Poseidon Adventure’s Stella Stevens passes at 84

Stevens
(Stella Stevens, 1938 – 2023)

She was Mrs. Linda Rogo, the former hooker turned loving wife of cop Mike Rogo (the late Ernest Borgnine) in Irwin Allen’s disaster spectacle, The Poseidon Adventure. Now sex symbol, Stella Stevens, has died. She was 84.

Stevens died Friday in a Los Angeles hospice after battling Stage 7 Alzheimer’s. Her son, actor-producer-director Andrew Stevens, told The Hollywood Reporter.

The blonde, bright blue-eyed Stevens was a 1960s screen siren who brought sexiness and kindness to her roles in comedies including The Nutty Professor, Too Late Blues and The Silencers.

The actress made an impact on audiences by playing a shy Montana beauty contestant in Vincente Minnelli’s The Courtship of Eddie’s Father (1963), a bullish nun in Where Angels Go, Troubles Follow! (1968), girlfriend to Dean Martin’s Matt Helm in The Silencers (!966) and How to Save a Marriage and Ruin Your Life. She also starred opposite Elvis Presley in Girls! Girls! Girls! (1962). She reportedly detested the role.

Early Life

The only daughter of an insurance salesman, Thomas Ellet Eggleston and his wife Estelle, a nurse, Stevens was born Estelle Eggleston on October 1, 1938, in Yazoo City, Mississippi. One of her great-grandfathers was Henry Clay Tyler, an early settler from Boston and a jeweler who gave the Yazoo City courthouse cupola its clock.

At four, Stevens’ parents moved to Memphis, Tennessee. She attended St. Anne’s Catholic School and Sacred Heart School, finishing her final year of high school in 1955 at the Memphis Evening School at Memphis Tech High School.

At age 16, Stevens married electrician Noble Herman Stephens on December 3, 1954, in Holly Springs, Mississippi, but moved to Memphis, where their only child, Herman Andrew Stephens (who became actor/producer Andrew Stevens), was born on June 10, 1955.

While studying at Memphis State University, Stella became interested in acting and modeling. She would divorce Stephens in 1957. According to her official biography, “Her schooling in Memphis, included a couple of years at Memphis State University, where she was noticed in the school play Bus Stop.

Stevens would make her film debut in Say One for Me (1959) as a dancer. After winning the role of Appassionata Von Climax in the musical Li’l Abner (1959),  Stevens signed a contract with Paramount Pictures (1959-1963). 

Her star began to rise quickly. In 1960, she won the Golden Globe Award for New Star of the Year – Actress for her performance in Say One for Me.  Following the win, Stevens would pose in Playboy Magazine In January 1960. She was the magazine’s Playmate of the Month and was also featured in Playboy pictorials in 1965 and 1968.

She was included in Playboy’s 100 Sexiest Stars of the 20th Century, appearing at number 27. Later, Stevens would regret posing, saying it wrecked her contract with Fox and was used against in a child custody hearing.

Stevens’ popularity would explode when she co-starred with Jerry Lewis in The Nutty Professor (1963). In the film, Julius Kelp (Jerry Lewis) is a college professor with a problem. Clumsy, awkward, inarticulate and unattractive, Julius is a hopeless case when it comes to women — but he’s desperate to impress beautiful student Stella (Stella Stevens).

Fortunately, he does know something about chemistry and decides to concoct a potion that will turn him into a whole new man. In this classic comedy, Julius’ suave alter ego, Buddy Love, must win Stella’s affection before his short-lived potion runs out. Purdy finds herself attracted to both of Lewis’ personalities.

Stevens would evolve from comedies to dramas starring in John Cassavetes‘ Too Late Blues (1961). She would also play a hooker with a heart of gold in Rage (1966) and Sam Peckinpah’s The Ballad of Cable Hogue (1970), respectively. In his review in The New York Times, Roger Greenspun wrote, “But it is Stella Stevens, at last in a role good enough for her, who most wonderfully sustains and enlightens the action.”

Before the release of The Poseidon Adventure, Stevens would co-star with Jim Brown in the Blaxploitation film, Slaughter. 

1972, saw Stevens star in the blockbuster, The Poseidon Adventure. The film would earn $93,300,000 which was enormous at the time.

REELated:

Chicago’s Raquel Welch passed away at age 82

An outpouring of Love on Twitter

There was a show of love for Stevens on Twitter. Here are some:

Stevens also appeared in numerous TV series during the 1960s, 70s and 80s including Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Banacek, Bonanza, Love Boat, Newhart, Police Story, Night Court, Highlander and Wonder Woman.

She produced and directed two films, The Ranch (1989) and The American Heroine (1979). In 1999, she co-wrote a novel, Razzle Dazzle, about a Memphis-born singer named Johnny Gault

Later life, saw Stevens living on a Washington state ranch and had a long-time relationship with guitarist and music producer Bob Kulick.

Survivors also include her grandchildren, Amelia, Aubrey and Samuel.

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Stevens
(Stella Stevens, 1938 – 2023)

She was Mrs. Linda Rogo, the former hooker turned loving wife of cop Mike Rogo (the late Ernest Borgnine) in Irwin Allen’s disaster spectacle, The Poseidon Adventure. Now sex symbol, Stella Stevens, has died. She was 84.

Stevens died Friday in a Los Angeles hospice after battling Stage 7 Alzheimer’s. Her son, actor-producer-director Andrew Stevens, told The Hollywood Reporter.

The blonde, bright blue-eyed Stevens was a 1960s screen siren who brought sexiness and kindness to her roles in comedies including The Nutty Professor, Too Late Blues and The Silencers.

The actress made an impact on audiences by playing a shy Montana beauty contestant in Vincente Minnelli’s The Courtship of Eddie’s Father (1963), a bullish nun in Where Angels Go, Troubles Follow! (1968), girlfriend to Dean Martin’s Matt Helm in The Silencers (!966) and How to Save a Marriage and Ruin Your Life. She also starred opposite Elvis Presley in Girls! Girls! Girls! (1962). She reportedly detested the role.

Early Life

The only daughter of an insurance salesman, Thomas Ellet Eggleston and his wife Estelle, a nurse, Stevens was born Estelle Eggleston on October 1, 1938, in Yazoo City, Mississippi. One of her great-grandfathers was Henry Clay Tyler, an early settler from Boston and a jeweler who gave the Yazoo City courthouse cupola its clock.

At four, Stevens’ parents moved to Memphis, Tennessee. She attended St. Anne’s Catholic School and Sacred Heart School, finishing her final year of high school in 1955 at the Memphis Evening School at Memphis Tech High School.

At age 16, Stevens married electrician Noble Herman Stephens on December 3, 1954, in Holly Springs, Mississippi, but moved to Memphis, where their only child, Herman Andrew Stephens (who became actor/producer Andrew Stevens), was born on June 10, 1955.

While studying at Memphis State University, Stella became interested in acting and modeling. She would divorce Stephens in 1957. According to her official biography, “Her schooling in Memphis, included a couple of years at Memphis State University, where she was noticed in the school play Bus Stop.

Stevens would make her film debut in Say One for Me (1959) as a dancer. After winning the role of Appassionata Von Climax in the musical Li’l Abner (1959),  Stevens signed a contract with Paramount Pictures (1959-1963). 

Her star began to rise quickly. In 1960, she won the Golden Globe Award for New Star of the Year – Actress for her performance in Say One for Me.  Following the win, Stevens would pose in Playboy Magazine In January 1960. She was the magazine’s Playmate of the Month and was also featured in Playboy pictorials in 1965 and 1968.

She was included in Playboy’s 100 Sexiest Stars of the 20th Century, appearing at number 27. Later, Stevens would regret posing, saying it wrecked her contract with Fox and was used against in a child custody hearing.

Stevens’ popularity would explode when she co-starred with Jerry Lewis in The Nutty Professor (1963). In the film, Julius Kelp (Jerry Lewis) is a college professor with a problem. Clumsy, awkward, inarticulate and unattractive, Julius is a hopeless case when it comes to women — but he’s desperate to impress beautiful student Stella (Stella Stevens).

Fortunately, he does know something about chemistry and decides to concoct a potion that will turn him into a whole new man. In this classic comedy, Julius’ suave alter ego, Buddy Love, must win Stella’s affection before his short-lived potion runs out. Purdy finds herself attracted to both of Lewis’ personalities.

Stevens would evolve from comedies to dramas starring in John Cassavetes‘ Too Late Blues (1961). She would also play a hooker with a heart of gold in Rage (1966) and Sam Peckinpah’s The Ballad of Cable Hogue (1970), respectively. In his review in The New York Times, Roger Greenspun wrote, “But it is Stella Stevens, at last in a role good enough for her, who most wonderfully sustains and enlightens the action.”

Before the release of The Poseidon Adventure, Stevens would co-star with Jim Brown in the Blaxploitation film, Slaughter. 

1972, saw Stevens star in the blockbuster, The Poseidon Adventure. The film would earn $93,300,000 which was enormous at the time.

REELated:

Chicago’s Raquel Welch passed away at age 82

An outpouring of Love on Twitter

There was a show of love for Stevens on Twitter. Here are some:

Stevens also appeared in numerous TV series during the 1960s, 70s and 80s including Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Banacek, Bonanza, Love Boat, Newhart, Police Story, Night Court, Highlander and Wonder Woman.

She produced and directed two films, The Ranch (1989) and The American Heroine (1979). In 1999, she co-wrote a novel, Razzle Dazzle, about a Memphis-born singer named Johnny Gault

Later life, saw Stevens living on a Washington state ranch and had a long-time relationship with guitarist and music producer Bob Kulick.

Survivors also include her grandchildren, Amelia, Aubrey and Samuel.

Subscribe: Sign up for our FREE e-lert here.  Stay on top of the latest advertising, film, TV, entertainment and production news!

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