John Coogan
| Jackie Coogan | |
|---|---|
Jackie Coogan with Charlie Chaplin in The Kid.
|
|
| Born |
John Leslie Coogan October 26, 1914 Los Angeles, California |
| Died | March 1, 1984 (aged 69) Santa Monica, California |
| Cause of death | Cardiac arrest |
| Resting place |
Holy Cross Cemetery, Culver City, California |
| Nationality | American |
| Occupation | Actor, comedian |
| Years active | 1917–1984 |
| Spouse(s) |
Betty Grable (m. 1937; div. 1939) Flower Parry (m. 1941; div. 1943) Ann McCormack (m. 1946; div. 1951) Dorothea Lamphere (m. 1952; his death 1984) |
| Children | 4 |
| Relatives | Keith Coogan (grandson) |
| Military career | |
| Allegiance |
 United States
|
| Service/branch |
 U.S. Army Air Forces
|
| Years of service | 1941–1945 |
| Rank |
 Lieutenant
|
| Unit | 1st Air Commando Group |
| Battles/wars |
World War II: Burma Campaign |
| Awards |
 Air Medal
|
John Leslie "Jackie" Coogan (October 26, 1914 – March 1, 1984) was an American actor and comedian who began his movie career as a child actor in silent films.
Charlie Chaplin's film classic The Kid (1921) made him one of the first child stars in film history. He later 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, widely known as the Coogan Act. Coogan continued to act throughout his life, later earning renewed fame in middle age portraying Uncle Fester in the 1960s TV series The Addams Family.
He was born as John Leslie Coogan in 1914 in Los Angeles, California, to John Henry Coogan Jr. and Lillian Rita (Dolliver) Coogan. 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, a vaudeville house in Los Angeles, on the stage doing the shimmy, a dance popular at the time. Coogan's father was also an actor, as was his younger brother, Robert Coogan. Jackie Coogan was a natural mimic and delighted Chaplin with his abilities. Chaplin cast him in a small role in A Day's Pleasure (1919). He was Chaplin's irascible companion in The Kid (1921) and the following year played the title role in Oliver Twist, directed by Frank Lloyd. Coogan was one of the first stars to be heavily merchandised. Peanut butter, stationery, whistles, dolls, records, and figurines were among the Coogan-themed merchandise on sale.
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