System Mechanic - Clean, repair, protect, and speed up your PC!Jeff Chandler, Actor
December 15, 1918 - June 17, 1961
Jeff Chandler was born in Brooklyn, New York, USA on December 15, 1918. He was 6' 4" by the time he was 15 and began to gray at eighteen. He attended Erasmus High School and was a childhood friend and neighbour of actress Susan Hayward. After high school, he took a drama course and worked in stock companies for two years.
He served as an officer in the Army in World War II. He was a successful actor on radio under his real name co-starring with Eve Arden in "Our Miss Brooks" prior to signing with Universal and having a name change. Chandler made his screen debut in Johnny O'Clock (1947), in a supporting role. He proved to be very versatile, starring in Westerns, action pictures, costume dramas and soaps. He was cast opposite many famous leading ladies including Anne Baxter, Maureen O'Hara, Rhonda Fleming, Jane Russell, Joan Crawford, June Allyson and Lana Turner to name a few. He was Oscar-nominated for his role as Cochise in Broken Arrow (1950) and portrayed him twice more in The Battle of Apache Pass (1952) and Taza, Son of Cochise (1954). He had concurrent success as a recording artist, wrote music, played violin, and owned Chandler Music, a publishing company. He sang the title song to Foxfire (1955).
He was married to Marjorie Hoshelle from 1946 to 1954 (divorced) and had two daughters, Jamie and Dana.
In April of 1961, Chandler injured his back while in the Philippines making what turned out to be his last film, Merrill's Marauders (1961). He entered a Culver City hospital and had surgery for a herniated spinal disc 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 an enormous amount of blood, 55 pints. Another operation followed, where he received an additional 20 pints of blood (his entire blood volume was replaced 4 to 5 times) Chandler fought to live, but expired June 17, 1961. His death was deemed malpractice and resulted in a large lawsuit and settlement for his children. He was 40 years old.
