Jeff was born in Brooklyn and attended Erasmus High School. After high school, he took a drama course and worked in stock companies for two years. His next role would be that of an officer in World War II. After he was discharged from the service, he became busy acting in radio drama's and comedies until he was signed by Universal. It would be in the fifties that Jeff would become a star making westerns and action pictures. He would be nominated for an Academy Award for his role as Cochise in Broken Arrow (1950). He would follow this by playing the role of Cochise in two sequels: The Battle at Apache Pass (1952) and Taza, Son of Cochise (1954). While his premature gray hair and tanned features served him well in his westerns and action pictures, the studio would put him into soaps and costume movies. In his films, his leading ladies would include Maureen O'Hara , Rhonda Fleming , Jane Russell , Joan Crawford , and June Allyson . Shortly after his last film Merrill's Marauders (1962), Jeff died, at 42, from blood poisoning after an operation for a slipped disc.

Died of blood poisoning following spinal surgery in CA.Childhood friend and neighbor of actress Susan HaywardScar across eye received in a truck accident.When his friend Sammy Davis Jr. lost an eye in an accident and was in danger of losing the other, Chandler offered to give Davis one of his own eyes.Had concurrent success as a recording artist, wrote music, played violin, and own Chandler Music, a publishing company.Daughter Jamie born 1947.Daughter Dana born 1948.His death from blood poisoning following surgery was deemed malpractice and resulted in a large lawsuit and settlement for his children.Tony Curtis was a pallbearer at Chandler's funeral.Portrayed Philip Boynton on CBS Radio's "Our Miss Brooks" (1948-1957).Both daughters, Jamie (1947-2003) and Dana (1948-2002) died of cancer, as did his mother, maternal aunt, uncle and grandfather.His former lover Esther Williams , in her tell-all 1999 biography, put Chandler back in the headlines after asserting that he was a cross-dresser. She told him, "Jeff, you're too big for polka dots." Esther later admitted privately that this had no basis in fact, and was made up simply to bolster interest in the book.Possessed of a fine singing voice, at the height of his film fame, he recorded several successful albums for Liberty Records.He was the one who encouraged character actor Jimmy Murphy to go to Hollywood.A liberal Democrat, he was part of the Hollywood contingent that worked for the election of John F. Kennedy as President in 1960.He stood 6' 4" by the time he was fifteen, and started to gray when he was eighteen.Following his Oscar nominated performance as Cochise in Broken Arrow (1950), Chandler carved a solid niche for himself playing Native American Indians, although his movies seldom rose above co-feature level.Daughter, Dana Chandler Grossel (Grossel was her father's real last name), gave him two grandsons. His other daughter, Jamie Tucker, gave him granddaughter Jana Fourtune.Daughter Jamie was a teacher.The Jonny Quest character "Race Bannon" was modeled on Jeff Chandler.Gerald Mohr was a pallbearer at his funeral.He was mentioned as the possible lead for the television police drama "The Asphalt Jungle" when that show was in development in 1960.He was very proud of his Jewish heritage.