Trivia of Joseph Cotten

 Trivia of Joseph Cotten (15 May 1905 - 6 February 1994)

*At an early age he discovered a passion for story-telling, reciting, and performing acts for his family. Cotten studied acting at the Hickman School of Expression in Washington, D.C. and worked as an advertising agent afterward.In 1924, he tried to enter acting in New York.

*To augment his income as an actor in the mid-30s, Cotten took on radio shows in addition to his theatre work. At one audition he met an ambitious, budding actor/writer/director/producer Orson Welles. Cotten was 10 years his senior, but the two found a kindred spirit in one another.For Cotten, Welles association would completely redirect his serious acting life.

*At a rehearsal for CBS radio Cotten and Welles destroyed a scene taking place on a rubber tree plantation. One or the other was supposed to say the line: "Barrels and barrels of pith...." They could not overcome uncontrolled laughter at each attempt. The director berated them as acting like 'school-children' and 'unprofessional', and thereafter both were considered unreliable.

*With Welles, Cotten formed The Mercury Theatre Players.He made his film debut in the Welles-directed short Too Much Johnson (1938).The short was occasionally screened before or after Mercury productions, but never received an official release.

*In 1937 he joined Orson Welles Mercury Theatre and made his film debut in the Welles-directed short Too Much Johnson (1938).Three years later, Orson Welles took him to Hollywood to play leading parts in Welles' first three feature productions - Citizen Kane (1941), The Magnificent Ambersons (1942) and Journey into Fear (1943).Their friendship turned sour in the late 1943, when 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!".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.Years later, Cotten was reunited with Welles in The Third Man (1949).

*He appeared with some of the most leading of Hollywood leading ladies - a favorite being Jennifer Jones, David O' Selznick's wife with the two of them being his most intimate friends. Cotten starred with Jennifer Jones in four films: the wartime domestic drama Since You Went Away (1944), the romantic drama Love Letters (1945), the western Duel in the Sun (1946), and later in the critically acclaimed Portrait of Jennie (1948).

*In 1956, he starred in the NBC anthology series On Trial (renamed at midseason The Joseph Cotten Show). It ran for 41 episodes.The show often included court trials or individual's personal trials.During 1959, the series served as a summer replacement show for "The Ann Sothern Show" with mostly new episodes.