract player, Stevens had little choice of material, and he appeared in films that included Phone Call from a Stranger (1952), Wait Till the Sun Shines, Nellie (1952), and Gorilla at Large (1954). A memorable movie role was that of the ill-fated "Doc" Ostrow in the science fiction film Forbidden Planet (1956). He also had supporting roles in The Barefoot Contessa (1954) with Humphrey Bogart and Intent to Kill (1958).

Despite occasional parts in big films, Stevens was unable to break out consistently into A-list movies, so he carved out a career in television as a journeyman dramatic actor.

Stevens was a Democrat who supported the campaign of Adlai Stevenson during the 1952 presidential election.[4]

Television career

He co-starred as Lt. William Storm in Tales of the 77th Bengal Lancers (NBC, 1956–1957), a prime time adventure series set in India. Stevens also provided the voice of John Bracken in season one of Bracken's World (NBC, 1968–1970). He played the role of Elliot Carson in the daytime series Return to Peyton Place during its two-year run (1972-1974).

He appeared in over 150 prime time shows from the 1950s to the early 1980s, including:

Stevens' appearance in the 1955 movie Robbers' Roost introduced him to Richard Boone, who hired him for a continuing television role on The Richard Boone Show, an award-winning NBC anthology series which lasted for the 1963–1964 season.

Stevens was a close friend of actor Richard Basehart and helped him through a difficult divorce in the early 1960s. Stevens guest-starred in a few episodes of Basehart's ABC series, Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea. He also had a supporting role on another Irwin Allen production, The Return of Captain Nemo in 1978.

In his later years, Stevens' appearances were infrequent. He guest-starred in ER in March 2006 and had two roles in 2007.

For the DVD release of Combat! he provided audio commentary for “The Gun” (S5, E1) an episode in which he’d guest-starred (he also guest-starred in “The Imposter” (S3, E10)

Death

Stevens died on March 27, 2012, from complications of lung disease in his home in Sherman Oaks, Los Angeles, California. He had three children.[5]

Filmography
Film
Year Title Role Notes
1951 Follow the Sun Radio Announcer Uncredited
1951 The Frogmen Hodges
1951 Mr. Belvedere Rings the Bell Reporter
1952 Phone Call from a Stranger Marty Nelson
1952 Red Skies of Montana Steve Burgess
1952 Deadline – U.S.A. George Burrows
1952 Wait till the Sun Shines, Nellie McCauley Uncredited
1952 O. Henry's Full House Druggist (segment "The Last Leaf"), Uncredited
1952 Something for the Birds Beer Commercial Announcer Voice, Uncredited
1953 The I Don't Care Girl Lawrence
1953 Shark River Clay Webley
1954 Gorilla at Large Joe, Detective
1954 The Barefoot Contessa Kirk Edwards
1954 Black Tuesday Joey Stewart
1955 Women's Prison Glen Burton
1955 The Man from Bitter Ridge Linc Jackman
1955 Robbers' Roost Smokey
1955 Duel on the Mississippi Hugo Marat
1956 The Price of Fear Frankie Edare
1956 Forbidden Planet Lt. 'Doc' Ostrow
1956 On the Threshold of Space Capt. Mike Bentley
1956 Accused of Murder Stan 'Scarface' Wilbo
1958 Man or Gun Mike Ferris
1958 Hot Spell Wyatt Mitchell - Virginia's Boyfriend
1958 The Case Against Brooklyn Rudi Franklin
1958 Intent to Kill Finch
1959 No Name on the Bullet Lou Fraden
1962 Stagecoach to Dancers' Rock Jess Dollard
1962 40 Pounds of Trouble Swing
1966 Madame X Michael Spalding
1966 Gunpoint Nate Harlan
1966 An American Dream Johnny Dell
1966 Cyborg 2087 Dr. Carl Zellar
1968 Madigan Capt. Ben Williams
1968 The Sweet Ride Brady Caswell
1976 The Student Body Dr. Blalock
1980 High Ice Sgt. Lomax Television film
1983 Stroker Ace Jim Catty
1991 Samurai Cop Film Lab Owner
2007 Carts Fred Tait (final film role)
Television
Year Title Role Notes
1950 Robert Montgomery Presents     "The Champion"  
1950-1953 The Philco-Goodyear Television Playhouse   Various roles   4 episodes  
1953 Suspense   Bernard Frank   "Mr. Matches"  
1953-1554 Studio One   Various roles   2 episodes  
1954 The U.S. Steel Hour   Paul Dane   "The End of Paul Dane"  
1955 Medic   Dr. Robert Alan Parker   "Breath of Life"  
1955-1956 Alfred Hitchcock Presents   Various roles   2 episodes  
1956 Four Star Playhouse   Dan   "Dark Meeting"  
1956-1957 Tales of the 77th Bengal Lancers   Lt. William Storm   26 episodes  
1957 Climax!   Various roles   2 episodes  
1957-1963 Gunsmoke   Various roles   3 episodes  
1957-1963 Have Gun-Will Travel   Various roles   3 episodes  
1958 Perry Mason   Alan Neil   "The Case of the Empty Tin"  
1959-1962 Wagon Train Various roles   2 episodes  
1959 Tales of Wells Fargo Clay Allison "Clay Allison"  
1960-1962 Hawaiian Eye Various roles   4 episodes  
1962 The Twilight Zone   Nathan 'Nate' Bledsoe   "Dead Man's Shoes"  
1963-1964 The Richard Boone Show   Various roles   25 episodes  
1964 The Outer Limits   Eric Plummer   "Keeper of the Purple Twilight"
1964 Combat!   Sgt Walter   "The impostor"
1965 Rawhide   Talbot   "Clash at Broken Bluff"
1965 Bonanza   Paul Mandel   "The Ballerina"  
1965 The Man from U.N.C.L.E.   Capt. Dennis Jenks   "The Children's Day Affair"  
1966 The Rat Patrol   Sgt. Frank Griffin   "The Do or Die Raid"  
1966 Death Valley Days   Doc Holiday   "Doc Holidays Gold Bars"  
1966 The Time Tunnel   Dr. Harlow "One Way To The Moon"  
1966 Combat!   Sgt. Higgin   "The Gun"  
1967 Bonanza   Count Alexis   "The Prince"  
1967 Mission Impossible   Karl de Groot   "The Slave"  
1967 Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea Van Wyck   "Cave of the Dead"  
1968 Star Trek   Rojan   "By Any Other Name"  
1968 Bonanza   Sam Bragan   "The Trackers"  
1970 Bonanza   Owen Driscoll   "El Jefe"  
1975 M*A*S*H   Colonel Chaffey   "The Gun"  
1980 Quincy, M.E. Wayne Fields "Last Rites"

References
  1. "Warren Stevens, Busy Character Actor, Dies at 92". New York Times. March 30, 2012.
  2. Garfield, David (1980). "Birth of The Actors Studio: 1947–1950". A Player's Place: The Story of the Actors Studio. New York: MacMillan Publishing Co., Inc. p. 52. ISBN 0-02-542650-8. Others [selected by Kazan] were Tom Avera, Edward Binns, Dorothy Bird, Rudy Bond, Annette Erlanger, Don Hanmer, Anne Hegira, Peg Hillias, Jennifer Howard, Robin Humphrey, Alicia Krug, Michael Lewin, Pat McClarney, Lenka Peterson, Warren Stevens, Joe Sullivan, and John Sylvester.
  3. The Broadway League. "Galileo – IBDB: The official source for Broadway Information". ibdb.com. Retrieved January 26, 2015.
  4. Motion Picture and Television Magazine, November 1952, page 33, Ideal Publishers
  5. "Rest in Peace: Warren Stevens". Dread Central. Retrieved January 26, 2015.
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