James Stephenson, a tall, dapper, oval-faced, crisp-talking British stage actor, was born on April 13, 1889, in Yorkshire, England, to a chemist and druggist. Before pursuing a career in acting, he worked as a bank clerk and later as a merchant, serving in the British Army during World War I.
Despite having no formal acting training, Stephenson's growing interest in acting led him to amateur theatre presentations and eventually working professionally on the London and Liverpool stages.
At the age of 48, Stephenson made his film debut in the British drama "The Perfect Crime" (1937) at Warner Brothers' Teddington Studios in England. He continued to work in film, appearing in "You Live and Learn" (1937) and "Mr. Satan" (1938).
Warner mogul Jack Warner saw potential in Stephenson and summoned him to Hollywood, where he became a studio contract player. Stephenson left his homeland and emigrated to America, marrying Lorna Hewitt Anderson in 1936 and eventually becoming a U.S. citizen in 1938.
As a studio contract player, Stephenson appeared in a range of films, including "You Live and Learn" (1937),"Boy Meets Girl" (1938),"Nancy Drew: Detective" (1938),"White Banners" (1938),"Confessions of a Nazi Spy" (1939),"You Can't Get Away with Murder" (1939),"Espionage Agent" (1939),"Beau Geste" (1939),and "The Sea Hawk" (1940).
Stephenson's most notable role was as the family attorney Howard Joyce in the melodrama "The Letter" (1940),for which he earned an Oscar nomination. He had previously supported Bette Davis in "The Old Maid" (1939) and "The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex" (1939).
Stephenson's career was cut short when he suffered a myocardial infarction in 1941, dying at the age of 52 in Pacific Palisades, California. He is interred at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale, California, and is survived by his wife, Lorna Hewitt Anderson.
