The Notorious Life of Actor Steve Cochran: Six Decades After His Tragic Death

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He was an actor who performed with some of the biggest stars in Hollywood, including Ginger Rogers and Ann Sheridan. He was compared to film icons like Clark Gable. But like many in Tinseltown, he lived a little too hard and fast and died too young at only 48. His name was Steve Cochran, and this is the story of his tragic final days.

A Closer Look

In early 1965, Steve Cochran exited his home in Los Angeles and took his yacht to Acapulco. Upon arrival, he listed a newspaper ad for an all-female crew, selecting ten women.

However, seven of those women bowed out before the ship ever left the shore, sensing something was amiss.

The three who remained were Mexican, including a 14-year-old girl.

On June 3, Cochran and crew made their way on his yacht for Costa Rica. After a few days, they found themselves amid a storm close to Oaxaca. The yacht was damaged, and Cochran, who had been drinking, tried to alleviate the damage.

But he fell ill with a fever and experienced severe pain in his legs, which soon traveled up his torso to his head. Following days in bed, Cochran passed away on his drifting yacht on June 15, 1965.

Ten days following his demise, three destitute women and Cochran's body were discovered near the coast of a Guatemalan town.

Conclusion

Authorities concluded that Steve Cochran succumbed to a lung infection that paralyzed his body. There was no evidence of foul play, but his questionable reputation led to rumors of murder or poisoning.

Actress Merel Oberson, with whom Cochran was once entangled romantically, requested an investigation into his death. But nothing ever came of it.