Charles Stevens (May 26, 1893 – August 22, 1964) was an American actor. He appeared in nearly 200 films between 1915 and 1961. A close friend of actor Douglas Fairbanks, Stevens appeared in nearly all of Fairbanks' films.[1]
Charles Stevens | |
|---|---|
| Born | May 26, 1893 Solomonville, Arizona, U.S. |
| Died | August 22, 1964 (aged 71) Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Resting place | Valhalla Memorial Park Cemetery, North Hollywood |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1915–1961 |
| Spouse | Lila Stevens (1918–?) (1 child) |
Early years
editStevens was born in Solomonville, Arizona, and his father was a white Arizona sheriff named George Stevens and mother a Mexican woman named Eloisa Michelena.[2] Stevens was not, as many bios claim, the grandson of Geronimo.[3] That erroneous information could be attributed to Stevens himself, who claimed such kinship, and film studios that promoted the supposed lineage.[4]
Career
editStevens began his career during the silent era, playing mostly Native Americans and Mexicans in Westerns. During the 1930s and 1940s, he had roles in the film serials Wild West Days and Overland Mail. In the 1950s, Stevens guest-starred on several television series, including The Adventures of Wild Bill Hickok, The Adventures of Kit Carson, Sky King, The Lone Ranger, Zorro, and The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin. In two of those appearances in The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin, in 1954 and 1958, he played Geronimo.
He made his last onscreen appearance in the film The Outsider (1961), starring Tony Curtis.
Death
editStevens died on August 22, 1964, and is buried in Valhalla Memorial Park in North Hollywood in Los Angeles County, California.[5]
Filmography
edit| Film | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1915 | The Birth of a Nation | Volunteer | Film debut, Uncredited |
| The Lamb | Lieutenant | Uncredited | |
| Fatherhood | Looey Jim | Uncredited | |
| Martyrs of the Alamo | Mexican Soldier | Uncredited | |
| Double Trouble | Thief | Uncredited | |
| 1916 | The Good Bad-Man | Bandit | Uncredited |
| American Aristocracy | Mexican | Uncredited | |
| The Matrimaniac | Lineman | Uncredited | |
| The Americano | Col. Gargaras | ||
| 1917 | Wild and Woolly | Pedro | |
| The Man from Painted Post | Henchman | ||
| Reaching for the Moon | Boris' Lieutenant | Uncredited | |
| A Modern Musketeer | Indian | Uncredited | |
| 1918 | Six Shooter Andy | Mexican John | |
| Mr. Fix-It | Gangster | Uncredited | |
| M'Liss | Mexican | Uncredited | |
| He Comes Up Smiling | Townsman | Uncredited | |
| 1919 | His Majesty, the American | Officer | Uncredited |
| 1920 | The Mollycoddle | Yellow Horse | |
| The Mark of Zorro | Peon Beaten by Sgt. Gonzalez | Uncredited | |
| 1921 | The Nut | Henchman | Uncredited |
| The Three Musketeers | Planchet | ||
| 1922 | Moran of the Lady Letty | Seaman | Uncredited |
| The Primitive Lover | Pedro | ||
| Robin Hood | Prince John's Aide | Alternative title: Douglas Fairbanks in Robin Hood | |
| Captain Fly-by-Night | Indian | ||
| 1923 | Where the North Begins | The Fox | |
| 1924 | The Thief of Bagdad | Persian Prince's Awaker | Uncredited |
| Empty Hands | Indian Guide | ||
| The Iron Horse | Indian | Uncredited | |
| 1925 | Recompense | Mosheshoe | |
| Don Q, Son of Zorro | Robledo | ||
| A Son of His Father | Pablo | ||
| The Vanishing American | Shoie | ||
| Tumbleweeds | Indian | Uncredited | |
| 1926 | The Black Pirate | Powder Man | |
| Mantrap | Lawrence Jackfish (Indian Guide) | ||
| Across the Pacific | Emilio Aguinaldo | ||
| The Temptress | Argentine Reveler | Uncredited | |
| 1927 | The King of Kings | Beggar | Uncredited |
| Woman's Law | |||
| Now We're in the Air | Knife Thrower | Uncredited | |
| The Gaucho | The Gaucho's First Lieutenant | ||
| 1928 | Stand and Deliver | Pietro | |
| Diamond Handcuffs | Niambo | ||
| 1929 | The Iron Mask | Planchet | |
| Tide of Empire | Indian Servant | Uncredited | |
| The Mysterious Dr. Fu Manchu | Singh | Uncredited | |
| Rio Rita | José | Uncredited | |
| The Taming of the Shrew | Servant | Uncredited | |
| The Virginian | Pedro | Uncredited | |
| 1930 | The Arizona Kid | Mine Mexican | Uncredited |
| The Big Trail | Indian | Uncredited | |
| Tom Sawyer | Injun Joe | ||
| 1931 | The Cisco Kid | Lopez | |
| The Conquering Horde | John | ||
| The Cisco Kid | Lopez | ||
| 1932 | The Gay Caballero | Messenger | Uncredited |
| South of the Rio Grande | Pedro | ||
| The Broken Wing | Chicken Thief | ||
| The Stoker | Ernesto | ||
| Mystery Ranch | Tonto - Henchman | ||
| Chandu the Magician | Ali | Uncredited | |
| Heritage of the Desert | Pancho | Uncredited | |
| Tex Takes a Holiday | Henchman | ||
| The Golden West | Indian | Uncredited | |
| 1933 | Sensation Hunters | Indian Joe | Uncredited |
| Drum Taps | Indian Joe | ||
| The California Trail | Juan | ||
| When Strangers Marry | Chattermahl | ||
| The Woman I Stole | Crewman | Uncredited | |
| Police Call | Gang Leader | ||
| Fury of the Jungle | Kimba | ||
| The Perils of Pauline | Lee | Serial, Uncredited | |
| 1934 | Man of Two Worlds | Eskimo | Uncredited |
| Call of the Coyote: A Legend of the Golden West | Pancho | ||
| Viva Villa! | Pascal's Staff | Uncredited | |
| The Trumpet Blows | Sheriff Mejias | Uncredited | |
| Grand Canary | Cabbie | Uncredited | |
| La Cucaracha | Pancho's Valet | Short, Uncredited | |
| Wake Up and Dream | 2nd Indian | Uncredited | |
| Behold My Wife! | Apache Herder | Uncredited | |
| 1935 | The Lives of a Bengal Lancer | McGregor's Servant | Uncredited |
| Rumba | Counterfeit Lottery Ticket Vendor | Uncredited | |
| Under the Pampas Moon | Groom | Uncredited | |
| Call of the Wild | Francois | ||
| 1936 | Rose of the Rancho | Peon Spy | Uncredited |
| Here Comes Trouble | Malay Mike | ||
| Give Us This Night | Fisherman | ||
| Robin Hood of El Dorado | Wedding Guest / Bandit | Uncredited | |
| The Country Beyond | Half-Breed | Uncredited | |
| Aces and Eights | Captain Felipe de Lopez | ||
| The Plainsman | Injun Charley | Uncredited | |
| The Bold Caballero | Captain Vargas | Alternative title: The Bold Cavalier | |
| 1937 | Fair Warning | Miguel | Uncredited |
| Swing High, Swing Low | Panamanian at Cockfight | Uncredited | |
| The Last Train from Madrid | Peasant | Uncredited | |
| Wild West Days | Buckskin Frank | ||
| Ebb Tide | Uncle Ned | ||
| Thank You, Mr. Moto | Ning | Uncredited | |
| 1938 | Forbidden Valley | Blackjack | |
| The Crime of Doctor Hallet | Talamu | ||
| The Adventures of Marco Polo | Mongol Warrior | Uncredited | |
| Tropic Holiday | Peón | Uncredited | |
| Flaming Frontiers | Breed - Henchman | Serial | |
| The Renegade Ranger | Manuel | ||
| Red Barry | Capt. Moy | Serial | |
| Flirting with Fate | Garcia's Chauffeur | Uncredited | |
| 1939 | Union Pacific | Indian Shooting Mollie | Uncredited |
| Man of Conquest | Zavola | Uncredited | |
| The Girl and the Gambler | Andres | ||
| The Oregon Trail | Henchman Breed | Serial | |
| Frontier Marshal | Indian Charlie | ||
| Desperate Trails | Henchman Ortega | ||
| The Real Glory | Captured Native Giving Guns' Location | Uncredited | |
| Geronimo | Indian | Uncredited | |
| The Mad Empress | Diaz's Messenger | Uncredited | |
| 1940 | The Man Who Wouldn't Talk | Mexican | Uncredited |
| Charlie Chan in Panama | Native Fisherman | Uncredited | |
| Wagons Westward | Pima | ||
| Winners of the West | Snakeye | Serial | |
| Untamed | Indian Trapper | Uncredited | |
| South to Karanga | Native | ||
| Kit Carson | Ruiz | ||
| North West Mounted Police | Half-breed Archer | Uncredited | |
| The Mark of Zorro | Jose | Uncredited | |
| Behind the News | Carlos Marquez | Uncredited | |
| 1941 | White Eagle | Henchman | Serial, Uncredited |
| The Bad Man | Venustiano | ||
| Blood and Sand | Pablo Gómez | ||
| Forced Landing | Migalos - Prisoner | Uncredited | |
| Roaring Frontiers | Moccasin | ||
| The Corsican Brothers | Shepherd | Uncredited | |
| 1942 | Tombstone, the Town Too Tough to Die | Indian Charley | |
| Beyond the Blue Horizon | Panao | ||
| Pierre of the Plains | Crying Loon | ||
| Halfway to Shanghai | Ali | ||
| Manila Calling | Filipino | Uncredited | |
| Overland Mail | Puma - Henchman | Serial | |
| Here We Go Again | Indian | Uncredited | |
| 1944 | Michael Strogoff | Secuaz de Tártaro | |
| El as negro | |||
| Marked Trails | Denver - Henchman | ||
| The Mummy's Curse | Achilles | ||
| 1945 | Bad Men of the Border | Juan | Uncredited |
| South of the Rio Grande | Sebastian | ||
| Bandits of the Badlands | Rusty | Uncredited | |
| San Antonio | Sojer Harris | Uncredited | |
| Adventure | Man in Cantina | Uncredited | |
| 1946 | Border Bandits | Jose | |
| Tangier | Juan | Uncredited | |
| My Darling Clementine | Indian Charlie | Uncredited | |
| 1947 | Sinbad the Sailor | Ruri | Uncredited |
| Buffalo Bill Rides Again | White Mountain | ||
| The Homestretch | Mexican Father | Uncredited | |
| Calcutta | Strangler | Uncredited | |
| Ride the Pink Horse | Drunk Mexican | Uncredited | |
| The Exile | Painter | ||
| 1948 | Saigon | Susan's Driver | Uncredited |
| Fury at Furnace Creek | José Artego | Uncredited | |
| Coroner Creek | Indian | Uncredited | |
| Return of the Bad Men | Grey Eagle | Uncredited | |
| Belle Starr's Daughter | Cherokee Joe | ||
| The Feathered Serpent | Manuel | Uncredited | |
| 1949 | The Walking Hills | Cleve | Uncredited |
| Roll, Thunder, Roll! | Felipe, El Conejo rider | ||
| The Cowboy and the Indians | Broken Arm | ||
| 1950 | Ambush | Diablito | |
| A Ticket to Tomahawk | Trancos | Uncredited | |
| Fortunes of Captain Blood | Juan Otlas | Uncredited | |
| The Savage Horde | Morellis | ||
| The Showdown | Indian Joe | ||
| Indian Territory | Soma | Uncredited | |
| California Passage | Pedro | ||
| 1951 | Oh! Susanna | Charlie Grass | |
| Warpath | Courier | ||
| 1952 | Smoky Canyon | Johnny Big Foot | Uncredited |
| Rose of Cimarron | Lone Indian on Trail | Uncredited | |
| The Lion and the Horse | Deputy Britt | ||
| Wagons West | Kaw Chief | (credit only) | |
| 1953 | Tropic Zone | Macario's Grandfather | Uncredited |
| Savage Mutiny | Chief Wamai | ||
| San Antone | Mexican | Uncredited | |
| Jeopardy | Mexican Father | Uncredited | |
| Ride, Vaquero! | Vaquero | ||
| The Stand at Apache River | Apache Indian | Uncredited | |
| Conquest of Cochise | Apache Brave | Uncredited | |
| Escape from Fort Bravo | Eilota | Uncredited | |
| 1954 | Jubilee Trail | Pablo | |
| Gunfighters of the Northwest | Cariboo | Serial, Uncredited | |
| Man with the Steel Whip | Blackjack Sam | Serial, Uncredited | |
| Killer Leopard | Tony Gonzales | Uncredited | |
| Green Fire | Bandit | Uncredited | |
| 1955 | The Last Command | Peon Villager | Uncredited |
| The Vanishing American | Quah-Tan | ||
| 1956 | Pardners | Indian | Uncredited |
| The Ten Commandments | Slave | Uncredited | |
| 1957 | Duel at Apache Wells | Mexican | Uncredited |
| 1959 | Last Train from Gun Hill | Keno | Uncredited |
| 1960 | Oklahoma Territory | Tom Badger | Uncredited |
| 1961 | The Outsider | Joseph Hayes | (final film role) |
| Television | |||
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1950–1956 | The Lone Ranger | Red Moon / Various | 5 episodes |
| 1952–1953 | The Adventures of Kit Carson | Chief Gray Wolf / Various | 6 episodes |
| 1953–1960 | Death Valley Days | Red Cloud / Various | 6 episodes |
| 1953 | Death Valley Days | Bill the Indian | Season 1, Episode "Claim Jumpin' Jennie" |
| 1954–1958 | The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin | Geronimo / Pedro / Wynoki | 5 episodes |
| 1955–1956 | Sergeant Preston of the Yukon | Kluk-Wan, Medicine Man / Ataksuk | 2 episodes |
| 1956 | My Friend Flicka | Deerfoot | 1 episode |
| 1957 | Broken Arrow | Neche / Old Man | 2 episodes |
| Zorro | Half-breed Informer / Josafat | 2 episodes | |
| The Adventures of Jim Bowie | Pinal / Medicine Man | 2 episodes | |
| 1957–1958 | Wagon Train | Old Indian / Medicine Man | 2 episodes |
| 1958 | Sugarfoot | Charlie Falling Horse / Saba / Charlie | 3 episodes |
| 1958–1961 | Bronco | Shad / Daniel Webster / Yellow Claw | 3 episodes |
| 1959 | Laramie | Indian | 1 episode |
| 1960 | Law of the Plainsman | Escudero | 1 episode |
| The Alaskans | Chinook | 2 episodes | |
| Maverick | Indian Chief | 1 episode | |
| The Magical World of Disney | Old Dying Indian | 1 episode | |
| 1960 | Rawhide | Old Indian | S3:E10, "Incident of the Buffalo Soldier" |
| 1961 | Rawhide | Sub-Chief | S3:E20, "Incident of the Boomerang" |
References
edit- ^ Anderson, Chuck (November 20, 2010). "The Old Corral--Charles 'Charlie' Stevens". Retrieved November 15, 2019.
- ^ "Eloisa Michelena," Ancestry.com, https://www.ancestry.com/genealogy/records/eloisa-michelena-24-1rgx7wk. Retrieved July 4, 2021.
- ^ Haralson, Danny (March 14, 2012). "Charles Stevens: Gila Valley's Own Movie Star". Eastern Arizona Courier. Retrieved November 15, 2019.
- ^ Black, Liza (October 2020). Picturing Indians. U of Nebraska Press. ISBN 978-1-4962-2375-3. Retrieved August 22, 2020.
- ^ Ellenberger, Allan R. (May 2001). Celebrities in Los Angeles Cemeteries: A Directory. McFarland. p. 208. ISBN 978-0-7864-0983-9. Retrieved August 22, 2020.