Jackie Coogan
Encyclopedia
John Leslie Coogan known professionally as Jackie Coogan, was an American actor who began his movie career as a child actor
in silent film
s. Many years later, he became known as Uncle Fester
on 1960s sitcom
The Addams Family
. In the interim, he sued his mother and stepfather over his squandered film earnings and provoked California to enact the first known legal protection for the earnings of child performers, billed as the Coogans Act.
to John Henry Coogan, Jr. and Lillian Rita (Dolliver) Coogan, as John Leslie Coogan (not John Leslie Coogan, Jr., as some sources indicate). He began performing as an infant in both vaudeville
and film, with an uncredited role in the 1917 film Skinner's Baby. Charlie Chaplin
discovered him in the Orpheum Theatre, Los Angeles
, a vaudeville house, doing the shimmy
, a popular dance at the time, on the stage. Coogan's father was also an actor. Jackie Coogan was a natural mimic and delighted Chaplin with his abilities.
He is best remembered as a child actor for his role as Chaplin's irascible sidekick in the film classic The Kid
(1921) and for the title role in Oliver Twist
, directed by Frank Lloyd
, the following year. He was one of the first stars to be heavily merchandised, with peanut butter, stationery, whistles, dolls, records, and figurines as some of Coogan merchandise offered. He traveled internationally, being greeted by huge crowds. Many of his early films are lost or unavailable, but Turner Classic Movies
recently presented The Rag Man
with a new score.
Coogan was tutored until the age of ten, when he entered Urban Military Academy
and other prep schools. He attended several colleges, as well as the University of Southern California
. In 1932 he dropped out of Santa Clara University
because of poor grades. On May 4, 1935, Coogan was the sole survivor of a deadly car crash in San Diego County that took the life of his father and his best friend Junior Durkin
, a child actor who appeared as Huckleberry Finn
in two early 1930s films. The accident happened just before Coogan's twenty-first birthday.
In November 1933, Brooke Hart
, a close friend of Coogan's from Santa Clara University
, was kidnapped from his family-owned department store in San Jose and brought to the San Francisco area San Mateo - Hayward Bridge. After several demands for a $40,000 ransom, police arrested Thomas Thurmond and John Holmes in San Jose
. Thurmond admitted that Hart had been murdered on the night he was kidnapped. Both men were then transferred to a prison in San Jose
, California
. Later a mob broke into the building; Thurmond and Holmes were then hanged
in an adjacent park. Coogan is reported to have been one of the mob that prepared and held the lynching rope.
gave him financial support.
The legal battle brought attention to child actors and resulted in the enactment of the California Child Actor's Bill, often called the Coogan Bill or the Coogan Act. This requires that a child actor's employer set aside 15% of the earnings in a trust, and codifies issues such as schooling, work hours and time-off.
, working with Near East Relief
. He toured across the United States and Europe in 1924 on a "Children's Crusade" as part of a fundraising drive, which ended up providing more than $1,000,000 in clothing, food, and other contributions (worth more than $13 million adjusted for 2010 dollars). Coogan was honored by officials in the US, Greece, and Rome, where he met with the Pope.
in March 1941. After the attack on Pearl Harbor
, he requested a transfer to United States Army Air Forces
as a glider
pilot because of his civilian flying experience. After graduating from glider school, he was made a flight officer
and he volunteered for hazardous duty with the 1st Air Commando Group
. In December 1943, the unit was sent to India. He flew British troops, the Chindits
, under General Orde Wingate on March 5, 1944, landing them at night in a small jungle clearing 100 miles behind Japanese lines in the Burma campaign.
series Cowboy G-Men
. He guest starred on NBC
's The Martha Raye Show
. He appeared too, as Corbett, in two episodes of NBC's The Outlaws
with Barton MacLane
, which aired from 1960–1962. In the 1960–1961 season, he guest starred in the episode "The Damaged Dolls" of the syndicated crime drama The Brothers Brannagan
.
Coogan had a regular role in a 1962–1963 NBC series, McKeever and the Colonel
. He finally found his most famous television role as Uncle Fester
in ABC
's The Addams Family
(1964–1966) as one of the older cast members; he was already in his fifties at this time. He appeared as a police officer in the Elvis Presley
comedy Girl Happy
in 1965.
In addition to The Addams Family, he appeared a number of times on the Perry Mason
series, and once on Emergency!
as a junkyard owner who tries to bribe the paramedics, who have come to inspect his property for fire safety. He also was featured in an episode of The Brady Bunch
("The Fender Benders"), I Dream of Jeannie
(as Jeannie's uncle, Suleiman - Maharaja
of Basenji), Family Affair
, Here's Lucy
and The Brian Keith Show
, and he continued to guest star on television (including multiple appearances on The Partridge Family
, The Wild Wild West
and Hawaii Five-O
) until his retirement in the middle 1970s.
aged 69 at Santa Monica Medical Center in Santa Monica, California
.
He is buried in Culver City
's Holy Cross Cemetery
. Coogan's younger brother Robert, also a child actor, died in 1978, aged 53.
Coogan has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
in front of 1654 Vine Street, just south of Hollywood Boulevard
.
Child actor
The term child actor or child actress is generally applied to a child acting in motion pictures or television, but also to an adult who began his or her acting career as a child; to avoid confusion, the latter is also called a former child actor...
in silent film
Silent film
A silent film is a film with no synchronized recorded sound, especially with no spoken dialogue. In silent films for entertainment the dialogue is transmitted through muted gestures, pantomime and title cards...
s. Many years later, he became known as Uncle Fester
Uncle Fester
Gordon Craven, Uncle Fester, or Fester Addams, is a member of the fictional Addams Family. He was played by Jackie Coogan in the original television series, by Christopher Lloyd in the first two feature films, and by Patrick Thomas in the third, Addams Family Reunion. Finally, Michael Roberds...
on 1960s sitcom
Situation comedy
A situation comedy, often shortened to sitcom, is a genre of comedy that features characters sharing the same common environment, such as a home or workplace, accompanied with jokes as part of the dialogue...
The Addams Family
The Addams Family (TV series)
The Addams Family is an American television series based on the characters in Charles Addams' New Yorker cartoons. The 30-minute series was shot in black-and-white and aired for two seasons in 64 installments on ABC from September 18, 1964, to April 8, 1966...
. In the interim, he sued his mother and stepfather over his squandered film earnings and provoked California to enact the first known legal protection for the earnings of child performers, billed as the Coogans Act.
Early life and early career
Coogan was born in 1914 in Los Angeles, CaliforniaLos Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
to John Henry Coogan, Jr. and Lillian Rita (Dolliver) Coogan, as John Leslie Coogan (not John Leslie Coogan, Jr., as some sources indicate). He began performing as an infant in both vaudeville
Vaudeville
Vaudeville was a theatrical genre of variety entertainment in the United States and Canada from the early 1880s until the early 1930s. Each performance was made up of a series of separate, unrelated acts grouped together on a common bill...
and film, with an uncredited role in the 1917 film Skinner's Baby. Charlie Chaplin
Charlie Chaplin
Sir Charles Spencer "Charlie" Chaplin, KBE was an English comic actor, film director and composer best known for his work during the silent film era. He became the most famous film star in the world before the end of World War I...
discovered him in the Orpheum Theatre, Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, a vaudeville house, doing the shimmy
Shimmy
A shimmy is a dance move in which the body is held still, except for the shoulders, which are alternated back and forth. When the right shoulder goes back, the left one comes forward. It may help to hold the arms out slightly bent at the elbow, and when the shoulders are moved, keep the hands in...
, a popular dance at the time, on the stage. Coogan's father was also an actor. Jackie Coogan was a natural mimic and delighted Chaplin with his abilities.
He is best remembered as a child actor for his role as Chaplin's irascible sidekick in the film classic The Kid
The Kid (1921 film)
The Kid is a 1921 American silent dramedy film written by, produced by, directed by and starring Charlie Chaplin, and features Jackie Coogan as his adopted son and sidekick. This was Chaplin's first full-length movie...
(1921) and for the title role in Oliver Twist
Oliver Twist (1922 film)
Oliver Twist is a 1922 silent film adaptation of Charles Dickens' Oliver Twist featuring Lon Chaney as Fagin, and Jackie Coogan as Oliver. Directed by Frank Lloyd.- Synopsis :Oliver's mother, a penniless outcast, died giving birth to him...
, directed by Frank Lloyd
Frank Lloyd
Frank Lloyd was a film director, scriptwriter and producer...
, the following year. He was one of the first stars to be heavily merchandised, with peanut butter, stationery, whistles, dolls, records, and figurines as some of Coogan merchandise offered. He traveled internationally, being greeted by huge crowds. Many of his early films are lost or unavailable, but Turner Classic Movies
Turner Classic Movies
Turner Classic Movies is a movie-oriented cable television channel, owned by the Turner Broadcasting System subsidiary of Time Warner, featuring commercial-free classic movies, mostly from the Turner Entertainment and MGM, United Artists, RKO and Warner Bros. film libraries...
recently presented The Rag Man
The Rag Man
The Rag Man is a 1925 film starring Jackie Coogan. The film was directed by Edward F. Cline, and written by Willard Mack. This was the first Jackie Coogan movie made entirely under the MGM banner.-Plot:...
with a new score.
Urban Military Academy
Urban Military Academy was a boarding and day school in Hollywood, California, for boys between the ages of six and fifteen, founded in 1905 by Mary McDonnell and at the time it opened "the only private school for boys in the City." Its commandant was Major Harry Lee Black, who in 1928 helped...
and other prep schools. He attended several colleges, as well as the University of Southern California
University of Southern California
The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
. In 1932 he dropped out of Santa Clara University
Santa Clara University
Santa Clara University is a private, not-for-profit, Jesuit-affiliated university located in Santa Clara, California, United States. Chartered by the state of California and accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges, it operates in collaboration with the Society of Jesus , whose...
because of poor grades. On May 4, 1935, Coogan was the sole survivor of a deadly car crash in San Diego County that took the life of his father and his best friend Junior Durkin
Junior Durkin
Junior Durkin, born Trent Bernard Durkin , was an American film actor from New York, New York. Durkin began his acting career in theater while a child. He entered films in 1930, and played the role of Huckleberry Finn in Tom Sawyer , and Huckleberry Finn...
, a child actor who appeared as Huckleberry Finn
Huckleberry Finn (character)
Huckleberry "Huck" Finn is a fictional character created by Mark Twain, who first appeared in the book The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and is the protagonist and narrator of its sequel, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. He is 12 or 13 years old during the former and a year older at the time of the latter...
in two early 1930s films. The accident happened just before Coogan's twenty-first birthday.
In November 1933, Brooke Hart
Brooke Hart
Brooke Hart was the oldest son of Alexander Hart, the owner of L. Hart and Son Department Store in San Jose, California. His kidnapping and murder was reported throughout the United States, and the lynching of his alleged murderers, Thomas Harold Thurmond and John M...
, a close friend of Coogan's from Santa Clara University
Santa Clara University
Santa Clara University is a private, not-for-profit, Jesuit-affiliated university located in Santa Clara, California, United States. Chartered by the state of California and accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges, it operates in collaboration with the Society of Jesus , whose...
, was kidnapped from his family-owned department store in San Jose and brought to the San Francisco area San Mateo - Hayward Bridge. After several demands for a $40,000 ransom, police arrested Thomas Thurmond and John Holmes in San Jose
San Jose, California
San Jose is the third-largest city in California, the tenth-largest in the U.S., and the county seat of Santa Clara County which is located at the southern end of San Francisco Bay...
. Thurmond admitted that Hart had been murdered on the night he was kidnapped. Both men were then transferred to a prison in San Jose
Downtown San Jose
Downtown San Jose is the central business district of San Jose, California, United States. The area is generally located north of Interstate 280 and east of Guadalupe Parkway, which roughly parallels the Guadalupe River. The region is bound to the north by U.S...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. Later a mob broke into the building; Thurmond and Holmes were then hanged
Lynching in the United States
Lynching, the practice of killing people by extrajudicial mob action, occurred in the United States chiefly from the late 18th century through the 1960s. Lynchings took place most frequently in the South from 1890 to the 1920s, with a peak in the annual toll in 1892.It is associated with...
in an adjacent park. Coogan is reported to have been one of the mob that prepared and held the lynching rope.
Coogan Bill
As a child star, Coogan earned an estimated $3 to $4 million (adjusted amount ranges from $40 million to $100 million), but the money was spent by his mother and stepfather, Arthur Bernstein, on extravagances such as fur coats, diamonds, and expensive cars. In their defense, Coogan's mother and stepfather claimed Jackie was having fun and thought he was playing. She stated, "No promises were ever made to give Jackie anything. Every dollar a kid earns before he is 21 belongs to his parents. Jackie will not get a cent of his earnings", and claimed that "Jackie was a bad boy." Coogan sued them in 1938, but after legal expenses, he only received $126,000 of the approximately $250,000 remaining of his earnings. When Coogan fell on hard times, Charlie ChaplinCharlie Chaplin
Sir Charles Spencer "Charlie" Chaplin, KBE was an English comic actor, film director and composer best known for his work during the silent film era. He became the most famous film star in the world before the end of World War I...
gave him financial support.
The legal battle brought attention to child actors and resulted in the enactment of the California Child Actor's Bill, often called the Coogan Bill or the Coogan Act. This requires that a child actor's employer set aside 15% of the earnings in a trust, and codifies issues such as schooling, work hours and time-off.
Charity work
Coogan took up the cause of the Armenians, Greeks, and others made destitute during the horrors of the First World WarArmenian Genocide
The Armenian Genocide—also known as the Armenian Holocaust, the Armenian Massacres and, by Armenians, as the Great Crime—refers to the deliberate and systematic destruction of the Armenian population of the Ottoman Empire during and just after World War I...
, working with Near East Relief
Near East Foundation
The Near East Foundation , formerly the American Committee for Armenian and Syrian Relief , is a Syracuse, NY-based American development agency founded in 1915....
. He toured across the United States and Europe in 1924 on a "Children's Crusade" as part of a fundraising drive, which ended up providing more than $1,000,000 in clothing, food, and other contributions (worth more than $13 million adjusted for 2010 dollars). Coogan was honored by officials in the US, Greece, and Rome, where he met with the Pope.
World War II
Coogan enlisted in the United States ArmyUnited States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
in March 1941. After the attack on Pearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor, known to Hawaiians as Puuloa, is a lagoon harbor on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, west of Honolulu. Much of the harbor and surrounding lands is a United States Navy deep-water naval base. It is also the headquarters of the U.S. Pacific Fleet...
, he requested a transfer to United States Army Air Forces
United States Army Air Forces
The United States Army Air Forces was the military aviation arm of the United States of America during and immediately after World War II, and the direct predecessor of the United States Air Force....
as a glider
Military glider
Military gliders have been used by the military of various countries for carrying troops and heavy equipment to a combat zone, mainly during the Second World War. These engineless aircraft were towed into the air and most of the way to their target by military transport planes, e.g...
pilot because of his civilian flying experience. After graduating from glider school, he was made a flight officer
Flight officer
The title flight officer was a military rank used by the United States Armed Forces where it was an air force warrant officer rank. It was also an air force rank in several Commonwealth nations where it was used for female officers and was equivalent to the rank of flight lieutenant...
and he volunteered for hazardous duty with the 1st Air Commando Group
1st Air Commando Group
The 1st Air Commando Group is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the Army Service Forces, based at Camp Kilmer, New Jersey. It was inactivated on 3 November 1945....
. In December 1943, the unit was sent to India. He flew British troops, the Chindits
Chindits
The Chindits were a British India "Special Force" that served in Burma and India in 1943 and 1944 during the Burma Campaign in World War II. They were formed into long range penetration groups trained to operate deep behind Japanese lines...
, under General Orde Wingate on March 5, 1944, landing them at night in a small jungle clearing 100 miles behind Japanese lines in the Burma campaign.
Television
After the war, Coogan returned to acting, taking mostly character roles and appearing on television. From 1952 to 1953, he played Stoney Crockett on the syndicatedTelevision syndication
In broadcasting, syndication is the sale of the right to broadcast radio shows and television shows by multiple radio stations and television stations, without going through a broadcast network, though the process of syndication may conjure up structures like those of a network itself, by its very...
series Cowboy G-Men
Cowboy G-Men
Cowboy G-Men is an American Western series that aired in syndication from September 1952 to June 1953, for a total of thirty-nine episodes.-Synopsis:...
. He guest starred on NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
's The Martha Raye Show
The Martha Raye Show
The Martha Raye Show is an hour-long comedy/variety show which aired live on NBC from January 23, 1954, to May 29, 1956. The series was hosted by the late Martha Raye, a Montana native, who often called herself "The Big Mouth." Her boyfriend on the program and a foil for her humor was portrayed by...
. He appeared too, as Corbett, in two episodes of NBC's The Outlaws
The Outlaws (1960 TV series)
Outlaws is an NBC Western television series, starring Barton MacLane as U.S. marshal Frank Caine, who operated in a lawless section of Oklahoma Territory about Stillwater. The program aired 50 one-hour episodes from September 29, 1960, to May 10, 1962. The first season was shot in black-and-white,...
with Barton MacLane
Barton MacLane
Barton MacLane was an American actor, playwright, and screenwriter. Although he has appeared in many classic films from the 1930s through the 1960s, he was known for his role as Gen...
, which aired from 1960–1962. In the 1960–1961 season, he guest starred in the episode "The Damaged Dolls" of the syndicated crime drama The Brothers Brannagan
The Brothers Brannagan
The Brothers Brannagan is an American crime drama television series that aired in syndication from September 24, 1960, and July 15, 1961.-Synopsis:...
.
Coogan had a regular role in a 1962–1963 NBC series, McKeever and the Colonel
McKeever And The Colonel
McKeever and the Colonel is a situation comedy that was broadcast on NBC television in the United States from 1962-1963. Its setting was a Westfield military academy. Dick Powell's Four Star Television produced the series....
. He finally found his most famous television role as Uncle Fester
Uncle Fester
Gordon Craven, Uncle Fester, or Fester Addams, is a member of the fictional Addams Family. He was played by Jackie Coogan in the original television series, by Christopher Lloyd in the first two feature films, and by Patrick Thomas in the third, Addams Family Reunion. Finally, Michael Roberds...
in ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
's The Addams Family
The Addams Family (TV series)
The Addams Family is an American television series based on the characters in Charles Addams' New Yorker cartoons. The 30-minute series was shot in black-and-white and aired for two seasons in 64 installments on ABC from September 18, 1964, to April 8, 1966...
(1964–1966) as one of the older cast members; he was already in his fifties at this time. He appeared as a police officer in the Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King"....
comedy Girl Happy
Girl Happy
Girl Happy is a 1965 American musical romantic comedy in the beach party film and spring break style, starring Elvis Presley.This was the last mega-successful Elvis Presley film at the box office, finishing at #25 on the Variety year-end top-grossing films of 1965 chart and making $3 million,...
in 1965.
In addition to The Addams Family, he appeared a number of times on the Perry Mason
Perry Mason (TV series)
Perry Mason is an American legal drama produced by Paisano Productions that ran from September 1957 to May 1966 on CBS. The title character, portrayed by Raymond Burr, is a fictional Los Angeles defense attorney who originally appeared in detective fiction by Erle Stanley Gardner...
series, and once on Emergency!
Emergency!
Emergency! is an American television series that combines the medical drama and action-adventure genres. It was produced by Mark VII Limited and distributed by Universal Studios...
as a junkyard owner who tries to bribe the paramedics, who have come to inspect his property for fire safety. He also was featured in an episode of The Brady Bunch
The Brady Bunch
The Brady Bunch is an American sitcom created by Sherwood Schwartz and starring Robert Reed, Florence Henderson, and Ann B. Davis. The series revolved around a large blended family...
("The Fender Benders"), I Dream of Jeannie
I Dream of Jeannie
I Dream of Jeannie is a 1960s American sitcom with a fantasy premise. The show starred Barbara Eden as a 2,000-year-old genie, and Larry Hagman as an astronaut who becomes her master, with whom she falls in love and eventually marries...
(as Jeannie's uncle, Suleiman - Maharaja
Maharaja
Mahārāja is a Sanskrit title for a "great king" or "high king". The female equivalent title Maharani denotes either the wife of a Maharaja or, in states where that was customary, a woman ruling in her own right. The widow of a Maharaja is known as a Rajamata...
of Basenji), Family Affair
Family Affair
Family Affair is an American sitcom that aired on CBS from September 12, 1966 to September 9, 1971. The series explored the trials of well-to-do civil engineer and bachelor Bill Davis as he attempted to raise his brother's orphaned children in his luxury New York City apartment. Davis' traditional...
, Here's Lucy
Here's Lucy
Here's Lucy is Lucille Ball's third network television sitcom. It ran on CBS from 1968 to 1974.-Background:Though The Lucy Show was still hugely popular during the previous season, finishing in the top five of the Nielsen Ratings , Ball opted to end that series at the end of that season and create...
and The Brian Keith Show
The Brian Keith Show
The Brian Keith Show is an American sitcom that aired on NBC from September 1972 to March 1974. The series stars Brian Keith and Shelley Fabares.-Synopsis:...
, and he continued to guest star on television (including multiple appearances on The Partridge Family
The Partridge Family
The Partridge Family is an American television sitcom about a widowed mother and her five children who embark on a music career. The series originally ran from September 25, 1970 until August 31, 1974, the last new episode airing on March 23, 1974, on the ABC network, as part of a Friday-night lineup...
, The Wild Wild West
The Wild Wild West
The Wild Wild West is an American television series that ran on CBS for four seasons from September 17, 1965 to April 4, 1969....
and Hawaii Five-O
Hawaii Five-O
Hawaii Five-O is an American police procedural drama series produced by CBS Productions and Leonard Freeman. Set in Hawaii, the show originally aired for twelve seasons from 1968 to 1980, and continues in reruns. The show featured a fictional state police unit run by Detective Steve McGarrett,...
) until his retirement in the middle 1970s.
Marriages and children
- Betty GrableBetty GrableElizabeth Ruth "Betty" Grable was an American actress, dancer and singer.Her iconic bathing suit photo made her the number-one pin-up girl of the World War II era. It was later included in the LIFE magazine project "100 Photos that Changed the World"...
, married on November 20, 1937, divorced on October 11, 1939. - Flower Parry, married on August 10, 1941, divorced on June 29, 1943.
- One son, John Anthony Coogan (writer/producer 3D digital & film), born March 4, 1942 in Los Angeles, California.
- Ann McCormack, married on December 26, 1946, divorced on September 20, 1951.
- One daughter, Joann Dolliver Coogan, born April 2, 1948 in Los Angeles, California.
- Dorothea Odetta Hanson aka Dorothea Lamphere, best known as Dodie, married on April 1952, they were together until his death.
- One daughter, Leslie Diane Coogan, born November 24, 1953 in Los Angeles, California. Her son is the actor Keith CooganKeith CooganKeith Coogan is an American actor. He is a grandson of actor Jackie Coogan.-Biography:Coogan was born Keith Eric Mitchell in Palm Springs, California, the son of Leslie Diane Coogan Mitchell, an actress...
, who was born January 13, 1970. He began acting in 1975. Two years after his grandfather's death in 1986 he changed his name to Keith Coogan from Keith Eric Mitchell. He played the oldest son in Adventures in BabysittingAdventures in BabysittingAdventures in Babysitting is a 1987 American comedy film written by David Simkins, directed by Chris Columbus, and starring Elisabeth Shue, Maia Brewton, Keith Coogan, Anthony Rapp, Penelope Ann Miller, Bradley Whitford, and a brief cameo by blues singer/guitarist Albert Collins...
. Footage of Jackie with his grandson, Keith (uncredited on the imdb.com page) can be seen in the 1982 documentary "Hollywood's Children". - One son, Christopher Fenton Coogan, born July 9, 1967 in Riverside County, California. He died in a motorcycle accident in Palm Springs, California, on June 29, 1990.
- One daughter, Leslie Diane Coogan, born November 24, 1953 in Los Angeles, California. Her son is the actor Keith Coogan
Death
On March 1, 1984, Coogan died of cardiac arrestCardiac arrest
Cardiac arrest, is the cessation of normal circulation of the blood due to failure of the heart to contract effectively...
aged 69 at Santa Monica Medical Center in Santa Monica, California
Santa Monica, California
Santa Monica is a beachfront city in western Los Angeles County, California, US. Situated on Santa Monica Bay, it is surrounded on three sides by the city of Los Angeles — Pacific Palisades on the northwest, Brentwood on the north, West Los Angeles on the northeast, Mar Vista on the east, and...
.
He is buried in Culver City
Culver City, California
Culver City is a city in western Los Angeles County, California. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 38,883, up from 38,816 at the 2000 census. It is mostly surrounded by the city of Los Angeles, but also shares a border with unincorporated areas of Los Angeles County. Culver...
's Holy Cross Cemetery
Holy Cross Cemetery, Culver City
Holy Cross Cemetery is a Roman Catholic cemetery at 5835 West Slauson Avenue in Culver City, California, operated by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles....
. Coogan's younger brother Robert, also a child actor, died in 1978, aged 53.
Coogan has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
Hollywood Walk of Fame
The Hollywood Walk of Fame consists of more than 2,400 five-pointed terrazzo and brass stars embedded in the sidewalks along fifteen blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of Vine Street in Hollywood, California...
in front of 1654 Vine Street, just south of Hollywood Boulevard
Hollywood Boulevard
-Revitalization:In recent years successful efforts have been made at cleaning up Hollywood Blvd., as the street had gained a reputation for crime and seediness. Central to these efforts was the construction of the Hollywood and Highland shopping center and adjacent Kodak Theatre in 2001...
.
Selected filmography
- Skinner's Baby (Uncredited, 1917)
- A Day's PleasureA Day's PleasureA Day's Pleasure is Charlie Chaplin's fourth film for First National Films. It was created at the Chaplin Studio. It was a quickly made two-reeler to help fill a gap while working on his first feature The Kid. It is about a day outing with his wife and the kids and things don't go smoothly. Edna...
(1919) - The KidThe Kid (1921 film)The Kid is a 1921 American silent dramedy film written by, produced by, directed by and starring Charlie Chaplin, and features Jackie Coogan as his adopted son and sidekick. This was Chaplin's first full-length movie...
(1921) - Peck's Bad Boy (1921)
- My Boy (1921)
- Nice and Friendly (1922)
- Trouble (1922)
- Oliver TwistOliver Twist (1922 film)Oliver Twist is a 1922 silent film adaptation of Charles Dickens' Oliver Twist featuring Lon Chaney as Fagin, and Jackie Coogan as Oliver. Directed by Frank Lloyd.- Synopsis :Oliver's mother, a penniless outcast, died giving birth to him...
(1922) - Daddy (1923)
- Circus DaysCircus DaysCircus Days is a feature length silent film comedy starring then child actor Jackie Coogan, directed by Eddie Cline, produced by Sol Lesser and Jackie Coogan's own production company, and distributed through Associated First National Pictures....
(1923) - Long Live the King (1923)
- A Boy of Flanders (1924)
- Little Robinson CrusoeLittle Robinson CrusoeLittle Robinson Crusoe is a 1924 film starring Jackie Coogan. The film was directed by Edward F. Cline and written by Willard Mack. This movie is unknown to survive.-Plot:...
(1924) - Hello, 'Frisco (1924)
- The Rag ManThe Rag ManThe Rag Man is a 1925 film starring Jackie Coogan. The film was directed by Edward F. Cline, and written by Willard Mack. This was the first Jackie Coogan movie made entirely under the MGM banner.-Plot:...
(1925) - Old ClothesOld ClothesOld Clothes is a 1925 MGM silent film, starring Jackie Coogan and Joan Crawford.This was the first film in which Miss Crawford was credited with her new name — Joan Crawford...
(1925) - Johnny Get Your Hair CutJohnny Get Your Hair CutJohnny Get Your Hair Cut is a 1927 comedy film directed by B. Reeves Eason and featuring Harry Carey.-Cast:* Jackie Coogan - Johnny O'Day* Harry Carey* James Corrigan - Pop Slocum* Maurice Costello - Baxter Ryan* Bobby Doyle - Bobby Dolin...
(1927) - The Bugle Call (1927)
- Buttons (1927)
- Tom SawyerTom Sawyer (1930 film)Tom Sawyer is a 1930 American drama film directed by John Cromwell. The screenplay by Grover Jones, William Slavens McNutt, and Sam Mintz is based on the 1876 novel The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain....
(1930) - Huckleberry FinnHuckleberry Finn (1931 film)Huckleberry Finn is a 1931 American comedy film directed by Norman Taurog. This is another version of the classic novel by Mark Twain and is a follow-up to Tom Sawyer . It isn't a faithful version of the book, as it skips some vital episodes and creates a few others. According to Leonard Maltin,...
(1931) - Home on the RangeHome on the Range (1935 film)Home on the Range is a 1935 American drama film directed by Arthur Jacobson and starring Jackie Coogan.- Cast :* Jackie Coogan as Jack Hatfield* Randolph Scott as Tom Hatfield* Evelyn Brent as Georgia* Dean Jagger as Thurman* Addison Richards as Beady...
(1935) - Million Dollar LegsMillion Dollar Legs (1939 film)Million Dollar Legs is a 1939 American comedy film starring Betty Grable, John Hartley, Donald O'Connor, and Jackie Coogan.-Cast:* Betty Grable as Carol Parker* John Hartley as Greg Melton Jr.* Donald O'Connor as Sticky Boone...
(1939) - Cowboy G-MenCowboy G-MenCowboy G-Men is an American Western series that aired in syndication from September 1952 to June 1953, for a total of thirty-nine episodes.-Synopsis:...
(1952–1953) - Girl HappyGirl HappyGirl Happy is a 1965 American musical romantic comedy in the beach party film and spring break style, starring Elvis Presley.This was the last mega-successful Elvis Presley film at the box office, finishing at #25 on the Variety year-end top-grossing films of 1965 chart and making $3 million,...
(1965) - The Shakiest Gun in the WestThe Shakiest Gun in the WestThe Shakiest Gun in the West is a 1968 Western comedy film starring Don Knotts. It was directed by Alan Rafkin and written by Jim Fritzell and Everett Greenbaum.The film is a remake of The Paleface, a 1948 movie starring Bob Hope and Jane Russell....
(1968)
Further reading
- Jackie Coogan: The World's Boy King: A Biography of Hollywood's Legendary Child Star, Diana Serra CaryDiana Serra CaryDiana Serra Cary , best known as Baby Peggy, was one of the three major American child stars of the Hollywood silent movie era along with Jackie Coogan and Baby Marie....
, Scarecrow Press, 2003, ISBN 0-8108-4650-0. - The First Male Stars: Men of the Silent Era by David W. Menefee. Albany: Bear Manor Media, 2007.