Remembering Stella Stevens (1938-2023)

Just days after losing Raquel Welch, another 70s icon has passed away.  Stella Stevens, who starred in The Poseidon Adventure and several other of my favorite movies died today at age 84 from Alzheimer's disease.  Born October 1, 1938 in Yazoo City, Mississippi, she made her acting debut in Say One for Me in 1959 for which she won a Golden Globe for Most Promising Newcomer - Female.  In 1972, she appeared in The Poseidon Adventure, a classic disaster movie, and then in 1973, she starred in the horror-comedy Arnold. Just two years later, she played the bad guy Marcia in the pilot for the new Wonder Woman series starring Lynda Carter.

She appeared with Angela Lansbury in Funeral at Fifty-Mile, an episode of Murder, She Wrote.

I don't know why I love this fight scene between Marcia (Stella) and Wonder Woman (Lynda).

Shelly Winters wins Golden Globe 1973

Shelly Winters won  the Golden Globe award for Best Supporting Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture at the 30th ceremony held January 28, 1973.  She won for her performance as Belle Rosen in The Poseidon Adventure.

I just found out that she did her own stunts during the underwater scene where she frees Gene Hackman from drowning.

"The Poseidon Adventure" wins two Academy Awards 1973

Actress Merle Oberon presents the Special Achievement Award for visual effects to The Poseidon Adventure

Irwin Allen's disaster pic The Poseidon Adventure won two Academy Awards at the 45th ceremony held March 27, 1973.  It won an award for Best Original Song The Morning After, which was written by Joel Hirschhorn and Al Kasha.

It was presented a Special Achievement Award for visual effects for L. B. Abbot and A. D. Flowers.  

The Poseidon Adventure was nominated for six more awards: Best Supporting Actress for Shelley Winters, Best Original Score for John Williams, Best Costume Design, Best Sound, Best Art Direction, Best Cinematography, and Best Film Editing.

Maggie Smith was nominated for Best Actress.

Maureen McGovern's "The Morning After" from The Poseidon Adventure reaches #1 1973

Maureen McGovern's performance of The Morning After from The Poseidon Adventure reached #1 on the Billboard charts August 4, 1973 and stayed there for two weeks.  It went on to win the Academy Award for Best Original Song at the Academy Awards in March 1973.

"The Poseidon Adventure" premiered 1972

The star-studded, 70's disaster-flick The Poseidon Adventure opened December 13, 1972.  The cast included 5 Academy Award winners: Gene Hackman, Ernest Borgnine, Jack Albertson, Shelley Winters and Red Buttons.

The Poseidon Adventure won two Academy Awards, one for Best Original Song and a non-competitive Special Achievement Award for Best Visual Effects.  Shelley Winters won the Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actress - Motion Picture.

The movie was #1 Box Office Champ of 1973 and by the end of 1974 it was one of the most successful movies ever.

My favorite movies: 1968-1973

My favorite moview from 1968-1973.  I got to 1974 and it's going to be another year where there are so many movies it is going to be hard to choose.

1968: Chitty Chitty Bang Bang starring Dick Van Dyke and Sally Ann Howes





1969: Hello, Dolly! starring Barbara Streisand and Walter Matthau



1970: Airport starring Dean Martin, Helen Hayes, George Kennedy and everybody else.




1971: Bedknobs and Broomsticks starring Angela Lansbury and David Tomlinson



1972: The Poseidon Adventure starring Gene Hackman, Ernest Borgnine, Red Buttons and everybody else.



1972 (runner-up): What's Up, Doc? starring Barbara Streisand and Ryan O'Neal.



1973: The Three Musketeers starring Michael York, Faye Dunaway, Charlton Heston and everybody else.



1973 (runner-up): Enter the Dragon starring Bruce Lee and John Saxon.