Editing Joseph Cotten

{{short description|American actor (1905–1994)}}
{{Use American English|date=June 2020}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2020}}
{{Infobox person
| name               = Joseph Cotten
| image              = Joseph-Cotten-1942.jpg
| imagesize          = 
| caption            = Cotten in 1942
| birth_name         = Joseph Cheshire Cotten Jr.
| birth_date         = {{birth date|1905|05|15}}
| birth_place        = [[Petersburg, Virginia]], U.S.
| death_date         = {{death date and age|1994|02|06|1905|05|15}}
| death_place        = [[Los Angeles]], [[California]], U.S.<ref name="LA Times"/>
| burial_place       = [[Blandford Cemetery]], Petersburg, Virginia
| spouse             = {{Plainlist|
* {{marriage|Lenore Kipp|1931|1960|end=died}}
* {{marriage|[[Patricia Medina]]|1960}}
}}
| children           = 1
| occupation         = Actor
| height             = {{convert|6|ft|2|in|cm|sigfig=3|abbr=on}}
| years_active       = 1930–1981
| relatives          = 
| awards             = [[Venice Film Festival|Volpi Cup for Best Actor]]:<br>1949 ''[[Portrait of Jennie]]''
}}

'''Joseph Cheshire Cotten Jr.''' (May 15, 1905 – February 6, 1994) was an American film, stage, radio and television actor. Cotten achieved prominence on [[Broadway theatre|Broadway]], starring in the original stage productions of ''[[The Philadelphia Story (play)|The Philadelphia Story]]'' (1939) and ''[[Sabrina Fair]]'' (1953). He then gained worldwide fame for his collaborations with [[Orson Welles]] on ''[[Citizen Kane]]'' (1941), ''[[The Magnificent Ambersons (film)|The Magnificent Ambersons]]'' (1942), and ''[[Journey into Fear (1943 film)|Journey into Fear]]'' (1943), in which Cotten starred and for which he 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]]'' (1943); ''[[Gaslight (1944 film)|Gaslight]]'' (1944); ''[[Love Letters (1945 film)|Love Letters]]'' (1945); ''[[Duel in the Sun (film)|Duel in the Sun]]'' (1946); ''[[The Farmer's Daughter (1947 film)|The Farmer's Daughter]]'' (1947); ''[[Portrait of Jennie]]'' (1948), for which he won the [[Volpi Cup for Best Actor]]; ''[[The Third Man]]'' (1949), alongside Welles; and ''[[Niagara (1953 film)|Niagara]]'' (1953). One of his final films was [[Michael Cimino]]'s ''[[Heaven's Gate (film)|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 Awards|Academy Award]] nomination.<ref>{{cite news|last=Robey|first=Tim|date=1 February 2016|title=20 great actors who've never been nominated for an Oscar|newspaper=The Daily Telegraph|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/film/what-to-watch/oscars-best-actors-never-nominated/ |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220111/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/film/what-to-watch/oscars-best-actors-never-nominated/ |archive-date=11 January 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|access-date=17 October 2022}}{{cbignore}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Singer|first=Leigh|url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/filmblog/2009/feb/19/best-actors-never-nominated-for-oscars|title=Oscars: the best actors never to have been nominated|work=The Guardian|location=UK|date=February 19, 2009|access-date=September 17, 2022|archive-date=January 17, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240117200738/https://www.theguardian.com/film/filmblog/2009/feb/19/best-actors-never-nominated-for-oscars|url-status=live}}</ref>

==Early life==
[[File:Jo-Cotten-American-FC-1931.jpg|thumb|upright|left|Joseph Cotten modeled for ''[[The American Magazine]]'' (September 1931)]]
{{multiple image
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<!-- Image 1 -->| image1            = WPA Federal Theater Project in New York-"Horse Eats Hat"-Joseph Cotten - NARA - 195723.tiff
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| caption1          = Cotten in ''[[Horse Eats Hat]]'' (1936)
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| caption2          = Cotten and [[Edgar Barrier]] during the shooting of film sequences for the stage production ''[[Too Much Johnson (1938 film)|Too Much Johnson]]'' (1938)
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| caption3          = Cotten and [[Katharine Hepburn]] on Broadway in ''[[The Philadelphia Story (play)|The Philadelphia Story]]'' (1939)
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| caption4          = Cotten is introduced in the [[Citizen Kane trailer|trailer]] for ''[[Citizen Kane]]'' (1941).
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| caption5          = [[Dolores Costello]], [[Agnes Moorehead]], [[Anne Baxter]], Cotten, [[Tim Holt]] and [[Ray Collins (actor)|Ray Collins]] in ''[[The Magnificent Ambersons (film)|The Magnificent Ambersons]]'' (1942)
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| caption6          = Cotten and [[Dolores del Río]] in ''[[Journey into Fear (1943 film)|Journey into Fear]]'' (1943)
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| caption7          = George (Shorty) Chirello, Cotten, assistant Eleanor Counts and [[Orson Welles]] in ''[[The Mercury Wonder Show]]'' (1943)
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| caption8          = Wedding of Orson Welles and [[Rita Hayworth]], with best man Cotten (September 7, 1943)
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| caption9          = Cotten in ''[[Shadow of a Doubt]]'' (1943)
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| caption10         = Members of the Independent Voters Committee of the Arts and Sciences for Roosevelt visit FDR at the White House (October 1944). From left: [[Van Wyck Brooks]], [[Hannah Weinstein|Hannah Dorner]], [[Jo Davidson]], [[Jan Kiepura]], Cotten, [[Dorothy Gish]], Dr. [[Harlow Shapley]]
}}
[[File:Cotten Jones Duel in the Sun Still 1946.jpg|thumb|Cotten and [[Jennifer Jones]] in ''Duel in the Sun'' (1946)]]
Joseph Cheshire Cotten Jr. was born on May 15, 1905, in [[Petersburg, Virginia]], United States, the first of three sons born to Joseph Cheshire Cotten Sr., an assistant postmaster, and Sally Willson Cotten.<ref name="Vanity">{{cite book |last=Cotten |first=Joseph |date=1987 |title= Vanity Will Get You Somewhere |location=San Francisco |publisher=Mercury House |isbn=0-916515-17-6 }}</ref>{{Rp|224}} He had two brothers, Whitworth W. "Whit" and Samuel W. Cotten. Both were engineers.<ref>{{Cite web |author=Staff Writer |title=Actor lent Hollywood glamor to Petersburg for decades |url=https://www.progress-index.com/story/news/2011/12/18/actor-lent-hollywood-glamor-to/36457414007/ |access-date=2024-04-17 |website=The Progress Index |language=en-US |archive-date=April 17, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240417123953/https://www.progress-index.com/story/news/2011/12/18/actor-lent-hollywood-glamor-to/36457414007/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Cotten grew up in the [[Tidewater (region)|Tidewater region]] and showed an aptitude for drama and a gift for storytelling.{{Citation needed |date=April 2024}}

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.<ref name="los">{{cite news|title=Joseph Cotten, 88, Dies Starred in 'Citizen Kane,' 'The Third Man'|work=Los Angeles Times|date=February 7, 1994}}</ref> Cotten served in the [[First Motion Picture Unit]] of the [[United States Army Air Forces|U.S. Army Air Forces]] during [[World War II]].<ref name="smithsonianmag">[https://www.smithsonianmag.com/air-space-magazine/world-war-ii-the-movie-21103597/ World War II: The Movie - When the U.S. Army Air Forces needed 100,000 men to volunteer, General Hap Arnold recruited Hollywood.] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221105062717/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/air-space-magazine/world-war-ii-the-movie-21103597/ |date=November 5, 2022 }} ''[[Smithsonian (magazine)|Smithsonian Magazine]]''. Retrieved November 5, 2022.</ref>

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.<ref name="Vanity"/>{{Rp|4–7}} 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''.<ref name="los"/>

== Career ==
=== 1932–1939: Broadway and film debuts ===
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.<ref>{{cite news|title=Joseph Cotten, Film and Stage Actor, Dies; Starred in 'Citizen Kane,' The Third Man'|edition=FINAL|author=Weil, Martin|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=February 7, 1994|page=d07}}</ref> Cotten struggled to find work in the depression so turned to modeling under the Walter Thornton Model Agency<ref>{{Cite news |date=Jan 26, 1947 |title=Men's Lady (A 60-Second Close Up) |pages=2 |work=Star Tribune Minneapolis, Minnesota · Sunday}}</ref> 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.<ref>[https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-production/absent-father-11648 ''Absent Father''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200803040900/https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-production/absent-father-11648 |date=August 3, 2020 }} IBDB</ref> He followed it with ''Jezebel'' (1933), staged by [[Katherine Cornell]] and [[Guthrie McClintic]], which only had a short run.<ref>{{Cite web | url=https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-production/jezebel-11805 | title=Jezebel – Broadway Play – Original &#124; IBDB | access-date=November 4, 2018 | archive-date=August 2, 2020 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200802200613/https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-production/jezebel-11805 | url-status=live }}</ref> He was in ''Loose Moments'' which ran for 8 performances.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-production/loose-moments-11200|title=Loose Moments – Broadway Play – Original &#124; IBDB|website=www.ibdb.com|access-date=November 4, 2018|archive-date=April 2, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200402004444/https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-production/loose-moments-11200|url-status=live}}</ref>

In 1934, Cotten met and became friends with [[Orson Welles]], a fellow cast member on [[CBS Radio]]'s ''[[The American School of the Air]]''.<ref name="Vanity"/>{{Rp|30–31|date=January 2014}} Welles regarded Cotten as a brilliant comic actor,<ref name="Lunches">{{cite book |last1=Biskind |first1=Peter |author-link1=Peter Biskind |last2=Jaglom |first2=Henry |author-link2=Henry Jaglom |last3=Welles |first3= Orson |title=My Lunches with Orson: Conversations between Henry Jaglom and Orson Welles |publisher=Metropolitan Books |location=New York |date=2013 |isbn=978-0-8050-9725-2}}</ref>{{Rp|166}} and gave him the starring role in his [[Federal Theatre Project]] farce, '' [[Horse Eats Hat]]''<ref name="Vanity"/>{{Rp|34}}<ref>{{cite book|last=Leaming|first=Barbara|title=Orson Welles|year=1985|publisher=Viking Penguin Inc|location=New York City|isbn=0-670-52895-1|page=[https://archive.org/details/orsonwellesbiogr00leam/page/114 114]|url=https://archive.org/details/orsonwellesbiogr00leam/page/114}}</ref> (September 26 – December 5, 1936).<ref name="TIOW"/>{{Rp|334}} Cotten was sure that ''Horse Eats Hat'' won him the notice of his future Broadway co-star, [[Katharine Hepburn]].<ref name="Vanity"/>{{Rp|34}} 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."<ref>{{cite news|title=Obituary: Joseph Cotten|author=Rule, Vera|work=The Guardian|date=February 8, 1994}}</ref>

In 1937, Cotten became an inaugural member of Welles's [[Mercury Theatre]] company, starring in its Broadway productions ''[[Caesar (Mercury Theatre)|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 (radio series)|The Campbell Playhouse]]''. That same year Cotten made his film debut in the Welles-directed short, ''[[Too Much Johnson (1938 film)|Too Much Johnson]]'' (1938), 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]]).<ref>{{cite news |last=Kehr |first=Dave |author-link=Dave Kehr |date=August 7, 2013 |title=Early Film by Orson Welles Is Rediscovered |url= https://www.nytimes.com/2013/08/11/movies/early-film-by-orson-welles-is-rediscovered.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220103/https://www.nytimes.com/2013/08/11/movies/early-film-by-orson-welles-is-rediscovered.html |archive-date=2022-01-03 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |access-date= July 12, 2016 }}{{cbignore}}</ref>

Cotten returned to Broadway in 1939, creating the role of C. K. Dexter Haven opposite [[Katharine Hepburn]]'s Tracy Lord in the original production of [[Philip Barry]]'s ''[[The Philadelphia Story (play)|The Philadelphia Story]]''. The play ran for 417 performances at the [[Shubert Theatre (New York City)|Shubert Theatre]], and in the months before its extensive national tour a [[The Philadelphia Story (film)|film version]] 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]] 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."<ref name="Vanity"/>{{Rp|34–37|date=January 2014}}

=== 1940–1949: Leading film roles ===
==== ''Citizen Kane'' (1941) ====
After the success of Welles's ''[[The War of the Worlds (1938 radio drama)|War of the Worlds]]'' 1938 [[Halloween]] 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 Theatre|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 [[Sources for Citizen Kane#Jedediah Leland|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 newspaper magnate [[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]] 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 (actor)|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. Moorehead starred in Bewitched and Warrick spent decades in a career in daytime television, specifically [[All My Children]].

The ''[[Los Angeles Times]]'', in an otherwise mixed review of the film, said that "Cotten's work is vital and distinctive ... He is an important 'find.'"<ref name="schallert19410509">{{Cite news |last=Schallert |first=Edwin |date=1941-05-09 |title=Welles' 'Citizen Kane' Revolutionary Film |language=en |pages=18 |work=Los Angeles Times |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/380773599/ |access-date=2023-04-11 |archive-date=February 18, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230218233800/https://www.newspapers.com/image/380773599/ |url-status=live }}</ref> [[Alexander Korda]] hired him to play [[Merle Oberon]]'s leading man in ''[[Lydia (film)|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."<ref name="los"/>

==== ''The Magnificent Ambersons'' (1942) ====
Cotten starred in Welles's adaptation and production of ''[[The Magnificent Ambersons (film)|The Magnificent Ambersons]]'' (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.

==== ''Journey into Fear'' (1943) ====
Cotten was cast in the World War II spy thriller ''[[Journey into Fear (1943 film)|Journey into Fear]]'' (1943) based on the novel by [[Eric Ambler]]. It was originally scripted by [[Ben Hecht]] but Welles, who was supervising, disliked it, and rewrote it with Cotten.<ref>{{cite news| title= Welles Actor Teamed With Michèle Morgan: John Carroll Borrowed New ...| last= Schallert| first= Edwin | work= Los Angeles Times | date= April 26, 1941| page= A9}}</ref> Released by RKO, the Mercury production was directed by [[Norman Foster (director)|Norman Foster]]. It was a collaborative effort due to the difficulties shooting the film and the pressures related to Welles' imminent departure to South America to begin work on ''[[It's All True (film)|It's All True]]''.<ref name="TIOW">{{cite book| last1= Welles| first1= Orson| first2= Peter |last2= Bogdanovich| editor= [[Jonathan Rosenbaum]]| title= [[This is Orson Welles]]| place= New York| publisher= HarperCollins | year= 1992 | isbn= 0-06-016616-9}}</ref>{{Rp|165, 377}}<ref>{{cite news| title= Screen News Here and in Hollywood: MGM May Lend Wallace Beery to ... | first= Douglas W. | last= Churchill| work= The New York Times | date= July 29, 1941| page= 19}}</ref>

[[Alfred Hitchcock]] cast Cotten as a charming serial killer in ''[[Shadow of a Doubt]]'' (1943).<ref name=classic/> 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]] (forced to quit by [[Columbia Pictures]] boss [[Harry Cohn]] and replaced by [[Marlene Dietrich]]), [[Agnes Moorehead]] (Calliope Aggie) and others. Tickets were free to servicemen, and more than 48,000 of them had seen show by September 1943.<ref name="TIOW"/>{{Rp|177, 377–378}}

In late 1943, Cotten visited Welles's office and said that producer [[David O. Selznick]] 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!"<ref name="Whaley">[http://www.lybrary.com/barton-whaley-m-191.html Whaley, Barton] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160407122754/http://www.lybrary.com/barton-whaley-m-191.html |date=April 7, 2016 }}, ''Orson Welles: The Man Who Was Magic''. Lybrary.com, 2005,</ref>{{Rp|186}} Cotten signed a long-term deal with Selznick. Selznick loaned out Cotten and [[Ingrid Bergman]] to [[MGM]] for the thriller ''[[Gaslight (1944 film)|Gaslight]]'' (1944), which was a major hit. Selznick then put Cotten in the wartime drama ''[[Since You Went Away]]'' (1944) alongside [[Claudette Colbert]], [[Jennifer Jones]] and [[Shirley Temple]], which was another major success.<ref name="tom">[https://books.google.com/books?id=dwf5SUcfousC&pg=PA190 Thomas Schatz, ''Boom and Bust: American Cinema in the 1940s'' University of California Press, 1999. p. 190] accessed January 1, 2014</ref>

Selznick followed this up by teaming Cotten with [[Ginger Rogers]] and Temple in ''[[I'll Be Seeing You (1944 film)|I'll Be Seeing You]]'' (1945), another melodrama. [[Hal Wallis]] borrowed Cotten and Jones to make ''[[Love Letters (1945 film)|Love Letters]]'' (1945). Exhibitors voted him the 17th most popular star in the United States in 1945.<ref>"Bing Crosby Again Box-Office Leader: Van Johnson Second in Film Poll of Exhibitors{{spaced ndash}} Rogers Wins for Westerns". ''[[The New York Times]]''. December 28, 1945. p. 21.</ref> Selznick used Cotten, Jennifer Jones and [[Gregory Peck]] in ''[[Duel in the Sun (film)|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 film)|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.<ref>{{cite news|title=Joseph Cotten;Obituary|work=The Times|location=London|date=Feb 8, 1994}}</ref>

==== ''The Third Man'' (1949) ====
Cotten was reunited with Welles in [[Carol Reed]]'s ''[[The Third Man]]'' (1949), produced by Korda and Selznick. Cotten portrays a writer of [[pulp magazine|pulp fiction]] who travels to postwar [[Vienna]] 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.{{refn|Welles and Cotten remained close friends until Welles's death in 1985. According to Welles, Cotten was always uncomfortable as a leading man and preferred to play supporting or [[character actor|character]] roles.<ref name=Biskind>{{cite book| editor-first= Peter |editor-last= Biskind | title= My Lunches with Orson: Conversations Between Henry Jaglom and Orson Welles| publisher= Macmillan | year= 2013}}</ref>}} Years later, Cotten would recall that "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."<ref>{{cite web | url=https://quotlr.com/quotes-about-orson | title=40+ Mind-blowing Orson Quotes That Will Unlock Your True Potential | access-date=May 15, 2022 | archive-date=May 28, 2023 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230528232917/https://quotlr.com/quotes-about-orson | url-status=dead }}</ref>

Cotten then reunited with Hitchcock and Ingrid Bergman in ''[[Under Capricorn]]'' (1949)<ref name=classic/> as an Australian landowner with a shady past; it was a box office disappointment. So too was ''[[Beyond the Forest]]'' (1949) with [[Bette Davis]] at Warner Bros.<ref>{{cite news|title=Selznick Stars to do Movies for Warners|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=February 21, 1949|page=18}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=News of the Screen|author=Thomas F. Bradys|work=[[The New York Times]] June 22, 1948|page=22}}</ref>

=== 1950–1969: Established actor ===
Cotten co-starred with [[Joan Fontaine]] in ''[[September Affair]]'' (1950) for Hal Wallis. Selznick loaned him to 20th Century Fox for the dark [[American Civil War|Civil War]] 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 flop.<ref name="rko">Jewell, Richard and Vernon Harbin, ''The RKO Story.'' New Rochelle, New York: Arlington House, 1982, p. 253.</ref> At Fox he did ''[[Half Angel (1951 film)|Half Angel]]'' (1951) with Young, then did another with Wallis at Paramount, ''[[Peking Express (film)|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 film)|Othello]]'' (1951).<ref>{{cite news|title=Metro Film Lead to Joseph Cotten: Studio Signs Actor for Role in 'Man With the Cloak' – Markie Directing Movie Of Local Origin|author=Thomas F. Brady|work= New York Times |date=February 20, 1951|page=21}}</ref>

Cotten did a Western at Universal, ''[[Untamed Frontier]]'' (1953), during the filming of which he was injured.<ref>{{cite news|title=Joseph Cotten, Injured on Set, Returns to L.A.|date=December 21, 1951|work=Los Angeles Times|page=A1}}</ref> He did a thriller for [[Andrew L. Stone]], ''[[The Steel Trap]]'' (1952), which reunited him with [[Teresa Wright]] from ''Shadow of a Doubt''.<ref>{{Cite news|title=Scanning Cotten's Territory|author=Howard Thompson|date=November 23, 1952|work=[[The New York Times]]|page=X4}}</ref> At Fox he was in the [[Marilyn Monroe]] vehicle ''[[Niagara (1953 film)|Niagara]]'' (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).

On the stage in 1953, Cotten created the role of Linus Larrabee Jr. in the original [[Broadway theatre|Broadway]] production of ''[[Sabrina Fair]]'', opposite [[Margaret Sullavan]]. The production ran from November 11, 1953, until August 21, 1954, and was the basis of the [[Billy Wilder]] film ''[[Sabrina (1954 film)|Sabrina]]'', which starred [[Humphrey Bogart]] and [[Audrey Hepburn]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ibdb.com/production.php?id=2387 |title=Sabrina Fair |website=ibdb.com |publisher=Internet Broadway Database |access-date=March 25, 2014 |archive-date=March 25, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140325173223/http://www.ibdb.com/production.php?id=2387 |url-status=live }}</ref> He and Sullavan appeared in a TV production of ''[[State of the Union (play)|State of the Union]]'' for ''[[Producers' Showcase]],'' directed by [[Arthur Penn]].

Cotten made ''[[Special Delivery (1955 film)|Special Delivery]]'' (1955) in West Germany and appeared in a TV adaptation of ''[[Broadway (play)|Broadway]]'' for ''[[The Best of Broadway]]'' (1955), directed by [[Franklin J. Schaffner]]. He appeared in episodes of several [[anthology series#Television|TV anthology series]], a popular format of the era, including ''[[Celebrity Playhouse]]'', ''[[The Ford Television Theatre]]'', ''[[Star Stage]]'', ''[[Alfred Hitchcock Presents]]'' (three episodes)<ref name=classic>[https://www.classiccriticscorner.com/classic-movies/joseph-cotten-alfred-hitchcock#:~:text=The%20master%20of%20suspense%20Alfred%20Hitchcock%20collaborated%20with,Hitchcock%20movies%20and%203%20Alfred%20Hitchcock%20Presents%20episodes. Classic Critics Corner: Joseph Cotten Alfred Hitchcock - 5 Must-See Suspense Classics] at ClassicCriticsCorner.com</ref> and ''[[General Electric Theater]]''.<ref>{{cite news|title=Joseph Cotten Arrives in Germany for Role|date=November 18, 1954|work=Los Angeles Times|page=21}}</ref>

In 1955, Cotten hosted ''The 20th Century Fox Hour'' on television.<ref name="joe"/> In 1956, he introduced and occasionally starred in his own anthology [[NBC]] series, ''On Trial''.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Becker|first1=Christine|title=Televising Film Stardom in the 1950s|journal=Framework|date=October 1, 2005|volume=46|issue=2|page=5|url=https://www.questia.com/read/1P3-1001342431}}{{dead link|date=July 2021}}</ref> Because it was popularly known as ''[[The Joseph Cotten Show (TV series)|The Joseph Cotten Show]]'', it was retitled mid-run to ''The Joseph Cotten Show: On Trial''. It ran for 41 episodes through 1959,<ref name="joe">{{cite news|title=Joseph Cotten's Toughest TV Role Is Playing a Guy Named Joseph Cotten|author=Thomas, Bob|work=Chicago Daily Tribune|date=May 19, 1956|page=d5}}</ref> with Cotten appearing in at least 20.

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]]'', ''[[Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre|Zane Grey Theater]]'', ''[[Suspicion (American TV series)|Suspicion]]'' and ''[[Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse]]''. He made a [[cameo role|cameo]] appearance in Welles's ''[[Touch of Evil]]'' (1958) and a starring role in the film adaptation of [[Jules Verne]]'s ''[[From the Earth to the Moon (film)|From the Earth to the Moon]]'' (1958). Cotten had another success on Broadway when he appeared in ''[[Once More, with Feeling!|Once More, With Feeling]]'' (1958–60), which ran for 263 performances.<ref>{{cite news|title=Joseph Cotten Stars With Arlene Francis: 'Once More, With Feeling'|author=Edwin F. Melvin. The Christian Science Monitor|date=Oct 8, 1958|page=7}}</ref> For the third time, Cotten was in a Broadway hit but did not reprise his role in the film version; [[Yul Brynner]] played the part on screen.

[[File:Joseph Cotten & Patricia Medina Allan Warren.jpg|thumb|right|Cotten and Patricia Medina in 1973]]

Cotten had a supporting role in the films ''[[The Angel Wore Red]]'' (1960) and ''[[The Last Sunset (film)|The Last Sunset]]'' (1961), and guest-starred on ''[[The DuPont Show with June Allyson]]'', ''[[Checkmate (American TV series)|Checkmate]]'', ''[[The Barbara Stanwyck Show]]'', ''[[Bus Stop (TV series)|Bus Stop]]'', ''[[Theatre '62]]'' (an adaptation of Hitchcock's ''[[Notorious (1946 film)|Notorious]]''), ''[[Dr. Kildare (TV series)|Dr. Kildare]]'', ''[[Wagon Train]]'' and ''[[Saints and Sinners (1962 TV series)|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''.<ref>{{cite news|title=Films, Stage Joust Over Joseph Cotten: Star Plans to Divide Time; Kruger Sets 'Lion and Lamb'|author=Scott, John L.|work=Los Angeles Times|date=July 6, 1962|page=C9}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web | url=https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-production/calculated-risk-2928 | title=Calculated Risk – Broadway Play – Original &#124; IBDB | access-date=November 4, 2018 | archive-date=December 21, 2021 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211221190123/https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-production/calculated-risk-2928 | url-status=live }}</ref> He guest starred on ''[[The Great Adventure (U.S. TV series)|The Great Adventure]]'' and ''[[77 Sunset Strip]]'' and appeared in the pilot for ''Alexander the Great'' (1963).<ref>{{cite news|title=Joseph Cotten Starring|work=The Christian Science Monitor June 20, 1962|page=6}}</ref>

After some time away from film, Cotten returned in the horror classic ''[[Hush...Hush, Sweet Charlotte]]'' (1964) for Aldrich, with [[Bette Davis]], [[Olivia de Havilland]] and [[Agnes Moorehead]]. Cotten was top billed in ''[[The Great Sioux Massacre]]'' (1965) and ''[[The Tramplers]]'' (1965), ''[[Brighty of the Grand Canyon]]'' (1966), ''[[The Cruel Ones]]'' (1967), ''[[Some May Live]]'' (1967) and ''[[Gangsters '70]]'' (1968).<ref>{{cite news|title=Joseph Cotten&nbsp;– He'll Gladly Meet Fame and Fortune Half Way|author=Alpert, Don|work=Los Angeles Times|date=June 13, 1965|page=n4}}</ref> He took supporting roles in ''[[The Money Trap]]'' (1965) and ''[[The Oscar (film)|The Oscar]]'' (1966).

He guest starred on ''[[Cimarron Strip]]'', ''[[Ironside (TV series)|Ironside]]'' and ''[[Journey to the Unknown]]'' and had a support role in ''[[Jack of Diamonds (1967 film)|Jack of Diamonds]]'' (1967). He had the lead in ''[[White Comanche]]'' (1968) and ''[[Latitude Zero (film)|Latitude Zero]]'' (1969) (shot in Japan with his wife) and supported in the TV movies ''[[The Lonely Profession]]'' (1969) and ''[[Cutter's Trail]]'' (1970).<ref>{{cite news|title=TV Today:: Joseph Cotten's Feet Aren't Clay|author=Kramer, Carol|work=Chicago Tribune|date=October 13, 1969|page=c15}}</ref> He also appeared as himself on the ''[[Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In]]'' (1968) [[variety show]].

=== 1970–1981: Later and final roles ===
Cotten appeared in ''[[The Name of the Game (TV series)|The Name of the Game]]'', ''[[It Takes a Thief (1968 TV series)|It Takes a Thief]]'', ''[[NET Playhouse]]'', ''[[The Grasshopper (1970 film)|The Grasshopper]]'' (1970), ''[[Tora! Tora! Tora!]]'', ''[[The Virginian (TV series)|The Virginian]]'', ''[[Assault on the Wayne]]'' (1971), ''Do You Take This Stranger?'' (1971), ''[[City Beneath the Sea (1971 film)|City Beneath the Sea]]'' (1971), ''[[The Abominable Dr. Phibes]]'' (1971), ''[[Lady Frankenstein]]'' (1971) and ''[[The Screaming Woman]]'' (1972) with de Havilland.<ref>{{cite news|title=Joseph Cotten: His Accent's on Acting|date=July 18, 1968|work=Los Angeles Times|page=f16}}</ref>

He had lead roles in ''[[Doomsday Voyage]]'' (1972), ''[[Baron Blood (film)|Baron Blood]]'' (1972), and ''The Scopone Game'' (1973) and was in ''[[The Devil's Daughter (1973 film)|The Devil's Daughter]]'' (1973),<ref>{{cite news|title=Joseph Cotten signs|date=October 20, 1972|work=Los Angeles Times|page=d26}}</ref> ''[[The Streets of San Francisco]]'', ''[[Soylent Green]]'' (1973), ''[[A Delicate Balance (film)|A Delicate Balance]]'' (1973), ''[[The Rockford Files]]'', ''[[Syndicate Sadists]]'' (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'' (1978), ''[[Caravans (film)|Caravans]]'' (1978), ''[[Indagine su un delitto perfetto|The Perfect Crime]]'' (1978), ''[[Island of the Fishmen]]'' (1979), ''[[Concorde Affaire '79]]'' (1979), ''[[Guyana: Cult of the Damned]]'' (1979), ''[[Churchill and the Generals]]'' (1979), ''[[Tales of the Unexpected (TV series)|Tales of the Unexpected]]'' and ''[[Fantasy Island]]''.<ref>{{cite news|title=Joseph Cotten to Guest in Hardy Boys|date=March 31, 1978|work=Los Angeles Times|page=g19}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Joseph Cotten Cast as Coin Collector|work=Los Angeles Times|date=Oct 2, 1972|page=d20}}</ref>

Cotten later admitted, "I was in a lot of junk. I get nervous when I don't work."<ref name="vanity">{{cite news |author=Stephanie Mansfield |date=June 17, 1987 |title=Joseph Cotten, on the High Road: Fighting Back From a Stroke, the Actor Promotes a Gentle Memoir Actor Joseph Cotten |page=B1 |newspaper=The Washington Post}}</ref>

Cotten's final performances include in [[George Bowers (filmmaker)|George Bower]]'s supernatural horror film ''[[The Hearse]]'' (1980), the ABC television movie ''[[Casino (1980 film)|Casino]]'' (1980), [[Michael Cimino]]'s ''[[Heaven's Gate (film)|Heaven's Gate]]'' (1980), multiple episodes of ''[[The Love Boat]]'' (1981), ''[[The Survivor (1981 film)|The Survivor]]'' (1981), shot in Australia and ''[[Delusion (1980 film)|Delusion]]'' (1981).<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1291&dat=19850721&id=ZCdUAAAAIBAJ&pg=1141,5715318|title=Actor winning battle against stroke|work=Boca Raton News|via=Google News Archive Search|access-date=June 6, 2020|archive-date=June 6, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200606213159/https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1291&dat=19850721&id=ZCdUAAAAIBAJ&pg=1141,5715318|url-status=live}}</ref>

== Personal life ==
Cotten's first wife Lenore Kipp died of [[leukemia]] in early 1960.<ref name="NYT Obit"/><ref>{{cite news|title=Joseph Cotten and Patricia Medina to Wed|author=Hopper, Hedda|work=Los Angeles Times|date=October 8, 1960|page=4}}</ref> He adopted Kipp's daughter, Judith Lenore LaMonte, from her previous marriage who later went on to marry James Pande Young, a television director.<ref>{{Cite news |date=1960-01-08 |title=Lenore Kipp Lamont Cotton, Daughter of Ed Kipp (nephew of HAWK) |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-daily-oklahoman-lenore-kipp-lamont-c/38974595/ |access-date=2024-04-17 |work=The Daily Oklahoman |pages=23 |archive-date=April 17, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240417122046/https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-daily-oklahoman-lenore-kipp-lamont-c/38974595/ |url-status=live }}</ref> He married British actress [[Patricia Medina]] on October 20, 1960, in Beverly Hills at the home of [[David O. Selznick]] and [[Jennifer Jones]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.classicimages.com/1998/may98/patriciacinterview.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20041214155707/http://www.classicimages.com/1998/may98/patriciacinterview.html|url-status=dead|title=Patricia Medina Cotton: The Interview|archive-date=December 14, 2004}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nndb.com/people/680/000043551/|title=Joseph Cotten|website=www.nndb.com|access-date=June 6, 2020|archive-date=August 2, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200802194929/https://www.nndb.com/people/680/000043551/|url-status=live}}</ref> He bought a historic 1935 home in the Mesa neighborhood of [[Palm Springs, California#Neighborhoods|Palm Springs, California]], where he and his wife lived from 1985 to 1992.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Meeks|first1=Eric G.|title=The Best Guide Ever to Palm Springs Celebrity Homes|date=2014|orig-year=2012|publisher=Horatio Limburger Oglethorpe|isbn=978-1479328598|pages=279–280, 294}}</ref> The marriage produced no children.

In 1961 Cotten was admitted to the [[Society of the Cincinnati]] in North Carolina based on his descent from Captain Hudson Whitaker, Seventh Regiment, North Carolina Continental Line. He held Captain Whitaker's hereditary seat until his death in 1994.<ref>Roster of the Society of the Cincinnati, 1989, pg. 131.</ref>

===Illness and death===
On June 8, 1981, Cotten experienced a [[heart attack]] followed by a [[stroke]] that affected his [[Language processing in the brain|brain's speech center]]. He began years of therapy that eventually restored his ability to speak. As he began to recover, he and Orson Welles talked on the phone each week for several hours. Cotten wrote, "He was strong and supportive, and whenever I used the wrong word (which was frequently) he would say, 'That's a much better word, Joe, 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.<ref name="Vanity"/>{{Rp|215–217|date=March 2014}}

In 1990, Cotten's [[larynx]] was removed because of [[cancer]].<ref name="LA Times">{{cite news | url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1994-02-07-mn-20181-story.html | work=[[Los Angeles Times]] | title=Debonair Actor Joseph Cotten Dies at 88 | first=Myrna | last=Oliver | date=February 7, 1994 | access-date=March 9, 2014 | archive-date=March 9, 2014 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140309221039/http://articles.latimes.com/1994-02-07/news/mn-20181_1_joseph-cotten | url-status=live }}</ref> He died on February 6, 1994, of [[pneumonia]] at the age of 88.<ref name="NYT Obit">{{cite news| url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9402E1DA1638F934A35751C0A962958260 | work= [[The New York Times]] | title=Joseph Cotten, 88, Is Dead; Actor on Stage and in Films | first=Peter B. | last=Flint | date=February 7, 1994 | access-date=May 7, 2010}}</ref> He was buried at [[Blandford Cemetery]] in Petersburg, Virginia.<ref>{{cite web | url= http://www.waymarking.com/waymarks/WMAT42_Joseph_Cotten_Petersburg_Virginia | title= Joseph Cotten – Petersburg, Virginia | website= waymarking.com | access-date= March 9, 2014 | archive-date= March 11, 2014 | archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20140311220233/http://www.waymarking.com/waymarks/WMAT42_Joseph_Cotten_Petersburg_Virginia | url-status= live }}</ref>

== Acting credits ==
{{main|Joseph Cotten on stage, screen, radio and television}}

==Accolades and legacy ==
At the [[10th Venice International Film Festival]], Cotten was awarded 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.

Cotten was portrayed by [[Tim Robbins]] in the 1985 TV film ''[[Malice in Wonderland (1985 film)|Malice in Wonderland]]'', by [[James Tupper]] in the film ''[[Me and Orson Welles]]'' (2008)<ref>{{cite web |url=https://variety.com/2008/film/markets-festivals/me-and-orson-welles-1200470866/ |title=Film Review: Me and Orson Welles |last=McCarthy |first=Todd |author-link=Todd McCarthy |date=September 6, 2008 |website=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] |access-date=September 7, 2015 |archive-date=November 11, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191111165551/https://variety.com/2008/film/markets-festivals/me-and-orson-welles-1200470866/ |url-status=live }}</ref> and by [[Matthew Glave]] in the television series ''[[Feud (TV series)|Feud]]'' (2017), which depicts the filming of ''[[Hush...Hush, Sweet Charlotte]]''.

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Further reading==
* {{cite book | author=Cotten, Joseph | title=Vanity Will Get You Somewhere | publisher=Mercury House | year=1987 | isbn=0-86287-334-7|ref=none}}
* {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191214090151/https://www.moviemaker.com/magazine/issues/04/cotten.html |date=December 14, 2019 |title="Citizen Cotten" }}. New York: ''[[MovieMaker]]'', archived 2007-06-18 from the [https://archive.today/20130111064244/http://www.moviemaker.com/directing/article/citizen_cotten_3054/ original] at the [[Internet Archive]]. Retrieved 2013-08-29.
* Kneebone, John T., et al., eds. ''[[Dictionary of Virginia Biography]]'' (Richmond: Library of Virginia, 1998–  ), 3:478–481. {{ISBN|0-88490-206-4}}.

==External links==
{{Commons category|Joseph Cotten}}
{{Portal|Biography|Theatre|Film|Television|California|Los Angeles|Virginia}}
* {{IMDb name|1072}}
* {{IBDB name}}
* {{TCMDb name}}
* {{AFI person | id= 89287-Joseph-Cotten | title= Joseph Cotten }}
* {{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20150219205956/http://themave.com/Cotten/index.htm The Joseph Cotten Pages]}} fan site
* [http://jack_benny.podomatic.com/entry/eg/2009-08-02T10_02_15-07_00 1959-08-02 Joseph Cotten – Red Cloud Mesa] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140605053802/http://jack_benny.podomatic.com/entry/eg/2009-08-02T10_02_15-07_00 |date=June 5, 2014 }} (Audio file, 20 mins)
* [http://film.virtual-history.com/person.php?personid=1710 Photographs and literature] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061026033053/http://film.virtual-history.com/person.php?personid=1710 |date=October 26, 2006 }}
* [http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p009mtm9 Joseph Cotten] interview on BBC Radio 4 ''[[Desert Island Discs]]'', October 30, 1981

{{Volpi Cup for Best Actor}}
{{Authority control}}

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