James Stephenson
Actor
Known for
James Stephenson appears in film and television credits as a British actor, and the record says little more than that. The filmography, complete or not, comes to 31 credits. 'The Letter' is the film his name is usually tied to, playing Howard Joyce. A further credit: 'The Sea Hawk'. He came to screen work later than most, at 48.
James Stephenson
Actor
James Stephenson appears in film and television credits as a British actor, and the record says little more than that. The filmography, complete or not, comes to 31 credits. 'The Letter' is the film his name is usually tied to, playing Howard Joyce. A further credit: 'The Sea Hawk'. He came to screen work later than most, at 48.
Movies (31 titles)
Plays Abbott
The Sea Hawk
1940
Plays Major Henri de Beaujolais
Beau Geste
1939
Plays Howard Joyce
The Letter
1940
Plays Sir Thomas Egerton
The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex
1939
Plays Jim Ralston
The Old Maid
1939
Plays Joe Garvey
Murder in the Air
1940
Plays British Military Intelligence Agent
Confessions of a Nazi Spy
1939
Plays Challon
Nancy Drew… Detective
1938
Plays Bill Stevens
King of the Underworld
1939
Plays Dr. George Vanders
The Adventures of Jane Arden
1939
Plays Carew
A Dispatch from Reuters
1940
Plays Dr. Lawrence 'Larry' Stevens
Flight from Destiny
1941
Plays Philo Vance
Calling Philo Vance
1940
Plays Col. Armand Lucien
Devil's Island
1939
Plays Dr. Mansfield
Torchy Blane in Chinatown
1939
Plays Phillip Corey
When Were You Born
1938
Plays Dr. Paul Venner
Shining Victory
1941
Plays Stephen Gore
Heart of the North
1938
Plays Sir William Clintock
We Are Not Alone
1939
Plays Dr. Anton Rader
Espionage Agent
1939
Plays Jim Cameron
Secret Service of the Air
1939
Plays Major Thompson
Boy Meets Girl
1938
Plays Thomas Bradford
White Banners
1938
Plays Squadron Leader Charles Wyatt
International Squadron
1941
Plays Gerald Trask
On Trial
1939
Plays Senor De La Torre
The Monroe Doctrine
1939
Plays Colonel Tillman
Sons of Liberty
1939
Plays Inspector Thornton
South of Suez
1940
Plays McDowell
River's End
1940
Plays Fingers
Wanted by Scotland Yard
1939
Latest Trailers
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The Letter
Full Filmography 31
International Squadron
Squadron Leader Charles Wyatt
1941
Shining Victory
Dr. Paul Venner
1941
Flight from Destiny
Dr. Lawrence 'Larry' Stevens
1941
The Letter
Howard Joyce
1940
South of Suez
Inspector Thornton
1940
A Dispatch from Reuters
Carew
1940
River's End
McDowell
1940
The Sea Hawk
Abbott
1940
Murder in the Air
Joe Garvey
1940
Photos
Frequently Asked Questions
Is James Stephenson still alive?
James Stephenson passed away on July 29, 1941 at age 52.
What are the most famous roles of James Stephenson?
James Stephenson is best known for roles in The Letter, The Sea Hawk, Beau Geste.
How many movies has James Stephenson been in?
Over a 4-year career (since 1937), James Stephenson has appeared in 31 movies and 0 TV shows.
What was James Stephenson's first movie?
The career of James Stephenson began with Transatlantic Trouble (1937).
What is James Stephenson's most recent movie or series?
James Stephenson's most recent release is International Squadron, which premiered on August 13, 1941.
James Stephenson
1889-04-13 · Selby, Yorkshire, England, UK
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)