Stella, Stella, Stella . . .

I have mixed emotions on this one. Far be it from me to begrudge any actor to ply his or her craft and many a leading Hollywood lady or man has found continued employment, once the bloom has faded from the rose, in character roles. The last time I recall seeing Stella Stevens in any move, let alone a Western, was the "Ballad of Cable Hogue." She was as sexy a woman as I've ever seen in a mainstream movie, at a time, c. 1967 or so, when brief nudity was finally showing up, literally, in many films. Cute, sassy, sexy and ohmygod, what a bod! Flashfoward to "Hell to Pay." Okay, so I'm an "age-ist." Seeing Stella in the crone like role in this movie was a major yuck factor. Mostly because I thought her acting was laughably inept. I just watched Dame Helen Mirren in an arty film with Cuba Gooding, Jr in which she's the romantic lead and I thought she was sexy and believable. She and Stella are probably in the same age group. So...Stella. Please...enough.