BIOGRAPHY
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- Born: December 15, 1918 in Brooklyn, New York
- Named: Ira Grossel
- Attended Erasmus High School.
- He took drama, and worked in stock companies for two years.
- After WWII service, he performed briefly in radio dramas and comedies, then made his
film debut in 1947.
- He was a radio star in "Our Miss Brooks", as Professor Boynton.
- His curly, prematurely gray hair and ruggedly handsome features gave him a distinctive
look that made him a favorite with female audiences, although most of his roles were in
male-oriented Westerns and action pictures.
- He had a beautiful home in Palm Springs, CA.
- He enjoyed smoking a pipe. (And looked so handsome with it!)
- In the fifties, he became a star in Western movies.
- Played both romantic leads and exotic roles, three times portraying Cochise on the screen.
- He was nominated for best supporting actor in 1950 for BROKEN ARROW.
- He starred with such leading ladies as: Kim Novak, Lana Turner, Maureen O'Hara,
Rhonda Flemming, Jane Russell, Joan Crawford and June Allyson.
- He starred with famous men such as: Jimmy Stewart, Rock Hudson and Raymond Burr
to name a few.
- He owned "Chandler Music" a publishing company, and had success as a recording
artist,
wrote music and played violin.
- The scar across his eye was from a truck accident.
- When his friend Sammy Davis Jr. lost an eye in an accident and was in danger of losing the other, Jeff offered to give him one of his own eyes.
- He took his singing career to Las Vegas, where he performed at the Riviera Hotel the night Sammy was to open when he had the accident.
- He was a neighbor and childhood friend of actress Susan Hayward.
- Spouse: Majorie Hoshelle (1946-1954) (divorced)
- He had two daughters, Jamie (1947) and Dana (1948)
- He died on June 17, 1961, at age 42, of blood poisoning following spinal surgery
for a slipped disc in Culver City, CA.
- Tony Curtis and Jeff were very good friends. Tony was a pall bearer at Jeff's funeral.
- His death from blood poisoning was deemed malpractice and resulted in a lawsuit and
settlement ($200,000.00) for his daughters.
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