Charles Stevens (actor)

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Charles Stevens
Charles Stevens in The Three Musketeers (1921).jpg
Stevens in The Three Musketeers (1921)
Born(1893-05-26)May 26, 1893
DiedAugust 22, 1964(1964-08-22) (aged 71)
Resting place Valhalla Memorial Park Cemetery, North Hollywood
OccupationActor
Years active1915–1961
SpouseLila Stevens (1918–?) (1 child)

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]

Contents

Early years

Stevens 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

Stevens 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

Stevens died on August 22, 1964, and is buried in Valhalla Memorial Park in North Hollywood in Los Angeles County, California. [5]

Filmography

Film
YearTitleRoleNotes
1915 The Birth of a Nation VolunteerFilm debut, Uncredited
The Lamb LieutenantUncredited
FatherhoodLooey JimUncredited
Martyrs of the Alamo Mexican SoldierUncredited
Double Trouble ThiefUncredited
1916 The Good Bad-Man BanditUncredited
American Aristocracy MexicanUncredited
The Matrimaniac  [ cy; fi ]LinemanUncredited
The Americano Col. Gargaras
1917 Wild and Woolly Pedro
The Man from Painted Post Henchman
Reaching for the Moon Boris' LieutenantUncredited
A Modern Musketeer IndianUncredited
1918Six Shooter AndyMexican John
Mr. Fix-It GangsterUncredited
M'Liss MexicanUncredited
He Comes Up Smiling TownsmanUncredited
1919 His Majesty, the American OfficerUncredited
1920 The Mollycoddle Yellow Horse
The Mark of Zorro Peon Beaten by Sgt. GonzalezUncredited
1921 The Nut HenchmanUncredited
The Three Musketeers Planchet
1922 Moran of the Lady Letty SeamanUncredited
The Primitive Lover Pedro
Robin Hood Prince John's AideAlternative 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 AwakerUncredited
Empty Hands Indian Guide
The Iron Horse IndianUncredited
1925 Recompense Mosheshoe
Don Q, Son of Zorro Robledo
A Son of His Father Pablo
The Vanishing American Shoie
Tumbleweeds IndianUncredited
1926 The Black Pirate Powder Man
Mantrap Lawrence Jackfish (Indian Guide)
Across the Pacific Emilio Aguinaldo
The Temptress Argentine RevelerUncredited
1927 The King of Kings BeggarUncredited
Woman's Law
Now We're in the Air Knife ThrowerUncredited
The Gaucho The Gaucho's First Lieutenant
1928 Stand and Deliver Pietro
Diamond Handcuffs Niambo
1929 The Iron Mask Planchet
Tide of Empire Indian ServantUncredited
The Mysterious Dr. Fu Manchu SinghUncredited
Rio Rita JoséUncredited
The Taming of the Shrew ServantUncredited
The Virginian PedroUncredited
1930 The Arizona Kid Mine MexicanUncredited
The Big Trail Lopez
Tom Sawyer Injun Joe
1931 The Cisco Kid Lopez
The Conquering Horde John
The Cisco Kid Lopez
1932 The Gay Caballero MessengerUncredited
South of the Rio Grande Pedro
The Broken Wing Chicken Thief
The Stoker Ernesto
Mystery Ranch Tonto - Henchman
Chandu the Magician AliUncredited
Heritage of the Desert PanchoUncredited
Tex Takes a Holiday Henchman
The Golden West IndianUncredited
1933 Sensation Hunters Indian JoeUncredited
Drum Taps Indian Joe
The California Trail Juan
When Strangers Marry Chattermahl
The Woman I Stole CrewmanUncredited
Police Call Gang Leader
Fury of the Jungle Kimba
The Perils of Pauline LeeSerial, Uncredited
1934 Man of Two Worlds EskimoUncredited
Call of the Coyote: A Legend of the Golden WestPancho
Viva Villa! Pascal's StaffUncredited
The Trumpet Blows Sheriff MejiasUncredited
Grand Canary CabbieUncredited
La Cucaracha Pancho's ValetShort, Uncredited
Wake Up and Dream 2nd IndianUncredited
Behold My Wife! Apache HerderUncredited
1935 The Lives of a Bengal Lancer McGregor's ServantUncredited
Rumba Counterfeit Lottery Ticket VendorUncredited
Under the Pampas Moon GroomUncredited
Call of the Wild Francois
1936 Rose of the Rancho Peon SpyUncredited
Here Comes Trouble Malay Mike
Give Us This Night Fisherman
Robin Hood of El Dorado Wedding Guest / BanditUncredited
The Country Beyond Half-BreedUncredited
Aces and Eights Captain Felipe de Lopez
The Plainsman Injun CharleyUncredited
The Bold Caballero Captain VargasAlternative title: The Bold Cavalier
1937 Fair Warning MiguelUncredited
Swing High, Swing Low Panamanian at CockfightUncredited
The Last Train from Madrid PeasantUncredited
Wild West Days Buckskin Frank
Ebb Tide Uncle Ned
Thank You, Mr. Moto NingUncredited
1938 Forbidden Valley Blackjack
The Crime of Doctor Hallet Talamu
The Adventures of Marco Polo Mongol WarriorUncredited
Tropic Holiday PeónUncredited
Flaming Frontiers Breed - HenchmanSerial
The Renegade Ranger Manuel
Red Barry Capt. MoySerial
Flirting with Fate Garcia's ChauffeurUncredited
1939 Union Pacific Indian Shooting MollieUncredited
Man of Conquest ZavolaUncredited
The Girl and the Gambler Andres
The Oregon Trail Henchman BreedSerial
Frontier Marshal Indian Charlie
Desperate Trails Henchman Ortega
The Real Glory Captured Native Giving Guns' LocationUncredited
Geronimo IndianUncredited
The Mad Empress Diaz's MessengerUncredited
1940 The Man Who Wouldn't Talk MexicanUncredited
Charlie Chan in Panama Native FishermanUncredited
Wagons Westward Pima
Winners of the West SnakeyeSerial
Untamed Indian TrapperUncredited
South to Karanga Native
Kit Carson Ruiz
North West Mounted Police Half-breed ArcherUncredited
The Mark of Zorro JoseUncredited
Behind the News Carlos MarquezUncredited
1941 White Eagle HenchmanSerial, Uncredited
The Bad Man Venustiano
Blood and Sand Pablo Gómez
Forced Landing Migalos - PrisonerUncredited
Roaring Frontiers Moccasin
The Corsican Brothers ShepherdUncredited
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 FilipinoUncredited
Overland Mail Puma - HenchmanSerial
Here We Go Again IndianUncredited
1944 Michael Strogoff Secuaz de Tártaro
El as negro
Marked Trails Denver - Henchman
The Mummy's Curse Achilles
1945 Bad Men of the Border JuanUncredited
South of the Rio Grande Sebastian
Bandits of the Badlands RustyUncredited
San Antonio Sojer HarrisUncredited
Adventure Man in CantinaUncredited
1946 Border Bandits Jose
Tangier JuanUncredited
My Darling Clementine Indian CharlieUncredited
1947 Sinbad the Sailor RuriUncredited
Buffalo Bill Rides Again White Mountain
The Homestretch Mexican FatherUncredited
Calcutta StranglerUncredited
Ride the Pink Horse Drunk MexicanUncredited
The Exile Painter
1948 Saigon Susan's DriverUncredited
Fury at Furnace Creek José ArtegoUncredited
Coroner Creek IndianUncredited
Return of the Bad Men Grey EagleUncredited
Belle Starr's Daughter Cherokee Joe
The Feathered Serpent ManuelUncredited
1949 The Walking Hills CleveUncredited
Roll, Thunder, Roll!Felipe, El Conejo rider
The Cowboy and the Indians Broken Arm
1950 Ambush Diablito
A Ticket to Tomahawk TrancosUncredited
Fortunes of Captain Blood Juan OtlasUncredited
The Savage Horde Morellis
The Showdown Indian Joe
Indian Territory SomaUncredited
California Passage Pedro
1951 Oh! Susanna Charlie Grass
Warpath Courier
1952 Smoky Canyon Johnny Big FootUncredited
Rose of Cimarron Lone Indian on TrailUncredited
The Lion and the Horse Deputy Britt
Wagons West Kaw Chief(credit only)
1953 Tropic Zone Macario's GrandfatherUncredited
Savage Mutiny Chief Wamai
San Antone MexicanUncredited
Jeopardy Mexican FatherUncredited
Ride, Vaquero! Vaquero
The Stand at Apache River Apache IndianUncredited
Conquest of Cochise Apache BraveUncredited
Escape from Fort Bravo EilotaUncredited
1954 Jubilee Trail Pablo
Gunfighters of the Northwest CaribooSerial, Uncredited
Man with the Steel Whip Blackjack SamSerial, Uncredited
Killer Leopard Tony GonzalesUncredited
Green Fire BanditUncredited
1955 The Last Command Peon VillagerUncredited
The Vanishing American Quah-Tan
1956 Pardners IndianUncredited
The Ten Commandments SlaveUncredited
1957 Duel at Apache Wells MexicanUncredited
1959 Last Train from Gun Hill KenoUncredited
1960 Oklahoma Territory Tom BadgerUncredited
1961 The Outsider Joseph Hayes(final film role)
Television
YearTitleRoleNotes
1950–1956 The Lone Ranger Red Moon / Various5 episodes
1952–1953 The Adventures of Kit Carson Chief Gray Wolf / Various6 episodes
1953–1960 Death Valley Days Red Cloud / Various6 episodes
1953 Death Valley Days Bill the IndianSeason 1, Episode "Claim Jumpin' Jennie"
1954–1958 The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin Geronimo / Pedro / Wynoki5 episodes
1955–1956 Sergeant Preston of the Yukon Kluk-Wan, Medicine Man / Ataksuk2 episodes
1956 My Friend Flicka Deerfoot1 episode
1957 Broken Arrow Neche / Old Man2 episodes
Zorro Half-breed Informer / Josafat2 episodes
The Adventures of Jim Bowie Pinal / Medicine Man2 episodes
1957–1958 Wagon Train Old Indian / Medicine Man2 episodes
1958 Sugarfoot Charlie Falling Horse / Saba / Charlie3 episodes
1958–1961 Bronco Shad / Daniel Webster / Yellow Claw3 episodes
1959 Laramie Indian1 episode
1960 Law of the Plainsman Escudero1 episode
The Alaskans Chinook2 episodes
Maverick Indian Chief1 episode
The Magical World of Disney Old Dying Indian1 episode
1960 Rawhide Old IndianS3:E10, "Incident of the Buffalo Soldier"
1961 Rawhide Sub-ChiefS3:E20, "Incident of the Boomerang"

References

  1. Anderson, Chuck (November 20, 2010). "The Old Corral--Charles 'Charlie' Stevens" . Retrieved November 15, 2019.
  2. "Eloisa Michelena," Ancestry.com, https://www.ancestry.com/genealogy/records/eloisa-michelena-24-1rgx7wk. Retrieved July 4, 2021.
  3. Haralson, Danny (March 14, 2012). "Charles Stevens: Gila Valley's Own Movie Star". Eastern Arizona Courier. Retrieved November 15, 2019.
  4. Black, Liza (October 2020). Picturing Indians. U of Nebraska Press. ISBN   978-1-4962-2375-3 . Retrieved August 22, 2020.
  5. 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.