STEVE COCHRAN

Steve Cochran (1917-65) developed his acting skills in local theater and gradually progressed onto Broadway. From 1949 to 1952 he worked for Warner Brothers, mostly in supporting roles, in such films as THE CHASE (1946), THE BEST YEARS OF OUR LIVES (1946), HIGHWAY 301 (1950) and THE DAMNED DON'T CRY (1950). One of his best roles was as a psychotic, power-hungry member of James Cagney’s mob in WHITE HEAT (1949). He won critical acclaim for his performances as a disgraced, alcoholic itinerant farmer struggling to regain the love of his family in COME NEXT SPRING (1956), and as a troubled drifter in Michelangelo Antonioni’s 1957 Italian film IL GRIDO. Cochran starred in a string of B-movies throughout the late 1950 and frequently worked in television.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

A lot of Steve Cochran's work has been unavailable on home video formats, although that situation is improving. He was an excellent actor oozing with screen charisma. The Seattle Art Museum's annual Film Noir series (2008) just ran three of his films in a row. Cochran was electrifying in "Storm Warning" (now available on DVD) as a much darker and more disturbing "Stanley Kowalski-type" character. He plays a naive, sweet ex-con with a dangerous edge in "Tomorrow is Another Day". And in Highway 301" is a high-voltage psychopathic hood, which seems to be how he was often typecast. The picture attached to this web-site doesn't do him justice. He was an attractive guy who spread his "charms" widely throughout Hollywood. He died luridly, which just adds to his reputation as a wild card.

Anonymous said...

He was also on the original "Twilight zone series" (first season in 1959) and did one of the best episodes named "what you need" - it had a kind of noir feel in it.
He did in the early sixties a western under the direction of Peckinpah. He was co-starring Brian Keith and Maureen O'Hara.
He died under mysterious circumstances on his yacht in 1965.