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 mother Marie and father Gail Shikles, a high school teacher in Liberty and later an elementary school principal in Kansas City, Missouri.
Stevens initially studied dentistry at the University of Kansas, then 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. Under the name Michael Gale (a play on his first name), his first screen role was as a sailor in Coast Guard (1939). After this small role, 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".
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 and Alexis Smith married on June 18, 1944.
He appeared in films like Three Cadets (1943), Learn and Live (1944), and Resisting Enemy Interrogation (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 the short subject 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 Theatre, 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.