John Landers Stevens (1877–1940) was an American stage and film actor. A character actor he appeared in prominent screen roles in the early 1920s before switching to smaller supporting parts, often authority figures, in the following decade. He was the brother of the journalist Ashton Stevens and the father of film director George Stevens. He appeared in the 1936 musical film Swing Time directed by his son. His final screen appearance was in Citizen Kane.
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Early years
Stevens was born on February 17, 1877, in San Francisco. He came from a theatrical family, and his brother, Ashton, became a drama critic in San Francisco and later in Chicago.
Career
After having acted with an amateur company, Stevens directed plays at the Majestic theater.
Personal life and death
Landers married actress Fanny Gillette on April 15, 1896, in San Francisco. They were divorced on April 28, 1903. He married actress Georgie Cooper in San Jose, California, on April 29, 1903. They had two sons, film producer and director George Stevens and cameraman Jack Stevens. He died in Hollywood Hospital on December 19, 1940, aged 63.