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Steve Cochran

Steve Cochran

Actor, also producer · Died June 15, 1965, aged 48 · Eureka, California

He is perhaps best remembered for his role of Big Ed Somers, the power hungry gangster pal of James Cagney in "White Heat" (1949). Born Robert Alexander Cochran in Eureka, California, he was the son of a California lumberjack, who moved the family to Wyoming in the 1920s, where Cochran grew to adulthood. After graduating from the University of Wyoming in 1939, Cochran began working steadily as a Wyoming cowboy, while developing his acting skills working in summer stock and regional theaters and gradually moving on to Broadway. In 1945, he signed with MGM, and for the next several years, played mostly secondary roles as gangsters or boxers. He made his film debut with "Boston Blackie Booked on Suspicion" (1945) and quickly followed with "Wonder Man" (1945). Released from his contract in 1948, he returned to Broadway where he worked with Mae West; the next year he signed on with Warner Brothers, where he earned leading roles in such films as "The Damned Don't Cry" (1950), "Highway 301" (1950) and "Tomorrow is Another Day" (1951). Warner Brothers often had him playing the villain in several of its western films, such as "Dallas" (1950), and "Back to God's Country" (1953). With the end of his contract in 1953, he began his own film company, Robert Alexander Productions, while also freelancing for other studios and moving on to guest star roles on television shows. He would show up in such television shows as Death Valley Days, Burke's Law, The Untouchables, Naked City, The Twilight Zone, Route 66, and The Virginian. A notorious womanizer, Cochran was married and divorced three times, and was often in the Hollywood tabloids reportedly having affairs with such actresses as Mae West, Jayne Mansfield, Joan Crawford, Merle Oberon, Ida Lupino and Mamie Van Doren. Cochran died under mysterious circumstances. In May 1965, Cochran had revived his production company, and together with three women, whom he had hired as his assistants, boarded his 40-foot yacht to travel to Central and South America to look for filming locations. On June 25, 1965, the yacht drifted into Port Champerico, Guatemala, with three alive but very distraught women aboard and the body of Steve Cochran, who had died ten days earlier. The women did not know how to operate the boat, and were dependent upon its drifting to shore after his death. There were numerous rumors of murder and poisoning, and actress / former lover Merle Oberon used her influence to push for further police investigation, but no evidence of foul play was ever determined. The official cause of his death was given as Acute Infectious Edema (lung infection).

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
May 25, 1917
Died
June 15, 1965 (aged 48)
From
Eureka, California
Works as
Actor, also producer
Titles
24 on MovieCove · 56 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 39 days to Oct 28Down 28% in 30 days

What are Steve Cochran's films like?

Across their 19 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Morality and Bonds.

Genres

Drama6 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 50th percentile
: browse their Drama movies
Crime5 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 59th percentile
: browse their Crime movies
Comedy4 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 69th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Comedy movies
Action2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 64th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Action movies

Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight
Morality
35%
Bonds
21%
Self
16%
Survival
12%
Power
12%
Society
2%
Ideas
2%
Family bonds5 titles, browse their movies with this themeJustice4 titles, browse their movies with this themeRomantic love3 titles, browse their movies with this themeSurvival3 titles, browse their movies with this themeAmbition4 titles, browse their movies with this themeBetrayal3 titles, browse their movies with this themeRedemption3 titles, browse their movies with this themeDeception3 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 19 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Serious: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their serious movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

A split, not a type: Light 6 · Serious 5 · Dark 8

Stylized: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their stylized movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

A split, not a type: Grounded 12 · Stylized 6 · Heightened 1

Charged: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their charged movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

Gentle 4 · Charged 9 · Intense 6

Shifting: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their shifting movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

A split, not a type: Steady 9 · Shifting 6 · Whiplash 4

Straight-faced: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their straight-faced movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

Straight-faced 15 · Some laughs 1 · Funny 3

Even-paced: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their even-paced movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 3 · Even-paced 15 · Relentless 1

Engaged: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their engaged movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

A split, not a type: Casual 9 · Engaged 8 · Full focus 2

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 13 · Open-ended 5 · Ambiguous 1

Roles they play

15 analyzed roles

Usually the Shadow: 7 of 15 analyzed roles.

Shadow
7 of 15
Hero
5 of 15
Herald
1 of 15
Threshold guardian
1 of 15
Trickster
1 of 15
Show the 15 roles

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
13
Melancholic
7
Joyful
4
Romantic
5
Thrilling
4
Other
11

How their films linger

Feel-good6 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun6 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteUnsettling4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 3 with a twist

  • Happy8
  • Bittersweet5
  • Tragic4
  • Ambiguous2

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Steve Cochran's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 11 of their 24 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (10).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Steve Cochran's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

56 credits, 24 with a MovieCove page; 1 appearance as themselves is hidden until asked for.

  • Tell Me In The Sunlight (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1965)

    Director · Screenplay · as Dave

  • Mozambique (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1964)

    as Brad Webster

  • Mr. Broadway (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1964)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • Burke's Law (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1963)

    Show 1 episode · as Fletcher Seamway · as Phil Ross · as St. John Carlisle

  • Of Love and Desire (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1963)

    as Steve Corey

  • Stoney Burke (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1962)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • The Virginian (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1962)

    Show 1 episode · as Jamie Dobbs

  • Bus Stop (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1961)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • The Deadly Companions(1961)

    as Billy Keplinger

    Midcredits score: 39th percentile of all films

  • Route 66(1960)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

    Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all shows

  • The Twilight Zone(1959)

    Show 1 episode · as Fred Renard

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all shows

  • The Big Operator (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1959)

    as Bill Gibson

  • The Beat Generation (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1959)

    as Dave Culloran

  • I Mobster(1959)

    as Joe Sante

    Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all films

  • Naked City(1958)

    Show 1 episode · as Niccolo Mori

    Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all shows

  • Quantrill's Raiders(1958)

    as Captain Alan 'Wes' Westcott

    Midcredits score: 19th percentile of all films

  • Il Grido (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1957)

    as Aldo

  • Slander (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1957)

    as H.R. Manley

  • Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1956)

    Show 1 episode · as Marshal Cam Tolby

  • The Weapon (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1956)

    as Mark Andrews

  • Come Next Spring(1956)

    Producer · as Matt Ballot

    Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all films

  • Fremont: The Trailblazer (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1956)

    as John C. Fremont

  • Climax! (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1954)

    Show 1 episode · as Jack Rice · as Ralph Leslie

  • Private Hell 36 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1954)

    as Police Sgt. Cal Bruner

  • Carnival Story (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1954)

    as Joe Hammond

  • Shark River (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1953)

    as Dan Webley

  • Back to God's Country(1953)

    as Paul Blake

    Midcredits score: 30th percentile of all films

  • The Loretta Young Show(1953)

    Show 1 episode · as Joe

    Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all shows

  • The Desert Song (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1953)

    as Captain Claude Fontaine

  • She's Back on Broadway (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1953)

    as Rick Sommers

  • General Electric Theater (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1953)

    Show 1 episode · as Drogo

  • Operation Secret(1952)

    as Marcel Brevoort

    Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all films

  • The Lion and the Horse (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1952)

    as Ben Kirby

  • The Tanks Are Coming (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1951)

    as Francis Aloysius 'Sully' Sullivan

  • Schlitz Playhouse of Stars (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1951)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • Jim Thorpe -- All-American(1951)

    as Peter Allendine

    Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all films

  • Tomorrow Is Another Day(1951)

    as Bill Clark / Mike Lewis

    Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all films

  • Inside the Walls of Folsom Prison(1951)

    as Chuck Daniels

    Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all films

  • Raton Pass(1951)

    as Cy Van Cleave

    Midcredits score: 38th percentile of all films

  • Storm Warning(1950)

    as Hank Rice

    Midcredits score: 83rd percentile of all films

  • Dallas(1950)

    as Bryant Marlow

    Midcredits score: 51st percentile of all films

  • Highway 301 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1950)

    as George Legenza

  • Lux Video Theatre (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1950)

    Show 1 episode · as Luke Martens

  • The Damned Don't Cry(1950)

    as Nick Prenta

    Midcredits score: 84th percentile of all films

  • Robert Montgomery Presents (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1950)

    Show 1 episode · as Captain John Pringle

  • White Heat(1949)

    as 'Big Ed' Somers

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all films

  • Studio One (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1948)

    Show 1 episode · as Dan · as Peter Hadley

  • A Song Is Born(1948)

    as Tony Crow

    Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all films

  • Copacabana(1947)

    as Steve Hunt

    Midcredits score: 45th percentile of all films

  • The Best Years of Our Lives(1946)

    as Cliff Scully

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all films

  • The Chase(1946)

    as Eddie Roman

    Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all films

  • The Kid from Brooklyn(1946)

    as Speed McFarlane

    Midcredits score: 64th percentile of all films

  • The Gay Senorita (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1945)

    as Tim O'Brien

  • Boston Blackie's Rendezvous (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1945)

    as Jimmy Casey

  • Wonder Man(1945)

    as Ten Grand Jackson

    Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all films

  • Boston Blackie Booked on Suspicion (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1945)

    as Jack Higgins

Career shape

Star power in the 96th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 56 titles from 1945 to 1965.

Biggest box office

White Heat (1949)

$5.5K worldwide

Highest rated

White Heat (1949)

Midcredits 98th

Film career

Top draw in 2 MovieCove titles.

  • 1945Screen debut· Wonder Man
  • 1950First top-billed film· Highway 301
  • 1957Career best· Il Grido

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting56 of 56: 55 only acting, 1 with another role · typical Midcredits score71stDirecting1 of 56: 0 only directing, 1 with another roleWriting1 of 56: 0 only writing, 1 with another role

By decade

1940s11 · acting1950s35 · acting1960s10 · 10 acting · 1 crew

Billing

usually 3rd · top billed in 15% of 13 roles
4550

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored. Billing is TMDB cast order for roles with 25+ votes, billed in the top 30; the columns are the share of top-billed roles in each era, 5-year spans from the year on the label, merged until each holds at least 5 roles.

How do Steve Cochran's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 62nd percentile, the median of all 20; across their 19 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 60th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

60thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 19

Approval · how many liked their films

58thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 19

Reach · how many have seen their films

54thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 19

Midcredits score across 24 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up10
  • 50th to 74th7
  • 25th to 49th6
  • Below 25th1

Shape of the crowd

14 of their 24 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved3
  • Crowd Pleaser14
  • Broadly Agreed6
  • Mixed1

Most loved · actor

White Heat (1949)

Midcredits 98th · 88% liked

Reviewers score the acting 73/100 in their films, across 19 reviewed titles; fans 79, detractors 51. The element that speaks to their work as an actor.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Who does Steve Cochran work with?

People who share at least 2 of Steve Cochran's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Max Steiner shares the most, 5.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Composers and editors

Producers