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