WHATEVER HAPPENED TO ACTOR JEFF CHANDLER?

This will be my first post about a subject other than my family.  Perhaps I've run out of material on my family; perhaps I am unwilling to share some of the previously unshared stories about my family; and/or perhaps I just want to interject other interesting, extraneous information from time to time.

This information about the handsome actor of the 1950's, Jeff Chandler, is some I just happened on accidentally.  I had read what was on the Internet Movie Database years ago, and there wasn't that much. However, I was looking for some information on wrongful deaths, and I came across a website entitled www.wronfuldeathattorneys.org and some interesting cases came up, including the life and death of 42 year old Jeff Chandler.  This is what makes life so interesting and serendipitous. . .one accidentally comes across interesting tidbits without actually looking for them.  Enjoy learning something extraneous! Your Queen of Extraneous Information!

A LOOK AT RUGGED LEADING MAN OF THE 1950'S

JEFF CHANDLER

In the 1950s during the waning years of true studio power, Universal-International boasted the strongest roster of contract players and Jeff Chandler, along with Tony Curtis and Rock Hudson, was an vital box office draw for the studio. Chandler made few A productions and basically toiled in routine program features. Yet Chandler was a very popular star as evidenced by the era’s fan magazines. With a head of premature curly silver hair, dimpled chin, warm eyes and fair looks, he was a heartthrob for the ladies and appeared in a number of women’s pictures. On the other hand, the actor was tall and rugged, spoke in a low voice and possessed a heroic quality that worked well in westerns and war pictures captivating to men. Like most contract players, Chandler suffered through poor scripts and was a better actor than given credit for.

Born Ira Gossel on December 15, 1918 in Brooklyn, he was a child of New York’s bad tenements. His parents divorced when he was young and his mother took him to live with her parents. An only child, young Ira was overprotected by his mother and received no relief from the situation until she remarried. Ira decided at an early age become an actor and wanted to participate in high school plays but his family’s poor financial circumstances prevented this. He found employment in a variety of after school jobs including Montgomery Wards, Radio City Music Hall and his grandmother’s candy store. His father, a former silk salesman, returned to New York to establish his absorb business and provided $500 toward fulfilling his son’s dream.

The money enabled Chandler to study drama at the Feagin School at Rockefeller Center alongside comedians Jack Carter and Sheila Stephens (later MacRae. From there, he went on to gain experience at the Millpon Playhouse on Long Island making his professional debut in “The Trojan Horse.” In 1941, Chandler and a friend pooled their resources and formed a shortlived stock company at Elgin, Illinois.

America entered World War II in 1942 and Chandler enlisted in the cavalry. A year later, he was a second lieutenant in army aircraft and spent two years stationed in the Aleutians. Following the war, hr completed his tour of duty at Fort Ord, California. In 1946, Chandler landed in Hollywood with a bankroll of $3000. He immediately spent $1000 on a wardrobe and the rest was depleted in a few months. He had known actress Marjorie Hoshelle in New York and they married that same year. The next major change came in 1946 and that was ridding himself of the awkward Ira Gossel. The Chandler was borrowed from Van Johnson’s character in “Easy to Wed” and the Jeff was suggested by friends.

Chandler appeared fifty times in small parts on “Lux Radio Theater” and starred in “Michael Shayne, Private Eye” and “Our Miss Brooks” as the pleasing teacher Eve Arden’s Miss Brooks moons over. The turning point in the struggling actor’s career occurred as a result of a part in an episode of “Rogue’s Gallery” starring Dick Powell. The major star-producer took a liking to the young man and recommended that he audition for Powell’s latest film for Columbia. Chandler won a small role in “Johnny O’Clock” (1947). Chandler once commented on his good fortune, “Dick’s been keeping his eye on me ever since. People are always doing things for me and I’m not that nice of a guy. They’re impressed with my size.”

Three itsy-bitsy parts in the Twentieth Century-Fox pictures “The Invisible Wall” (1947), “Roses are Red” (1947) and “Mr. Belvedere Goes to College” (1948). Meyer Mishkin, Chandler’s ever hustling agent, arranged a screen test at Universal-International for its upcoming characterize “Sword in the Desert.” He got the part and signed a ten-year contract with the studio.

In “Sword of the Desert” (1949), Chandler supported Dana Andrews and Marta Toren as a Hebrew underground leader guiding refugees to Palestine. The studio next cast him as a police chief in “Abandoned,” a 1949 dud finding Dennis O’Keefe and Gale Storm stumbling onto an illegal baby market racket. The breakthrough to stardom came in “Broken Arrow’ (1950). Universal-International loaned Chandler to Twentieth Century-Fox for the film with the stipulation that he receive star billing. This was a wise move as Chandler returned to his home studio as a star.

“Twentieth was looking for a guy big enough physically to play the section,” Chandler explained about his role as Cochise, “and weird enough to movie audiences to lend authenticity to the part. I seemed to fit the bill.” “Broken Arrow” was not only and engrossing action filled western but a rare picture for its time in attempting to depict Indians as intellectual equals to white men. However, critics dismissed the film as patronizing and serving no justice to Indians. Even James Stewart’s performance as an ex-army man drew criticism. Chandler played Cochise with a dignity earning praise from all quarters. He was rewards with an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor of 1950 and lost to George Sanders for “All About Eve.” Twentieth Century-Fox also used Chandler in “Two Flags West” (1950) a Civil War drama with Linda Darnell and the 1951 remake of “Bird of Paradise.” Back at Universal-International, it was a return to mediocrity in “Deported” (1950).

The Chandlers separated in 1951 and he was linked to a number of actresses including a supposed fling with Susan Hayward. Chandler and his wife had two daughters, Dana and Jamie, the last named after Katharine Hepburn’s character in “Without Love.” The couple reconciled in 1955 and eventually divorced in 1959.

The actor captured top billing for the first time in “Smuggler’s Island” (1951). Universal’s 1937 picture “Some Blondes are Dangerous” was remade as “Iron Man” (1951) and “Flame of Araby” (1951) was a mediocre costume epic with Maureen O’Hara. For a second time Chandler played Cochise only this time “The Battle at Apache Pass” (1952) fell short on quality. He led a predominately male cast in “Red Ball Express” (1952), battled pirates in “Yankee Buccaneer” (1952) and was second fiddle to Loretta Young in “Because of You” (1952).

Chandler entertained a desire to sing and made his musical debut on “The Peggy Lee Show” in 1952. He discovered that being a famous name provided an easy means to enter the music business. Decca Records signed him to a contract and the Chandler Music Company was created. Several records were released including “I Should Care” and “Lamplight” and he penned the lyrics for the title song to “Six Bridges to Cross” (1955), a Tony Curtis vehicle about the Brinks Robbery. Chandler also thrilled his fans with nightclub appearances in Las Vegas.

There were more battles with rampaging Indians in “The Great Sioux Uprising” (1953) and “War Arrow” (1953), more island natives in “East of Sumatra” (1953) and more pirates in “Yankee Pasha” (1954). He played Attila the Hun in “Sign of the Pagan” (1954). Universal-International developed Chandler’s romantic image by casting him in pictures designed to appeal to female audiences. He was a mining engineer whose dedicated work habits disturb wife Jane Russell in “Foxfire” (1955). Joan Crawford married him and then feared he was trying to destroy her in “Female on the Beach” (1955).

The studio cast him in two more remakes. Rex Beach’s tale of Yukon gold miners, “The Spoilers,” was filmed for a fifth time in 1955 but the cast of Anne Baxter, Rory Calhoun and Chandler were tepid compared to the 1942 cast of Marlene Dietrich, John Wayne and Randolph Scott. “Mad About Music,” a 1938 Deanna Durbin feature, became “The Toy Tiger” (1956). “Pillars of the Sky” (1956) once again pitted Chandler against Indians and he was a demanding and hated captain in the war narrate “Away All Boats” (1956). “The Tattered Dress” (1957) was a seamy sage of crime and deception with Chandler as a criminal attorney. He co-starred with Orson Welles in 1957’s “Man in the Shadow.”

During his contract years at Universal-International, Chandler was deprived of good parts offered by other studios as his home studio its popular star busy in program pictures. Twentieth Century-Fox had proposed roles in “Lydia Bailey,” “The Day the Earth Stood Still,” “The Secret of Convict Lake” and “Les Miserables” to the actor. Chandler displayed little injure. “I can’t argue with the people at U-I,” he said, “because they have put me in money making films that built my popularity.”

With agent Meyer Mishkin, Chandler formed Earlmar Productions which resulted in the sole venture “Drango” (1957) for Columbia. Also at Columbia, he starred opposite Kim Novak in the biopic “Jeanne Eagals” (1957). Chandler supported three major female stars in “The Lady Takes a Flyer” (1958) with Lana Turner, “Raw Wind in Eden” (1958) with Esther Williams and “Stranger in My Arms” (1959) with June Allyson. He chose not to resign with Universal-International and went to Paramount to make two westerns. In “Deliver in the Sun” (1959), he led a wagon notify of French Basques including Susan Hayward and after years of playing western heroes, Chandler received the opportunity to act nasty as a archaic Confederate officer waging a private war in “The Jayhawkers” (1959).

Jack Palance and he vied for the affections of French star Martine Carol in “Ten Seconds to Hell” (1959). The actor composed coveted the understanding of owning his own production company and in 1959, formed a new company titled August Productions. “The Plunderers” (1960) was the debut effort and Chandler’s final western. For ABC television, Chandler common the fragment of King David in “The Story of David” (1960)filmed on location in Israel.

Twentieth Century-Fox’s sequel to the highly successful “Peyton Place,” “Return to Peyton Place” (1961) turned out lesser film with Jose Ferrer directing Chandler as love interest for Carol Lynley. “Merrill’s Marauders” (1962) was released following Chandler’s death. Critics praised Samuel Fuller’s direction and Chandler’s performance as Brigadier General Frank Merrill who led 3000 troops through the Burma jungle during World War II.

The Hollywood community and his fans were stunned by Chandler’s sudden death at age 42 and further shocked to learn his death may have been attributed to negligent hospital care. Nothing was ever proven but those medically responsible for Chandler’s care behaved in a suspicious manner throughout the well publicized controversy.

The actor’s ailments began in early 1961 when suffering a back injury while filming “Merrill’s Marauders” in the Philippines. The hurt proved so intense that Chandler was forced to enter a Manilla hospital to receive pain shots to deaden nerves and benefit tension and pressure in order to continue filming. Following the film’s completion, Chandler returned to Los Angeles and entered Culver City Hospital to undergo an operation for a ruptured spinal disc on May 13th. Five days later, his progress was halted by internal hemorrhaging requiring a marathon seven and a half hour operation and a 55 pint blood transfusion.

With a public hungry for information concerning the actor’s condition, his surgeon, Dr. Marvin Corbin, surprisingly refused to discuss any details except to portray his patient was “gaining strength steadily.” Chandler’s secretary later reported a ruptured artery was the cause of the second operation. Less than two weeks later on May 27th, Chandler again underwent surgery for internal hemorrhaging and again, the hospital would not release any information to the public. On June 9th, the actor was reported to be battling infections and June 17th brought the announcement of death attributed to shock and peripheral vascular collapse.

The hospital continued its policy of refusing to release reports and planned to deal with the Chandler estate through insurance companies. Ex-wife Marjorie immediately brought in an attorney on behalf of the estate and their children to investigate the circumstances of his death. Responding for the hospital, Dr. David M. Brotman expressed confidence that Chandler had received excellent treatment and issues a five hundred page report of the actor’s medical data. This report only served to heat up controversy as it was found incomplete and illegible in parts which prompted court approval for an inquiry into malpractice. Marjorie’s attorney wasted little time in filing a $1.8 million lawsuit that charged malpractice, breach of warranty, assault and battery and wrongful death.

The newspapers splashed every novel disclosure across headlines. Chandler’s death certificate revealed the details of an undisclosed fourth operation for a gall bladder inflammation. A fifth operation, a tracheotomy, was never confirmed and a private autopsy was performed on the body.

The Screen Actors Guild caused further publicity through an actors’ petition led by Clint Walker demanding an official investigation and the California State Bureau of Hospitals obliged. The investigation absolved the hospital of any charges of negligence and dereliction in Chandler’s treatment but discovered 27 counts of non-compliance with the California hospital licensing program.

The final damning bit of news was that the case never reached the courts as victory went to the Chandler estate. The hospital paid $233,358.42 in a settlement to avoid additional publicity and bad press.

Chandler’s will left $600,000 to his daughters and Marjorie sued to claim part of the legacy. During their divorce, she had attempted to be granted a substantial alimony. She had no success in either case.

With an undiminishing popularity and apparently lovely business sense, Jeff Chandler would probably have continued his successful career.

Post Script by Ann Whittemore:  Esther Williams, in her autobiography, described an affair with Jeff Chandler.  She also indicated he was a cross-dresser, telling him once that he (at 6'4") was too big for polka dots!  Later, she admitted she just made all of the cross dressing up to create interest in the buying public for her book.  Oh, Esther!  How could you do that to so many of us who loved you both?  My arms still hurt from trying to swim backwards for all of those years!