In this article I will explore the life and career of the American actor Joseph Cheshire Cotten Jr. I will focus on his early years, his notable roles, and his film and television work.
Early life
In the 1950s, Joseph Cotten starred in a variety of dramas. He was also associated with the Miami Civic Theater.
While working as an assistant stage manager for David Belasco, he met Lenore Kipp La Mont. The two became friends. They married in October 1911. This was a major turning point for Cotten’s career.
After working in theater productions in Virginia, he joined the Mercury Theatre, a group that included actors such as Richard Greene, Orson Welles, and John Gielgud. Together, they produced a series of dramas. These were played on radio and at the Campbell Playhouse.
Joseph Cheshire Cotten was born in Petersburg, Virginia. When he was a teenager, he attended the Hickman School of Speech and Expression in Washington, D.C. His brothers, William and Robert, were actors, as well.
Cotten had a long acting career in Hollywood. He appeared in a wide variety of films, including Citizen Kane, The Magnificent Ambersons, and Hush…Hush, Sweet Charlotte.
During the 1960s, he starred in a number of popular detective shows. He also directed films. In 1964, he directed the horror film Hush…Hush, Sweet Charlotte, which was a blockbuster hit.
Cotten had a flourishing television career. He appeared in numerous shows in the 1960s and early 1970s. Later, he became the host of the Twentieth Century-Fox Hour. As a result, he began to appear in more movies and telemovies.
Throughout his life, Joseph Cotten suffered from a heart attack and a laryngectomy. Eventually, he died of pneumonia on February 6, 1994.
A highly talented actor, Cotten had a very likable appearance. His handsome face had little impact on his portrayals in motion pictures.
In the 1940s, he was one of the best Hollywood actors of the time. His work with Orson Welles was particularly good.
Mercury Theatre
The Mercury Theatre was an independent repertory theatre company in New York. It was founded in 1937 by Orson Welles and John Houseman. They hired a troupe of actors including William Alland, Norman Lloyd, Paul Stewart and George Coulouris.
Although the theatre was a commercial success, it was not successful enough to sustain a film series. When Houseman and Welles separated in 1941, the Mercury unit effectively disbanded. Nevertheless, the Mercury Theatre’s efforts still retain their reputation for daring.
Among the Mercury Theatre’s most notable performances were an adaptation of Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar, a modern-dress version of the tragedy, and a re-imagined marital farce involving mistaken identities. These productions gained Welles the attention of Katherine Hepburn.
Joseph Cotten was one of the Mercury’s most recognizable performers. In addition to his work in theater, he also starred in several Hollywood movies. He became a well-known figure in the 1940s. His roles in such films as Citizen Kane, A Portrait of Jennie, Since You Went Away, and Duel in the Sun earned him international fame.
In addition to his acting career, Cotten also worked as an advertising agent and theatrical critic. His most distinguishing talent was his voice. This was no hindrance to his portrayals in motion pictures and television.
Joseph Cotten was a member of Orson Welles’ Mercury Theatre. During his time in New York, he also appeared in a variety of amateur productions. By the time he left the city for Hollywood in 1947, he had achieved national renown.
He died in 1994 of pneumonia. He is buried next to Welles at the Los Angeles Memorial Park. Besides his acting career, Cotten is also remembered for his contributions to the history of the Mercury Theatre.
Films
Joseph Cotten is one of the most successful movie actors of the 1940s. He appeared in more than 60 movies over the course of his career. Generally, Cotten played the romantic lead in his films. However, he was also capable of playing sociopaths and murderous husbands.
He began his career in the 1930s, appearing in theatrical productions throughout the United States. He also became part of Orson Welles’ Mercury Theatre troupe. Later, he went to Hollywood with Welles.
After his stage work, Cotten worked in radio dramas for the Campbell Playhouse and Mercury Theatre on the Air. In 1941, he had his big screen debut in Citizen Kane. This was the first of a series of classic films he made in the 1940s.
During the 1950s, Cotten worked in films such as The Farmer’s Daughter, The Peking Express, and Niagara. During this time, he also collaborated with Orson Welles on Journey Into Fear.
During the 1960s, he had another acclaimed string of films. His most popular roles included Baron Blood, the villain in ‘Fantasy Island’, ‘The Angel Wore Red’, and ‘Petulia’.
As well as movies, Cotten was a popular television actor. He guest starred in many shows during this time, including The DuPont Show with June Allyson, Checkmate, and Dr. Kildare.
He also appeared in the classic romance ‘Duel in the Sun’, alongside Jennifer Jones. Despite his success on the screen, he was largely ineffectual. Eventually, he quit acting.
Cotten died in 1994. He is buried at Arlington National Cemetery. His funeral was attended by family and friends. While Cotten was still alive, he had a stroke and suffered a heart attack.
In addition to his movie and television career, Cotten also appeared in European productions.
Television
Cotten was a handsome actor who was successful in both television and movies. He starred in a number of classics during the 1940s, and his voice was a trademark.
Welles also directed Cotten in several plays in a national Federal Theatre project. In 1946, he had him co-star with Gregory Peck in Duel in the Sun.
In 1948, Welles enlisted Cotten to star in Portrait of Jennie. And in 1949, they co-starred in The Third Man.
In the 1960s, he appeared in a number of popular westerns and detective series. He also hosted an anthology series called On Trial. This show usually featured court trials and personal trials. It ran for 41 episodes.
Later in his career, he appeared in a couple of Italian horror films. Though his movies had low budgets and poor scripts, his charismatic performance earned him a loyal following.
After the 1960s, Cotten continued to be in demand for older stars. He had an appearance on the 77 Sunset Strip, and he was a guest on the NBC anthology series On Trial. But after the late ’70s, his acting was largely limited to TV.
He was also the host of the National Broadcasting Company’s half-hour documentary series Hollywood and the Stars. His other TV credits include On Trial and the Twentieth Century-Fox Hour.
In addition to his work on the silver screen, Cotten also worked on the radio. He starred in numerous shows on the Campbell Playhouse and Zane Grey Theater.
Joseph Cotten was born on January 18, 1912 in Petersburg, Virginia. He was a middle-class young man who became interested in theater in high school. He went on to study at the Hickman School of Speech and Expression in Washington, D.C.
Notable roles
There is no doubt that Joseph Cotten was one of the most versatile character actors of his time. During his storied career, he played artists, servicemen, and a variety of other characters.
He was also known for his strong voice. In the early 1950s, he appeared in many drama series, including On Trial, The Twentieth Century-Fox Hour, and The Ed Sullivan Show.
Cotten also worked on the stage and on television. For a short time, he played professional football. But he ultimately returned to acting.
In 1941, he made his film debut in Citizen Kane. Later, he starred in Duel in the Sun with Gregory Peck, and in The Farmer’s Daughter with Loretta Young.
After appearing in several B-movies, Joseph Cotten began to make more dramatic films. He directed his own film Hush… Hush, Sweet Charlotte in 1964, and later starred in the war movie Tora! Tora! Tora! in 1970.
Aside from his movie work, Cotten was a popular television actor. He hosted a number of dramatic anthology series, and appeared on various prime-time weekly shows. Throughout the 1960s, he was equally busy with television and film.
Cotten also guest starred on The Barbara Stanwyck Show and Checkmate. He also performed in radio dramas on Campbell Playhouse and the Miami Herald.
Despite his success in the film industry, Joseph Cotten never achieved the heartthrob status that he deserved. In fact, most of his roles were that of an ordinary, middle-class guy. During his lifetime, he appeared in more than sixty films. However, most of his later movies failed to reach the level of popularity that he had in the past.
While his films didn’t always achieve success, Cotten was a dependable, steady character actor. He played occasional bad guys, but he also acted as an artist, a sturdily-built detective, and a sturdy man of the people.
