James Stephenson
Known for Acting · 37 credits
- Born
- 1889-04-13
- Died
- 1941-07-29
- Place of birth
- Selby, Yorkshire, England, UK
Biography
British stage actor James Stephenson made his film debut quite late in life, at the age of 49, in 1937, making four pictures that year. Warner Bros. got a glimpse of this distinguished gent and signed him to a contract where he indulged himself in urbane villainy. Proving a reliable support in such films as Boy Meets Girl (1938), You Can't Get Away with Murder (1939), The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex (1939), and the classic adventure The Sea Hawk (1940), he was entrusted by director William Wyler and mega-star Bette Davis to play the sympathetic role of the family attorney Howard Joyce in The Letter (1940). It was the role of a lifetime and he didn't let them down for he earned an Oscar nomination in the process. Stephenson was soon on a roll, playing the titular sleuth in Calling Philo Vance (1940) and was first-billed in the above-average "B" movie Shining Victory (1941) when he died suddenly in 1941 of a heart attack at the rather young age of 53.
Date of Death: 29 July 1941, Pacific Palisades, California (heart attack)
Known For
Movies (37)
The Letter
1940
as Howard Joyce
The Sea Hawk
1940
as Abbott
The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex
1939
as Sir Thomas Egerton
Beau Geste
1939
as Major Henri de Beaujolais
The Old Maid
1939
as Jim Ralston
King of the Underworld
1939
as Bill Stevens
When Were You Born
1938
as Phillip Corey
Espionage Agent
1939
as Dr. Anton Rader
Flight from Destiny
1941
as Dr. Lawrence 'Larry' Stevens
Shining Victory
1941
as Dr. Paul Venner
Heart of the North
1938
as Stephen Gore
A Dispatch from Reuters
1940
as Carew
Confessions of a Nazi Spy
1939
as British Military Intelligence Agent
Secret Service of the Air
1939
as Jim Cameron
Devil's Island
1939
as Col. Armand Lucien
Cowboy from Brooklyn
1938
as Prof. Landis
Nancy Drew… Detective
1938
as Challon
Murder in the Air
1940
as Joe Garvey
On Trial
1939
as Gerald Trask
Wolf of New York
1940
as Hiram Rogers
International Squadron
1941
as Squadron Leader Charles Wyatt
Torchy Blane in Chinatown
1939
as Dr. Mansfield
South of Suez
1940
as Inspector Thornton
Boy Meets Girl
1938
as Major Thompson
Sons of Liberty
1939
as Colonel Tillman
River's End
1940
as McDowell
We Are Not Alone
1939
as Sir William Clintock
The Dark Stairway
1938
as Inspector Clarke
The Monroe Doctrine
1939
as Senor De La Torre
Transatlantic Trouble
1937
as Lewis
Mr. Satan
1938
as Tim Garnett
White Banners
1938
as Thomas Bradford
Calling Philo Vance
1940
as Philo Vance
The Adventures of Jane Arden
1939
as Dr. George Vanders
You Live and Learn
1937
as Sam Brooks
The Man Who Made Diamonds
1937
as Ben
Wanted by Scotland Yard
1939
as Fingers
About James Stephenson
British stage actor James Stephenson made his film debut quite late in life, at the age of 49, in 1937, making four pictures that year. Warner Bros. got a glimpse of this distinguished gent and signed him to a contract where he indulged himself in urbane villainy. Proving a reliable support in such films as Boy Meets Girl (1938), You Can't Get Away with Murder (1939), The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex (1939), and the classic adventure The Sea Hawk (1940), he was entrusted by director William Wyler and mega-star Bette Davis to play the s… With 37 credits spanning from 1937 to 1941, James Stephenson has appeared in 37 films and 0 TV shows.
Fans searching for James Stephenson movies, James Stephenson filmography, or the latest projects starring James Stephenson can stream many of these titles on Bowood.TV, free and in HD, with no subscription required.
Most Popular James Stephenson Movies
- The Letter (1940) — as Howard Joyce
- The Sea Hawk (1940) — as Abbott
- The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex (1939) — as Sir Thomas Egerton
- Beau Geste (1939) — as Major Henri de Beaujolais
- The Old Maid (1939) — as Jim Ralston
Where to Watch James Stephenson Films
Most James Stephenson movies and series are available to stream on Bowood.TV in full HD, completely free and without signup. Browse the complete filmography above to jump directly to any title. For more films and the latest web series featuring James Stephenson, check our movies catalogue and browse page.