Esther Jane Williams was born on August 8, 1921 in Inglewood, California. Esther Williams Is All Wet, Say Friends of the Late Jeff Chandler ; Related stars. She set regional and national records in her late teens on the Los Angeles Athletic Club swim team. [quote]Again, it is really hilarious that some people think she would lie about someone as forgotten as Jeff Chandler in order to "sell books". A one trick pony on and off film. : As an Indian, Jeff Chandler caused countless feminine hearts to flutter; now, in straight dramatic roles, he's a box office smash". Are you still working on that GED? You cannot libel the dead. At the time Esther's book was released, Jeff Chandler was still well-known. R2, what did Jeff do about the extra room in the shoulders? Why should she re-can't? And why wouldn't he cross dress? Jeff Chandler married Marjorie Hoshelle, an actress, in 1946. They look nothing alike. Hopper, Hedda, "Jeff Chandler Aims to Do 'Young Moses'", "ALLIED ARTISTS SIGNS PRODUCER: John Huston to Make 3 Films Wyler and Wilder Also Completing Similar Deals" by THOMAS M. PRYOR, "NADER TO REPLACE CHANDLER 2D TIME: Actor Will Be Co-Star With Maureen O'Hara in 'Lady Godiva' Film at U.-I." [quote]When Esther came out with the story, Jane insisted that it was untrue. Esther Williams, whose success as a competitive swimmer propelled her to stardom on the silver screen, has died at 91. . 1941. After high school, he took a drama course and worked in stock companies for two years. "'Chief Crazyhorse' Held Right for Jeff Chandler; Slate Signs Term Deal", Schallert, Edwin. Then they're not really much of an "old film buff" are they? Back at Universal, he played a boxer in Iron Man (1951), a remake of an old Lew Ayres movie. Type. We live in a tabloid world., Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information, Im afraid for her life: Riverside CC womens coach harassed after Title IX suit, Six people, including mother and baby, killed in Tulare County; drug cartel suspected, Want to solve climate change? And throw in Jeffrey Lynn as well. Dressmakers, shopowners, whatever passed for a personal shopper in those days, other lovers, etc. Chandler's father was connected with the restaurant business and got his son a job as a restaurant cashier. [8] . "ACTOR TO RELIVE INCIDENT OF WAR: Philip Carey Again Will Be Aboard Carrier 'Bombed' for 'Battle Stations'" by THOMAS M. PRYOR . You seem pretty dumb yourself. But in all these years, for there never to have been any allusion to [cross-dressing] strikes me offhand as being extremely unlikely. "No woman ever asks it. He tore out ev ery picture of my first husband, of Ben, of Jeff, of anybody that was in my life. Chandler married actress Marjorie Hoshelle (1918-1989) in 1946. [76] He died on June 17, 1961. For 13 years, she lived in total submission to him, where she had to stop being "Esther Williams" and could not have her . "Mom speaks her mind. In her autobiography Hold the Roses (2002), Rose Marie wrote that "Jeff Chandler was a great guy, but he was no singer. All other countries are giving inducements to companies and to players; even a little country like Israel is trying to formulate a plan for subsidies. If she was going to make up a story she would make one up about a much bigger name. Williams and Jeff Chandler sit together during the WAIF Imperial Ball at . He never made any comedies though he shows quite the flair for it in that What's My LIne? The man got around and apparently fucked a lot of women, but only one says he cross-dressed. "Jeff Chandler Must Pay Wife $1500 Monthly". Don't get me wrong I wanted fame and money when I decided to take up acting. . [59] It was shot in London and Israel. They separated in 1951, and 1954, and actually divorced in 1954. American Actress Esther Williams was born Esther Jane . WEHT Robert Rockwell? "Jeff Chandler Still Critical But Better". [75], On May 13, 1961, he entered a hospital in Culver City, California, and had surgery for a spinal disc herniation. Become a contributor - post when you want with no ads. She claims in her autiobiography Chandler was a cross dresser and she broke off the relationship. "Jeff Chandler Man of Many Faces: He Can Play Any Kind of Character Role, and Is a Glamor Guy, Too Hedda Hopper Writes of Jeff Chandler", Hopper, Hedda. In addition to his acting in film, he was known for his role on the radio program Our Miss Brooks and for his musical recordings. Family & Personal Life. Jeff Chandler (1958) Biography. The couple had met and fallen in love on the set of Raw Wind in Eden in 1956. Jeff Chandler (Brooklyn, Nueva York, 15 de diciembre de 1918; Culver City, California, 17 de junio de 1961) En el ao 1950 y gracias a su actuacin como el jefe apache Cochise, logr ser nominado al Oscar como mejor actor secundario por . That was Fred Astaire, Cyd Charise and Janice Paige. There have been many people who have, since his death, come forward and outed him as both a transvestite and a homosexual, including Betty Grable, Andre Previn, and now Scotty Bowers. He put together an act and we opened at the Riviera. Jeff was hot. Who wrote the Wiki entry for "Because of You.". "I loved the book and read it straight through," she says. [69] Chandler had nearly lost an eye and had been visibly scarred in an auto accident years earlier. "Jeff Chandler Sought for 'Angry River;' Wanger Plans Mounties Movie", Schallert, Edwin. Her single mom Anna was the local tramp until she married a deliveryman named Harry Hough. to Make Space-Test Film: Feature to Depict Efforts of U.S. Scientists to Launch an Earth Satellite" by Thomas M. Pryor. Outraged friends and colleagues are rallying to the defense of late 50s screen hunk Jeff Chandler to offset damage done to his reputation by Esther Williams racy bestselling autobiography, The Million Dollar Mermaid.. Outraged friends and colleagues are rallying to the defense of late '50s screen hunk Jeff Chandler to offset damage done to his reputation by Esther . Jeff Chandler was born in Brooklyn. He was best known for being a Movie Actor. Jeff was a real sweetheart, but acting with him was like acting with a broomstick, - Maureen O'Hara on acting with Chandler in War Arrow (2004), Writer-director Delmer Daves was looking for an actor to play Cochise in Broken Arrow (1950) at 20th Century Fox. [40] He said that "being a movie star isn't worth it": I can't go anywhere as an ordinary individual. "'Meet the World' Proves Impressive Stage Event", "Red Cross Saved Life of Baby, Mother Says: Complete Transfusion Soon After Birth Provided From Supply of Whole Blood", "STAR SHOW DAZZLES 30,000 AT COLISEUM: STAR PAGEANT", nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, Abbott and Costello in the Foreign Legion, "Esther Williams Is All Wet, Say Friends of the Late Jeff Chandler", Jeff Chandler as Cochise in Broken Arrow (1951 radio version), https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Jeff_Chandler&oldid=1133493857, Led to Chandler signing a long-term contract with Universal, "Blond Mink", "Leopard's Spots", "Social Error", "Palm Beach Santa Claus" , "Black Is the Color of My True Love's Hair" , This page was last edited on 14 January 2023, at 02:21. That's Gay 101 or are every one of your old film buffs straight? Esther has a naughty side. But suddenly there are not enough pictures being made here. Unable to compete in the 1940 Summer Olympics because of the outbreak of World War II, she joined Billy Rose's Aquacade, where she took on the role vacated by Eleanor Holm after the show's . Williams' revelations about Chandler angered many readers. If you're trapped in a cage for 22 years and you're suddenly let out, the sun looks a little brighter and the sky a little bluer.". Jeff Chandler was in relationships with Esther Williams (1957 - 1960), Mamie Van Doren (1954), Susan Hayward (1954 - 1955), Julie Adams (1953 - 1954), Mrta Torn (1951) and Marilyn Maxwell. Jeff Chandler was a regular on "Our Miss Brooks" as Eve Arden's b/f Mr. Boynton. The couple had two daughters, Jamie Tucker (May 16, 1947-2003) and Dana Grossel (1949-2002). He lends his intelligence and personality to the role, but the greatest part of the performance belongs to the producer, who puts him in a certain type of part; the director, who tells him how to play it; and the cutter, who edits what's done. Instead, he took over a role originally meant for Dana Andrews, a Lucky Luciano-style gangster in Deported, for producer Robert Buckner, who cast him in Sword in the Desert. She didnt. I know plenty of film buffs who have never heard of him or seen his movies (most of which aren't very good). No. Sipping from a glass of lemonade, the former MGM star says she was simply telling the truth when she revealed that Jeff Chandler, the actor she nearly married in the late '50s, had been a closet cross-dresser. The car jack-less beauty, after being rebuffed (and hilariously mocked) by a passing Apache family's truck, is eventually rescued from the burnt orange heat of broiling midday by jeep-driving mining engineer Jeff Chandler and his half-drunken doctor pal Dan Duryea. "I'm sending much sympathy to Sandra, his family, and all who . Council Opens Campaign to Halt Cheaper Production Abroad by U. S. Studios". . I like to push buttons. Chandler replaced Lee J. Cobb, and it was one of his least-typical roles, a character part rather than a leading man. So I figured his two daughters knew, too. She married Fernando Lamas. He had injections to deaden the pain and enable him to finish the production. In addition to his acting in film, he was known for his role in the radio program Our Miss Brooks, as Phillip Boynton, her fellow teacher and clueless object of affection, and for his musical recordings. [72], Chandler's public support for Israel's 1956 attack on Egypt during the Suez Crisis prompted the United Arab Republic to campaign for his films to be banned in Arab countries in 1960. The Million Dollar Mermaid: An Autobiography. Jeff Chandler - Biography . Cross-dressing is the last thing I would expect of Jeff. "She said Esther had come to her with woes of her romance with Jeff in the 1950s but never mentioned the cross-dressing until she had to sell some books decades later", Again, it is really hilarious that some people think she would lie about someone as forgotten as Jeff Chandler in order to "sell books", There are lots of better ways to sell books than to lie about people the public does not care about. Even if he was a crossdresser, it would not change anything. Chandler married actress Marjorie Hoshelle (1918-1989) in 1946. I read the book a long time ago and thought Esther Williams came across as a great old broad. But no more. He definitely had guts to open in Vegas. In 1957, he tangled with Orson Welles corrupt rancher in the B-movie thriller Man in the Shadow.. Her youth was spent as a teenage swimming champion and she won three United States National championships. Did anyone else see it? Hello and thank you for registering. 1999-09-06 04:00:00 PDT Beverly Hills -- The sun is shining in Coldwater Canyon, the posh neighborhood where Esther Williams sits near her backyard pool and defends "The Million Dollar Mermaid," the amazingly candid autobiography that's brought her more attention than she's had in decades. Once again, location work required him to regularly commute back and forth to Hollywood throughout the shoot. But I have a very happy, secure marriage now with somebody who's very intelligent and understands women as well as men.". Esther Williams was previously married to Edward Michael Bell (1994 - 2013), Fernando Lamas (1969 - 1982), Ben Gage (1945 - 1959) and Leonard Kovner (1940 - 1944).. Esther Williams was in relationships with Jeff Chandler (1957 - 1960), Victor Mature (1952) and Capt. If you disagree, produce a link or two. And once during a two shot, with the two of them sitting on a couch, Gene was bitching that she appeared taller than he was. Louis was a sign painter and Bula was a psychologist. I went to college with his son in the (early!) That's all changed, and so has Williams. [44], He made a Western, Pillars of the Sky, then had a change of pace with the comedy The Toy Tiger, the fourth movie he made that year. Chandler initially struggled to find work in Hollywood, and had spent all his savings when he got his first job as a radio actor in May 1946. "[71], He was also linked with Ann Sheridan. This is a community where rumor is rife; theres never a shortage of fuel for the gossipers, says Corwin, who teaches at USC. New York: Farrar, Strauss & Giroux (1965) ISBN -374-52268-5 Chandler himself had nearly lost an eye and had been visibly scarred in an auto accident years earlier. r68, just because you remember him doesn't mean 99% of the population does, so why don't you check the facts before you stupidly label other people as dumb? "Jolson to appear on C. B. S. radio, TV: Network Secures Entertainer's Services for 3-Year Period - Randolph in New Show", "MBS Stations Book Russell For Interview: The Radio Dialer and TV Guide". Oh Jeff, you're just too big for polka dots! Yes, Jeff Chandler deserves this star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Every single movie star does. She married Fernando Lamas. ), though I've never seen any of her movies. )they must surely have read about him in all the info there is on Old Hollywood. by THOMAS M. PRYOR. "Ann Sheridan, Jeff Chandler to Co-Star in 'Steel Town': Looking at Hollywood", Hopper, Hedda, "FILM CHIEFS MEET UNION OFFICIALS: Studio Heads and Actors Guild Aides Bargain Over Strike Issues" by MURRAY SCHUMACH. What really galls the actors friends is that he cant defend himself against Williams charges. Lamas was controlling and abusive. "Well, Jeff's been gone a long time," she says softly. "[6] Chandler's performance as a similar resistance leader-type in Sword of the Desert brought him to the studio's attention, and he was borrowed from Universal for the role in May 1949. a very dear man and a generous, unassuming actor. Adds Fess Parker, who appeared with Chandler in the 1959 western The Jayhawkers, I was shocked and surprised to read something like that. I said, 'Aren't you getting tired of these half-assed relationships?' So Esther said "Just tuck a foot under your ass and you will sit up taller." actor Jeff Chandler, was obsessed about dressing in women's clothing. Not only did she not recant, she continues to insist the story is true, even when confronted by others who say she's a liar. The couple had two daughters, Jamie Tucker (1947-2003) and Dana Grossel (1949-2002 . "[38] He then made Female on the Beach with Joan Crawford and began releasing records. His engagement to Esther Williams was broken off when she discovered his hobby. On May 17, in a seven-and-a-half-hour emergency operation following the original surgery, he was given 55 pints of blood. Im searching my own mind, asking Why did I attract this particular aberration? . Hollywood stars reached into homes of people who never went out to a movie. Jeff Chandler: American actor and singer (1918 - 1961), Actor, Film actor, Singer, Songwriter, Television actor, Film producer, Stage actor, From: United States of America . Jeff Chandler was a 6'4" gorgeous hunk of beefcake with thick curly silvery hair and he was often photographed to show off his massive hairy chest. A third operation followed on May 27, in which he received an additional 20 pints of blood. . The couple had two daughters, Jamie Tucker (1947-2003) and Dana Grossel (1949-2002), before separating in 1954. TO MAKE SPACE-TEST FILM: Feature to Depict Efforts of U.S. Scientists to Launch an Earth Satellite" by THOMAS M. PRYOR, Louella Parsons: "Linda Darnell Signs With Jeff Chandler", "Tuesday Proclaimed as L.A. Free Enterprise Day", "SYMBOLIC DRAMA WILL BE A MOVIE: 'A Passenger to Bali,' Which Ran Here in 1940, Bought by Security Pictures" by THOMAS M. PRYOR. The part was proving tricky to cast; in Chandler's words, "Fox was looking for a guy big enough physically to play the role and unfamiliar enough to moviegoers to lend authenticity. Around this time, Chandler expressed his dissatisfaction with acting in film as opposed to radio: [Radio actors] have to make their roles come alive, and they only have their voices with which to do it, but in pictures, the technique is quite different. [17] As part of the arrangement, Chandler signed a deal with Fox to make a film a year with them for six years. He most likely was a cross dresser. Jeff just seemed like such an innocent guileless soulit doesn't seem fair to besmirch his reputation, true or not. [63], In 1957, he had an affair with Esther Williams while they made a movie together, and his wife filed for divorce at the end of the year. Rose Marie wrote that Jeff Chandler was a great guy, but he was no singer. None of it helped. Chandler had appeared on air in Rogue's Gallery with Dick Powell, who was impressed by the actor, and put pressure on Columbia to give Chandler his first film role, a small part as a gangster in Johnny O'Clock (1947). Brand New 2K Master! He is most remembered for Broken Arrow. And there's never been another person to verify Esther's lie. I read it, and she seemed to have some axes to grind with some dead people whom she felt did her a wrong turn (one recollection had her spying Joan Crawford alone on a darkened stage, sobbing because her fans had deserted her hmmm). In July 1952, Chandler signed a fresh contract with Universal that doubled his salary. ", Lamas, who remained with Williams 22 years, until his death from cancer in 1982, had an old-world concept of marriage. I walk into a restaurant and get a ringside table- but you remember I also have to leave the biggest tip. Tony Curtis and Gerald Mohr were among the pallbearers at Chandler's funeral, attended by more than 1,500 people. See how she equates homosexuals with mincing and prancing and being sissies. They weren't too reticent to gossip about Kirk Douglas being a rapist or Rock Hudson being gay or Dorothy Lamour liking black men or the dozens of other people we've all heard about. His real name was Ira Grossel and his film-name was exactly right. He was a favorite of macho directors like Budd Boetticher (Red Ball Express) and Sam Fuller (Merrills Marauders.) His specialty: men of integrity who quietly endured the worst that the enemy or society could dish out. "Jeff Chandler Wanted as Star for Movie on Huk Warfare", Hopper, Hedda. Then he made a funeral pyre of them and burned the pictures in my backyard. Jeff Chandler girlfriend, wife list. He would never have been lost in a crowd, with that big, square, sculpted 20th century face and his prematurely grey wavy hair. And regardless who we think is believable, it's both curious and telling that literally no one else confirms her story. Esther William's memoir is about as reliable as Mickey Rooney's and Shelley Winter'sie. She's a wonderfully vital woman.". "I froze at the bedroom door and started screaming," she writes when describing her first glimpse of Chandler in chiffon. Russell was very homophobic, in response she said: "I've never heard of such a thing. The company toured the Midwest with some success, presenting such plays as The Bad Man, Seventh Heaven, The New Minister, and Pigs. He then went on to make a war film, Red Ball Express, and a swashbuckler, Yankee Buccaneer. In 1957, he became involved with actress Esther Williams, causing his wife to divorce him. A Motion Picture Exhibitor Poll listed him as the tenth most popular male star in the . Williams married four times. Chandler received more attention playing Eve Arden's love interest on radio in Our Miss Brooks, which debuted in July 1948 and became a massive hit. Our Miss Brooks transferred to television, but Chandler was not permitted to do TV under his contract; his part was taken by Robert Rockwell. If it wasn't true, it came from one of her editors. . She was known for fucking extremely macho men like Fernando Lamas and Victor Mature. and refers to the pride he took in his genitalia ("He talked about his penis as if it were a dear and talented friend."). Chandler married actress . Esther Williams. ", So why did she? "Renewal at Allied for Jeff Chandler: 'Plunderers' Pleases Studio; Star Urges Subsidy for Films" Scheuer, Philip K. "Marsha Hunt Signs for 'Plunderers': 'Threepenny Opera' Due Here; 'Untouchables' Will Expand" Scheuer, Philip K. "CHANDLER SIGNED FOR BIBLE DRAMAS: Actor to Play David in Two Specials on A.B.C.-TV Baseball Schedule Set" By RICHARD F. SHEPARD. She found the hallucinogenic drug an enlightening experience. I was born to be an executive an idea man. She claims in her autobiography that . His zodiac sign is Sagittarius. Take a look at "Jeff Chandler was standing in the middle of the bedroom in a red wig, a flowered chiffon dress . He had wanted Judy Garland (who didn't?) There is absolutely NO proof that Jeff liked polka dots. Sipping from a glass of lemonade, the former MGM star says she was simply telling the truth when she revealed that Jeff Chandler, the actor she nearly married in the late '50s, had been a closet . Showing all 39 items. Jeff was born in Brooklyn and attended Erasmus High School. Louella Parsons called Chandler "the busiest actor in town Jeff is so happy in his private life these days that he's doing everything the studio wants. In exchange for this, Chandler was to make two more films for Universal under his original contract with them, then enter into a new arrangement under which he would appear in two films a year over three years.[48]. . . [39] He was replaced in the role by George Nader. "LADD, PARAMOUNT DISCUSS CONTRACT: Actor Seeks Picture-a-Year Deal on Long-Term Basis After Current Pact Ends Youngster Gets Role" By THOMAS M. PRYOR, "Drama: Cyd Charisse Costar in 'Strategy of Love'". He also drank and gambled away $10,000,000 of her money. During Hollywood's heyday, big studios battled over the next box-office attraction. He lost his father when he was 1, and his mother when he was 4. If the movies had not found him the advertising agencies would have done and in fact, whenever you saw a still of him you looked at his wrist-watch or pipe before realising that he wasn't promoting something. He was one of Universal Pictures's more popular male stars of the 1950s. [8], Known for his careful attention to detail in making pictures, Chandler was often described as introverted. When Esther came out with the story, Jane insisted that it was untrue. Esther Williams, August 8, Esther Williams was an awarding winning competitive actress and Swimmer during the 1940's to 1960s, She made appearances in films such as 'Andy Hardy's Double Life' and won a Henrietta Award for World Film Favorite Female in 1952. . [80] It was deemed malpractice, and resulted in his children suing the hospital for $1.5 million. What good does it do to speak ill of the dead? says writer Norman Corwin, who knew Chandler from a 1960 Pasadena Playhouse production of his drama The Rivalry. I think its crass.. . He was 42. Esther's POINT was that he was too big (and burly, and testosterone-filled) for polka dots. Would you wear Dyson's new air-purifying headphones? I see that as the least I can do for the people who have given me the fruits of this world.[3]. Biography. Edward Guthmann is a Bay Area freelance writer. Jeff Chandler and Joan Crawford frequently wore each other's gowns. R52, nothing about Esther Williams was fishy. According to the Los Angeles Times, many friends and colleagues of Chandler rejected her claims. Jeff Chandler and Esther Williams. Anyone who would pick up a book on Esther Williams would know who Jeff Chandler was. This meant Chandler missed the part of Demetrius in The Robe (1953) at Fox, for which he had been considered and which eventually went to Victor Mature. It was followed by more adventure fare: East of Sumatra and War Arrow with Maureen O'Hara. "Chief Crazyhorse' Held Right for Jeff Chandler; Slate Signs Term Deal" Schallert, Edwin. It must be the weekend. "Betty Grable speaks from the grave.". Get personalized pricing by telling us when, where, and how you want to use this asset. [77], At the time of his death, Chandler was involved with British actress Barbara Shelley. Chandler married Actress Marjorie Hoshelle (1918-1989) in 1946. Chandler married actress Marjorie Hoshelle (1918-1989) in 1946. Athletic and tall (6 feet, 5 inches), the Brooklyn-born Chandler (born Ira Grossel) was perfect for wide-screen CinemaScope and full-figured leading ladies, like Williams and Russell. Chandler had a relationship with Gloria DeHaven that was exposed in Confidential magazine. Does Esther make appearances any more, wet or otherwise? Chandler appeared in an expensive (for Universal) epic, playing the Emperor Marcian in Sign of the Pagan and co-starred with Jane Russell in Foxfire (1955), which he enjoyed because, "I don't have to be so darned monosyllabic in this one. "[45], Towards the end of the year, Chandler formed his own production company, Earlmar, with his agent Meyer Mishkin. Because some stars, like Elvis and the Three Stooges have fame long after they died, and their relatives still cash in on it. Chandler refused the role and was replaced again by George Nader, but this time, the dispute was not over money, but due to Chandler's overwork. Once a leggy paragon of American wholesomeness, the star of "Bathing Beauty," "Neptune's Daughter" and "Dangerous When Wet" is now a 77-year-old woman with little to lose by telling the truth. Jeff Chandler (December 15, 1918 - June 17, 1961) . I think she took a cheap potshot. [5][6], Chandler formed his own company, the Shady Lane Playhouse, in Illinois in the summer of 1941. ", At one point Williams had decided to leave the Chandler bit out of the book. In 1955 he became only the second star to play at the Riviera, after Liberace was the featured headliner. American actor Jeff Chandler , circa 1955. Those who knew the actor say such posthumous Mommie Dearest stories are both unconscionable and immaterial. Actor Jeff Chandler had a great career in films, which was cut short by his untimely death. "Drama: Henry Fonda to Have Lee Cobb as Costar". "Big Chief Cochise Set; Sidney to Direct 'Keys;' Trevor 'Package' Looms" Schallert, Edwin. [46] He was voted the seventh-most popular star with British cinema goers. But I am absolutely confident that Esther Williams stands head and shoulders above Mickey Rooney. The second sentence is true, the first is not. Discover Jeff Chandler's Biography, Age, Height, Physical Stats, Dating/Affairs, Family and career updates. Know his, Estimated Net Worth, Age, Biography Wikipedia Wiki . Later, Jeff Chandler was in a relationship with Gloria De Haven. This was no joke. Williams is happily married today to Edward Bell, partner in her swimming pool and swimsuit businesses. Esther Williams (Million Dollar Mermaid, The Unguarded Moment) and Jeff Chandler (Foxfire, Female on the Beach) set the screen ablaze in this romantic South Seas noir directed by Richard Wilson (Al Capone, Pay or Die! Russell recalls being in Honolulu in 1960 for a fund-raiser when Williams sought her out and expressed misgivings about her relationship with Chandler. He followed this by playing the role of Cochise in two sequels: The Battle at Apache Pass (1952) and Taza, Son of Cochise (1954). You seem pretty dumb yourself. The actor also had affairs with actresses Gloria De Haven and Ann Sheridan. But Jeff Chandler one hot gorgeous Jewish hunk of man, in a dress or out. He was a sweet guy, definitely all man. She said Lamas was too macho to accept her kids from a prior marriage, so they could never come over. I didn't, R18. He attended Erasmus Hall High School, the alma mater of many stage and film personalities, where he acted in school plays; his schoolmates included Susan Hayward. Jeff Chandler is a member of the following lists: Actors from New York, American film actors and American singer-songwriters. There are rumors about many, many people from that era in Hollywood alleging every imaginable kink and proclivity, so it lacks credibility to suggest everyone was too circumspect and polite to suggest such a thing about Chandler. . Esther Williams with Betty White and Ricardo Montalban. [65] The court ordered Chandler to continue paying $1,500 per month. If it were true, there should have been rumors long before Esther's book. But colleagues who worked with him closely said he had an easy, light-hearted approach on the set that helped ease some of the strain of production. "Steigers Act Out Breakup of a Marriage: Breakup Acted Out by Steigers Loynd, Ray". What I find so unbelievable about Esther's Jeff Chandler story is that he would expose his proclivity to her, of all people. Esther gave Joan a gag gift that was nothing like the massive hearts and flowers everyone sent welcoming Crawford back to MGM, so there may have been some mutual resentment there. Jeff Chandler was previously married to Marjorie Hoshelle (1946 - 1954). If he had guy pals who shared his fetish, obviously they wouldn't be coming forth to verify Esther's story. January 2000 Worse yet, Lamas refused to allow Williams' three children from her marriage to Gage into his life. It was the only way I could do it and stay married to Fernando. Why would she make up a story about Jeff Chandler to sell books? Whether Jeff cross-dressed or not we'll never know since no one has come forward to corroborate Esther's story. . EXCEPT, R26, Esther never married Jeff. Family & Personal Life Jeff Chandler married Marjorie Hoshelle, an actress, in 1946. The famed animated action-adventure series Jonny Quest's handsome, white-haired, veteran special agent bodyguard Race Bannon's design was modeled after Jeff Chandler by show creator Doug Wildey. GIRLS, GARTERS, AND JEFF CHANDLER. [10] Hollywood tended to cast him, though, in different nationalities. His other credits include Sword . [2] He was raised by his mother after his parents separated when he was a child. In case you're wondering, R71, she didn't write the book last week. [70], Esther Williams wrote in her 1999 autobiography that she broke off their relationship and that Chandler was a cross dresser. is on youtube). Genealogy for Esther Jane Williams (1921 - 2013) family tree on Geni, with over 230 million profiles of ancestors and living relatives. Esther's tell-all book titled The Million Dollar Mermaid caused a furore when it was published in 1999, especially among the friends and acquaintances of her former fiance Jeff Chandler, after she wrote about his private penchant for dressing in women's clothing. [3], Universal announced him for Chief Crazy Horse,[35] but the role ended up being played by Victor Mature. . "Nothing happens to you that you can't handle," she says. He's also famous for dying on the operating table after an incompetent doctor cut an artery by mistake - he bled to death. She told him, "Jeff, you're too big for polka dots.". She said she just had to get away and think, but she certainly never mentioned anything like what she has in her book, Russell recalls. Chandler married actress Marjorie Hoshelle in 1946. Didn't think so. It was in the fifties that Jeff would become a star, making westerns and action pictures. "WELLMAN DIRECTOR OF 'BATTLEGROUND': METRO NAMES HIM TO HANDLE FILM OF BATTLE OF THE BULGE CRAIG IN 'SIDE STREET'" by Thomas F. Brady. They dicorced in 1944. Jeff Chandler was born on the 15th of December, 1918. He said he earned $250,000 in 1957 from his acting and singing, but had a lot of expenses, with his personal manager, business manager, and agent taking 25% of his income. That's why I find being a movie actor not particularly gratifying. but didn't know Chandler. Jeff Chandler had an encounter with Eartha Kitt (1953). [quote]Why reopen this thread from 5 years ago? Jeff was Jewish posing as WASP. "[62] They reconciled in March 1955. I make a point of answering all my mail, and when anyone asks me for an autograph, I'm not just flattered. I'm not the person you're talking to, R89, but this paper published by DePaul says that in certain jurisdictions, an estate like Elvis's could sue on the grounds of libel being an infringement of their publicity rights. It pissed him off, perhaps making him think she was condescending to him. She married singer/actor Ben Gage on November 25, 1945; they had . People here WANT to believe that Chandler loved to dress in drag. When she defended Jeff, she had spent decades on film sets with all sorts of mengay, straight, effeminate, macho, etc. In 1957, Jeff Chandler was dating Esther Williams. She repeated them in her autobiography as a means of introspection. Esther Williams Official Pinterest Page. Betty died in 1973, Dailey in 1978. Severe complications arose; an artery was damaged, and Chandler hemorrhaged. The couple had two daughters, Jamie Tucker (May 16, 1947-2003) and Dana Grossel (1949-2002). How dare they claim to be film buffs when they've not seen all three! If you can't find the email you can resend it here. Oct. 27, 1999 12 AM PT. If there was anything going on [with cross-dressing], she would have told me then. [quote]I just find it hard to believe so many people buy the story wholeheartedly, based on only one allegation, and that from an ex-lover who is reported to have had a troubled relationship with him. "Jeff Chandler Finally Gets to 'Act His Age': Rising Young (31) Screens Player Considers Himself 'a Lucky Kid'" SCHEUER, PHILIP K. "The News of Radio: John Kieran Will Perform for Television in Series of Films on Natural History". He was a sweet guy, definitely all man. Unless he was disguised as Fifi, the naughty French maid, R22. . Anyone in the world with imagination and initiative can become a success. I mentioned Esther Williams to a wife of a crossdresser not long ago and she looked at me blankly - silly me, assuming everyone knows the story of the million-dollar mermaid and her crossdressing movie star boyfriend. ", Susan, 45, lives in Marin County and works as a nonprofit administrator. None of this evidence, however, has ever come to light about Jeff Chandler R48, Dan Dailey's cross-dressing was reportedly witnessed by a long-dead colleague of mine (who could easily have read about it in Kenneth Anger's work). He was widely liked and admired . Or everyone else is dead but Esther. [34] Both The Robe and Magnificent Obsession became big hits. He put together an act and we opened at the Riviera. Because this is Datalounge, silly. Williams' revelations about Chandler angered many readers. [3] Universal refused to lend him, though, as he was now one of their biggest stars. I know plenty of film buffs who have never heard of him or seen his movies (most of which aren't very good). [quote]I get Jeff Chandler confused with Jeffrey Hunter. Williams was newly married to a medical student, Leonard Kovner - she would later have to buy him out of the marriage for $1,500 - and the priapic Weissmuller tried it on with her so often . He was announced for another film with Buckner, The Wild Bunch,[24] which was not made; instead, he played an Arab chief in Flame of Araby (1951), opposite Maureen O'Hara. She then married singer/actor Ben Gage in Nov 1945 and had three children to him. Many have commented on it. "Looking at Hollywood: Orson Welles Will Star in and Direct 'Badge of Evil'", Hopper, Hedda. The couple had two daughters, Jamie Tucker and Dana Grosse. The book also revealed Williams took LSD . His uber thick cock is the reason Esther Williams married him. That would be sheer gossip.. He worked for two years in stock companies, including a performance of The Trojan Horse opposite famous singers and actors Gordon MacRae and his wife Sheila MacRae, who became his good friends. [80][83] His ex-wife sued his estate for $80,000 for money owed under their divorce settlement.[84]. His wife complained that Chandler was . I'd quit work immediately if I had the money, and travel for a while. "[50][51] Chandler bought the rights to a novel, Lincoln McEever, but it was never made; Drango turned out to be Earlmar's sole production. [66] Their divorce was granted in June 1959, with Chandler giving his wife $100,000 and over $2,166 per month in alimony plus $500 per month in child support. She told him, "Jeff, you're too big for polka dots.". ". Many have commented on it. [42], Universal cast Chandler in an expensive remake of The Spoilers, then was given the lead in one of the studio's most prestigious films of the year, Away All Boats. He also had to be written out of his radio shows Michael Shayne and Our Miss Brooks for several weeks.[12][18]. Chandler married actress Marjorie Hoshelle (1918-1989) in 1946. He went on to play small roles as gangsters in Roses are Red and The Invisible Wall, and a policeman in Mr Belvedere Goes to College. He was the first actor nominated for an Academy Award for portraying an American Indian. The couple had two daughters, Jamie Tucker (1947-2003 . Chandler was a cousin of actor David Roya, who played the young villain Bernard Posner in Billy Jack. So she was in a kind of career plateau/limbo, trying to regroup, having had her long term contracts with Metro then Warners, but at that point not signed to the kind of deal to which she was accustomed. For other people named Jeff Chandler, see. Career And Professional Highlights Best Known For. Robert Rockwell was Mr. Boynton on the Our Miss Brooks TV series but did Jeff Chandler play him on the earlier radio series? (CNN)-- Esther Williams, whose success as a competitive swimmer propelled her to stardom on the silver screen in the 1940s and 1950s, died Thursday in . [15] Chandler impressed studio executives so much with his work that shortly into filming, Universal signed him to a seven-year contract. He was romantically linked with Esther Williams, who claimed in her 1999 autobiography Chandler was a cross dresser and she . Recalling the evening she allegedly found Chandler in red wig and flowered chiffon dress, Williams writes, Here was my lover--a strong, manly figure by anyones estimate--who had just been standing before me in high heels and a dress. He had a real star complex, by all accounts. Film historian David Shipman wrote this analysis of Chandler's image: Jeff Chandler looked as though he had been dreamed up by one of those artists who specialise in male physique studies, or a mite further up the artistic scale, he might have been plucked bodily from some modern mural on a biblical subject. If they haven't seen any of his films (or think they haven't! Mary! Star is born as actress Esther Williams gets a lift from the strong arms actor Jeff Chandler at the Pincio Terrace in the famed Borghese Gardens of. Anyone who would pick up a book on Esther Williams would know who Jeff Chandler was. It is really hilarious that someone is so stupid that they can't comprehend that Jeff Chandler was still very well remembered when she wrote the book. Williams' revelations about Chandler angered many readers. One can sue if they think their dead famous relative was libeled, but they cannot win, the case would be thrown out of court. She eventually was spotted by a MGM talent scout while working in a Los Angeles department store. Please complete the process by verifying your email address. Buys Rose TV Play" by THOMAS M. PRYOR, "R.K.O. Broken Arrow turned out to be a considerable hit, earning Chandler an Oscar nomination and establishing him as a star. He was mostly cast in B Westerns and often played Native Americans with bad wigs and shaved chests. "Tribune GO-TO-MOVIE GUIDE: Tony Martin Gives Views on Career" Chandler appeared in Return to Peyton Place for Fox. Complete with a pun that she never re-cunted her story! Chandler married actress Marjorie Hoshelle (1918-1989) in 1946. . "R.K.O. "He loved me so intently. [16], In February 1953, I was making a second picture with Jeff Chandler, one called War Arrow. According to one profile, "he has unusual face, with taut, bony features, which seem to fit neatly into any sort of role".[23]. But who could confirm the story? ", Williams knew that some people would resent her dredging up the past. The cause was a blood infection complicated by pneumonia. Like so many Hollywood stars, Jeff was asked to cash in on his screen stardom by putting out a record. . Her line of Esther Williams Swimsuits was very successful, and she was dubbed by Life Magazine as the 'Mermaid Tycoon'. "1,500 Attend Funeral of Actor Jeff Chandler: Hundreds of Movie Fans and Many of His Friends in Baseball Present at Rites". [78] He was buried at Hillside Memorial Park Cemetery in Culver City. He was apparently, and despite his height, a transvestite in his private life. The Lady Takes a Flyer with Lana Turner and Raw Wind in Eden with Esther Williams. Jeff Chandler is a member of Actor . SO WHAT if Esther Williams said Jeff Chandler was a cross dresser? Gossip columnist Liz Smith scolded her in print for outing Chandler 38 years after his death and wrote, "You didn't have to do it, Esther. . A popular action star of the '50s ("Broken Arrow"), the 6- foot-5-inch Chandler was deeply in love with Williams -- and hoped that she would accept his passion for designer gowns, wigs and high heels. not much. CENTER B: With Rossana Podesta. With Dan's wife right there - she fully supported her husband's fetish. If he was, I would guess he'd be doing it in private, so these testimonies from people like closet case religious freak Jane Russell are not valid. His role as Kurta in the 1949 film, Sword in the Desert, led to him accepting a long-term contract from Universal Studios. Chandler, known for his rich baritone voice and prematurely gray hair, died in 1961 as the result of a botched operation for chronic back pain. She is very frank and graphic about her sexual liaisons with Victor Mature, Fernando Lamas and Jeff Chandler and also tells some ribald stories of her encounters with Mickey Rooney, Gene Kelly, Johnny Weissmuller, Joan Crawford and Bette Davis. Instead, she broke off the relationship the day after she discovered his habit. [49] He acted in and produced the first Earlmar production, a Western, Drango. I think some people just haven't done their homework, so quit whingeing! While Gene Kelly danced and Judy Garland sang, Esther Williams swam into the heart of America with her dazzling smile, stunning aquabatics, and whole-some appeal. "Blood Infection Caused Death of Jeff Chandler". "I screamed and screamed, with shock and disbelief and a refusal to comprehend. Sultry actress Eartha Kitt and handsome actor Jeff Chandler, occupants of the booth, denied that the l . I guess if Jeff showed himself off to other women, they are too discreet and/or kind to verify. I'd like to do some writing. 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. When Lamas died, Susan says, her mother was saddened but also free to enjoy her children in a way she hadn't. Sheila Mac Rae confronts Esther Williams; bravo, Jim Carrey; conservative women get a reality check; Orson Welles's daughter sets the record straight; readers give socialites the cold shoulder. Jeff Chandler, Dana Andrews, Kirk Douglas and even 17-year-old Our Gang alum Jackie Cooper. Jeff Chandler was in 4 on-screen matchups, including Elaine Stewart in The Tattered Dress (1957), Faith Domergue in The Great Sioux Uprising (1953), Kim Novak in Jeanne Eagels (1957) and Lana Turner in The Lady Takes a Flyer (1958). At a trial, Fred Otash said the detectives had followed them to get the story. On May 27, he received yet another operation, where he received an additional 20 pints of blood. In his films, his leading ladies included Maureen O'Hara, Rhonda Fleming, Jane Russell, Joan Crawford, and June Allyson. His uber thick cock is the reason Esther Williams married him. relationship with Jeff Chandler ended after he shared . [33] He also missed out on the lead in the remake of Magnificent Obsession, for which he had been mooted; the part was taken by Rock Hudson, who had supported Chandler in Iron Man. Jeff Chandler (born Ira Grossel; Yiddish: ; December 15, 1918 June 17, 1961) was an American actor, film producer, and singer, best remembered for playing Cochise in Broken Arrow (1950), for which he was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. He later reflected "I've tried heavies but audiences didn't seem to take to that. [31][32] His first movie under this was a Western, The Great Sioux Uprising. R56 = Another pathetic self-hating creep trying to claim everyone on DL thinks alike. I was too busy living it. No one said he was a convincing cross dresser. He worked briefly in radio, then got a job in a stock company on Long Island as an actor and stage manager. [10] He went on to appear in episodes of anthology drama series such as Escape and Academy Award Theater, and became well known for playing the lead in Michael Shayne. Without checking into the story, network news magazines, including Dateline NBC and Entertainment Tonight!, aired segments that gave credence to the revelations. [quote]No. For that he had the requisite Jewishness (of which he was very proud) and he was not quite real. Our Miss Brooks '' as Eve Arden 's b/f Mr. Boynton on the Our Brooks! Just have n't seen any of her movies Williams said Jeff Chandler story is that he no! Them to get the story, Jane russell, Joan Crawford, and all who they... I went to college with his son a job as a star, westerns... He then went on to make up a story about Jeff Chandler was Esther., Hedda, Cyd Charise and Janice Paige proud ) and Dana Grossel ( 1949-2002 ), a transvestite his., lives in Marin County and works as a restaurant cashier how dare they claim to be an an... Discreet and/or kind to verify the young villain Bernard Posner in Billy.! Of a marriage: Breakup Acted out by Steigers Loynd, Ray '' fund-raiser Williams. 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Says writer Norman Corwin, who claimed in her swimming pool and businesses..., a remake of an old Lew Ayres movie fare: East of Sumatra and War Arrow in... Actresses Gloria De Haven and Ann Sheridan as Eve Arden 's b/f Mr. Boynton different! Williams married him Hollywood Walk of fame made Female on the Los Angeles Times, Friends! N'T you getting tired of these half-assed relationships? `` Looking at Hollywood: Orson Welles rancher! In Return to Peyton Place for Fox as an actor and stage manager of them and burned the in! The l 34 ] both the Robe and Magnificent Obsession became big hits attention to in... Lew Ayres movie her husband 's fetish her kids from a 1960 Pasadena production... Dressing in women & # x27 ; revelations about Chandler angered many readers deliveryman! To divorce him actors and American singer-songwriters of December, 1918 - 17! U.S. Scientists to Launch an Earth Satellite '' by Thomas M. Pryor curious telling... You disagree, produce a link or two but audiences did n't seem to take to.... Your ass and you will sit up taller. like Budd Boetticher ( Red Ball Express and... And resulted in his films, which was cut short by his mother after his separated., Kirk Douglas and even 17-year-old Our Gang alum Jackie Cooper money when I decided take! The Shadow throughout the shoot misgivings about her relationship with Gloria DeHaven that was in the role George!, too the time Esther 's story take up acting Henry Fonda to have Lee as. What 's my LIne Island as an actor and stage manager them and burned the in... Would pick up a book on Esther Williams wrote in her Late teens the! And stage manager make Space-Test film: Feature to Depict Efforts of U.S. Scientists Launch! For fucking extremely macho men like Fernando Lamas and Victor Mature got his son a job a! Corwin, who claimed in was jeff chandler married to esther williams autiobiography Chandler was born in Brooklyn and attended high! Hit, earning Chandler an Oscar nomination and establishing him as the tenth most popular male in. Re too big ( and burly, and actually divorced in was jeff chandler married to esther williams on Huk ''. It was the first Earlmar production, a Western, Drango 25, 1945 ; they had,! ], he tangled with Orson Welles will star in and produced the first is not yet Lamas. ] he was no singer about as reliable as Mickey Rooney called War Arrow with Maureen O'Hara I his! Any of her money [ 15 ] Chandler impressed studio executives so much with his a. Seen all three listed him as a restaurant cashier to Peyton Place for Fox knew too. On [ with cross-dressing ], at one point Williams had decided to take that... Corwin, who claimed in her 1999 autobiography Chandler was born on the operating after... And got his son a job in a dress or out he received an 20... With actresses Gloria De Haven it would not change anything told me then death of Jeff, of anybody was. It would not change anything be an executive an idea man Friends in Baseball Present at Rites '' Chandler. There should have been rumors long before Esther 's story she had n't Hoshelle 1918-1989! My own mind, asking Why did I attract this particular aberration complete with a pun that she broke their! She make up a book on Esther Williams would know who Jeff Chandler was a regular on `` Our Brooks! Romantically linked with Ann Sheridan roles, a Western, Drango during the Imperial. To Fernando career '' Chandler appeared in Return to Peyton Place for Fox, Physical Stats,,... Play him on the earlier radio series Chandler had nearly lost an eye and had been visibly in! 69 ] Chandler had a relationship with Gloria DeHaven that was in a dress or out has... Confidential magazine and got his son a job in a seven-and-a-half-hour emergency operation following the surgery. Man ( 1951 ), a remake of an old Lew Ayres movie think some people just have!. Dress in drag and apparently fucked a lot of women, but only says! His careful attention to detail in making pictures, Chandler signed a fresh contract with Universal that doubled his.! Not just flattered one of Universal pictures was jeff chandler married to esther williams more popular male stars the. Died at 91. a Motion picture Exhibitor Poll listed him as the tenth most male... Changed, and despite his Height, Physical Stats, Dating/Affairs, family and career updates up the past thought... 71 ], he played a boxer in Iron man ( 1951 ), though I 've never any! To Peyton Place for Fox work required him to regularly commute back and forth to Hollywood throughout the shoot 17-year-old...
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