Craig Stevens

Craig Stevens, born Gail Shikles Jr. on July 8, 1918, in Liberty, Missouri, was an American actor whose career spanned film, television, and Broadway over several decades. He died on May 10, 2000. His father, Gail Shikles, worked as a high school teacher in Liberty before becoming an elementary school principal in Kansas City, Missouri, and his mother was named Marie. Stevens initially pursued dentistry at the University of Kansas before shifting his focus to theatre studies at the University of Kansas at Lawrence. Participation in the university's drama club led him to leave his studies and seek work in Hollywood.

His first screen appearance came in Coast Guard (1939), for which he used the name Michael Gale, a variation on his birth name. He subsequently adopted the professional name Craig Stevens. Early film work placed him in supporting and minor roles across a range of productions, including Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939), Those Were the Days! (1940), Argentine Nights (1940), Lady with Red Hair (1940), and I Wanted Wings (1941). During World War II, Stevens served in the United States Army Air Corps' First Motion Picture Unit, based in Culver City, California, where he acted in propaganda and training films. The unit was informally known as "The Culver City Commandos."

Stevens signed a contract with Warner Bros., which cast him in Affectionately Yours (1941) and Dive Bomber (1941). The latter film starred Alexis Smith, who would later become his wife, though the two shared no scenes in the production. He and Smith married on June 18, 1944. His first lead role in a feature film came with the B movie Spy Ship (1942), followed by leads in Secret Enemies (1942) and The Hidden Hand (1942). Throughout his time at Warner Bros., he appeared in a wide range of productions, including Since You Went Away (1944) for producer David O. Selznick, The Doughgirls (1944), and Hollywood Canteen (1944), in which he played himself. Supporting roles continued through films such as Humoresque (1946), The Man I Love (1946), and Night Unto Night (1948).

Following his Warner Bros. contract, Stevens transitioned increasingly toward television, appearing on programs including The Lone Ranger, Stars Over Hollywood, The Bigelow Theatre, Fireside Theatre, and numerous other series throughout the early 1950s. He took the lead in the low-budget Murder Without Tears (1953) and served as the romantic male lead in Abbott and Costello Meet Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1953). He also appeared in The Deadly Mantis (1957) in a lead role and was second billed in Buchanan Rides Alone (1958).

Stevens achieved his greatest national prominence beginning in 1958 with the private detective television series Peter Gunn, produced by Blake Edwards, who also wrote and directed many of its episodes. Edwards recalled casting Stevens against type, and had him adopt a crew cut and new wardrobe for the role. The series ran on NBC from September 1958 to September 1960 before moving to ABC for an additional year. Its theme music was composed by Henry Mancini. During the run of the series, Stevens made guest appearances on programs including The Ford Show Starring Tennessee Ernie Ford, The Dinah Shore Chevy Show, and Special Agent 7. Following the conclusion of Peter Gunn, he and Smith toured in a thirteen-week run of Critic's Choice from 1961 to 1962.

Stevens's Broadway career extended from 1935 to 1967. He appeared in the revue At Home Abroad and in Plain and Fancy, the latter of which he and Smith also toured nationally in 1956. During 1963 and 1964, he appeared in the Broadway musical Here's Love, which ran for 334 performances. He also appeared on Broadway in the play Cactus Flower, a production he and Smith additionally toured nationally. His stage work extended beyond Broadway to include a national touring production of My Fair Lady, in which he played Professor Higgins opposite Jane Powell, as well as a national tour of Mary, Mary with Smith in 1965.

After Peter Gunn ended, Stevens traveled to London at the invitation of Sir Lew Grade of ITV to star in the television series Man of the World in 1962. In 1964, he starred as Mike Bell in the CBS drama Mr. Broadway, which ran for thirteen episodes. Stevens and Edwards brought the Peter Gunn character to feature film with Gunn in 1967. The following year, Stevens starred in the British spy thriller The Limbo Line (1968), based on the novel by Victor Canning.

In the 1970s, Stevens appeared in the television film Killer Bees (1974), co-starring with Gloria Swanson, Kate Jackson, and Edward Albert. He co-starred with David McCallum in The Invisible Man on NBC during the 1975–1976 season. He subsequently made guest appearances on numerous television series, including Starsky and Hutch, Dallas, Murder She Wrote, Hotel, The Love Boat, Fantasy Island, Happy Days, and Quincy M.E., among many others. He also had roles in the television productions Rich Man, Poor Man (1976) and Secrets of Three Hungry Wives (1978).