Jackie Cooper
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
Credits
- 2023 · The Little Rascals - CENTENNIAL BONUS DISC as
- 2022 · The Little Rascals: The Complete Collection (Centennial Edition) as
- 2021 · The Little Rascals - The ClassicFlix Restorations, Volume 2 as
- 2021 · The Little Rascals - The ClassicFlix Restorations, Volume 1 as
- 2006 · You Will Believe: The Cinematic Saga of Superman as Self
- 2006 · Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut as Perry White
- 2006 · Look, Up in the Sky! The Amazing Story of Superman as Self
- 2004 · Judy Garland: By Myself as Self - Actor (voice)
- 2001 · Lana Turner... a Daughter's Memoir as Self
- 2000 · Without Lying Down: Frances Marion and the Power of Women in Hollywood as Self
- 1997 · Sports on the Silver Screen as Self (archive footage)
- 1995 · Inside the Dream Factory as
- 1995 · The First 100 Years: A Celebration of American Movies as Self
- 1994 · The Our Gang Story as Jackie (archive footage)
- 1990 · Capital News as John C. Dodd
- 1987 · Surrender as Ace Morgan
- 1987 · Superman IV: The Quest for Peace as Perry White
- 1985 · The Making of 'Superman III' as Self
- 1984 · Murder, She Wrote as Carl Schulman / Neil Fletcher
- 1984 · Ticket to Hollywood as Narrator
- 1984 · No Earthly Reason as J. Nash Hawkins
- 1983 · Superman III as Perry White
- 1983 · Hollywood Out-takes and Rare Footage as Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
- 1982 · St. Elsewhere as
- 1982 · Hollywood’s Children as Self (archive footage)
- 1982 · The Making of 'Superman II' as Self
- 1981 · Rascal Dazzle as Jackie
- 1980 · Superman II as Perry White
- 1980 · The Making of 'Superman: The Movie' as Self
- 1978 · Superman as Perry White
- 1975 · Mobile One as
- 1975 · Mobile Two as Peter Campbell
- 1975 · Journey into Fear as Eric Hurst
- 1975 · Brother, Can You Spare a Dime? as Self (archive footage)
- 1975 · The Invisible Man as Walter Carlson
- 1974 · The Day the Earth Moved as Steve Barker
- 1974 · The Rockford Files as Capt. Highland
- 1974 · The Rockford Files as Garth McGregor
- 1974 · The Dean Martin Comedy World as Host
- 1974 · Chosen Survivors as Raymond Couzins
- 1973 · Kojak as Frank Mulvaney
- 1973 · Big John Morrison as John Morrison
- 1973 · Police Story as
- 1972 · Ghost Story as Dumpy Doyle
- 1972 · Hec Ramsey as
- 1972 · Stand Up and Be Counted as Doctor
- 1972 · The Astronaut as Kurt Anderson
- 1971 · Columbo as Nelson Hayward
- 1971 · Mantrap as
- 1971 · The Love Machine as Danton Miller
- 1971 · It Was a Very Good Year as
- 1971 · Maybe I'll Come Home in the Spring as Ed Miller
- 1970 · McCloud as
- 1968 · Shadow on the Land as Lt. Col. Andy Davis
- 1968 · Hawaii Five-O as Dr. Alexander Southmore
- 1967 · Ironside as
- 1965 · The F.B.I. as Harlan Slade
- 1964 · Calhoun as Everett Calhoun
- 1963 · The Great Adventure as Lt. Dickson
- 1963 · The Danny Kaye Show as Self
- 1962 · The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson as Self
- 1962 · The New March of Dimes Presents: The Scene Stealers as Self
- 1961 · Everything's Ducky as Lt. J.S. Parmell - Psychiatrist
- 1961 · The Mike Douglas Show as Self
- 1961 · The Gertrude Berg Show as
- 1961 · The Dick Powell Show as Judd Rogers
- 1961 · The Dick Powell Show as John Reardon
- 1961 · The Dick Powell Show as Self - Host
- 1959 · The Twilight Zone as Jonathan West / Caesar (voice)
- 1959 · Hennesey as
- 1958 · Pursuit as
- 1956 · To Tell the Truth as
- 1956 · The Dinah Shore Chevy Show as Self
- 1956 · The Steve Allen Show as Self - Guest
- 1956 · The Steve Allen Show as Self - Singer
- 1956 · Telephone Time as
- 1955 · The People's Choice as Socrates 'Sock' Miller
- 1955 · MGM Parade as Dink in 'The Champ' (archive footage)
- 1954 · Producers' Showcase as
- 1954 · The Elgin Hour as
- 1954 · The George Gobel Show as Self
- 1954 · Justice as
- 1953 · The Motorola Television Hour as
- 1953 · The United States Steel Hour as
- 1953 · Medallion Theatre as
- 1953 · Revlon Mirror Theatre as
- 1953 · General Electric Theater as Jeremy Bates
- 1952 · Cowboy G-Men as
- 1951 · Schlitz Playhouse of Stars as Bob Heywood
- 1951 · Schlitz Playhouse of Stars as Bill Harlow / Joe Toyah
- 1951 · Tales of Tomorrow as
- 1950 · Lux Video Theatre as Orrin Dudley
- 1950 · Lux Video Theatre as Dave Carter
- 1950 · Danger as
- 1950 · The Colgate Comedy Hour as Self
- 1950 · Starlight Theatre as
- 1950 · Your Show of Shows as
- 1950 · What's My Line? as Self - Mystery Guest
- 1950 · Robert Montgomery Presents as
- 1950 · Robert Montgomery Presents as Peter Graves
- 1950 · Robert Montgomery Presents as Pvt. Oscar Purkey
- 1950 · Robert Montgomery Presents as Milton 'Mezz' Mezzrow
- 1950 · Robert Montgomery Presents as Maurice Gaines
- 1950 · Robert Montgomery Presents as Willy Benton
- 1949 · The Clock as
- 1949 · Suspense as Williams
- 1949 · Suspense as Murderer
- 1949 · Suspense as Dan Crowley
- 1948 · Studio One as
- 1948 · Studio One as Dave Tuttle
- 1948 · Studio One as Blackie Scantling
- 1948 · The Philco Television Playhouse as Bubbo
- 1948 · The Chevrolet Tele-Theatre as
- 1948 · Texaco Star Theater as
- 1948 · French Leave as Skitch Kilroy
- 1947 · Kilroy Was Here as John J. Kilroy
- 1947 · Stork Bites Man as Ernest (Ernie) C. Brown
- 1943 · Where Are Your Children? as Danny Cheston
- 1942 · The Navy Comes Through as Joe 'Babe' Duttson
- 1942 · Men of Texas as Robert Houston Scott
- 1942 · Syncopation as Johnny Schumacher
- 1942 · Soaring Stars as Pilot
- 1941 · Glamour Boy as Tiny Barlow
- 1941 · Screen Snapshots Series 21 No. 1 as Self
- 1941 · Her First Beau as Chuck Harris
- 1941 · Ziegfeld Girl as Jerry Regan
- 1941 · Life with Henry as Henry Aldrich
- 1940 · Gallant Sons as Byron Newbold
- 1940 · Rodeo Dough as Jackie Cooper
- 1940 · The Return of Frank James as Clem
- 1940 · Seventeen as William Sylvanus Baxter
- 1939 · The Big Guy as Jimmy Hutchins
- 1939 · Hollywood Cavalcade as Burglar
- 1939 · What a Life as Henry Aldrich
- 1939 · Two Bright Boys as Rory O'Donnell
- 1939 · Streets of New York as James Michael 'Jimmy' Keenan
- 1939 · The Spirit of Culver as Tom Allen
- 1939 · Scouts to the Rescue as Bruce Scott
- 1938 · Newsboys' Home as Rifle Edwards
- 1938 · Gangster's Boy as Larry Kelly
- 1938 · That Certain Age as Kenneth Warren
- 1938 · White Banners as Peter Trimble
- 1938 · Bear Facts as Bear
- 1938 · Boy of the Streets as Chuck Brennan
- 1936 · The Devil Is a Sissy as 'Buck' Murphy
- 1936 · Tough Guy as Frederick Martindale Vincent III
- 1935 · O'Shaughnessy's Boy as Joseph "Stubby" O'Shaughnessy
- 1935 · Dinky as Dinky Daniels
- 1934 · Peck's Bad Boy as Bill Peck
- 1934 · Treasure Island as Jim Hawkins
- 1934 · Hollywood on Parade No. B-1 as
- 1933 · Lone Cowboy as Scooter O'Neal
- 1933 · The Bowery as Swipes McGurk
- 1933 · Broadway to Hollywood as Ted Hackett Jr. as Child
- 1932 · Hollywood on Parade No. A-3 as Self
- 1932 · Divorce In The Family as Terry Parker
- 1932 · When a Feller Needs a Friend as Edward Haverford 'Eddie' Randall
- 1931 · Sooky as Skippy
- 1931 · The Christmas Party as Himself
- 1931 · The Champ as Dink Purcell
- 1931 · Young Donovan's Kid as Midge Murray
- 1931 · Bargain Day as Jackie
- 1931 · Skippy as Skippy Skinner
- 1931 · Little Daddy as Jackie
- 1931 · Love Business as Jackie Cooper
- 1931 · Helping Grandma as Jackie
- 1930 · School's Out as Jackie Cooper
- 1930 · Teacher's Pet as Jackie
- 1930 · Pups Is Pups as Jackie
- 1930 · A Tough Winter as Jackie
- 1930 · Bear Shooters as Jackie
- 1930 · When the Wind Blows as Jackie
- 1930 · The Ghosts as Juanito
- 1930 · The First Seven Years as Jackie
- 1930 · Shivering Shakespeare as Jackie
- 1929 · Sunny Side Up as Jerry McGinnis (uncredited)
- 1929 · Moan & Groan, Inc. as Jackie
- 1929 · Bouncing Babies as Kid listening to Farina (uncredited)
- 1929 · Boxing Gloves as Jackie
- 1929 · Fox Movietone Follies of 1929 as Little Boy in 'That's You, Baby' Number (uncredited)