JEFF CHANDLER (ACTOR)

'Jeff Chandler', born 'Ira Grossel' (December 15, 1918–June 17, 1961), was a popular American film actor in the 1950s.

Contents

Biography

Honors

References

External links

Biography

Born to a Jewish family in Brooklyn, New York, Chandler attended Erasmus Hall High School, the alma mater of many stage and film personalities. Later, he took a drama course and spent two years in stock companies before serving in World War II. After being discharged from the military, he was a busy radio actor both in drama (such as episodes of ''Escape'') and comedy (playing bashful biology teacher Phillip Boynton on ''Our Miss Brooks''). His first film appearance was in ''Johnny O'Clock'' (1947).
In the 1950s, Chandler became a star in western and action movies. His first important role was in ''Sword In The Desert'' (1948), as an Israeli freedom fighter. He was nominated for an Academy Award for his role as Cochise in ''Broken Arrow'' (1950). The first of three screen appearances as the legendary Apache chief, he repeated the role in ''The Battle Of Apache Pass'' (1952) and ''Taza, Son Of Cochise'' (1954).
During the latter part of the decade, Chandler turned into a top leading man. His sex appeal, prematurely gray hair and tanned features, put him into drama and costume movies. Among the movies of this period are ''Foxfire'' (1955), ''Away All Boats'' (1956), ''Toy Tiger'' (1956), ''Drango'' (1957), ''The Tattered Dress'' (1957), ''Man In The Shadow'' (1957), ''A Stranger In My Arms'' (1959), ''The Jayhawkers!'' (1959), and ''Thunder In The Sun'' (1959).
His leading ladies included June Allyson, Joan Crawford, Rhonda Fleming, Maureen O'Hara, Jane Russell, Esther Williams, and his Brooklyn friend Susan Hayward.
When his friend Sammy Davis Jr. lost an eye in an accident and was in danger of losing the other, Chandler offered to give Davis one of his own eyes^[1]. Chandler himself had nearly lost an eye and had been visibly scarred in an auto accident years earlier.
Chandler had a concurrent career as a singer and recording artist, releasing several albums and playing nightclubs.
Shortly after completing his role in ''Merrill's Marauders'' in 1961, he injured his back while playing baseball with U.S. Army Special Forces soldiers who served as extras in the movie. Chandler entered a Culver City hospital and had surgery for a spinal disc herniation on May 13, 1961. There were severe complications, an artery was damaged and Chandler hemorrhaged. In a seven and a half hour emergency operation over and above the original surgery, he was given 55 pints of blood. Another operation followed, date unknown, where he received an additional 20 pints of blood. He expired June 17, 1961. His death was deemed malpractice and resulted in a large lawsuit and settlement for his children.
Tony Curtis and Gerald Mohr were among the pallbearers at Chandler's funeral. He was interred in the Hillside Memorial Park Cemetery in Culver City, California.

Honors

Jeff Chandler is honored with a star in the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

References

★ Marilyn Kirk. ''Jeff Chandler.'' 1st Books Library/AuthorHouse, 2003.

★ Jeff Wells. ''Jeff Chandler: Film, Record, Radio, Television and Theater Performances.'' McFarland, 2005.

External links

★ Silver Fox - A tribute to Jeff Chandler

★ I Was Jeff Chandler

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