Jackie Cooper Died at Age 88. Actor Starred in: "Skippy," "Our Gang," "Treasure Island" and "The Champ"

Jackie Cooper

Jackie Cooper  was born September 15, 1922 in Los Angeles.  His father left home when he was only 2 years old and was raised by his mother who was a stage pianist and actress.  He got his fist job in acting when he appeared with his grandmother as an xtra.  Jackie Cooper  was known for such great films as; Skippy, 1931, Our Gang, The Champ in 1931 and Treasure Island, 1934.  As he got older it was much harder for him to get jobs in acting.  Some say that he was not the best looking guy during his adolescence and had turned to doing TV shows. Some include; Hennesey and the People's Choice, and Legal Justice in 1954.
He later went on to other TV shows for acting and also did some directing. Jackie Cooper  retired from the entertainment business in 1989 and  went on to train race horses at Hollywood Park in California.  He was married 3 times; June Horne 1940-44 and the couple had one son, Jack Cooper. His second wife was Hildy Parks and the marriage only lasted for one year, 1950-1951.  His last marriage was to Barbara Kraus 1954 to her death in 2009.  The couple had 3 kids and only one is living today.  In 1982, Jackie Cooper wrote an autobiography, Please Don't Shoot My Dog. He used that title because he was told by his uncle who directed, Skippy in 1931 that if he didn't cry in the movie that he would shoot his dog.  That horrible comment must have been vivid in Mr Cooper's memory til his death. Mr Cooper received a star on the "Hollywood Walk of Fame."  Jackie Cooper died at a hospital in Beverly Hills on May 3, 2011.