Joseph Cheshire Cotten Jr. (May 15, 1905 – February 6, 1994) was an American film, stage, radio and television actor. Cotten achieved prominence on Broadway, starring in the original stage productions of '' The Philadelphia Story'' and '' Sabrina Fair''. He then gained worldwide fame in three

Orson Welles George Orson Welles (May 6, 1915 – October 10, 1985) was an American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter, known for his innovative work in film, radio and theatre. He is considered to be among the greatest and most influential f ...

films: '' Citizen Kane'' (1941), ''

The Magnificent Ambersons ''The Magnificent Ambersons'' is a 1918 novel by Booth Tarkington, the second in his ''Growth'' trilogy after ''The Turmoil'' (1915) and before ''The Midlander'' (1923, retitled ''National Avenue'' in 1927). It won the Pulitzer Prize for fiction ...

'' (1942), and '' Journey into Fear'' (1943), for which Cotten was also credited with the screenplay. Cotten went on to become one of the leading Hollywood actors of the 1940s, appearing in films such as ''

Shadow of a Doubt ''Shadow of a Doubt'' is a 1943 American psychological thriller film directed by Alfred Hitchcock, and starring Teresa Wright and Joseph Cotten. Written by Thornton Wilder, Sally Benson, and Alma Reville, the film was nominated for an Ac ...

'' (1943), '' Gaslight'' (1944), '' Love Letters'' (1945), '' Duel in the Sun'' (1946), '' Portrait of Jennie'' (1948) for which he won the Volpi Cup for Best Actor, '' The Third Man'' (1949) and ''

Niagara Niagara may refer to: Geography Niagara Falls and nearby places In both the United States and Canada *Niagara Falls, the famous waterfalls in the Niagara River *Niagara River, part of the U.S.–Canada border *Niagara Escarpment, the cliff ov ...

'' (1953). One of his final films was Michael Cimino's '' Heaven's Gate'' (1980). Multiple film critics and media outlets have cited him as one of the best actors never to have received an

Academy Award The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment in ...

nomination.

Early life

Joseph Cotten was born in 1905 in

Petersburg, Virginia Petersburg is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 33,458. The Bureau of Economic Analysis combines Petersburg (along with the city of Colonial Heights) with Din ...

, the first of three boys born for Joseph Cheshire Cotten Sr., an assistant postmaster, and Sally Willson Cotten. He grew up in the Tidewater region and showed an aptitude for drama and a gift for storytelling. In 1923, when Cotten was 18, his family arranged for him to receive private lessons at the Hickman School of Expression in Washington, D.C., and underwrote his expenses. Cotten served in the First Motion Picture Unit of the

U.S. Army Air Forces The United States Army Air Forces (USAAF or AAF) was the major land-based aerial warfare service component of the United States Army and ''de facto'' aerial warfare service branch of the United States during and immediately after World War II ...

during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

.World War II: The Movie - When the U.S. Army Air Forces needed 100,000 men to volunteer, General Hap Arnold recruited Hollywood.
'' Smithsonian Magazine''. Retrieved November 5, 2022.

Career

Cotten earned spending money playing professional football on Sundays, for $25 a quarter. After graduation, he earned enough money as a lifeguard at Wilcox Lake to pay back his family's loan, with interest. He moved to Miami in 1925 and worked as an advertising salesman for ''The Miami Herald'' at $35 a week. He started performing at the Miami Civic Theatre, and worked there for five years, also reviewing the shows for the ''Herald''.

Broadway

Cotten moved to New York and went to work for David Belasco as an assistant stage manager. He understudied Melvyn Douglas in '' Tonight or Never'' then took over Douglas' role for the Copley Theatre in Boston, where he worked on over 30 plays. Cotten struggled to find work in the depression so turned to modeling under the Walter Thornton Model Agency and acting in industrial films. He also performed on radio. Cotten made his Broadway debut in 1932 in ''Absent Friends'' which ran for 88 performances. He followed it with ''

Jezebel Jezebel (;"Jezebel"
(US) and ) was the daughte ...

'' (1933), staged by Katherine Cornell and Guthrie McClintic, which only had a short run. He was in ''Loose Moments'' which ran for 8 performances.

Orson Welles

In 1934, Cotten met and became friends with

, a fellow cast member on

CBS Radio CBS Radio was a radio broadcasting company and radio network operator owned by CBS Corporation and founded in 1928, with consolidated radio station groups owned by CBS and Westinghouse Broadcasting/Group W since the 1920s, and Infinity Broa ...

's '' The American School of the Air''. Welles regarded Cotten as a brilliant comic actor, and gave him the starring role in his Federal Theatre Project farce, '' Horse Eats Hat'' (September 26 – December 5, 1936). Cotten was sure that ''Horse Eats Hat'' won him the notice of his future Broadway co-star,

Katharine Hepburn Katharine Houghton Hepburn (May 12, 1907 – June 29, 2003) was an American actress in film, stage, and television. Her career as a Hollywood leading lady spanned over 60 years. She was known for her headstrong independence, spirited perso ...

. Cotten said Welles later told him "You're very lucky to be tall and thin and have curly hair. You can also move about the stage without running into the furniture. But these are fringe assets, and I'm afraid you'll never make it as an actor. But as a star, I think you well might hit the jackpot." In 1937, Cotten became an inaugural member of Welles's Mercury Theatre company, starring in its Broadway productions '' Caesar'' as Publius; it ran for 157 performances. He followed it with '' The Shoemaker's Holiday'' (1938) and '' Danton's Death'' (1938) for Welles. Cotten also performed in radio dramas presented on '' The Mercury Theatre on the Air'' and '' The Campbell Playhouse''. Cotten made his film debut in the Welles-directed short, '' Too Much Johnson'', a comedy that was intended to complement the aborted 1938 Mercury stage production of William Gillette's 1894 play. The film was never screened in public and was lost until 2008 (and then screened in 2013 at the Pordenone Silent Film Festival).

''The Philadelphia Story''

Cotten returned to Broadway in 1939, creating the role of C. K. Dexter Haven opposite

's Tracy Lord in the original production of Philip Barry's '' The Philadelphia Story''. The play ran for 417 performances at the Shubert Theatre, and in the months before its extensive national tour a

film version A film adaptation is the transfer of a work or story, in whole or in part, to a feature film. Although often considered a type of derivative work, film adaptation has been conceptualized recently by academic scholars such as Robert Stam as a dial ...

was to be made by MGM. Cotten went to Hollywood, but discovered there that his stage success in ''The Philadelphia Story'' translated to, in the words of his agent Leland Hayward, "spending a solid year creating the

Cary Grant Cary Grant (born Archibald Alec Leach; January 18, 1904November 29, 1986) was an English-American actor. He was known for his Mid-Atlantic accent, debonair demeanor, light-hearted approach to acting, and sense of comic timing. He was one o ...

role." Hayward suggested that they call Cotten's good pal, Orson Welles. "He's been making big waves out here", Hayward said. "Maybe nobody in Hollywood ever heard of the Shubert Theatre in New York, but everybody certainly knows about the Mercury Theatre in New York."

''Citizen Kane''

After the success of Welles's '' War of the Worlds'' 1938

Halloween Halloween or Hallowe'en (less commonly known as Allhalloween, All Hallows' Eve, or All Saints' Eve) is a celebration geography of Halloween, observed in many countries on 31 October, the eve of the Western Christian feast of All Saints' Day. ...

radio broadcast, Welles gained a unique contract with RKO Pictures. The two-picture deal promised full creative control for the young director below an agreed budget limit, and Welles's intention was to feature the Mercury Players in his productions. Shooting had still not begun on a Welles film after a year, but after a meeting with writer Herman J. Mankiewicz Welles had a suitable project. In mid-1940, filming began on '' Citizen Kane'', portraying the life of a press magnate (played by Welles) who starts out as an idealist but eventually turns into a corrupt, lonely old man. The film featured Cotten prominently in the role of Kane's best friend Jedediah Leland, eventually a drama critic for one of Kane's papers. When released on May 1, 1941, ''Citizen Kane'' – based in part on the life of William Randolph Hearst – did not do much business at theaters; Hearst owned numerous major newspapers, and forbade them to carry advertisements for the film. Nominated for nine

Academy Awards The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...

in 1942, the film won only for Best Screenplay, for Mankiewicz and Welles. ''Citizen Kane'' launched the film careers of the Mercury Players, including Agnes Moorehead (who played Kane's mother), Ruth Warrick (Kane's first wife), and Ray Collins (Kane's political opponent). However, Cotten was the only one of the four to find major success as a lead in Hollywood outside of ''Citizen Kane''; Moorehead and Collins became successful character film actors and Warrick spent decades in a career in daytime television.

Alexander Korda Sir Alexander Korda (; born Sándor László Kellner; hu, Korda Sándor; 16 September 1893 – 23 January 1956)Merle Oberon's leading man in '' Lydia'' (1941). "I didn't care about the movies, really", Cotten said later. "I was tall. I had curly hair. I could talk. It was easy to do."

''The Magnificent Ambersons'' and ''Journey Into Fear''

Cotten starred in Welles's adaptation and production of ''

'' (1942). After the commercial disappointment of ''Citizen Kane'', RKO was apprehensive about the new film, and after poor preview responses, cut it by nearly an hour before its release. Though at points the film appeared disjointed, it was well received by critics. Despite the critical accolades Cotten received for his performance, he was again snubbed by the Academy. Cotten was cast in the

Nazi Nazism ( ; german: Nazismus), the common name in English for National Socialism (german: Nationalsozialismus, ), is the far-right politics, far-right Totalitarianism, totalitarian political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hit ...

-related thriller '' Journey into Fear'' (1943) based on the novel by Eric Ambler. It was originally scripted by

Ben Hecht Ben Hecht (; February 28, 1894 – April 18, 1964) was an American screenwriter, director, producer, playwright, journalist, and novelist. A successful journalist in his youth, he went on to write 35 books and some of the most enjoyed screenplay ...

but Welles, who was supervising, disliked it, and he rewrote it with Cotten. Released by RKO, the Mercury production was directed by Norman Foster. It was a collaborative effort due to the difficulties shooting the film and the pressures related to Welles's imminent departure to South America to begin work on '' It's All True''. Alfred Hitchcock hired Cotten to play a charming serial killer in ''

'' (1943). It was made for Universal Pictures, for whom Cotten then appeared in '' Hers to Hold'' (1943), as Deanna Durbin's leading man. After Welles's return he and Cotten co-produced '' The Mercury Wonder Show'' for members of the U.S. armed services. Opening August 3, 1943, the all-star magic and variety show was presented in a tent at 9000 Cahuenga Boulevard in Hollywood. Featured were Welles (Orson the Magnificent), Cotten (Jo-Jo the Great),

Rita Hayworth Rita Hayworth (born Margarita Carmen Cansino; October 17, 1918May 14, 1987) was an American actress, dancer and producer. She achieved fame during the 1940s as one of the era's top stars, appearing in 61 films over 37 years. The press coined th ...

(forced to quit by

Columbia Pictures Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. is an American film production studio that is a member of the Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group, a division of Sony Pictures Entertainment, which is one of the Big Five studios and a subsidiary of the multi ...

boss

Harry Cohn Harry Cohn (July 23, 1891 – February 27, 1958) was a co-founder, president, and production director of Columbia Pictures Corporation. Life and career Cohn was born to a working-class Jewish family in New York City. His father, Joseph Cohn, wa ...

and replaced by

Marlene Dietrich Marie Magdalene "Marlene" DietrichBorn as Maria Magdalena, not Marie Magdalene, according to Dietrich's biography by her daughter, Maria Riva ; however Dietrich's biography by Charlotte Chandler cites "Marie Magdalene" as her birth name . (, ; ...

), Agnes Moorehead (Calliope Aggie) and others. Tickets were free to servicemen, and more than 48,000 of them had seen show by September 1943.

David O. Selznick

In late 1943, Cotten visited Welles's office and said that producer

David O. Selznick David O. Selznick (May 10, 1902June 22, 1965) was an American film producer, screenwriter and film studio executive who produced ''Gone with the Wind'' (1939) and ''Rebecca'' (1940), both of which earned him an Academy Award for Best Picture. E ...

wanted to make two or three films with him, but that he wanted him under his own contract. Welles then tore up Cotten's contract with Mercury Productions, saying, "He can do more for you than I can. Good luck!"Whaley, Barton
''Orson Welles: The Man Who Was Magic''. Lybrary.com, 2005, Cotten signed a long-term deal with Selznick. Selznick loaned out Cotten and Ingrid Bergman to MGM for the thriller '' Gaslight'' (1944) which was a major hit. Selznick then put Cotten in a wartime drama '' Since You Went Away'' (1944) alongside Claudette Colbert, Jennifer Jones and Shirley Temple; it was another major success.Thomas Schatz, ''Boom and Bust: American Cinema in the 1940s'' University of California Press, 1999. p. 190
accessed January 1, 2014 Selznick followed this up by teaming Cotten with Ginger Rogers and Temple in '' I'll Be Seeing You'' (1945), another melodrama. Hal Wallis borrowed Cotten and Jones to make '' Love Letters'' (1945). Exhibitors voted him the 17th most popular star in the United States in 1945. Selznick used Cotten, Jennifer Jones and

Gregory Peck Eldred Gregory Peck (April 5, 1916 – June 12, 2003) was an American actor and one of the most popular film stars from the 1940s to the 1970s. In 1999, the American Film Institute named Peck the 12th-greatest male star of Classic Hollywood ...

in '' Duel in the Sun'' (1946), an epic Western that was hugely popular at the box office. Dore Schary, who had worked for Selznick, went to run RKO and hired Cotten for '' The Farmer's Daughter'' (1947), where he was Loretta Young's leading man. Cotten then made '' Portrait of Jennie'' (1948) for Selznick, co starring with Jones; Cotten played a melancholy artist who becomes obsessed with a girl who might have died many years before. His performance won Cotten the International Prize for Best Actor at the 1949 Venice International Film Festival.

''The Third Man''

Cotten was reunited with Welles in '' The Third Man'' (1949), produced by Korda and Selznick. Cotten portrays a writer of pulp fiction who travels to postwar

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to meet his friend Harry Lime (Welles). When he arrives, he is told that Lime has died. Determined to prove to the police that his friend was murdered, he uncovers an even darker secret. Years later, Cotten would say “Orson Welles lists ''Citizen Kane'' as his best film, Alfred Hitchcock opts for ''Shadow of a Doubt'', and Sir Carol Reed chose ''The Third Man'' – and I’m in all of them.” Cotten then reunited with Hitchcock and Ingrid Bergman in ''

Under Capricorn ''Under Capricorn'' is a 1949 British historical thriller film directed by Alfred Hitchcock about a couple in Australia who started out as lady and stable boy in Ireland, and who are now bound together by a horrible secret. The film is based on ...

'' (1949) as an Australian landowner with a shady past; it was a box office disappointment. So too was ''

Beyond the Forest ''Beyond the Forest'' is a 1949 American film noir directed by King Vidor, and featuring Bette Davis, Joseph Cotten, David Brian, and Ruth Roman. The screenplay is written by Lenore Coffee based on a novel by Stuart Engstrand. The film marks Davi ...

'' (1949) with

Bette Davis Ruth Elizabeth "Bette" Davis (; April 5, 1908 – October 6, 1989) was an American actress with a career spanning more than 50 years and 100 acting credits. She was noted for playing unsympathetic, sardonic characters, and was famous for her p ...

at Warner Bros. Cotten co-starred with Joan Fontaine in '' September Affair'' (1950) for Hal Wallis. Selznick loaned him to 20th Century Fox for the dark

Civil War A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government polic ...

Western '' Two Flags West'' (1950), then to RKO for '' Walk Softly, Stranger'' (1950, shot in 1948) which reunited him with Alida Valli from ''The Third Man''. It was a huge flop.Jewell, Richard and Vernon Harbin, ''The RKO Story.'' New Rochelle, New York: Arlington House, 1982, p. 253. At Fox he did '' Half Angel'' (1951) with Young, then did another with Wallis at Paramount, '' Peking Express'' (1951) and went to MGM for '' The Man with a Cloak'' (1951) with Barbara Stanwyck. He had a cameo in Welles' '' Othello'' (1951). Cotten did a Western at Universal, '' Untamed Frontier'' (1953), during the filming of which he was injured. He did a thriller for Andrew L. Stone, '' The Steel Trap'' (1952), which reunited with Teresa Wright from ''Shadow of a Doubt''. At Fox he was in the

Marilyn Monroe Marilyn Monroe (; born Norma Jeane Mortenson; 1 June 1926 4 August 1962) was an American actress. Famous for playing comedic " blonde bombshell" characters, she became one of the most popular sex symbols of the 1950s and early 1960s, as wel ...

vehicle ''

'' (1953), after James Mason turned down the role. He narrated '' Egypt by Three'' (1953) and was reunited with Stone in '' A Blueprint for Murder'' (1953).

''Sabrina Fair'' and television

On the stage in 1953, Cotten created the role of Linus Larrabee Jr., in the original Broadway production of '' Sabrina Fair'', opposite Margaret Sullavan. The production ran November 11, 1953 – August 21, 1954, and was the basis of the

Billy Wilder Billy Wilder (; ; born Samuel Wilder; June 22, 1906 – March 27, 2002) was an Austrian-American filmmaker. His career in Hollywood spanned five decades, and he is regarded as one of the most brilliant and versatile filmmakers of Classic Holl ...

film '' Sabrina'', which starred Humphrey Bogart and Audrey Hepburn. He and Sullivan did a TV production of '' State of the Union'' for '' Producers' Showcase'' directed by Arthur Penn. Cotten made '' Special Delivery'' (1955) in West Germany, did a TV adaptation of '' Broadway'' for '' The Best of Broadway'' (1955) directed by Franklin J. Schaffner. He appeared in episodes of '' Celebrity Playhouse'', '' The Ford Television Theatre'', '' Star Stage'', '' Alfred Hitchcock Presents'' (several times) and '' General Electric Theater''. In 1955 Cotten hosted ''The 20th Century Fox Hour'' on television. In 1956, Cotten starred in the NBC anthology series ''On Trial'' (renamed at mid-season ''

The Joseph Cotten Show ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...

''). It ran for 41 episodes. He returned to features with '' The Bottom of the Bottle'' (1956), '' The Killer Is Loose'' (1957) and '' The Halliday Brand'' (1957). He guest starred on '' Jane Wyman Presents The Fireside Theatre'', '' Telephone Time'', '' Playhouse 90'', '' Schlitz Playhouse'', '' Zane Grey Theater'', '' Suspicion'', and '' Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse''. He made a cameo appearance in Welles's'' Touch of Evil'' (1958) and a starring role in the film adaptation of

Jules Verne Jules Gabriel Verne (;''Longman Pronunciation Dictionary''. ; 8 February 1828 – 24 March 1905) was a French novelist, poet, and playwright. His collaboration with the publisher Pierre-Jules Hetzel led to the creation of the ''Voyages extraord ...

's '' From the Earth to the Moon'' (also 1958). Cotten had another success on Broadway when he appeared in '' Once More, With Feeling'' (1958–60) which ran for 263 performances. For the third time Cotten was in a Broadway hit but did not reprise his role in the film version – Yul Brynner did.

1960s

Joseph Cotten & Patricia Medina Allan Warren

Cotten had a supporting role in the films '' The Angel Wore Red'' (1960) and ''

The Last Sunset ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things that are already or about to be mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in E ...

'' (1961), the latter directed by

Robert Aldrich Robert Burgess Aldrich (August 9, 1918 – December 5, 1983) was an American film director, producer, and screenwriter. His notable credits include ''Vera Cruz'' (1954), '' Kiss Me Deadly'' (1955), '' The Big Knife'' (1955), '' Autumn ...

, and guest starred on '' The DuPont Show with June Allyson'', '' Checkmate'', '' The Barbara Stanwyck Show'', '' Bus Stop'', '' Theatre '62'' (an adaptation of ''

Notorious Notorious means well known for a negative trait, characteristic, or action. It may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Films * ''Notorious'' (1946 film), a thriller directed by Alfred Hitchcock * ''Notorious'' (1992 film), a TV film re ...

''), '' Dr. Kildare'', '' Wagon Train'', and '' Saints and Sinners''. Cotten returned to Broadway to appear in ''Calculated Risk'' (1962–63), which ran for 221 performances and meant he had to turn down a role in a film ''Harrigan's Halo''. He guest starred on '' The Great Adventure'', and '' 77 Sunset Strip'', and did the pilot ''

Alexander the Great Alexander III of Macedon ( grc, Ἀλέξανδρος, Alexandros; 20/21 July 356 BC – 10/11 June 323 BC), commonly known as Alexander the Great, was a king of the ancient Greek kingdom of Macedon. He succeeded his father Philip II to ...

'' (1963). After some time away from film, Cotten returned in the

horror Horror may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Genres *Horror fiction, a genre of fiction ** Japanese horror, Japanese horror fiction **Korean horror, Korean horror fiction * Horror film, a film genre *Horror comics, comic books focusing o ...

classic '' Hush...Hush, Sweet Charlotte'' (1964) for Aldrich, with

, Olivia de Havilland and Agnes Moorehead.

Final leading man roles

Cotten was top billed in ''

The Great Sioux Massacre ''The Great Sioux Massacre'' is a 1965 American Western war film directed by Sidney Salkow in CinemaScope using extensive action sequences from Salkow's 1954 '' Sitting Bull''. In a fictionalized form, it depicts Custer's descent from a defende ...

'' (1965) and '' The Tramplers'' (1965), but back to support parts for '' The Money Trap'' (1965) and '' The Oscar'' (1966). He was top billed in ''

Brighty of the Grand Canyon ''Brighty of the Grand Canyon'' is a 1953 children's novel by Marguerite Henry and a 1966 film of the same name based on the novel. They present a fictionalized account of a real-life burro named "Brighty", who lived in the Grand Canyon of the ...

'' (1966), directed by Foster, '' The Cruel Ones'' (1967), '' Some May Live'' (1967) and '' Gangsters '70'' (1968). He guest starred on '' Cimarron Strip'', '' Ironside'', and '' Journey to the Unknown'' and had a support role in '' Jack of Diamonds'' (1967). He had the lead in '' White Comanche'' (1968) and '' Latitude Zero'' (1969) (shot in Japan with his wife) and supported in the TV movies '' The Lonely Profession'' (1969), '' Cutter's Trail'' (1970). He also appeared as himself on ROWAN AND MARTIN'S LAUGH-IN variety show(1968)

1970s

Cotten was in ''

The Name of the Game Name of the Game may refer to: Television * ''The Name of the Game'' (TV series), a 1968–1971 American drama ** ''Fame Is the Name of the Game'', a 1966 American television film and pilot for the series * "The Name of the Game" (''Grey's Anato ...

'', '' It Takes a Thief'', '' NET Playhouse'', '' The Grasshopper'' (1970), '' Tora! Tora! Tora!'', '' The Virginian'', '' Assault on the Wayne'' (1971), '' Do You Take This Stranger?'' (1971), '' City Beneath the Sea'' (1971), '' The Abominable Dr. Phibes'' (1971), '' Lady Frankenstein'' (1971), and '' The Screaming Woman'' (1972) with de Havilland. He had lead roles in ''

Doomsday Voyage ''Doomsday Voyage'' is a 1972 American film. It was one of the first films available for hire in hotel rooms.N.Y. Hotel to Offer Dial-a-Movie Service Los Angeles Times 3 Mar 1972: g14. Cast *Joseph Cotten as Captain John Jason *John Gabriel as Jam ...

'' (1972), '' Baron Blood'' (1972), and ''

The Scopone Game ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...

'' (1973) and was in '' The Devil's Daughter'' (1973), '' The Streets of San Francisco'', '' Soylent Green'' (1973), '' A Delicate Balance'' (1973), '' The Rockford Files'', ''

Syndicate Sadists ''Syndicate Sadists'' ( it, Il giustiziere sfida la città, or ''"The Executioner Challenges the City"''), also released under the titles ''Rambo's Revenge'' and ''Final Payment'', is a 1975 ''poliziotteschi'' film directed by Umberto Lenzi. It st ...

'' (1975), '' The Timber Tramps'' (1975), '' The Lindbergh Kidnapping Case'' (1976), '' A Whisper in the Dark'' (1976), '' Origins of the Mafia'' (1976), '' Twilight's Last Gleaming'' (1977) for Aldrich, '' Airport '77'', '' Aspen'' (1977), '' The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries'', ''

Last In, First Out A last is a mechanical form shaped like a human foot. It is used by shoemakers and cordwainers in the manufacture and repair of shoes. Lasts typically come in pairs and have been made from various materials, including hardwoods, cast iron, an ...

'' (1978), '' Caravans'' (1978), ''

Indagine su un delitto perfetto ''The Perfect Crime'' ( it, Indagine su un delitto perfetto/ ''Investigation of a Perfect Crime'') is a 1978 Italian giallo-crime film directed by Giuseppe Rosati and starring Leonard Mann. It was one of the last features for actor Anthony Steel ...

'' (1978), ''

Island of the Fishmen ''Island of the Fishmen'' ( it, L'isola degli uomini pesce) is a 1979 Italian action-horror film directed by Sergio Martino, starring Barbara Bach, Joseph Cotten and Richard Johnson. In 1981, about 30 minutes of footage was removed from the origi ...

'' (1979), '' Concorde Affaire '79'' (1979), '' Guyana: Cult of the Damned'' (1979), '' Churchill and the Generals'' (1979), '' Tales of the Unexpected'' and ''

Fantasy Island ''Fantasy Island'' is an American fantasy drama television series created by Gene Levitt. It aired on ABC from 1977 to 1984. The series starred Ricardo Montalbán as the mysterious Mr. Roarke and Hervé Villechaize as his assistant, Tattoo ...

''. "I was in a lot of junk", he admitted later. "I get nervous when I don't work."

Final roles

Cotten's final performances included '' The Hearse'' (1980), ''

Casino A casino is a facility for certain types of gambling. Casinos are often built near or combined with hotels, resorts, restaurants, retail shopping, cruise ships, and other tourist attractions. Some casinos are also known for hosting live enterta ...

'' (1980), '' Heaven's Gate'' (1980), '' The Love Boat'' (1981), '' The Survivor'' (1981), shot in Australia, and '' Delusion'' (1981). Cotten suffered a stroke in 1981 which caused him to temporarily lose his voice.

Personal life

His first wife, Lenore Kipp, died of

leukemia Leukemia ( also spelled leukaemia and pronounced ) is a group of blood cancers that usually begin in the bone marrow and result in high numbers of abnormal blood cells. These blood cells are not fully developed and are called ''blasts'' or ...

at the beginning of 1960. Joseph Cotten married British actress Patricia Medina on October 20, 1960, in Beverly Hills at the home of

and Jennifer Jones. He and Patricia bought a historic 1935 home in the Mesa neighborhood of

Palm Springs, California Palm Springs (Cahuilla: ''Séc-he'') is a desert resort city in Riverside County, California, United States, within the Colorado Desert's Coachella Valley. The city covers approximately , making it the largest city in Riverside County by la ...

, where they lived from 1985 to 1992. There were no children of the marriage. In 1961 Cotten was admitted to membership in the Society of the Cincinnati in the State of North Carolina based on a collateral descent from Captain Hudson Whitaker, Seventh Regiment, North Carolina Continental Line. He held Captain Whitaker's hereditary seat until his death in 1994.

Illness and death

On June 8, 1981, Cotten experienced a heart attack followed by a stroke that affected his brain's speech center. He began years of therapy which in time made it possible for him to speak again. As he began to recover, he and Orson Welles talked on the phone each week for a couple of hours. "He was strong and supportive", Cotten wrote, "and whenever I used the wrong word (which was frequently) he would say, 'That's a much better word, Jo, I'm going to use it.'" He and Welles would meet for lunch and reminisce. When Cotten announced he had written a book, Welles asked for the manuscript and read it that night. In a phone conversation on October 9, 1985, Welles told his friend and mentor Roger Hill that Cotten had written a book, and Hill asked how it read. "Gentle, witty, and self-effacing, just like Jo", Welles replied. "My only complaint is that it's too brief." Welles died the following day. "Somewhere among his possessions is a manuscript of this book", Cotten wrote on the last page of his autobiography, published in 1987 under the title ''Vanity Will Get You Somewhere''. In 1990, Cotten's larynx was removed due to

cancer Cancer is a group of diseases involving abnormal cell growth with the potential to invade or spread to other parts of the body. These contrast with benign tumors, which do not spread. Possible signs and symptoms include a lump, abnormal bl ...

. He died on February 6, 1994, of

pneumonia Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung primarily affecting the small air sacs known as alveoli. Symptoms typically include some combination of productive or dry cough, chest pain, fever, and difficulty breathing. The severi ...

, at the age of 88. He was buried at Blandford Cemetery in

Accolades

At the

10th Venice International Film Festival The 10th annual Venice International Film Festival was held from 11 August to 1 September 1949. The Venice Film Festival came back permanently to the Palazzo del Cinema on the Lido di Venezia. The award for the Best film is first called " The Lio ...

, Cotten was given the Volpi Cup for Best Actor for his performance in the film '' Portrait of Jennie'' (1948). He was also given a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1960.

Cultural references

Cotten was portrayed by Tim Robbins in the 1985 TV film '' Malice in Wonderland'', James Tupper in the film '' Me and Orson Welles'' (2008) and by Matthew Glave in the television series '' Feud'' (2017), which depicts the filming of '' Hush...Hush, Sweet Charlotte''.

Theatre credits

Radio credits

Complete film credits

Television credits

:''TV movies are listed in the film credits section.''

References

External links

* * * *
The Joseph Cotten Pages
fan site
1959-08-02 Joseph Cotten – Red Cloud Mesa
(Audio file, 20 mins)
Photographs and literature

Joseph Cotten
interview on BBC Radio 4 '' Desert Island Discs'', October 30, 1981 {{DEFAULTSORT:Cotten, Joseph 1905 births 1994 deaths 20th-century American male actors 20th Century Studios contract players 20th-century American non-fiction writers Male actors from Los Angeles Male actors from Palm Springs, California Male actors from Virginia American autobiographers American male film actors American male radio actors American radio personalities American male screenwriters American male stage actors American male television actors Burials at Blandford Cemetery Deaths from cancer in California Deaths from throat cancer Deaths from pneumonia in California First Motion Picture Unit personnel People from Petersburg, Virginia RKO Pictures contract players Volpi Cup for Best Actor winners Writers from Los Angeles Federal Theatre Project people 20th-century American male writers American male non-fiction writers Screenwriters from California Screenwriters from New York (state) Screenwriters from Virginia Male Western (genre) film actors 20th-century American screenwriters