Sir Charles Blake Cochran (25 September 1872 – 31 January 1951), generally known as C. B. Cochran, was an English theatrical manager. He produced some of the most successful musical revues, musicals and plays of the 1920s and 1930s, becoming associated with Noel Coward and his works.
Contents |
Cochran was born in Sussex and educated at Oxford. He became an actor and made his first appearance in New York. Subsequently he was press representative to various theatres, circuses and exhibitions in the United States. For three years he was personal representative of Richard Mansfield. In 1917, he became responsible for the productions of the Oxford Music Hall, including the surprise hit The Better 'Ole, which ran for over 800 performances. He later showed an interest in many of the best known English theatres either as lessee or licensee. Cochran was also responsible for bringing Nikita Balieff and Balieff's theatre group "Chauve-Souris" to London.
From the 1920s, he produced musical revues and spectaculars in competition with André Charlot, and collaborated regularly with Noël Coward to produce Coward's famous plays and musical comedies.
Cochran was responsible for discovering new talents and making stars out of them, including Gertrude Lawrence, Noel Coward, Evelyn Laye, Jessie Matthews, The Dolly Sisters and Lizbeth Webb. He was knighted in 1948.
He died in January 1951, after being trapped in a bath full of scalding water at his home in London.[1]
His stage productions include:
Morley, Sheridan (1987). Spread a Little Happiness: The First Hundred Years of the British musical. Thames and Hudson.
Coward, Noël (1986). Autobiography. Methuen London. ISBN 0413606600.
This article incorporates text from an edition of the New International Encyclopedia that is in the public domain.