Matinee Classics - Merian C. Cooper Biography & Filmography

Merian C. Cooper DIRECTOR

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MERIAN C. COOPER BIOGRAPHY & FILMOGRAPHY:

Merian Coldwell Cooper was born October 24, 1893 in Jacksonville, Florida. During World War I he served as a bomber pilot for the United States Army Air Service, but was shot down and spent the remainder of the war in a prisoner of war camp. After the war ended, he became a volunteer for the Kościuszko Squadron, which supported Poland during the Polish-Soviet War. Here he met best friend and producing partner Ernest B. Schoedsack. On July 26, 1920, his plane was shot down and he spent nine months in a Soviet POW camp. He finally escaped from the camp just before the draw of the war, and was showered with multiple military awards.

He then decided to begin creating movies with Schoedsck. They made a couple documentaries for Paramount Pictures first: "Grass: A Nation's Battle for Life" (1925) and "Chang: A Drama of the West" (1927). Cooper went on his own following the release of his two first pictures, but continued to frequently collaborate with his wartime friend.

He filmed, directed, produced, or helped write a number of pictures like "The Four Feathers" (1929), "Roar of the Dragon" (1932), "The Phantom of Crestwood" (1932), and "The Monkey's Paw" (1933) before once again working with Schoedsack on their incredibly successful "King Kong" (1933). The horror classic showed Cooper's technical innovation, which he would continue to improve on. In fact, he helped pave the way to such inventions as Technicolor and the widescreen showing process called Cinerama.

After "King Kong", Cooper gave up directing to focus solely on producing, as he had succeeded friend David O. Selznick as president of production for RKO. He remained as so until 1936, turning out such features as "Aggie Appleby Maker of Men" (1933), "Success at Any Price" (1934), "She" (1935), and "Dancing Pirate" (1936). Selznick then gave Cooper the title of vice-president at his own production company, Selznick International Pictures.

When World War II broke out, the filmmaker enlisted and became chief of staff to General Claire Chennault in China. When he finally retired from the military after the war, he was named a brigadier general in the US Air Force. Cooper returned to making films in 1947, teaming up with western director John Ford to form Argosy Productions. Together they produced such hits as "The Fugitive" (1947), "She Wore a Yellow Ribbon" (1949), "Wagon Master" (1950), "Rio Grande" (1950), Best Picture Oscar nominated "The Quiet Man" (1952), and "The Searchers" (1956). As well, Cooper produced Schoedsack's King Kong-esque adventure film "Mighty Joe Young" (1949).

His final production efforts were the documentaries "Seven Wonders of the World" (1956) and "Best of Cinerama" (1963), although his writings and storylines for "King Kong" have been interpreted and redone multiple times in films like "King Kong Lives" (1986), "Mighty Joe Young" (1998), and "King Kong" (2005). Cooper died on April 21, 1973 in San Diego, California due to cancer. For his great work in the motion picture industry, he was awarded with both an Honorary Award from the Academy Awards and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Filmography

2005 King Kong

2005 Kong: King of Atlantis

2000 Kong: The Animated Series

2000 Kong

1998 Mighty Joe Young

1998 The Mighty Kong

1986 King Kong Lives

1976 King Kong

1963 Best of Cinerama

1956 Seven Wonders of the World

1956 The Searchers

1953 The Sun Shines Bright