Stella Stevens

A 6 minute scene from Stella's Classic Sam Peckinpah's Western, "The Ballad of Cable Hogue!"

Our own Reel Cowboy, Stella Stevens, is a writer, comedienne, producer, director, actor and Star!

Like Elvis, Stella was born in Mississippi, and later lived in Memphis, Tennessee. In Stella's case it wasn't Tupelo, but Yazoo City, Mississippi. Many sources state her birthplace as "Hot Coffee, Mississippi" but it's the historic little city on the banks of the Yazoo where Stella made her debut! And speaking of Elvis, one of Stella's early films was "Girls, Girls, Girls!" with The King!

She is the only child of Tom and Estelle Eggleston. The family left Yazoo City when Stella was four years old. Formal schooling began in Memphis, Tennessee, all the way up to studies at local Memphis State University. While there, the talented and beautiful Stella discovered a passion for acting and modeling. Her instincts proved prophetic!

After a glowing review in the City of Memphis' Press-Scimitar Newspaper, Stella's avocations were confirmed. Her portrayal as Cherie in the production of William Inge's stageplay, 'Bus Stop', was the vehicle. Work in Hollywood soon followed.

Her debut film was a bit part in "Say One for Me" (June 1959), but her appearance in "Li'l Abner" (Dec 1959) as Appassionata Von Climax is the one that really got her noticed to fans and industry alike!

Stella's popularity seemed to sky-rocket and offers were generous to the budding Starlet. Early photographs of Stella at this time reveal a simply irresistable beauty, with all the trappings of Future Star readily apparent! And in short order, Stella went on to co-star with the biggest names in Hollywood.

Among them, in somewhat chronological order, was the incomparable singer/actor Bobby Darin in "Too Late Blues" (1961); the aforementioned, Elvis Presley in "Girls! Girls! Girls!" (1962); the genius Glenn Ford in both, "The Courtship of Eddie's Father" (1963) and "Advance To the Rear" (1964); Jerry Lewis in the hilarious, "The Nutty Professor" (1963); and smooth Dean Martin in the 60's secret agent drama, "The Silencers" (1966). Stella's character, 'Linda Rogo', the "washed up" Broadway Actress in the star-studded cast of "The Poseiden Adventure" (1972) added to that film's dramatic intensity.

And she appeared in dozens of TV shows. "Surfside 6" (1962) with Troy Donohue, "Ben Casey" (1965) with Vince Edwards and the #1 rated daytime soap "General Hospital" (1996 & 1999)! She was NBC's first madam on a series, as Lute Mae in "Flamingo Road" (1981-82) and also played the zany 'Phyllis Blake', in "Santa Barbara" (1989-90). Stella also appeared in a Showtime Cable Western, with Richard Crenna and Western film icon, David Carradine entitled, "By Dawn's Early Light" (2000).

One of her most memorable performances (and a Reel Cowboy favorite) was in the brilliant Sam Peckinpah directed Western, "The Ballad of Cable Hogue" (1970), with Jason Robards, David Warner, 2003 Silver Spur Award winner, L.Q. Jones and another Western titan character actor, Strother Martin. Stella's role in the film was the alluring yet complicated 'Hildy' and defly played off Robard's affections with such aplomb that the film became a heart-warming love story within it's raw Western motif. Of Stella's work in Cable Hogue, Film Critic Gene Siskel has remarked, "...and really, gave the performance of her lifetime!" If you claim to know Westerns and haven't seen T.B.O.C.H., then my friend, you DO NOT know Westerns!!!

She has directed two films; "The American Heroine" (1979) and "The Ranch" (1989) starring Stella's own son Andrew Stevens who has successfully grown to become a major Hollywood executive producer in his own right.

In 2005, Stella was awarded the prestigious, Sliver Spur Award from her fellow Reel Cowboys for her notable contribution to the Western genre. Stella's regular participation as speaker, presenter, 'jokester', ombudsmen and singer within the organization is a testament to her attitude of "hands-on to make it better"! Stella's work in wild life/animal rescue is also widely known and is a true friend to the endangered animal organization, California Wild Life Center, visit www.californiawildlifecenter.org

A no-less-than three appearances to Playboy Magazine including the centerfold, Stella was voted #27 out of 100 as one of the sexiest women on the planet by the glamor publication!

But Stella's talents far supercede the visual, her novel Razzle Dazzle (July 1999), co-authored with William Hegner was published by Tor/Forge Books. Razzle Dazzle is a sexy romp through the dazzling decades of the 60's, 70's and 80's. Stella believes it would make a colorful and funny musical.

Stella has shown her talents in an endless display of work. Some of the highlights are 'Flora', owner of the LA Kings, in an episode of 'ARLI$$' (1996), the highly acclaimed, 'Thelma' in the CBS-TV version of Truman Capote's 'In Cold Blood' (1996), and the starring title role of the woman who rose from the dead in "The Granny" (1995), a comedy-horror film. In June of 2002 she sang and danced in the star-studded production of 'Stephen Sondheim's Follies' at the Wadsworth Theater in LA. She played 'Dee Dee West', a showgirl, and also 'Margie', the dream girl. Some of her later appearances include "Blessed" (2004) co-starring Heather Graham and James Purefoy and 'Strip Mall' (2000) the comedic TV series with Julie Brown.

Stella has the good fortune in starring in 3 films that are considered classics of their genres. First, the screwball comedy "The Nutty Proffesor", then Peckinpah's Western, "The Ballad of Cable Hogue" and finally the ground breaking, special effects disaster film, "The Poseidon Adventure"!

Stella has two quarter horses, and passionately loves to ride the high desert country hills and canyons. She also plays tennis, ice skates, skis and is an avid shooter of firearms. She enjoys walking, camping, fishing, swimming, river-rafting, archery, and fencing. She likes to watch baseball, football, basketball, boxing, track and field events, and winter sports, especially ice skating. And she loves to roller skate 'on the boardwalk' at the beach.

One of the most giving and warm people in Hollywood, the Reel Cowboys will always consider Stella, "just folks" for her honest and open heart in all that she does!

The late Oscar nominated director Henry Hathaway once said of her, "Stella Stevens was born to be in movies...and to drive men crazy!"

Biography compiled and written by Danny "Ramblin' Jack" O'Connell with special thanks to www.stellastevens.biz