James Stephenson

James Stephenson
in the trailer for The Letter (1940)
Born	(1889-04-14)14 April 1889 Selby, West Riding of Yorkshire, England, United Kingdom
Died	29 July 1941(1941-07-29) (aged 52) Pacific Palisades, California. U.S.
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1937–1941
Spouse(s)	Lorna Anderson Stephenson

James Stephenson (14 April 1889 – 29 July 1941) was a British actor. The son of chemist and druggist John G. Stephenson and Emma Stephenson, James Albert Stephenson grew up in the West Riding of Yorkshire and Burnley, Lancashire, with his brothers, Alan and Norman. He became a bank clerk and later had a career as a merchant. In the 1930s, he emigrated to the United States and took U.S. nationality in 1938.

Career

British stage actor James Stephenson made his film debut in 1937 at the age of 48 initially with parts in four films. Warner Brothers signed him the following year, and he began playing urbane villains and disgraced gentlemen.

Stephenson's big break came when director William Wyler cast him, in spite of studio resistance, in The Letter (1940) opposite Bette Davis. He was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for that role. Later that year he played the title role in Calling Philo Vance, and in 1941 he was first-billed in Shining Victory, in which he played the character of Dr. Paul Venner. Just as Stephenson's acting career was starting to rise he died due to a heart attack at the age of 52. His wife was Lorna Anderson Stephenson.

Full filmography

• The Perfect Crime (1937)^[1]
• The Man Who Made Diamonds (1937)

• Take It From Me also known as Transatlantic Trouble (1937)

• You Live and Learn (1937)

• Dangerous Fingers also known as Wanted by Scotland Yard (1938)

• The Dark Stairway (1938)

• It's in the Blood (1938)
• Mr. Satan (1938)
• White Banners (1938)
• When Were You Born (1938)
• Cowboy from Brooklyn also known as Romance and Rhythm (1938)

• Heart of the North (1938)

• Boy Meets Girl (1938)
• Nancy Drew – Detective (1938)
• King of the Underworld (1939)
• Torchy Blane in Chinatown (1939)

• The Adventures of Jane Arden (1939)

• On Trial (1939)
• Devil's Island (1939)
• Confessions of a Nazi Spy (1939)
• Sons of Liberty (1939)
• Beau Geste (1939)
• The Old Maid (1939)
• Secret Service of the Air (1939)
• Espionage Agent (1939)
• The Monroe Doctrine [short] (1939)
• The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex (1939)
• We Are Not Alone (1939)
• Wolf of New York (1940)
• Calling Philo Vance (1940)
• Murder in the Air (1940)
• The Sea Hawk (1940)
• A Dispatch from Reuter's (1940)
• River's End (1940)
• South of Suez (1940)
• The Letter (1940)
• Flight from Destiny (1941)
• Shining Victory (1941)
• International Squadron (1941)

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to James Stephenson.

• James Stephenson at the Internet Movie Database
• James Stephenson at AllMovie
• James Stephenson at Find a Grave