Frank James Cooper was born on May 7, 1901, in Helena, Montana, but as a child lived in Dunstable, England, the land of his heritage. He and his older brother, Arthur Le Roy, attended grammar school in Dunstable between 1910 and 1913. At the age of thirteen, he was injured in an automobile accident and moved to his father’s cattle ranch in Montana to recuperate. There he learned to ride horses and became friendly with his neighbor, ten year old Myrna Loy.
He moved to Los Angeles as a young man in 1924 where he hoped to pursue a career as an artist in the advertising industry. After a few months, he discovered he was not suitable for the advertising world, and drifted into the burgeoning motion picture industry. He worked as an extra for almost a year before landing a real part in a “two reeler” opposite Eileen Sedgewick. Paramount soon offered him a contract and he changed his first name to Gary on the advice of his agent.
Gary Cooper appeared in more than one hundred films over the course of his almost three decade career. Known as “Coop” to his friends and colleagues, he won his first Academy Award for “Best Actor” in 1941 for his work in the film, “Sergeant York.” His second Academy Award came in 1952 for his much acclaimed performance as Marshall Will Kane opposite Grace Kelly in “High Noon.”
He had many well-publicized affairs before marrying Veronica Balfe, a Roman Catholic socialite with whom he had one daughter, Maria. Despite his conversion to Catholicism to please his wife and other promises, he had affairs while married as well, both with co-stars Patricia Neal and Grace Kelly.
He died at the age of 60 from lung cancer on May 13, 1961. He has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6243 Hollywood Boulevard. He was also inducted into the Western Performers Hall of Fame in Oklahoma City in 1966. Irving Berlin immortalized his name in his song, “Puttin’ On The Ritz” with the line, “Tryin’ hard to look like Gary Cooper (super duper)”.
What are some of your favorite Gary Cooper performances? Please share.