Mark Stevens (actor)

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Mark Stevens (actor) : biography

December 13, 1916 – September 15, 1994

Mark Stevens (December 13, 1916 – September 15, 1994) was an American actor.

Career

Born Richard William Stevens in Cleveland, Ohio, he first studied to become a painter before becoming active in theater work. He then launched a radio career as an announcer in Akron, Ohio.

Moving to Hollywood, he became a Warner Brothers contract actor at $100 a week in 1943. The studio darkened and straightened his curly ginger-colored hair and covered his freckles. At first he was billed as Stephen Richards, but it was changed to Mark Stevens at the suggestion of Darryl Zanuck when he moved to 20th Century Fox.

Stevens emerged as a film noir leading man in such films as Within These Walls (1945) and The Dark Corner (1946), the latter pairing him with Lucille Ball. In 1946 exhibitors voted him the fifth-most promising "star of tomorrow".

He played an FBI man going undercover to arrest a gangster played by Richard Widmark in The Street With No Name (1948), and appeared as Olivia de Havilland’s loyal husband in The Snake Pit (1948). Stevens also performed in musicals including I Wonder Who’s Kissing Her Now? (1947) and Oh, You Beautiful Doll (1949).

In 1951, he starred in the DuMont series News Gal which was later syndicated on ABC in 1957. From 1954-1956 he played a newspaper managing editor in the CBS Television series Big Town, having replaced Patrick McVey, who starred in the role from 1950-1954. Reruns of Big Town began airing on DuMont under the title City Assignment while new episodes of the series were still appearing on CBS.

In the 1950s Stevens was also a television actor, producer and writer. He worked in semi-retirement in the 1960s in Europe. In the 80’s he appeared in television shows Magnum, P.I. and Murder, She Wrote.

Death

On September 15, 1994, Stevens died of cancer in Majores, Spain, at the age of 77.

For his contribution to the television industry, Mark Stevens has a star on Hollywood’s Walk of Fame, located at 6637 Hollywood Blvd.

Notes

Filmography

Year Film Role Notes
1943 Destination Tokyo Admiral’s aide Uncredited
1944 Passage to Marseille Lieutenant Hastings Uncredited
Roaring Guns Lance Ferris as Stephen Richards
The Doughgirls Lt. Harry Kerry Uncredited
Hollywood Canteen Soldier on deck Uncredited
1945 Objective, Burma! Lt. Barker as Stephen Richards
God Is My Co-Pilot Sgt. Baldridge as Stephen Richards
The Horn Blows at Midnight Angel Uncredited
Rhapsody in Blue Steve Uncredited
Within These Walls Steve Purcell
Pride of the Marines Ainslee as Stephen Richards
1946 From This Day Forward Bill Cummings
The Dark Corner Bradford Galt
1947 I Wonder Who’s Kissing Her Now Joe Howard
1948 The Street with No Name Gene Cordell/George Manly
The Snake Pit Robert Cunningham
1949 Sand Jeff Keane
Oh, You Beautiful Doll Larry Kelly
Dancing in the Dark Bill Davis
1950 Please Believe Me Matthew Kinston
Between Midnight and Dawn Officer Rocky Barnes
1951 Target Unknown Capt. Jerome ‘Steve’ Stevens
Katie Did It Peter Van Arden
Little Egypt Wayne Cravat
Reunion in Reno Norman Drake
1952 Mutiny Capt. James Marshall
The Lost Hours Paul Smith
Torpedo Alley Lt. Bob Bingham
1953 Jack Slade Joseph A. ‘Jack’ Slade
1954 Cry Vengeance Vic Barron Also director
1956 Time Table Charlie Norman Also director
1957 Gunsight Ridge Velvet Clark
1958 Gun Fever Luke Ram Also director
Gunsmoke in Tucson Jedediah (Chip) Coburn
1960 September Storm Joe Balfour
1963 Escape from Hell Island Capt. James Also director
1964 Fate Is the Hunter Mickey Doolan
Frozen Alive Dr. Frank Overton Original title: Der Fall X701
1965 Jessy Does Not Forgive… He Kills! Sheriff Jeff Kinsley Original title: Tierra de fuego
1966 Go with God, Gringo Smith Original title: Vaya con dios gringo
1969 Cry for Poor Wally Gaylord Blue – Radio DJ
Spain Again Dr. David Foster Original title: España otra vez
1972 The Fury of the Wolfman Bill Williams UncreditedOriginal title: La furia del Hombre Lobo