Robert Stevenson (filmmaker) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Robert Stevenson
Born	Robert Edward Stevenson (1905-03-31)31 March 1905 Buxton, Derbyshire, England
Died	30 April 1986(1986-04-30) (aged 81) Santa Barbara, California, US
Occupation	Director, screenwriter
Years active	1928–1976
Spouse(s)	Cecilie L Leslie ​ ​ (m. 1929; div. 1934)​ Anna Lee ​ ​ (m. 1934; div. 1944)​ Frances Holyoke Howard ​ ​ (m. 1944, divorced)​ Ursula Henderson ​ ​ (m. 1963)​
Children	3, including Venetia Stevenson
Relatives	Edan Everly (grandson)

Robert Edward Stevenson (born March 31, 1905 – died April 30, 1986) was a talented British-American film director and writer. He is famous for making many popular movies.

After directing several films in Britain, like King Solomon's Mines (1937), he moved to Hollywood. There, he worked for David O. Selznick and directed Jane Eyre (1943).

Robert Stevenson is best known for directing 19 live-action films for The Walt Disney Company. These movies were made in the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s. His most famous Disney film is the musical Mary Poppins (1964). For this movie, its star, Julie Andrews, won an Academy Award for Best Actress. Stevenson himself was nominated for Best Director.

Other well-known Disney films he directed include the first two Herbie movies: The Love Bug (1968) and Herbie Rides Again (1974). He also directed Bedknobs and Broomsticks (1971). The English actor David Tomlinson appeared in three of Stevenson's films.

Early Life and Education

Robert Stevenson went to Shrewsbury School. He then earned a scholarship to study at St John's College, Cambridge. At Cambridge, he won a special prize for Aeronautics. In 1927, he graduated with a top degree in engineering.

He was also a leader at the university. He was president of the Liberal Club and editor of the student magazine Granta. While studying psychology after graduation, he became president of the important Cambridge Union Society. After leaving college, his parents gave him six weeks to find a job. He soon started working as an assistant to Michael Balcon, a film producer.

Robert Stevenson's Film Career

Working in British Films

Robert Stevenson began his career by writing movie scripts. His first story was for the film Balaclava (1928). He also helped write many other films in the early 1930s. Some of these include Greek Street (1930) and Sunshine Susie (1931).

Stevenson directed his first full-length movie, Happy Ever After (1932). This was a musical comedy. He also wrote and directed Falling for You (1933). While working on The Camels Are Coming (1934), he met actress Anna Lee, who later became his wife.

He gained praise for Tudor Rose (1936), a historical film he wrote and directed. He then directed The Man Who Changed His Mind (1936) with Boris Karloff. Stevenson also directed the adventure film King Solomon's Mines (1937). His last British film was Return to Yesterday (1940).

Moving to Hollywood

Robert Stevenson was invited to Hollywood by David O. Selznick, a famous producer. Selznick also brought director Alfred Hitchcock to Hollywood. Selznick often signed talented people to contracts and then let other studios borrow them. Stevenson was loaned to RKO, where he directed Tom Brown's School Days (1940).

He then directed Back Street (1941) for Universal Studios. After that, he returned to RKO for Joan of Paris (1942), which was a big success.

Stevenson wrote and directed Jane Eyre (1943) for Selznick. This movie starred Orson Welles and Joan Fontaine. He also directed parts of Forever and a Day (1943), a film with many directors. Later, he directed Dishonored Lady (1947) and To the Ends of the Earth (1948).

He returned to RKO and directed several more films. These included The Woman on Pier 13 (1949), Walk Softly, Stranger (1950), My Forbidden Past (1951), and The Las Vegas Story (1952).

Directing for Television

In the 1950s, Stevenson started directing for television. He directed six episodes of the first season of Gunsmoke, which became a very popular TV show. Over five years, he directed more than 100 TV episodes for various shows. These included Alfred Hitchcock Presents and The 20th Century-Fox Hour.

Working with Walt Disney

In 1956, Robert Stevenson began working for the Disney Company. He ended up directing 19 films for Disney over 20 years. His first Disney films were Johnny Tremain (1957), a story about the American Revolution, and Old Yeller (1957). Old Yeller is a classic movie about a boy and his dog. In 2019, it was chosen to be preserved in the National Film Registry because it is so important.

Stevenson also directed episodes of Disney's Zorro TV series. He then directed Darby O'Gill and the Little People (1959) and Kidnapped (1960). He had a big hit with the comedy The Absent-Minded Professor (1961). Its sequel, Son of Flubber (1963), was also very popular.

His teen comedy The Misadventures of Merlin Jones (1964) was a surprise hit, leading to a sequel, The Monkey's Uncle (1965). However, none of these movies earned as much money as Mary Poppins (1964). Mary Poppins won five Academy Awards.

Other Disney comedies Stevenson directed include That Darn Cat! (1965) starring Hayley Mills. He also directed The Gnome-Mobile (1967) and Blackbeard's Ghost (1968). The Love Bug (1968) was another huge success for him.

Bedknobs and Broomsticks (1971) was an attempt to create another hit like Mary Poppins. Stevenson also directed Herbie Rides Again (1974) and the adventure film The Island at the Top of the World (1974). His last feature film was The Shaggy D.A. (1976).

By 1977, Robert Stevenson was known as one of the most successful directors in film history. He had 17 Disney films on a list of top-earning movies. These films earned a lot of money around the world.

Personal Life

Robert Stevenson married English actress Anna Lee in 1934. They lived in London before moving to Hollywood in 1939. They had two daughters, Venetia and Caroline, before they divorced in 1944.

During World War II, Stevenson became an American citizen. He served in the United States Army Signal Corps, working with director Frank Capra.

He married Frances Holyoke Howard in 1944, and they later divorced. They had one son, Hugh Howard Stevenson. In 1963, he married Ursula Henderson. They stayed married until Robert Stevenson passed away in 1986.

Filmography