Personal Info
Known For:
Acting
Birthday:
September 15, 1922
Place of Birth:
Los Angeles, California, USA
Social Media
Jackie Cooper
Biography
Served with the Navy in the South Pacific toward the end of World War II. Then, quietly and without publicity or fanfare, compiled one of the most distinguished peacetime military careers of anyone in his profession. In 1961, as his weekly TV series Hennesey (1959) was enhancing naval recruiting efforts, accepted a commission as a line officer in the Naval Reserve with duties in recruitment, training films, and public relations. Holder of a multi-engine pilot license, he later co-piloted jet planes for the Navy, which made him an Honorary Aviator authorized to wear wings of gold-at the time only the third so honored in naval aviation history. By 1976 he had attained the rank of captain, and was in uniform aboard the carrier USS Constellation for the Bicentennial celebration on July 4. In 1980, the Navy proposed a period of active duty at the Pentagon that would have resulted in a promotion to rear admiral, bringing him even with Air Force Reserve Brigadier General James Stewart. Fresh on the heels of a second directing Emmy, he felt his absence would impact achieving a long-held goal of directing motion pictures, and reluctantly declined. (The opportunity in films never materialized.) Holds Letters of Commendation from six secretaries of the Navy. Was honorary chairman of the U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation and a charter member of VIVA, the effort to return POW-MIAs from Vietnam. Upon retirement in 1982, he was decorated with the Legion of Merit by Navy Secretary John F. Lehman Jr.. Other than Stewart, no performer in his industry has achieved a higher uniformed rank in the U.S. military. (Glenn Ford was also a Naval Reserve captain, and director and Captain John Ford was awarded honorary flag rank upon his 1951 retirement from the Naval Reserve).
Known For
Filmography
| Year | Movie | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | The Little Rascals - The ClassicFlix Restorations, Volume 1 | |
| 2006 | Look, Up in the Sky! The Amazing Story of Superman | Self |
| 2006 | Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut | Perry White |
| 2006 | You Will Believe: The Cinematic Saga of Superman | Self |
| 2004 | Judy Garland: By Myself | Self - Actor (voice) |
| 2001 | Lana Turner... a Daughter's Memoir | Self |
| 2000 | Without Lying Down: Frances Marion and the Power of Women in Hollywood | Self |
| 1997 | Sports on the Silver Screen | Self (archive footage) |
| 1995 | The First 100 Years: A Celebration of American Movies | Self |
| 1995 | Inside the Dream Factory | |
| 1994 | The Our Gang Story | Jackie (archive footage) |
| 1987 | Superman IV: The Quest for Peace | Perry White |
| 1987 | Surrender | Ace Morgan |
| 1985 | The Making of 'Superman III' | Self |
| 1984 | No Earthly Reason | J. Nash Hawkins |
| 1984 | Ticket to Hollywood | Narrator |
| 1983 | Superman III | Perry White |
| 1983 | Hollywood Out-takes and Rare Footage | Self (archive footage) (uncredited) |
| 1982 | The Making of 'Superman II' | Self |
| 1982 | Hollywood’s Children | Self (archive footage) |
| 1981 | Rascal Dazzle | Jackie (archive footage) |
| 1980 | Superman II | Perry White |
| 1980 | The Making of 'Superman: The Movie' | Self |
| 1978 | Superman | Perry White |
| 1976 | Hooray for Hollywood | Self (archive footage) |
| 1975 | Journey into Fear | Eric Hurst |
| 1975 | Mobile Two | Peter Campbell |
| 1975 | Brother, Can You Spare a Dime? | Self (archive footage) |
| 1975 | The Invisible Man | Walter Carlson |
| 1974 | Chosen Survivors | Raymond Couzins |
| 1974 | The Day the Earth Moved | Steve Barker |
| 1973 | Big John Morrison | John Morrison |
| 1972 | The Astronaut | Kurt Anderson |
| 1972 | Stand Up and Be Counted | Doctor |
| 1971 | Maybe I'll Come Home in the Spring | Ed Miller |
| 1971 | The Love Machine | Danton Miller |
| 1968 | Shadow on the Land | Lt. Col. Andy Davis |
| 1964 | Calhoun | Everett Calhoun |
| 1962 | The New March of Dimes Presents: The Scene Stealers | Self |
| 1961 | Everything's Ducky | Lt. J.S. Parmell - Psychiatrist |
| 1948 | French Leave | Skitch Kilroy |
| 1947 | Kilroy Was Here | John J. Kilroy |
| 1947 | Stork Bites Man | Ernest (Ernie) C. Brown |
| 1943 | Where Are Your Children? | Danny Cheston |
| 1942 | Syncopation | Johnny Schumacher |
| 1942 | Men of Texas | Robert Houston Scott |
| 1942 | The Navy Comes Through | Joe 'Babe' Duttson |
| 1942 | Soaring Stars | Pilot |
| 1941 | Ziegfeld Girl | Jerry Regan |
| 1941 | Glamour Boy | Tiny Barlow |
| 1941 | Screen Snapshots Series 21 No. 1 | Self |
| 1941 | Life with Henry | Henry Aldrich |
| 1941 | Her First Beau | Chuck Harris |
| 1940 | The Return of Frank James | Clem |
| 1940 | Seventeen | William Sylvanus Baxter |
| 1940 | Gallant Sons | Byron Newbold |
| 1940 | Rodeo Dough | Jackie Cooper |
| 1939 | What a Life | Henry Aldrich |
| 1939 | The Spirit of Culver | Tom Allen |
| 1939 | Hollywood Cavalcade | Burglar |
| 1939 | Scouts to the Rescue | Bruce Scott |
| 1939 | Streets of New York | James Michael 'Jimmy' Keenan |
| 1939 | Two Bright Boys | Rory O'Donnell |
| 1939 | The Big Guy | Jimmy Hutchins |
| 1938 | Gangster's Boy | Larry Kelly |
| 1938 | White Banners | Peter Trimble |
| 1938 | Bear Facts | Bear |
| 1938 | Boy of the Streets | Chuck Brennan |
| 1938 | Newsboys' Home | Rifle Edwards |
| 1938 | That Certain Age | Kenneth Warren |
| 1936 | Tough Guy | Frederick Martindale Vincent III |
| 1936 | The Devil Is a Sissy | 'Buck' Murphy |
| 1935 | O'Shaughnessy's Boy | Joseph "Stubby" O'Shaughnessy |
| 1935 | Dinky | Dinky Daniels |
| 1934 | Treasure Island | Jim Hawkins |
| 1934 | Peck's Bad Boy | Bill Peck |
| 1934 | Hollywood on Parade No. B-1 | |
| 1933 | Lone Cowboy | Scooter O'Neal |
| 1933 | Broadway to Hollywood | Ted Hackett Jr. as Child |
| 1933 | The Bowery | Swipes McGurk |
| 1932 | Divorce In The Family | Terry Parker |
| 1932 | Hollywood on Parade No. A-3 | Self |
| 1932 | When a Feller Needs a Friend | Edward Haverford 'Eddie' Randall |
| 1931 | The Champ | Dink Purcell |
| 1931 | Skippy | Skippy Skinner |
| 1931 | The Christmas Party | Himself |
| 1931 | Helping Grandma | Jackie |
| 1931 | Little Daddy | Jackie |
| 1931 | Love Business | Jackie Cooper |
| 1931 | Young Donovan's Kid | Midge Murray |
| 1931 | Sooky | Skippy |
| 1931 | Bargain Day | Jackie |
| 1930 | The Ghosts | Juanito |
| 1930 | Pups Is Pups | Jackie |
| 1930 | When the Wind Blows | Jackie |
| 1930 | Shivering Shakespeare | Jackie |
| 1930 | The First Seven Years | Jackie |
| 1930 | Bear Shooters | Jackie |
| 1930 | School's Out | Jackie Cooper |
| 1930 | A Tough Winter | Jackie |
| 1930 | Teacher's Pet | Jackie |
| 1929 | Boxing Gloves | Jackie |
| 1929 | Fox Movietone Follies of 1929 | Little Boy in 'That's You, Baby' Number (uncredited) |
| 1929 | Moan & Groan, Inc. | Jackie |
| 1929 | Bouncing Babies | Kid listening to Farina (uncredited) |
| 1929 | Sunny Side Up | Jerry McGinnis (uncredited) |