Within 1934 he got his foremost directing job, a slapstick Kentucky Kernels. His large break come while he directed Katharine Hepburn in Alice Adams in 1935. He went in in the late 1930s to direct many Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire movies, not simply using them actors together, however in their have.

As punishment World War II, in which he photographed a graphic scenes at a Dachau concentration camp, his films became more striking. I Remember Mama in 1948 was the previous picture show by owning comical scenes that he processed. He was responsible such classic films as A Place in the Sun, Shane, The Diary of Anne Frank, Giant and The Greatest Story Ever Told.

Stevens died inside his cattle ranch in Lancaster, California.

Academy Awards and nominations
1960 - Nominated - Best Director - The Diary of Anne Frank 1960 - Nominated - Best Picture - The Diary of Anne Frank 1957 - Won Best Director - Giant 1957 - Nominated Best Picture - Giant 1954 - Won Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award 1954 - Nominated Best Director - Shane 1954 - Nominated Best Picture - Shane 1952 - Won Best Director - A Place in the Sun 1952 - Nominated Best Picture - A Place in the Sun 1944 - Nominated Best Director - The More the Merrier 1944 - Nominated Best Picture - a Other the Merrier 1943 - Nominated Best Picture - The Talk of the Town

Stevens has the star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 1701 Vine Street.