Steve Cochran

Eureka, California

Biography

He is perhaps best remembered for his role of Big Ed Somers, the power hungry gangster pal of James Cagney in "White Heat" (1949). Born Robert Alexander Cochran in Eureka, California, he was the son of a California lumberjack, who moved the family to Wyoming in the 1920s, where Cochran grew to adulthood. After graduating from the University of Wyoming in 1939, Cochran began working steadily as a Wyoming cowboy, while developing his acting skills working in summer stock and regional theaters and gradually moving on to Broadway. In 1945, he signed with MGM, and for the next several years, played mostly secondary roles as gangsters or boxers. He made his film debut with "Boston Blackie Booked on Suspicion" (1945) and quickly followed with "Wonder Man" (1945). Released from his contract in 1948, he returned to Broadway where he worked with Mae West; the next year he signed on with Warner Brothers, where he earned leading roles in such films as "The Damned Don't Cry" (1950), "Highway 301" (1950) and "Tomorrow is Another Day" (1951). Warner Brothers often had him playing the villain in several of its western films, such as "Dallas" (1950), and "Back to God's Country" (1953). With the end of his contract in 1953, he began his own film company, Robert Alexander Productions, while also freelancing for other studios and moving on to guest star roles on television shows. He would show up in such television shows as Death Valley Days, Burke's Law, The Untouchables, Naked City, The Twilight Zone, Route 66, and The Virginian. A notorious womanizer, Cochran was married and divorced three times, and was often in the Hollywood tabloids reportedly having affairs with such actresses as Mae West, Jayne Mansfield, Joan Crawford, Merle Oberon, Ida Lupino and Mamie Van Doren. Cochran died under mysterious circumstances. In May 1965, Cochran had revived his production company, and together with three women, whom he had hired as his assistants, boarded his 40-foot yacht to travel to Central and South America to look for filming locations. On June 25, 1965, the yacht drifted into Port Champerico, Guatemala, with three alive but very distraught women aboard and the body of Steve Cochran, who had died ten days earlier. The women did not know how to operate the boat, and were dependent upon its drifting to shore after his death. There were numerous rumors of murder and poisoning, and actress / former lover Merle Oberon used her influence to push for further police investigation, but no evidence of foul play was ever determined. The official cause of his death was given as Acute Infectious Edema (lung infection).

Movies

Mr. Broadway is an American 13-episode CBS adventure and drama television series starring Craig Stevens as New York City public relations specialist Mike Bell. The program aired at 9 p.m. Eastern time Saturdays from September 26 to December 26, 1964. Also featured were Bell's assistant, Toki, portrayed by Lani Miyazaki, and his police contact, Hank McClure, played by Horace McMahon. Mr. Broadway, a Talent Associates Production, was created by Garson Kanin and produced by David Susskind and Daniel Melnick. Dave Brubeck supplied the music and theme. It was shot on location in New York City. Mr. Broadway episodes have unusual titles. The series included rare guest appearances by Liza Minnelli, in her first television dramatic role, as Minnie in "Nightingale for Sale"; Sandy Dennis in "Don't Mention My Name in Sheboygan", and Lauren Bacall as Barbara Lake, with Martin Balsam as Nate Bannerman, in "Something to Sing About". Other episodes are "Keep an Eye on Emily" with Tuesday Weld as Emily and Oleg Cassini as himself, "Take a Walk Through a Cemetery" with Lauren Bacall, again, but also with Jason Robards, Jr., and Jill St. John, "Try to Find a Spy" with Barbara Feldon and Simon Oakland, "Between the Rats and the Finks" with Larry Hagman, Dyan Cannon, Bruce Gordon, and Patrick McVey, "The He-She Chemistry" with Tammy Grimes, "Maggie, Queen of the Jungle", with Nina Foch in the title role, "Smelling Like a Rose" with Art Carney, Hal Roach, and Tina Louise, "Bad Little Rich Girl" with Diana Van der Vlis as Mary Beth Warren and Larry Pennell as John Chambers, "Sticks and Stones May Break My Bones" with Philip Abbott as Geoffrey Karr and Lola Albright as Duff Daniels. Albright had been Stevens's co-star on Peter Gunn, and "Pay Now, Die Later", the series finale, with David Wayne as John Zeck and John Ireland as Jimmy King. In the latter episode the wealthy Zeck hires Mike Bell to write his obituary ahead of his death.

More info
Mr. Broadway
1964