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Theatre, Film, and Television Biographies
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Brian Patrick Clarke to Charlotte Cornwell
Gary Cooper Biography (1901-1961)
Original name, Frank James Cooper; born May 7, 1901, in Helena, MT; died of cancer, May 31, 1961, in Beverly Hills, CA; raised in England, 1910-17; son ofCharles Henry (a lawyer, judge, and rancher) and Alice Cooper; married Veronica Balfe (some sources say Sandra Shaw), 1933; children: Maria.
- Nationality
- American
- Gender
- Male
- Birth Details
- May 7, 1901
- Helena, Montana, United States
- Death Details
- May 31, 1961
- Beverly Hills, California, United States
Famous Works
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Credits; Film Appearances
- Masked Cossack, The Eagle, 1925.
- Extra, Dick Turpin, 1925.
- The Lucky Horseshoe, 1925.
- The Thundering Herd, 1925.
- Tricks, 1925.
- The Vanishing American (also known as The Vanishing Race), 1925.
- Wild Horse Mesa, 1925.
- Lightnin' Wins, 1926.
- The Enchanted Hill, 1926.
- Extra, Old Ironsides (also known as Sons of the Sea), 1926.
- Three Pals, 1926.
- Watch Your Wife, 1926.
- Abe Lee, The Winning of Barbara Worth, United Artists, 1926.
- Cadet White, Wings (silent), Paramount, 1927.
- Sheriff Buddy Hale, The Last Outlaw, 1927.
- Ted Larrabee, Children of Divorce, 1927.
- Cowboy Dave Saulter, Arizona Bound, 1927.
- Newspaper reporter, It, Paramount, 1927.
- Jim Lacy, Nevada, 1927.
- William Tyler, The Shopworn Angel, Paramount, 1928.
- Captain Philip Blythe, Lilac Time (also known as Love Never Dies), 1928.
- Mulligan Talbot, The First Kiss, 1928.
- Gale Price, The Legion of the Condemned, 1928.
- Arnold Furze, Doomsday, 1928.
- Major Henri de Beaujolais, Beau Sabreur, 1928.
- Captain Edmunds, Half a Bride, 1928.
- Title role, The Virginian, Famous Players, 1929.
- Sam Lash, Wolf Song, Paramount, 1929.
- Andre Frey, Betrayal, 1929.
- Paramount on Parade, Paramount, 1930.
- Jim Baker, A Man from Wyoming, Paramount, 1930.
- Tom Brown, Morocco, Paramount, 1930.
- Captain James Braydon, Only the Brave, Paramount, 1930.
- Kenneth Dowey, Seven Days' Leave, Paramount, 1930.
- Roy Glenister, The Spoilers, Paramount, 1930.
- Enrique "Quico", The Texan, Paramount, 1930.
- The Kid, City Streets, Paramount, 1931.
- Clint Belmet, Fighting Caravans (also known as Blazing Arrows), Paramount, 1931.
- Captain Sam Whalan, His Woman, Paramount, 1931.
- Tom McNair, I Take This Woman, Paramount, 1931.
- Reporter, The Slippery Pearls (short; also known as The Stolen Jools), 1931.
- Himself, The Voice of Hollywood Number 13, 1932.
- Lieutenant Sempter, The Devil and the Deep, Paramount, 1932.
- Lieutenant Frederic Henry, A Farewell to Arms, Paramount, 1932.
- Gallagher, If I Had a Million, Paramount, 1932.
- Himself, Make Me a Star, Paramount, 1932.
- White Knight, Alice in Wonderland, Paramount, 1933.
- George Curtis, Design for Living, Paramount, 1933.
- Lucius "Biff" Griffith Grimes, One Sunday Afternoon, Paramount, 1933.
- Richard Bogard, Today We Live, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1933.
- Jerry Day, Now and Forever, Paramount, 1934.
- Captain Jack Gailliard, Operator 13 (also known as Spy 13), Metro- Goldwyn-Mayer, 1934.
- Lieutenant Alan McGregor, The Lives of a Bengal Lancer, Paramount, 1935.
- Title role, Peter Ibbetson, Paramount, 1935.
- Tony Barrett, The Wedding Night, United Artists, 1935.
- Himself, Star Night at the Coconut Grove (short), 1935.
- Tom Bradley, Desire, Paramount, 1936.
- O'Hara, The General Died at Dawn, Paramount, 1936.
- Man at bar, Hollywood Boulevard, Paramount, 1936.
- Longfellow Deeds, Mr. Deeds Goes to Town, Columbia, 1936.
- La Fiesta de Santa Barbara (short), 1936.
- Wild Bill Hickok, The Plainsman, Paramount, 1937.
- Michael "Nuggin" Taylor, Souls at Sea, Paramount, 1937.
- Himself, Lest We Forget (short), 1937.
- Title role, The Adventures of Marco Polo, United Artists, 1938.
- Michael Brandon, Bluebeard's Eighth Wife, Paramount, 1938.
- Stretch Willoughby, The Cowboy and the Lady, United Artists, 1938.
- Michael "Beau" Geste, Beau Geste, Paramount, 1939.
- Dr. Bill Canavan, The Real Glory, United Artists, 1939.
- Dusty Rivers, Northwest Mounted Police, Paramount, 1940.
- Cole Hardin, The Westerner, United Artists, 1940.
- Professor Bertram Potts, Ball of Fire (also known as The Professor and the Burlesque Queen), RKO Radio Pictures, 1941.
- "John Doe"/Long John Willoughby, Meet John Doe, Warner Bros., 1941.
- Sergeant Alvin C. York, Sergeant York, Warner Bros., 1941.
- Lou Gehrig, The Pride of the Yankees, RKO Radio Pictures, 1942.
- Himself, Hedda Hopper's Hollywood Number 3, 1942.
- Robert Jordan, For Whom the Bell Tolls, Paramount, 1943.
- Title role, Casanova Brown, RKO Radio Pictures, 1944.
- Dr. Corydon M. Wassell, The Story of Dr. Wassell, Paramount, 1944.
- Himself, Memo for Joe, 1944.
- Melody Jones, Along Came Jones, International and RKO Radio Pictures, 1945.
- Colonel Clint Maroon, Saratoga Trunk, Warner Bros., 1945.
- Professor Alvah Jesper, Cloak and Dagger, Warner Bros., 1946.
- Captain Christopher Holden, Unconquered, Paramount, 1947.
- Himself, Variety Girl, Paramount, 1947.
- Sam Clayton, Good Sam, RKO Radio Pictures, 1948.
- Howard Roark, The Fountainhead, Warner Bros., 1949.
- Himself, It's a Great Feeling, Warner Bros., 1949.
- Jonathan L. Scott, Task Force, Warner Bros., 1949.
- Narrator, Snow Carnival (short), 1949.
- Brant Royle, Bright Leaf, Warner Bros., 1950.
- Blayde "Reb" Hollister, Dallas, Warner Bros., 1950.
- Captain Quincy Wyatt, Distant Drums, Warner Bros., 1951.
- Texas, It's a Big Country, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1951.
- Guest star, Starlift, Warner Bros., 1951.
- Lieutenant John Harkness, You're in the Navy Now (also known as U.S.S. Teakettle), Twentieth Century-Fox, 1951.
- Will Kane, High Noon, United Artists, 1952.
- Major Alex Kearney, Springfield Rifle, Warner Bros., 1952.
- Jeff Dawson, Blowing Wild, Warner Bros., 1953.
- Mr. Morgan, Return to Paradise, United Artists, 1953.
- Hooker, Garden of Evil, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1954.
- Benjamin Trane, Vera Cruz, United Artists, 1954.
- General Billy Mitchell, The Court-Martial of Billy Mitchell (also known as One-Man Mutiny), Warner Bros., 1955.
- Jess Birdwell, Friendly Persuasion, Allied Artists, 1956.
- Frank Flanagan, Love in the Afternoon, Allied Artists, 1957.
- Joe Chapin, Ten North Frederick, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1958.
- Link Jones, Man of the West, United Artists, 1958.
- Himself, Alias Jesse James, United Artists, 1959.
- Doc Joseph Frail, The Hanging Tree, Warner Bros., 1959.
- Major Thomas Thorn, They Came to Cordura, Columbia, 1959.
- Gideon Patch, The Wreck of the Mary Deare, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1959.
- George Radcliffe, The Naked Edge, United Artists, 1961.
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Credits; Film Work
- Producer, Along Came Jones, International and RKO Radio Pictures, 1945.
- Producer, Snow Carnival (short), 1949.
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Credits; Television Appearances; Episodic
- "The Gary Cooper Show," The Jack Benny Program, CBS, 1958.
- Narrator, "The Real West," Project 20, 1961.
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Writings;Periodicals
- "The Big Boy Tells His Story," Photoplay, April and May, 1929.
- "The Role I Liked Best," Saturday Evening Post (Philadelphia, PA), May 6,1950.
- "Well It Was This Way," Saturday Evening Post (Philadelphia), February, March, and April, 1956.
Further Reference
Books:
- Arce, Hectore, Gary Cooper: An Intimate Biography, New York, 1979.
- Carpozi, George Jr., The Gary Cooper Story, New Rochelle, NY, 1970.
- Gehman, Richard, The Tall American: The Story of Gary Cooper, New York,1963.
- International Dictionary of Film and Filmmakers, Volume 3, Actors and Actresses, St. James (Detroit, MI), 1997.
- Kaminsky, Stuart, Coop: The Life and Legend of Gary Cooper, New York, 1980.
- Meyers, Jeffrey, Gary Cooper: An American Life, William Morrow, 1998.
- Wayne, Jane Ellen, Cooper's Women, New York, 1988.
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