Craig Stevens
About
Biography
Filmography
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Biography
On his way to a career in dentistry, dark and handsome Craig Stevens got the acting bug at the University of Kansas and after some training at the Pasadena Playhouse made his debut in "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington" (1939). He signed with Warner Bros. in 1941 and worked there throughout the decade, meeting future wife Alexis Smith and receiving good notices as a newcomer. But the quality of his parts suffered when returning soldiers swelled the acting ranks at the end of World War II. Stevens worked extensively during the Golden Age of TV, augmenting a feature career that paired him with both the Bowery Boys ("Blues Busters" 1950) and Abbott and Costello ("Abbott & Costello Meet Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" 1953), and though he played second banana to the special effects in "The Deadly Mantis" (1957), he was in top form as an intriguing man of mystery in the taut B Western "Buchanan Rides Alone" (1958).
Stevens became a star as "Peter Gunn" (NBC, 1958-60; ABC, 1960-61), one of the first suave, aggressive lady-killer TV private detectives, but was never able to duplicate the feat, despite headlining a successive variety of short-lived series and busted pilots. He reprised his signature role for Blake Edwards' "Gunn" (1967) and also appeared in Edwards' "S.O.B." (1981), but for the most part limited his acting to TV, where he guest-starred on series like "Ghost Story" (NBC), "The Love Boat" (ABC), "Happy Days" (ABC) and "Murder, She Wrote" (CBS). Stevens portrayed Whitman in NBC's "McCloud: Who Killed Miss U.S.A.?" (1970) and Asher Berg in the 1976 ground-breaking ABC miniseries "Rich Man, Poor Man" before joining the cast of "Dallas" (CBS) as Craig Stewart. His last screen role to date was as Frank Poston in NBC's "Marcus Welby, M.D.--A Holiday Affair" (1988).
Filmography
Cast (Feature Film)
Editing (Feature Film)
Music (Feature Film)
Cast (Special)
Cast (Short)
Misc. Crew (Short)
Cast (TV Mini-Series)
Life Events
1939
Feature debut as a Senate reporter in "Mr Smith Goes to Washington"
1941
Signed by Warner Bros.; acted in two films with future wife Alexis Smith, receiving good notices for his support of Flight Commander Fred MacMurray in "Dive Bomber" and as Smith's love interest in "Steel Against the Sky"
1944
Made two additional films with Smith, "The Doughgirls" and "Hollywood Canteen"
1950
Acted with the Bowery Boys in "Blues Busters"; first movie (excluding debut) not with Warners
1953
Provided half of the romantic duo (with Helen Westcott) for "Abbott & Costello Meet Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde"
1957
Starred in "The Deadly Mantis", although the real star was the special effects
1958
Offered intriguing performance as a man of mystery in "Buchanan Rides Alone", a taut B Western starring Randolph Scott
1958
Star of the popular series "Peter Gunn" (first two seasons on NBC, last one ABC)
1962
Starred as Michael Strait in short-lived syndicated series "Man of the World"
1963
Broadway debut as Fred Gaily in "Here's Love"
1964
Played Michael Bell, sophisticated Broadway press agent, in another short-lived series, "Mr. Broadway" (CBS)
1967
Reprised Peter Gunn role for Blake Edwards' "Gunn"; Edwards was the producer of the TV series
1975
Recreated the "Thin Man" role popularized in features by William Powell for ABC special "Nick and Nora" (proposed pilot not picked up)
1976
Played Asher Berg in ground-breaking ABC miniseries "Rich Man, Poor Man"
1981
Reteamed with Edwards for "S.O.B."
1981
Played the part of Craig Stewart on "Dallas" (CBS)
1988
Last screen appearance as Frank Poston in "Marcus Welby, M.D.--A Holiday Affair" (NBC)
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