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James Stephenson
in the trailer for The Letter (1940)
Born	April 14, 1889(1889-04-14) Selby, United Kingdom
Died	July 29, 1941 (aged 52) Pacific Palisades, California. U.S.
Years active	1937–1941

James Stephenson (14 April 1889 – 29 July 1941) was a British actor.

Career

British stage actor James Stephenson made his film debut in 1937 at the age of 48 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 myocardial infarction at the age of 52.

Selected filmography

• White Banners (1938)
• Nancy Drew - Detective (1938)
• Devil's Island (1939)
• Confessions of a Nazi Spy (1939)
• Sons of Liberty (1939)
• Beau Geste (1939)
• The Old Maid (1939)
• Espionage Agent (1939)
• The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex (1939)
• We Are Not Alone (1939)
• Calling Philo Vance (1940)
• The Sea Hawk (1940)
• A Dispatch from Reuter's (1940)
• The Letter (1940)
• Shining Victory (1941)

References

External links

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