Robert J. Stevenson (October 10, 1915 – March 4, 1975) was an American politician and former actor who served on the
Los Angeles City Council
The Los Angeles City Council is the legislative body of the Los Angeles, City of Los Angeles in California.
The council is composed of 15 members elected from single-member districts for four-year terms. The President of the Los Angeles City Counc ...
for the
District 13 from 1969 to 1975. As a film and television actor, Stevenson had approximately 133 credits.
[Robert Stevenson]
at IMDb After his death in 1975, his wife,
Peggy Stevenson
Peggy Stevenson (January 29, 1924 – October 16, 2014) was an American politician who served on the Los Angeles City Council for the District 13 from 1975 to 1985. The wife of Robert J. Stevenson, she was elected after her husband's death in 1975 ...
, was elected to the seat. They were the second husband and wife to serve consecutive terms on the
Los Angeles City Council
The Los Angeles City Council is the legislative body of the Los Angeles, City of Los Angeles in California.
The council is composed of 15 members elected from single-member districts for four-year terms. The President of the Los Angeles City Counc ...
—the first having been
Ed J. Davenport
Edward J. Davenport (February 9, 1899 – June 24, 1953) was an American politician who served on the Los Angeles City Council for the 12th district from 1945 to 1953. Elected as a liberal Democrat, he became a staunch conservative anti-communist ...
and
Harriett Davenport between 1945 and 1955.
Personal life and acting career
Stevenson was born on October 10, 1915, in
Harrisburg
Harrisburg is the capital city of the Pennsylvania, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, Dauphin County. With a population of 50,135 as of the 2021 census, Harrisburg is the List of c ...
,
Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...
.
[Los Angeles Public Library reference file]
/ref>
Stevenson was news editor and commentator for WHN radio and newscaster for "Around the World News" on CBS Radio
CBS Radio was a radio broadcasting company and radio network operator owned by CBS Corporation and founded in 1928, with consolidated radio station groups owned by CBS and Westinghouse Broadcasting/Group W since the 1920s, and Infinity Broadc ...
in 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 ...
and also worked for CBS in Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
, California
California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...
. He was a staff announcer on '' The Jack Benny Program'' and a film and TV actor, with 119 credits between 1946 and 1971, including an episode of ''I Love Lucy
''I Love Lucy'' is an American television sitcom that originally aired on CBS from October 15, 1951, to May 6, 1957, with a total of 180 half-hour episodes, spanning six seasons. The show starred Lucille Ball, her husband, Desi Arnaz, along with ...
''.[
In 1957, Stevenson was cast as Dave Weller in the episode "Deep Fraud" of John Bromfield's syndicated ]crime drama
Crime films, in the broadest sense, is a film genre inspired by and analogous to the crime fiction literary genre. Films of this genre generally involve various aspects of crime and its detection. Stylistically, the genre may overlap and combine ...
, '' Sheriff of Cochise'', set in Arizona
Arizona ( ; nv, Hoozdo Hahoodzo ; ood, Alĭ ṣonak ) is a state in the Southwestern United States. It is the 6th largest and the 14th most populous of the 50 states. Its capital and largest city is Phoenix. Arizona is part of the Fou ...
. In 1958, Stevenson had a recurring role as "Big Ed", the town bartender in the 26-episode NBC western television series
A television show – or simply TV show – is any content produced for viewing on a television set which can be broadcast via over-the-air, satellite television, satellite, or cable television, cable, excluding breaking news, television adverti ...
, '' Jefferson Drum'', starring Jeff Richards as a crusading Old West newspaper editor. After ''Jefferson Drum'', Stevenson appeared in two episodes as a police lieutenant named "Ringer" in the short-lived 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 ...
series, '' The Man from Blackhawk'', starring Robert Rockwell
Robert Rockwell (October 15, 1920 – January 25, 2003) was an American stage, film, radio and television actor. He is best known for playing the handsome, but awkward biology teacher Philip Boynton in the radio and television sitcom ''Our Miss ...
as a roving insurance investigator. Stevenson subsequently appeared in other western series, including nine episodes of Richard Boone's '' Have Gun - Will Travel'', six times on ''Bonanza
''Bonanza'' is an American Western television series that ran on NBC from September 13, 1959, to January 16, 1973. Lasting 14 seasons and 432 episodes, ''Bonanza'' is NBC's longest-running western, the second-longest-running western series on U ...
'', three times each on ''Gunsmoke
''Gunsmoke'' is an American radio and television Western drama series created by director Norman Macdonnell and writer John Meston. It centers on Dodge City, Kansas, in the 1870s, during the settlement of the American West. The central character ...
'' and '' Rawhide'', and twice each on ''Tales of Wells Fargo
''Tales of Wells Fargo'' is an American Western television series starring Dale Robertson that ran from 1957 to 1962 on NBC. Produced by Revue Productions, the series aired in a half-hour format until its final season, when it expanded to ...
'' and '' The Virginian''. He also had minor roles in two episodes of CBS's ''The Twilight Zone
''The Twilight Zone'' is an American media franchise based on the anthology television series created by Rod Serling. The episodes are in various genres, including fantasy, science fiction, absurdism, dystopian fiction, suspense, horror, su ...
''.
In 1959, he played "Luke", a cowboy turned assassin out to kill General Sherman while the latter was visiting Dodge City in S1E11 "General Sherman’s March Through Dodge City" in the TV Western '' Bat Masterson''. In 1962 Stevenson (credited as Robert J. Stevenson) appeared as Torson on '' The Virginian'' in the episode titled "The Brazen Bell." He was sometimes credited as Robert Forrest, Robert Stephenson, or Bob Stevenson.[ In 1962 Stevenson was credited as Robert J. Stevenson on '' The Virginian'' in the episode titled "The Brazen Bell."
Stevenson served in the ]United States Army
The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...
during World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
. His offices and memberships included president of the Nichols Canyon Association, trustee of the Buckley School, Greater Los Angeles Press Club, International Footprint Association, International Society for the Protection of Animals, American Federation of Television and Radio Artists and the Screen Actors Guild
The Screen Actors Guild (SAG) was an American labor union which represented over 100,000 film and television principal and background performers worldwide. On March 30, 2012, the union leadership announced that the SAG membership voted to m ...
.[Internet Movie Data Base](_blank)
/ref>[
He and his wife Peggy had a son, Bruce, born in 1956. The family lived in the ]Hollywood Hills
The Hollywood Hills are a residential neighborhood in the central region of Los Angeles, California.
Geography
The Hollywood Hills straddle the Cahuenga Pass within the Santa Monica Mountains.
The neighborhood touches Studio City, Univer ...
, just above Sunset Boulevard. Robert died in Northridge, California, on March 4, 1975, aged 59, after cardiac arrest
Cardiac arrest is when the heart suddenly and unexpectedly stops beating. It is a medical emergency that, without immediate medical intervention, will result in sudden cardiac death within minutes. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and possib ...
, complicated by hepatitis
Hepatitis is inflammation of the liver tissue. Some people or animals with hepatitis have no symptoms, whereas others develop yellow discoloration of the skin and whites of the eyes (jaundice), poor appetite, vomiting, tiredness, abdominal pa ...
and an infected gallbladder. He had been ill for several months and underwent surgery for multiple retinal breaks in October and November 1974 but managed to return to his city council seat in December of that year.[Erwin Baker, "Robert J. Stevenson, Councilman, Dies," ''Los Angeles Times,'' March 4, 1975, page 3]
/ref> A funeral service was held in Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Glendale, with the Reverend Frank Kelly of St. Athanasius Episcopal Church officiating.
Elections
Robert Stevenson began his City Hall career as a field deputy for Councilman James Potter and later had the same job for Paul H. Lamport
Paul Harry Lamport (February 3, 1907 – April 2, 1984) was a Hollywood, California, developer and civic leader who was a Los Angeles City Council member between 1965 and 1969.
Biography
Family
Lamport was born February 3, 1907, in Los Angeles, ...
in the 13th District. He resigned and successfully ran for election against his old boss in 1969.["Councilman Stevenson Dies, unknown newspaper, March 6, 1975, page 1]
/ref>
Stevenson scored reelection to the city council in 1973 by soundly defeating policeman Irving Kaspar.[ The conservative Kaspar criticized Stevenson's ]indictment
An indictment ( ) is a formal accusation that a legal person, person has committed a crime. In jurisdictions that use the concept of felony, felonies, the most serious criminal offence is a felony; jurisdictions that do not use the felonies concep ...
and trial on charges of conspiracy
A conspiracy, also known as a plot, is a secret plan or agreement between persons (called conspirers or conspirators) for an unlawful or harmful purpose, such as murder or treason, especially with political motivation, while keeping their agree ...
and bribery
Bribery is the Offer and acceptance, offering, Gift, giving, Offer and acceptance, receiving, or Solicitation, soliciting of any item of value to influence the actions of an official, or other person, in charge of a public or legal duty. With reg ...
in a Chinatown gambling scheme (below). Stevenson attacked Kaspar in a tabloid
Tabloid may refer to:
* Tabloid journalism, a type of journalism
* Tabloid (newspaper format), a newspaper with compact page size
** Chinese tabloid
* Tabloid (paper size), a North American paper size
* Sopwith Tabloid, a biplane aircraft
* ''Ta ...
publication for allegedly having been "a known John Birch Society
The John Birch Society (JBS) is an American right-wing political advocacy group. Founded in 1958, it is anti-communist, supports social conservatism, and is associated with ultraconservative, radical right, far-right, or libertarian ideas.
T ...
sympathizer." Kaspar went to court and got a temporary restraining order against further circulation of the campaign sheet on the grounds the statement was untrue. In the end, voters cast 27,231 ballots for Stevenson and 21,062 for Kaspar.[
]
Positions
Robert Stevenson was known as "a widely respected reformer and moderate who often served as a peacemaker between clashing colleagues." Nevertheless, he was also seen as "warring" with fellow Councilman Arthur K. Snyder, partially occasioned by Stevenson's support of redistricting
Redistribution (re-districting in the United States and in the Philippines) is the process by which electoral districts are added, removed, or otherwise changed. Redistribution is a form of boundary delimitation that changes electoral dist ...
of Snyder's neighboring councilmanic District 14.[
Known for his "progressive voting record," Stevenson was "the innovator of a new system of council hearings," being the first councilman to hire outside counsel to conduct an investigation.][ Other positions:
1969. He voted against allowing churches to be established in single-family residential neighborhoods as a matter of right, stating: "I don't have the right to say arbitrarily 'you people in the neighborhood are going to get a church whether you like it or not.' "
1970. He and Council Member ]James B. Potter, Jr.
James B. Potter Jr. (born October 21, 1931) was a member of the Los Angeles City Council from 1963 to 1971. A sales manager for a tool company, when elected to the City Council he became its youngest member at age 31. He was defeated in 1971 amid c ...
took the lead in successfully opposing a proposed freeway (State Route 160) through Laurel Canyon that would have linked Slauson Avenue
Slauson Avenue is a major east–west thoroughfare traversing the central part of Los Angeles County, California. It was named for the land developer and Los Angeles Board of Education member J. S. Slauson. It passes through Culver City, Lad ...
in Ladera Heights
Ladera Heights is a community and unincorporated area in Los Angeles County, California. The population was 6,634 at the 2020 census. Culver City lies to its west, the Baldwin Hills neighborhood to its north, the View Park-Windsor Hills commu ...
with the San Fernando Valley
The San Fernando Valley, known locally as the Valley, is an urbanized valley in Los Angeles County, California. Located to the north of the Los Angeles Basin, it contains a large portion of the City of Los Angeles, as well as unincorporated ar ...
. They said the idea was a "scheme to bury huge areas of Hollywood, the mountains and Studio City under a blanket of concrete."
1973. Stevenson submitted an ordinance that would have required outdoor eating places along Hollywood
Hollywood usually refers to:
* Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California
* Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States
Hollywood may also refer to:
Places United States
* Hollywood District (disambiguation)
* Hollywood, ...
, Ventura and Wilshire boulevards to be enclosed as a way to prevent the spread of litter.
1973. In urging the establishment of minibus
A minibus, microbus, minicoach, or commuter (in Zimbabwe) is a passenger-carrying motor vehicle that is designed to carry more people than a multi-purpose vehicle or minivan, but fewer people than a full-size bus. In the United Kingdom, th ...
routes through the Santa Monica Mountains, he and Council Member Joel Wachs
Joel Wachs (, ; born March 1, 1939) is an American former politician and lawyer. He is the president of the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts in New York City. He was a member of the Los Angeles City Council for 30 years, where he was k ...
disagreed with a Southern California Rapid Transit District
The Southern California Rapid Transit District (almost always referred to as ''RTD'' or rarely as ''SCRTD'') was a public transportation agency established in 1964 to serve the Greater Los Angeles area. It was the successor to the original Los ...
report that the proposed routes would face safety hazards on the "steep and narrow roadways."
1974. Stevenson proposed an ordinance
Ordinance may refer to:
Law
* Ordinance (Belgium), a law adopted by the Brussels Parliament or the Common Community Commission
* Ordinance (India), a temporary law promulgated by the President of India on recommendation of the Union Cabinet
* ...
that would, among other things, have made job discrimination illegal against homosexuals. After his death, the City Council unanimously voted in 1975 to kill it. Police Chief Edward M. Davis
Edward Michael Davis (November 15, 1916 – April 22, 2006) was the chief of the Los Angeles Police Department from 1969 to 1978, and later a California state senator from 1980 to 1992 and an unsuccessful Republican candidate for the United Stat ...
was one of its more vocal critics.
Conspiracy and bribery
Indictment and decision
Robert Stevenson and eight other people were indicted in February 1970 on charges of conspiracy
A conspiracy, also known as a plot, is a secret plan or agreement between persons (called conspirers or conspirators) for an unlawful or harmful purpose, such as murder or treason, especially with political motivation, while keeping their agree ...
and bribery
Bribery is the Offer and acceptance, offering, Gift, giving, Offer and acceptance, receiving, or Solicitation, soliciting of any item of value to influence the actions of an official, or other person, in charge of a public or legal duty. With reg ...
in the asserted proposed establishment of gambling dens in Chinatown
A Chinatown () is an ethnic enclave of Chinese people located outside Greater China, most often in an urban setting. Areas known as "Chinatown" exist throughout the world, including Europe, North America, South America, Asia, Africa and Austra ...
the previous year. Authorities said a multimillion-dollar-a-year operation was planned. All defendants were freed when a jury could not reach a verdict and Judge Joseph A. Sprankle Jr.
Joseph is a common male given name, derived from the Hebrew Yosef (יוֹסֵף). "Joseph" is used, along with "Josef", mostly in English, French and partially German languages. This spelling is also found as a variant in the languages of the mo ...
declared a mistrial, acquitting Stevenson and seven of the other defendants. He said he did so reluctantly in Stevenson's case because he thought the councilman "probably knew something about what was going on," but that "the voters can take care of this in the next election."[Doug Shuit, "Stevenson Foe Raises Gambling Case as Issue," ''Los Angeles Times,'' May 5, 1973, page 23]
/ref>
Slander
In 1973 Stevenson filed suit against fellow City Councilman Arthur K. Snyder over Snyder's remarks about Stevenson during a radio interview concerning the bribery-conspiracy trial. Nineteen months later, a settlement ensued with Snyder making an apology but with no money changing hands.
Legacy
Stevenson Manor, a 61-unit apartment project at 1230 North Cole Avenue, Hollywood, was named for Councilman Robert Stevenson."Stevenson Honored," ''Los Angeles Times,'' September 11, 1983, page G-17
/ref>
References
Further reading
*
''Los Angeles Times,'' March 30, 1971
opening statements in Robert Stevenson trial (library card required)
----
{{DEFAULTSORT:Stevenson, Robert J.
Los Angeles City Council members
1915 births
1975 deaths
California Democrats