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Born Robert Alexander Cochran, son of a California lumberman, he worked mostly in the theatre before landing a contract with 'Samuel Goldwyn' . From 1949 to 1952, he was signed to Warner Brothers, then started up his own production company. In 1965 he sailed off in his yacht to Guatemala to look for suitable filming locations, but died of a lung infection before reaching land.
On June 15, 1965, at the age of 48, Cochran died on his yacht off the coast of Guatemala of an acute lung infection. His body, along with three alive but upset female Mexican assistants (Eva Montero Castellano, 25, a seamstress; Eugenia Bautista Zacarias, 19, a laundress; and 14-year-old Lorenza de la Rosa), remained terrified on board for ten days until the boat drifted to shore and was found by authorities. His death was apparently a mystery, surrounded by various rumors about foul play and poisoning. Merle Oberon , a former paramour a couple of years back, tried to use her influence to push for further police investigations but failed.
The successful singer, Morrissey (Steven Patrick Morrissey), is named after him.
Appeared opposite Virginia Mayo in six films, both of them often playing scheming, unsavory types.
Married three times and had one daughter, Xandra, by his first wife, artist Florence Lockwood. His relationship with his daughter was strained and eventually they lost touch. Following his second brief marriage to actress Fay McKenzie in the late 1940s, the 44-year-old Cochran married his third wife, 19-year-old Danish migr Hedda Jenna Jensen, after a mere three-month courtship. They were estranged at the time of his death.
Born in Eureka, California but raised in Laramie, Wyoming, the son of a lumberman. His early work included that of a cowboy and railroad station hand.
He studied at the University of Wyoming and switched from the basketball team to the drama club. He quit college in 1937 to give Hollywood a go.
Was not accepted into the service because of a heart murmur. Instead he organized and directed shows for Army camps on the West coast.
Ex-brother-in-law of Ida Mae McKenzie and Ella McKenzie.
Ex-son-in-law of Eva McKenzie and Robert McKenzie.
Cochran was the grandfather of five by his only child, Xandria. One grandchild was film and TV producer Alex Johns (1966-2010) who was born over a year after Cochrans death to Xandria and husband Wendell Johns. Like his grandfather, Alex died at a young age (43) following a sudden illness.
At one time housed some strange animals at his Coldwater Canyon home, including a chimpanzee, some goats, and Paderewski, allegedly a piano-playing dog.
Cochrans estranged third wife, Hedda Jonna Jensen, and his mother, Jessie Rose Cochran, battled over control of his estate following his sudden death. At one point both were appointed temporary administrators of the estate but, eventually, Jensen was named sole administrator.
He and his daughter Xandria, by first wife Florence Lockwood, were long estranged at the time of his death.
A tabloid "bad boy," Cochran was arrested in August 1964 while shooting the film Mozambique in South Africa, on a civil court order brought about by a local jockey who accused him of adultery with his wife. Cochran was exonerated. Three months later he was arrested for beating, binding and gagging singer Ronie Rae, whom he invited to his home for an audition for his proposed film "Captain OFlynn," which was never made. He was cleared of all charges in this as well.
While touring in the play "Without Love," he caught the attention of producer Samuel Goldwyn , who took an option out on him. Goldwyn cast Cochran in his first picture, the engaging Danny Kaye vehicle, Wonder Man . Cochran would work in two other Kaye pictures -- The Kid from Brooklyn and A Song Is Born .
Moved to Hollywood in the late 1930s but couldnt get a break or even a screen test. He pursued theatre instead and traveled around extensively. While appearing in a little theatre production of "Theres Always Juliet," he adopted the name of one of the plays characters, Steve Cochran, to be his stage moniker.
After a year studying at Wyoming University, he quit to join the Federal Theatre Project in Detroit.
During his high school years, he was kicked off the school basketball team for missing practice.
Named after his father, Robert. He was the elder of two children.
(February 2000) Host the mid-afternoon show on WGN radio in Chicago
WGN Radio talk show host.
With this puss of mine, I could play a corpse and be accused of,overacting. The big secret in playing a gangster in movies is to really,believe that the character you are playing is doing no wrong. .
