Jackie Cooper

Acting • Born 1922-09-15 – Died 2011-05-03

Acting1Los Angeles, California, USA

Biography

Jackie Cooper (September 15, 1922 –May 3, 2011) was an American actor. He is best known for his role of Perry White in the Christopher Reeves Superman films (1978–1987). He with the Navy in the South Pacific toward the end of World War II and 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).

Filmography

184 credits

Superman

Movie • 1978

Perry White

The Ghosts

Movie • 1930

Juanito

Superman IV: The Quest for Peace

Movie • 1987

Perry White

Superman II

Movie • 1980

Perry White

Ziegfeld Girl

Movie • 1941

Jerry Regan

Superman III

Movie • 1983

Perry White

The Champ

Movie • 1931

Dink Purcell

The Return of Frank James

Movie • 1940

Clem

Treasure Island

Movie • 1934

Jim Hawkins

The Our Gang Story

Movie • 1994

Jackie (archive footage)

Gangster's Boy

Movie • 1938

Larry Kelly

Skippy

Movie • 1931

Skippy Skinner

Lone Cowboy

Movie • 1933

Scooter O'Neal

Chosen Survivors

Movie • 1974

Raymond Couzins

Broadway to Hollywood

Movie • 1933

Ted Hackett Jr. as Child

Glamour Boy

Movie • 1941

Tiny Barlow

Syncopation

Movie • 1942

Johnny Schumacher

Men of Texas

Movie • 1942

Robert Houston Scott

The Navy Comes Through

Movie • 1942

Joe 'Babe' Duttson

Surrender

Movie • 1987

Ace Morgan

White Banners

Movie • 1938

Peter Trimble

Boxing Gloves

Movie • 1929

Jackie

Pups Is Pups

Movie • 1930

Jackie

Divorce In The Family

Movie • 1932

Terry Parker

Everything's Ducky

Movie • 1961

Lt. J.S. Parmell - Psychiatrist

Peck's Bad Boy

Movie • 1934

Bill Peck

Fox Movietone Follies of 1929

Movie • 1929

Little Boy in 'That's You, Baby' Number (uncredited)

Screen Snapshots Series 21 No. 1

Movie • 1941

Self

The Astronaut

Movie • 1972

Kurt Anderson

Journey into Fear

Movie • 1975

Eric Hurst

Hollywood Out-takes and Rare Footage

Movie • 1983

Self (archive footage) (uncredited)

Seventeen

Movie • 1940

William Sylvanus Baxter

Tough Guy

Movie • 1936

Frederick Martindale Vincent III

Hollywood on Parade No. A-3

Movie • 1932

Self

Maybe I'll Come Home in the Spring

Movie • 1971

Ed Miller

Gallant Sons

Movie • 1940

Byron Newbold

Moan & Groan, Inc.

Movie • 1929

Jackie

O'Shaughnessy's Boy

Movie • 1935

Joseph "Stubby" O'Shaughnessy

Where Are Your Children?

Movie • 1943

Danny Cheston

Bear Facts

Movie • 1938

Bear

Dinky

Movie • 1935

Dinky Daniels

Boy of the Streets

Movie • 1938

Chuck Brennan

When the Wind Blows

Movie • 1930

Jackie

Life with Henry

Movie • 1941

Henry Aldrich

The First 100 Years: A Celebration of American Movies

Movie • 1995

Self

Newsboys' Home

Movie • 1938

Rifle Edwards

The Bowery

Movie • 1933

Swipes McGurk

Bouncing Babies

Movie • 1929

Kid listening to Farina (uncredited)

Shivering Shakespeare

Movie • 1930

Jackie

The First Seven Years

Movie • 1930

Jackie

Bear Shooters

Movie • 1930

Jackie

Sports on the Silver Screen

Movie • 1997

Self (archive footage)

The Day the Earth Moved

Movie • 1974

Steve Barker

The Love Machine

Movie • 1971

Danton Miller

What a Life

Movie • 1939

Henry Aldrich

The Devil Is a Sissy

Movie • 1936

'Buck' Murphy

When a Feller Needs a Friend

Movie • 1932

Edward Haverford 'Eddie' Randall

The Christmas Party

Movie • 1931

Himself

The Spirit of Culver

Movie • 1939

Tom Allen

Mobile Two

Movie • 1975

Peter Campbell

The New March of Dimes Presents: The Scene Stealers

Movie • 1962

Self

Sunny Side Up

Movie • 1929

Jerry McGinnis (uncredited)

Hollywood Cavalcade

Movie • 1939

Burglar

A Tough Winter

Movie • 1930

Jackie

Teacher's Pet

Movie • 1930

Jackie

School's Out

Movie • 1930

Jackie Cooper

Helping Grandma

Movie • 1931

Jackie

Love Business

Movie • 1931

Jackie Cooper

Little Daddy

Movie • 1931

Jackie

The Making of 'Superman III'

Movie • 1985

Self

Rodeo Dough

Movie • 1940

Jackie Cooper

Stand Up and Be Counted

Movie • 1972

Doctor

Shadow on the Land

Movie • 1968

Lt. Col. Andy Davis

French Leave

Movie • 1948

Skitch Kilroy

Soaring Stars

Movie • 1942

Pilot

That Certain Age

Movie • 1938

Kenneth Warren

Movie • 1934

Her First Beau

Movie • 1941

Chuck Harris

Big John Morrison

Movie • 1973

John Morrison

Bargain Day

Movie • 1931

Jackie

Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut

Movie • 2006

Perry White

Stork Bites Man

Movie • 1947

Ernest (Ernie) C. Brown

Streets of New York

Movie • 1939

James Michael 'Jimmy' Keenan

Rascal Dazzle

Movie • 1981

Jackie (archive footage)

The Invisible Man

Movie • 1975

Walter Carlson

Hollywood’s Children

Movie • 1982

Self (archive footage)

No Earthly Reason

Movie • 1984

J. Nash Hawkins

Two Bright Boys

Movie • 1939

Rory O'Donnell

The Big Guy

Movie • 1939

Jimmy Hutchins

Inside the Dream Factory

Movie • 1995

Lana Turner... a Daughter's Memoir

Movie • 2001

Self

Ticket to Hollywood

Movie • 1984

Narrator

You Will Believe: The Cinematic Saga of Superman

Movie • 2006

Self

Hooray for Hollywood

Movie • 1976

Self (archive footage)

When We Were Young: Growing Up on the Silver Screen

Movie • 1989

Self

Los cazadores de osos

Movie • 1930

Juanito

Temps d'Hiver

Movie • 1930

Jackie

Classic Comedy Teams

Movie • 1986

Our Gang(archive footage)

Of Men and Women

Movie • 1972

St. Elsewhere

TV • 1982

David Domedion

Texaco Star Theater

TV • 1948

Murder, She Wrote

TV • 1984

Carl Schulman / Neil Fletcher

Columbo

TV • 1971

Nelson Hayward

The Dick Powell Show

TV • 1961

Judd Rogers

The Colgate Comedy Hour

TV • 1950

Self

The Great Adventure

TV • 1963

Lt. Dickson

The F.B.I.

TV • 1965

Harlan Slade

Hawaii Five-O

TV • 1968

Dr. Alexander Southmore

Kojak

TV • 1973

Frank Mulvaney

Studio One

TV • 1948

General Electric Theater

TV • 1953

Jeremy Bates

The Twilight Zone

TV • 1959

Jonathan West / Caesar (voice)

Ironside

TV • 1967

To Tell the Truth

TV • 1956

Hec Ramsey

TV • 1972

Cowboy G-Men

TV • 1952

Mobile One

TV • 1975

Peter Campbell

Police Story

TV • 1973

Hennesey

TV • 1959

Lt. Charles 'Chick' Hennesey, MD

Lux Video Theatre

TV • 1950

Orrin Dudley

Schlitz Playhouse of Stars

TV • 1951

Bob Heywood

McCloud

TV • 1970

Your Show of Shows

TV • 1950

The United States Steel Hour

TV • 1953

The Danny Kaye Show

TV • 1963

Self

The Philco Television Playhouse

TV • 1948

Bubbo

The Dinah Shore Chevy Show

TV • 1956

Self

Producers' Showcase

TV • 1954

Suspense

TV • 1949

Williams

Robert Montgomery Presents

TV • 1950

The People's Choice

TV • 1955

Socrates 'Sock' Miller

The Chevrolet Tele-Theatre

TV • 1948

Tales of Tomorrow

TV • 1951

Danger

TV • 1950

The Steve Allen Show

TV • 1956

Self - Guest

Pursuit

TV • 1958

Telephone Time

TV • 1956

Mantrap

TV • 1971

Revlon Mirror Theatre

TV • 1953

Medallion Theatre

TV • 1953

The Clock

TV • 1949

Starlight Theatre

TV • 1950

Ghost Story

TV • 1972

Dumpy Doyle

The Elgin Hour

TV • 1954

Justice

TV • 1954

It Was a Very Good Year

TV • 1971

The Gertrude Berg Show

TV • 1961

The Motorola Television Hour

TV • 1953

MGM Parade

TV • 1955

Dink in 'The Champ' (archive footage)

The Dean Martin Comedy World

TV • 1974

Host

The George Gobel Show

TV • 1954

TV • 1950

Willy Benton

The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson

TV • 1962

Self

Studio One

TV • 1948

Dave Tuttle

The Rockford Files

TV • 1974

Capt. Highland

Studio One

TV • 1948

Blackie Scantling

The Rockford Files

TV • 1974

Garth McGregor

The Steve Allen Show

TV • 1956

Self - Singer

Suspense

TV • 1949

Murderer

Suspense

TV • 1949

Dan Crowley

What's My Line?

TV • 1950

Self - Mystery Guest

Capital News

TV • 1990

John C. Dodd

The Merv Griffin Show

TV • 1962

Self