Jeff Chandler - Film, Record, Radio, Television And Theater Performances

by Jeff Wells

McFarland & Company (series)

Ruggedly handsome Jeff Chandler won over fans with his versatile acting in film, television, radio, and theatre. He was particularly respected for his roles in Westerns. Chandler got an Oscar nomination in 1950 for Broken Arrow, was involved in the production of 27 box-office champions, and worked with such stars as Orson Welles, Susan Hayward, and James Stewart.

First, a biography covers Chandler's life: his birth in 1918; WWII service; the start of his radio career in 1946; his first film role soon after; and his success as a recording artist, song-writer, and owner of "Chandler Music;" his death in 1961 and the subsequent malpractice suit filed by his family. The work then covers his 54 films from The Invisible Wall (1947) to Merrill's Marauders (1962). Each chronologically arranged entry provides the studio name, month and year of release, the ad line, alternate titles, running times, format, genre, ratings, cast and crew credits, and a synopsis, plus such information as behind-the-scenes details and additional comments, review extracts, and quotes from Chandler and others about the film. A section on music and spoken word follows, listing all credits and statistics as above, plus program notes and quotes from Chandler. The radio section gives the program and episode name, date, episode number, and credits. The next section lists television appearances with the same information as in the film section. Chandler's play ("The Trojan Horse") with the troupe, dates, number of performances, cast and crew, synopsis and additional comments, is described last. A full bibliography concludes the work, which is illustrated with personal and professional photographs.