A Letter of Introduction: The Life and Films of James Stephenson

British stage actor James Stephenson is best-known today as the suave and determined lawyer defending adulteress-murderer Bette Davis in William Wyler's classic Warner Bros. drama, The Letter. Stephenson's performance was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor and is held in high critical esteem. He appeared in at least thirty-nine major movies during 1937-1941 before his life and career were tragically cut short.

Author David A. Redfern draws on the late actor's personal archive and other primary source material to unravel the truth in a richly researched biography that traces Stephenson's early family background in Lancashire, England, uncovers his World War One army service records, discloses his business career during the 1920s and early 1930s, and describes the inspiring reality of his struggle to survive during the Great Depression.

For the first time, the story is told how, at the age of forty-three, Stephenson was able to enter the acting profession on the strength of his experience in amateur stage work and on the professional stage in Liverpool and London. The author also reveals never-before-seen private letters, in which Stephenson describes his remarkable journey to Hollywood and the risky ordeal of screen tests he took at the Warner Bros. Burbank Studios. Stephenson passed all tests, and during his Hollywood screen career, he appeared opposite such charismatic performers as Humphrey Bogart, Bette Davis, Errol Flynn, and Kay Francis.

For aficionados of Hollywood’s Golden Years and the classic stars, this biography is overfilled with additional content, including numerous photographs, a Filmography, copious Notes, an Index, and Appendices.

David A. Redfern is a film historian and lives in England.