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 (), li ...

, 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 seri ...

'' from 1958 to 1961.

Early life

Stevens was born in Liberty, Missouri, 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 o ...

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. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, t ...

, 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 ...

Lawrence Lawrence may refer to: Education Colleges and universities * Lawrence Technological University, a university in Southfield, Michigan, United States * Lawrence University, a liberal arts university in Appleton, Wisconsin, United States Preparator ...

."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 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 organization of a particular country. The term embraces wide range of responsibilities in different countries, from being a heavily armed military force with customs and security duties to ...

'' (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'' (1939); '' Alice in Movieland'' (1940), a short at Warner Bros; '' Those Were the Days!'' (1940); ''

Argentine Nights ''Argentine Nights'' is a 1940 musical film directed by Albert S. Rogell and starring The Andrews Sisters. It was their first film. Premise Three conmen go to Argentina to escape their creditors. Production The Ritz Brothers appeared in the film ...

'' (1940); ''

Lady with Red Hair ''Lady with Red Hair'' (1940) is an American historical drama film directed by Curtis Bernhardt and starring Miriam Hopkins, Claude Rains and Richard Ainley. Released by Warner Brothers it stars Hopkins as the nineteenth century actress Mrs. Le ...

'' (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, Brian Donlevy, Constance Mo ...

'' (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 r ...

First Motion Picture Unit The 18th AAF Base Unit (Motion Picture Unit), originally known as the First Motion Picture Unit, Army Air Forces, was the primary film production unit of the U.S. Army Air Forces (AAF) during World War II, and was the first military unit mad ...

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 d ...

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. Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (commonly known as Warner Bros. or abbreviated as WB) is an American film and entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California, and a subsidiary of Warner Bros. D ...

They put him in ''

Affectionately Yours ''Affectionately Yours'' is a 1941 American romantic comedy film directed by Lloyd Bacon and starring Merle Oberon, Dennis Morgan, and Rita Hayworth. Plot Foreign correspondent Rickey Mayberry (Dennis Morgan) hurriedly flies back from Portu ...

'' (1941), then in ''

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

'' (1941); the latter starred his future wife

Alexis Smith Margaret Alexis Fitzsimmons-Smith (June 8, 1921 – June 9, 1993) was a Canadian-born American actress and singer. She appeared in several major Hollywood films in the 1940s and had a notable career on Broadway in the 1970s, winning a Tony Awar ...

, 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 ''Law of the Tropics'' is a 1941 American drama film directed by Ray Enright and starring Constance Bennett, Jeffrey Lynn and Regis Toomey. By the time Bennett made the film, her career was in steep decline.Kellow, Brian. ''The Bennetts: An Acti ...

'' (1941) and the lead in a short, ''At the Stroke of Twelve'' (1941). He was in ''

The Body Disappears ''The Body Disappears'' is a 1941 American comedy film directed by D. Ross Lederman and starring Jeffrey Lynn and Jane Wyman. Plot Unconscious after his bachelor party, Peter De Haven (Jeffrey Lynn) is transported by his friends to the college ...

'' (1941) and was third billed in ''

Steel Against the Sky ''Steel Against the Sky'' is a 1941 American comedy film directed by A. Edward Sutherland, written by Paul Gerard Smith, and starring Lloyd Nolan, Alexis Smith, Craig Stevens, Gene Lockhart, Edward Ellis and Walter Catlett. It was released ...

'' (1941), with Smith top billed. Stevens' first lead in a feature was ''

Spy Ship A spy ship or reconnaissance vessel is a dedicated ship intended to gather intelligence, usually by means of sophisticated electronic eavesdropping. In a wider sense, any ship intended to gather information could be considered a spy ship. Spy ...

'' (1942), a B movie. He followed it with leads in two other "B"s, ''

Secret Enemies ''Secret Enemies'' is a 1942 American drama film directed by Benjamin Stoloff and written by Raymond L. Schrock. The film stars Craig Stevens, Faye Emerson, John Ridgely, Charles Lang, Robert Warwick, and Frank Reicher. The film was released b ...

'' (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 ''Resisting Enemy Interrogation'' is a 1944 United States Army docudrama training film, directed by Robert B. Sinclair and written by Harold Medford and Owen Crump. The cast includes Arthur Kennedy, Mel Tormé, Lloyd Nolan, Craig Stevens and ...

'' (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 ''Since You Went Away'' is a 1944 American epic drama film directed by John Cromwell for Selznick International Pictures and distributed by United Artists. It is an epic about the American home front during World War II that was adapted and p ...

'' (1944) for David O. Selznick and ''

The Doughgirls ''The Doughgirls'' is a 1944 American comedy film directed by James V. Kern based on the 1942 hit Broadway play written by Joseph Fields. The film works around three newlywed couples, focusing on the Halstead couple, played by Jane Wyman and ...

'' (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 serv ...

'' (1944) and had the lead in '' Plantation Melodies'' (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, inc ...

. Stevens had support roles in ''

Too Young to Know ''Too Young to Know'' is a 1945 American drama film directed by Frederick de Cordova, and written by Jo Pagano, and starring Joan Leslie, Robert Hutton, Dolores Moran, Harry Davenport, Rosemary DeCamp and Barbara Brown. It was released by Warner ...

'' (1945), '' God Is My Co-Pilot'' (1945), ''

Humoresque Humoresque (or Humoreske) is a genre of Romantic music characterized by pieces with fanciful humor in the sense of mood rather than wit. History The name refers to the German term ''Humoreske'', which was given from the 1800s (decade) onward to h ...

'' (1946), '' The Man I Love'' (1946), '' That Way with Women'' (1947), '' Love and Learn'' (1947), ''

Night Unto Night ''Night unto Night'' is a 1949 American drama film directed by Don Siegel and written by Kathryn Scola. It is based on the 1944 novel by Philip Wylie. The film stars Ronald Reagan, Viveca Lindfors, Broderick Crawford, Rosemary DeCamp, Osa Massen ...

'' (1948), and ''

The Lady Takes a Sailor ''The Lady Takes a Sailor'' is a 1949 comedy film directed by Michael Curtiz, and starring Jane Wyman, Eve Arden and Dennis Morgan. Plot Jennifer Smith, the head of the Buyer's Research Institute, is in need of additional funding to keep the ins ...

'' (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 ''Where the Sidewalk Ends'' is a 1974 children's poetry collection written and illustrated by Shel Silverstein. It was published by Harper and Row Publishers. The book's poems address many common childhood concerns and also present purely fancif ...

'' (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'' (1951) and '' The Lady from Texas'' (1951). Stevens guested on shows like '' Stars Over Hollywood'', ''

The Bigelow Theatre ''The Bigelow Theatre'' (also known as ''Bigelow-Sanford Theater'' and as ''Hollywood Half Hour'' and ''Marquee Theater'' in syndication) is an American anthology series originally broadcast on CBS Television and on the DuMont Television Network ...

'' 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 ...

'' as well as appearing in films like ''

Drums in the Deep South ''Drums in the Deep South'' is an American Civil War war western film directed by William Cameron Menzies who was production designer of David O. Selznick's ''Gone With the Wind'' (1939) and also designed the cave sequences in Selznick's ''The A ...

'' (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 ai ...

'' (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 base ...

'', and '' Chevron Theatre''. Stevens had a lead role in the low budget ''

Murder Without Tears ''Murder Without Tears'' is a 1953 American thriller film directed by William Beaudine, starring Craig Stevens, Joyce Holden and Richard Benedict. Cast * Craig Stevens as Detective Sergeant Steve O'Malley * Joyce Holden as Joyce Fitzgerald ...

'' (1953) and was the romantic male lead in '' Abbott and Costello Meet Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde'' (1953). He was down to support in ''

The French Line ''The French Line'' is a 1953 American musical film starring Jane Russell made by RKO Radio Pictures, directed by Lloyd Bacon and produced by Edmund Grainger, with Howard Hughes as executive producer. The screenplay was by Mary Loos and Richard ...

'' (1953) and ''

Duel on the Mississippi ''Duel on the Mississippi'' is a 1955 American Western film directed by William Castle and starring Lex Barker and Patricia Medina. Plot Andre Tulane (Barker), descendant of a plantation family in 1820 Louisiana, is bound to Lili Scarlet (Medi ...

'' (1955). Stevens was in ''

The Revlon Mirror Theater ''The Revlon Mirror Theater'' (also known as ''Mirror Theater'') is an American anthology drama television series. The series was broadcast on NBC from June 23 to September 1, 1953, before moving to CBS for the rest of its run from September 19 t ...

'', '' The Lineup'', ''

The Star and the Story ''The Star and the Story'' is an American television anthology series which aired 1955–1956 in first-run syndication. A filmed half-hour series, episodes were approximately 25 minutes long, excluding commercials. Produced by Four Star Produc ...

'', '' The Eddie Cantor Comedy Theater'', ''

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 ...

'', ''

The Pepsi-Cola Playhouse ''The Pepsi-Cola Playhouse'' is an American dramatic anthology series that aired on ABC from 1953 to 1955, sponsored by Pepsi-Cola. The show was hosted by Arlene Dahl (1953), Anita Colby (1954), and, finally, Polly Bergen (1955). Initially the s ...

'', ''

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 w ...

'', '' 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 of ...

'', ''

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. E ...

'', ''

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 ''Chevron Hall of Stars'' is an American television anthology series which aired in 1956 in first-run syndication. It was produced by Four Star Productions, and was a half-hour series. Gene Roddenberry’s script ''The Secret Weapon of 117 ...

'', ''

The Ford Television Theatre ''Ford Theatre'', spelled ''Ford Theater'' for the original radio version and known, in full, as ''The Ford Television Theatre'' for the TV version, is a radio and television anthology series broadcast in the United States in the 1940s and 1950 ...

'', '' Jane Wyman Presents The Fireside Theatre '', '' The Gale Storm Show: Oh! Susanna'', '' Mr. Adams and Eve'', ''

The Silent Service is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Kaiji Kawaguchi. It was published in Kodansha's '' Weekly Morning'' manga magazine from 1988 to 1996 and collected in 32 ''tankōbon'' volumes. The series was adapted into an anime tele ...

'', ''

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 Vid ...

'', '' Studio 57'', ''

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 ren ...

'', ''

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 hosted ...

'', ''

Schlitz Playhouse ''Schlitz Playhouse of Stars'' is an anthology series that was telecast from 1951 until 1959 on CBS. Offering both Television comedy, comedies and Dramatic programming, drama, the series was sponsored by the Joseph Schlitz Brewing Company. The ti ...

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

ABC ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet. ABC or abc may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting * American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster ** Disney–ABC Television ...

sitcom A sitcom, a 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 troupe may use ne ...

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 theatre, musical performances, sketch comedy, magic (illusion), magic, acrobatics, juggling, and ventriloquism. It is ...

theme, '' The Ray Bolger Show''. Ray Bolger 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 Marjorie Joy "Marjie" Millar (August 10, 1931 – April 16, 1966) was an American television and film actress. She was born Marjorie Joy Miller to George W. and Eunice Miller in Tacoma, Washington. Millar's father had changed his surname to "Mill ...

. 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 ''The Deadly Mantis'' is a 1957 American science fiction monster film produced by William Alland for Universal-International. The film was directed by Nathan Juran from a screenplay by Martin Berkeley based on a story by producer William Allan ...

'' (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 are l ...

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 Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...

series ''

The Ford Show, Starring Tennessee Ernie Ford ''The Ford Show'' (also known as ''The Ford Show, Starring Tennessee Ernie Ford'' and ''The Tennessee Ernie Ford Show'') is an American variety program, starring singer and folk humorist Tennessee Ernie Ford, which aired on NBC on Thursday eveni ...

.'' 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 h ...

did a comedy skit based on ''Peter Gunn.'' He sang on ''

The Dinah Shore Chevy Show ''The Dinah Shore Chevy Show'' is an American variety series hosted by Dinah Shore, and broadcast on NBC from October 1956 to May 1963. The series was sponsored by the Chevrolet Motor Division of General Motors and its theme song, sung by Shore, ...

'' 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 ''Special Agent 7'' is a 1958 American TV series starring Lloyd Nolan. Premise Special Agent Philip Conroy (Nolan) works for the Internal Revenue Service. Cast *Lloyd Nolan Lloyd Benedict Nolan (August 11, 1902 – September 27, 1985) was an ...

'', ''

'', and '' The Chevy Show''. 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 ...

ITV ITV or iTV may refer to: ITV *Independent Television (ITV), a British television network, consisting of: ** ITV (TV network), a free-to-air national commercial television network covering the United Kingdom, the Isle of Man, and the Channel Islan ...

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'', the 13-week CBS

drama Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance: a play, opera, mime, ballet, etc., performed in a theatre, or on radio or television.Elam (1980, 98). Considered as a genre of poetry in general, the dramatic mode has been ...

in which he starred as Mike Bell, a

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

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. P ...

specialist.

Horace McMahon Horace McMahon (May 17, 1906 – August 17, 1971) was an American actor. He was one of Hollywood's favorite heavies. McMahon began his acting career on Broadway, then appeared in many films and television series. In 1962, he received a Pri ...

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 Gunn may refer to: Places * Gunn City, Missouri, a village * Gunn, Northern Territory, outer suburb of Darwin * Gunn, Alberta, Canada, a hamlet * Gunn Valley, a mountain valley in British Columbia, Canada * Gun Lake (British Columbia), a Canad ...

''. 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''; '' The Bold Ones: The Lawyers''; '' McCloud''; ''

My World and Welcome to It ''My World ... and Welcome to It'' is an American half-hour television sitcom based on the humor and cartoons of James Thurber.Tim Brooks & Earle Marsh, ''The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network TV Shows 1946 - Present'', pages 430-431, Bal ...

''; '' 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''; ''

Marcus Welby, M.D. Marcus, Markus, Márkus or Mărcuș may refer to: * Marcus (name), a masculine given name * Marcus (praenomen), a Roman personal name Places * Marcus, a main belt asteroid, also known as (369088) Marcus 2008 GG44 * Mărcuş, a village in Dobârl ...

''; ''

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 tryin ...

''; '' Medical Center''; '' Owen Marshall, Counselor at Law''; ''

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''; ''

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''; '' Circle of Fear''; ''

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''; and ''

Chase Chase or CHASE may refer to: Businesses * Chase Bank, a national bank based in New York City, New York * Chase Aircraft (1943–1954), a defunct American aircraft manufacturing company * Chase Coaches, a defunct bus operator in England * Chase Co ...

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

My Fair Lady ''My Fair Lady'' is a musical based on George Bernard Shaw's 1913 play ''Pygmalion'', with a book and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner and music by Frederick Loewe. The story concerns Eliza Doolittle, a Cockney flower girl who takes speech lessons f ...

'' 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 image ...

. 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, McCallum ...

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'', '' Gibbsville'', '' Police Woman'', and '' Project U.F.O.''. He had a role in '' Secrets of Three Hungry Wives'' (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 a ...

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

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''. Stevens reunited with director

in the comedy film '' S.O.B.'' (1981). He also appeared in ''

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'' (1982) directed by

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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

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

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, 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 ''

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'' by

Martin Lodewijk Martinus Spyridon Johannes Lodewijk (born 30 April 1939) is a Dutch comics writer and cartoonist, and advertising adviser. Martin Lodewijk was born in Rotterdam. He dropped out of high school in 1957, and started drawing cartoons, notably of spac ...

. He was also the inspiration for the cartoon character

Sterling Archer Sterling Malory Archer (codenamed Duchess after his mother's dog) is the fictional titular character on the American adult animated sitcom '' Archer'', which aired on the basic cable network FX from 2009 to 2019 and is currently broadcast on si ...

Partial filmography

* ''

'' (1939) - Sailor (uncredited) * '' Mr. Smith Goes to Washington'' (1939) - Senate Reporter (uncredited) * '' Those Were the Days!'' (1940) - Second Passenger (uncredited) * ''

'' (1940) - Gaucho (uncredited) * ''

'' (1940) - Bit Role (uncredited) * ''

'' (1941) - Corporal (uncredited) * ''

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

'' (1941) - John Thomas Anthony * ''

'' (1941) - Alfred King, Jr. * ''

'' (1941) - Robert Struck * ''

'' (1941) - Chuck Evans * ''

'' (1942) - Ward Prescott * ''

'' (1942) - Carl Edward Becker * '' The Hidden Hand'' (1942) - Peter Thorne * ''Learn and Live'' (1943) - Bob (uncredited) * ''

'' (1944) - Danny Williams * ''

'' (1944) - B-26 Pilot (uncredited) * ''

'' (1944) - Craig Stevens * ''

'' (1944) - Craig Stevens * '' Roughly Speaking'' (1945) - Jack Leslie (uncredited) * '' God Is My Co-Pilot'' (1945) - Ed Rector * ''

'' (1945) - Major Bruce * ''

'' (1946) - Monte Loeffler * '' The Man I Love'' (1947) - Bandleader * '' That Way with Women'' (1947) - Carter Andrews * '' Love and Learn'' (1947) - Willard Deckerr * ''

'' (1949) - Tony Maddox * ''

'' (1949) - Danvers (uncredited) * ''

'' (1950) - Ken Paine * ''

'' (1950) - Rick Martin * '' Katie Did It'' (1951) - Stuart Grumby * '' The Lady from Texas'' (1951) - Cyril Guthrie * ''

'' (1951) - Col. Braxton Summers * ''

'' (1952) - Mike Carr * ''

'' (1953) - Detective Sergeant Steve O'Malley * '' Abbott and Costello Meet Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde'' (1953) - Bruce Adams * ''

'' (1953) - Phil Barton * ''

'' (1955) - René LaFarge * ''From the Desk of Margaret Tyding'' (1956) * ''

'' (1957) - Col. Joe Parkman * ''

'' (1958) - Abe Carbo * ''

'' (1967) - Peter Gunn * ''

The Limbo Line ''The Limbo Line'' is a 1968 British spy thriller film directed by Samuel Gallu and starring Craig Stevens, Kate O'Mara and Eugene Deckers. It is based on the 1963 novel of the same title by Victor Canning. It was made as part of a 1960s boom i ...

'' (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