Steve Cochran

Film actor Steve Cochran (May 25, 1917 - June 15, 1965) was born Robert Alexander Cochran in Eureka, California. The son of a California lumberman, he was a graduate of the University of Wyoming in 1939. After a stint working as a cowpuncher, Cochran developed his acting skills in local theater and gradually progressed onto Broadway.

Film career

From 1949 to 1952, he worked for Warner Brothers (mostly supporting roles, often playing boxers and gangsters) and appeared in many films including "The Chase" (1946), "The Best Years of Our Lives" (1946), "A Song Is Born" (1948), "Highway 301" (1950), "The Damned Don't Cry!" (1950), and "Inside the Walls of Folsom Prison" (1951), which inspired Johnny Cash to write his song "Folsom Prison Blues".

One of his most memorable roles was as psychotic mobster James Cagney’s deceitful, power-hungry henchman, Big Ed Somers, in the gangster classic "White Heat" (1949). He won critical acclaim for his performances as a disgraced, alcoholic itinerant farmer struggling to regain the love of his family in "Come Next Spring" (1956), and as a troubled drifter in Michelangelo Antonioni’s "Il Grido" (1957), produced in Italy.

Cochran starred in a string of B-movies throughout the 1950s, including "Carnival Story" (1954). He also frequently appeared in episodes of the most popular television series of the era, including guest spots on "Bonanza", "The Untouchables", "Route 66" and "The Twilight Zone".

Personal life

Cochran was a notorious womanizer and attracted tabloid attention for his tumultuous private life, which included well-documented affairs with actresses such as Mae West, Jayne Mansfield, Barbara Payton, Joan Crawford, Sabrina, Merle Oberon, Kay Kendall, Virginia Lord, and Ida Lupino. Perhaps his most famous affair was with Mamie Van Doren, who later wrote about their sex life in graphic detail in her tell-all autobiography "Playing the Field: My Story" (New York: G.P. Putnam, 1987). He was also three times married and divorced, to actress Fay McKenzie, and to non-celebrities Florence Lockwood and Jonna Jensen.

Death

On June 15, 1965, at the age of 48, Cochran died on his yacht off the coast of Guatemala due to an acute lung infection. His body, along with three alive but upset female assistants, remained onboard for ten days since the three women didn't know how to operate the boat. The boat drifted to shore in Port Champerico, Guatemala and was found by authorities. There were various rumors of foul play and poisoning, and Merle Oberon tried to use her influence to push for further police investigations. No new evidence was found.

Trivia

British singer Morrissey (Steven Patrick Morrissey) formerly of The Smiths was named after him.

External links

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* [http://briansdriveintheater.com/stevecochran.html B-movie celebrity profile for Steve Cochran]