Craig Stevens (actor)

Craig Stevens (born Gail Shikles Jr.; July 8, 1918 – May 10, 2000) was an American film and television actor, best known for his starring role on television as private detective Peter Gunn from 1958 to 1961.

Stevens was born in Liberty, Missouri, to Marie and Gail Shikles.

His father was a high school teacher in Liberty and later an elementary school principal in Kansas City, Missouri.

He studied dentistry at the University of Kansas.

Under the name Michael Gale (a play on his first name), his first screen role was a sailor in Coast Guard (1939).

After his debut in a small role in 1939, he adopted the stage name Craig Stevens.

For the next period of his film career, he played mainly secondary parts.

He could be glimpsed in Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939); Alice in Movieland (1940), a short at Warner Bros; Those Were the Days! (1940); Argentine Nights (1940); Lady with Red Hair (1940) at Warner Bros; and I Wanted Wings (1941), at Paramount.

During World War II he served in the United States Army Air Corps' First Motion Picture Unit based in Culver City, California acting in propaganda and training films.

That unit came to be known as "The Culver City Commandos".

Later, in the early 1940s, he also majored in theatre at the University of Kansas at Lawrence.

Acting with the university's drama club prompted him to halt his studies to audition in Hollywood.

Stevens signed a contract with Warner Bros. They put him in Affectionately Yours (1941), then in Dive Bomber (1941); the latter starred his future wife Alexis Smith, although they shared no scenes in the film.

Stevens had a support role in Law of the Tropics (1941) and the lead in a short, At the Stroke of Twelve (1941).

He was in The Body Disappears (1941) and was third billed in Steel Against the Sky (1941), with Smith top billed.

Stevens's first lead in a feature was Spy Ship (1942), a B movie.

He followed it with leads in two other "B"s, Secret Enemies (1942), and The Hidden Hand (1942).

He appeared in films like Three Cadets (1943), Learn and Live (1944), and Resisting Enemy Interrogation (1944).

He and Alexis Smith married on June 18, 1944.

He also appeared in the training film How to Fly the B-26 Airplane (1944).

Stevens had a small role in Since You Went Away (1944) for David O. Selznick and The Doughgirls (1944) for Warners.

He played himself in Warners' Hollywood Canteen (1944) and had the lead in Plantation Melodies (1945) playing Stephen Foster.

Stevens had support roles in Too Young to Know (1945), God Is My Co-Pilot (1945), Humoresque (1946), The Man I Love (1946), That Way with Women (1947), Love and Learn (1947), Night Unto Night (1948), and The Lady Takes a Sailor (1949).

Stevens appeared on an episode of The Lone Ranger, (episode #35 in 1950 entitled "Bullets for Ballots"), then had support parts in Where the Sidewalk Ends (1950), Blues Busters (1950), Katie Did It (1951) and The Lady from Texas (1951).

Stevens guested on shows like Stars Over Hollywood, The Bigelow Theatre and Hollywood Opening Night as well as appearing in films like Drums in the Deep South (1951) and Phone Call from a Stranger (1951).

Increasingly, Stevens focused on television, appearing in The Unexpected, Gruen Guild Theater, Fireside Theatre, and Chevron Theatre.

Stevens had a lead role in the low budget Murder Without Tears (1953) and was the romantic male lead in Abbott and Costello Meet Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1953).

He had supporting roles in The French Line (1953) and Duel on the Mississippi (1955).

Stevens was in The Revlon Mirror Theater, The Lineup, The Star and the Story, The Eddie Cantor Comedy Theater, Private Secretary, The Pepsi-Cola Playhouse, The Whistler, The Millionaire, Science Fiction Theatre, Matinee Theatre, Four Star Playhouse, Chevron Hall of Stars, The Ford Television Theatre, Jane Wyman Presents The Fireside Theatre , The Gale Storm Show: Oh! Susanna, Mr. Adams and Eve, The Silent Service, Lux Video Theatre, Studio 57, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, The Loretta Young Show, Schlitz Playhouse, and State Trooper.

On October 29, 1954, Stevens guest-starred on The Ray Bolger Show (1953-1955), an ABC sitcom with a variety show theme.

In 1956, Stevens and Smith toured the country in a musical Plain and Fancy.

They later appeared in King of Hearts.

Stevens had the lead in the sci-fi classic The Deadly Mantis (1957) and was second billed in Buchanan Rides Alone (1958).

In 1958, after 19 years working in films, Stevens gained national prominence for his starring role in the private detective series Peter Gunn, which ran on NBC from September 1958 to September 1960 and then moved to ABC, where it continued for another year.

The series was produced by Blake Edwards, who also wrote and directed many of the episodes.

The iconic theme music for the series was composed by Henry Mancini.

On May 7, 1959, Stevens was a guest star on the NBC variety series The Ford Show, Starring Tennessee Ernie Ford. He and Tennessee Ernie Ford did a comedy skit based on Peter Gunn. He sang on The Dinah Shore Chevy Show with Dinah Shore.

During the run of Peter Gunn, Stevens guest starred on Special Agent 7, The Dinah Shore Chevy Show, and The Chevy Show.

He shot a pilot called The Mighty O that was not picked up in 1961.

After the show ended he and Smith toured in a 13-week run of Critic's Choice from 1961 to 1962.