JEFF CHANDLER
BIRTH: December 15, 1918
DEATH: June 17, 1961
AGED: 42 years
DIED FROM: pneumonia and blood poisoning after back surgery
REAL NAME: Ira Grossel
NICKNAME: Big Grey
MARRIED: once, to Marjorie Hoshelle-divorced
AFFAIRS: Esther Williams, Gloria DeHaven, Ann Sheridan, Julie Adams, Barbara Shelley, Mamie Van Doren(who didn’t!), Marilyn Maxwell, and Eartha Kitt
CHILDREN: 2 daughters. Both died in the early 2000s from cancer. His Aunt, Uncle and Grandfather also died from cancer. Genetic link to this horrible disease.
FRIENDS: Susan Hayward, Gordon MacCrea, Sammy Davis Jr.
OSCAR NOMINATIONS: Broken Arrow for his role as Cochise
OSCAR WINS: Nil
TALENT: singer, violinist, song writer
KNOWN FOR: Grey Hair and Chiseled features plus body hair. That had to be shaved for the movies so he was, often, quite itchy. An avid Democrat, proud of his Jewish Heritage and into civil rights.
What is sad is that Jeff Chandler is known more for what Esther Williams wrote in her autobiography, which was proven to be false, by her own admission, than for his acting ability plus his many other talents. She wrote that he was a cross dresser and loved to wear women’s clothing, panties etc… while playing a he-man in his many films. This disgusting gossip went “viral” with all the TV shows, like “ Entertainment Tonight” plus even regular news, discussing Chandler’s “hidden” fetish asking Esther Williams about his life. She loved talking all about this which made her book a best seller. Much later, it came out that she was asked to spruce up her autobiography so she decided to ruin this man’s reputation just to sell her book. She is not a nice person, sadly. I don’t care if a man wears women’s clothing as long as he is a nice person…let him do whatever he wishes, but when a man is not a cross dresser and can’t even defend himself because he has been dead over 40 years, that’s just very, very wrong.
Jeff Chandler was very proud of his Jewish heritage starring in a couple of films and supporting them when they attacked Egypt which caused a stir. He formed his own production company, was a radio star plying the love interest to Eve Arden in “Our Miss Brooks” plus he was a singer and violinist. He played many Indians in film, which is now considered in bad taste, but these were the times so let’s get over it and move on. He also played many heroes from chivalrous heroes to swashbucklers and adventurers.
He had many affairs which is understandable given his rugged good looks and his silver hair which started to turn white when he was 18. His chiseled features became the model for the main character in the comic, “Johnny Quest”. He loved baseball, was in WW2, and was a devoted friend. He went to school and became a life-long friend of Susan Hayward, and, when Sammy Davis Jr lost his left eye in a car accident and his right eye was feared to be affected, Chandler volunteered to have one of his eyes taken, but the technology was not ( and is not) available. He had many talents but, sadly, he died suddenly and it was blatant malpractice. On the set of one of his movies, he injured his back ( playing baseball with U. S. soldiers who were extras in the film) and underwent surgery but his artery was knicked, developed blood poisoning and died. His family sued and won the case.
This man should be known for his acting, his devotion to his friends plus his many talents not the gossip that was proven to be false.
FILMS
1. Broken Arrow-1950
2. Cochise-1950
3. Two Flags West-1950
4. Smuggler’s Island-1951
5. War Arrow-1953
6. Foxfire-1955
7. Merrill's Marrauders-1961
8. Thunder In The Sun-1959
9. The Tattered Dress-1957
10. Man In The Shadow-1957
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