Stella Stevens

A popular screen siren of the 1960s, actress Stella Stevens co-starred in such popular light dramas and comedies as "The Courtship of Eddie's Father" (1963) and "The Nutty Professor" (1964) before becoming a staple of TV and low-budget films for the next three decades. Though a talented actress, especially in gentle comedies, casting agents found it difficult to see past Stevens' statuesque frame, which was the subject of three Playboy pictorials. Despite solid turns in Sam Peckinpah's "The Ballad of Cable Hogue" (1970) as Jason Robards' feisty lover and "The Poseidon Adventure" (1972), Stevens never found the proper vehicle for her abilities, and spent most of her time under the radar in episodic TV or films like "Monster in the Closet" (1986). Nevertheless, she continued to log appearances well into her seventh decade, which was a testimony to her professionalism, talent and apparent good humor.