Steve Cochran
| Steve Cochran | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born |
Robert Alexander Cochran May 25, 1917 Eureka, California, U.S. |
| Died | June 15, 1965 (aged 48) Off the coast of Guatemala |
| Cause of death | acute lung infection |
| Alma mater | University of Wyoming |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1945–1965 |
| Spouse(s) | Florence Lockwood (1935–1946; divorced) 1 child Fay McKenzie (1946–1948; divorced) Jonna Jensen (1961–1965; his death) |
| Children | Xandra Cochran |
Steve Cochran (May 25, 1917 - June 15, 1965) was an American film, television and stage actor. He graduated from the University of Wyoming in 1939. After a stint working as a cowpuncher, Cochran developed his acting skills in local theatre and gradually progressed to Broadway, film and television.
Christened Robert Alexander Cochran, the actor was born in Eureka, California, but grew up in Laramie, Wyoming, the son of a logger. While he appeared in high school plays, he spent more time delving into athletics, particularly shooting hoops. After stints as a cowpuncher and railroad station hand, he studied at the University of Wyoming, where he also played basketball. Impulsively, he quit college in 1937 and decided to go straight to Hollywood to become a star. Working as a carpenter and department store detective during his early days, he gained experience appearing in summer stock and in the early 1940s he was given the chance to work with the Shakespeare Festival in Carmel. There he played "Orsino" in "Twelfth Night", "Malcolm" in "Macbeth", "Horatio" in "Hamlet" and the ungainly title role of "Richard III".
Cochran performed in plays in the Federal Theatre Project in Detroit. During World War II he was rejected for military service due to a heart murmur but directed and performed in plays at a variety of Army camps.,
From 1949–52 Cochran worked for Warner Brothers in mostly supporting roles (often playing boxers and gangsters), and before that he was under contract to Samuel Goldwyn. He appeared in many films, including The Chase (1946), The Best Years of Our Lives (1946), Copacabana (1947), A Song Is Born (1948), Highway 301 (1950), The Damned Don't Cry! (1950), Of Love and Desire (1963), and Inside the Walls of Folsom Prison (1951), which inspired Johnny Cash to write his song "Folsom Prison Blues".
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