Stevens, Julie, 1916-1984

Julie Stevens (1916-1984) was an American actress of stage, film, television and radio. She is best remembered for playing the part of Helen Trent on the long-running radio serial "The Romance of Helen Trent." Stevens played the role for sixteen years, beginning in 1944.

Born Harriet Foote in St. Louis, MO, Ms. Stevens' birth date was November 23rd. After attending what is now Columbia College in St. Louis, MO she came to New York and made her Broadway debut by replacing Gene Tierney in the play "The Male Animal." Some of Ms. Stevens' other Broadway credits included "Snookie" (1941), "Brooklyn USA" (1942) and "Proof Through the Night" (1943).

In 1942, she took on the title role of "Kitty Foyle" in the daily radio serial based on the film which starred Ginger Rogers. This radio serial ran from 1942 to 1944. Other radio shows on which Stevens performed included "Abbie's Irish Rose," "Road of Life" and "The Abbott Mysteries."

In 1944, Ms. Stevens took over the part of Helen Trent (previously played by actresses Virginia Clark and Betty Ruth Smith). Until the program left the air, listeners tuned in daily for the trials and tribulations of this series' resilient heroine. Each broadcast began with the announcer stating the program's famous preamble: "And now "The Romance of Helen Trent": the real-life drama of Helen Trent, who, when life mocks her, breaks her hopes, dashes her against the rocks of despair, fights back bravely, successfully, to prove what so many women long to prove - that because a woman is thirty-five or more, romance in life need not be over, that romance can begin at thirty-five."

Concurrent with her work on radio as "Helen Trent," Stevens also worked from 1951-1952 on the dramatic TV series "Big Town." Her character was a newspaper reporter named Lorilei.

After playing Helen Trent for the last time in 1960, Ms. Stevens retired to Cape Cod, Massachusetts where, for many years, she co-hosted an area radio show that featured theatre reviews and more. She also devoted her time to her family, to performing in local theatre and to various business interests.

Ms. Stevens married Charles Underhill, an executive with US Steel, in 1944. They had two daughters. Ms. Stevens died on August 26, 1984.

From the guide to the Julie Stevens Papers, 1940-1980, 1942-1959, (Mass Media and Culture)