Jackie Cooper Movies
American actor Jackie Cooper was in movies at the age of three; his father had abandoned the family when Jackie was two, forcing his mother to rely upon the boy's acting income to keep food on the table. Shortly after earning his first featured part in Fox Movietone Follies of 1929. Cooper was hired for producer Hal Roach's "Our Gang" two-reeler series, appearing in 15 shorts over the next two years. The "leading man" in many of these comedies, he was most effective in those scenes wherein he displayed a crush on his new teacher, the beauteous Miss Crabtree. On the strength of "Our Gang," Paramount Pictures signed Cooper for the title role in the feature film Skippy (1931), which earned the boy an Oscar nomination. A contract with MGM followed, and for the next five years Cooper was frequently co-starred with blustery character player Wallace Beery. Cooper outgrew his preteen cuteness by the late 1930s, and was forced to accept whatever work that came along, enjoying the occasional plum role in such films as The Return of Frank James (1940) and What a Life! (1941). His priorities rearranged by his wartime Naval service, Cooper returned to the states determined to stop being a mere "personality" and to truly learn to be an actor. This he did on Broadway and television, notably as the star of two popular TV sitcoms of the 1950s, The People's Choice and Hennessey. Cooper developed a taste for directing during this period (he would earn an Emmy for his directorial work on M*A*S*H in 1973), and also devoted much of his time in the 1960s to the production end of the business; in 1965 he was appointed vice-president in charge of production at Screen Gems, the TV subsidiary of Columbia Pictures. From the early 1970s onward, Cooper has juggled acting, producing and directing with equal aplomb. Modern audiences know Cooper best as the apoplectic Perry White in the Christopher Reeve Superman films. In 1981, Cooper surprised (and sometimes shocked) his fans with a warts-and-all autobiography, Please Don't Shoot My Dog. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide- 1989
Hosted by Jackie Cooper, each episode of Hollywood Chronicles takes a lighthearted look at an aspect of American cinema. From the famous to the obscure, from scandal to triumph, no significant moment is missed. In this episode, viewers review the accomplishments of some of the silver screen's greatest detectives. The great characters of Sherlock Holmes, Charlie Chan, and Bulldog Drummond are investigated along with many others. ~ Rob Ferrier, All Movie Guide
- 1989
Hosted by Jackie Cooper, each episode of Hollywood Chronicles takes a lighthearted look at an aspect of American cinema. From the famous to the obscure, from scandal to triumph, no significant moment is missed. This episode examines the history of censorship in Hollywood. Many outside groups have attempted to control the content of Hollywood's films. From political ideas to images of sexuality and drug abuse, the struggle for artistic control has deep roots. ~ Rob Ferrier, All Movie Guide
- 1987
- PG
Veteran television writer-director Jerry Belson concocted this sweet comedy that stars Michael Caine as Sean Stein, a best-selling mystery novelist who's been constantly hurt by women he's fallen for. Sally Field plays Daisy Morgan, an artist who has not yet hit it big. She and Stein are at a museum party when a band of thieves arrive, tie up the guests, and proceed to pull off a heist. They are tied up together, which thrusts them into an unlikely romantic pairing. Because Daisy does not know who Stein is, he pretends that he, too, is a struggling artist. He distrusts women, because in the past, his ex-wife and other women pursued him solely for his money and fame. Steve Guttenberg and Peter Boyle play attorneys vying for Stein's money. Julie Kavner and Louise Lasser are among the fine supporting cast. ~ Michael Betzold, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Sally Field, Michael Caine, (more)
- 1987
- PG
- Add Superman IV: The Quest for Peace to QueueAdd Superman IV: The Quest for Peace to top of Queue
Superman (Christopher Reeve) tries to save the world from nuclear destruction at the hands of Lex Luthor (Gene Hackman) in this action film featuring the man of steel. In a speech to the United Nations, Superman declares he will rid the world of all nuclear weapons. Arch-villain Luthor emerges from prison obsessed with killing Superman and creates an adversary known as Nuclear Man (Mark Pillow). The two engage in a fight to the finish in various landmarks on Earth before taking their battle into outer space. When Lois Lane (Margot Kidder) invites both Superman and Clark Kent to a double-date dinner, Superman's powers are tested so that both men can be present. Jackie Cooper plays the gruff veteran newspaper editor Perry White, with Marc McClure as Jimmy Olsen. Sam Wanamaker plays tabloid tycoon David Warfield, the millionaire who buys the Daily Planet. Mariel Hemmingway is Warfield's daughter Lacy, Clark Kent's date at Lois' luxury apartment. This is the least interesting of the four Superman movies starring Christopher Reeve. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Christopher Reeve, Gene Hackman, (more)
- 1987
Season Seven of Magnum, P.I comes to spectacular conclusion--one that was originally intended to be the series' final episode. Wounded in a violent shootout, the comatose Magnum (Tom Selleck) hovers between life and death. From his vantage point in "Limbo", Magnum tries to communicate with his friends, to warn them that his ex-wife Michelle may soon be murdered. Coming to Magnum's rescue--in a manner of speaking--is the spectre of his old Navy buddy "Mac" MacReynolds (Larry Manetti). Though Magnum, P.I. had indeed been cancelled at the end of its seventh season, the series was brought back the following year by public demand--necessitating a hasty "rethinking" of this episode's now-famous closing image. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1987
This episode bears a striking resemblance to the 1979 theatrical feature Time After Time. While running an errand for Higgins (John Hillerman), Magnum happens to see a woman who is the living image of a Hawaiian princess (Lei Maa Richmond) who died tragically in a fire...way back in 1910. Later on, the detective receives a package from a deceased stranger, containing a very old naval uniform and a locket containing a picture of Magnum side-by-side with the selfsame princess! Can this be irrefutable evidence of a "past life" for Magnum--or is someone perpetrating a sinister hoax? ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1986
Season Three of Murder She Wrote begins with the first episode of a two-part story, in which mystery writer Jessica Fletcher (Angela Lansbury) pays a visit to the Carmody Circus, an extremely small-time operation. It seems that Jessica has evidence that one of the circus' employees, a roustabout-clown who calls himself Carl, is actually her brother-in-law Neil (Jackie Cooper), who has long been presumed dead. No sooner does Jessica link up with Neil than the man is accused of murdering the circus' hateful manager Hank Sutter (Charles Napier). A young Courtney Cox appears as Neil's granddaughter, Carol Bannister. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1986
In the second half of Murder She Wrote's two-part Season Three opener, Jessica's long-missing brother in law Neil Fletcher (Jackie Cooper), who has been working under an alias with the Carmody Circus, has confessed to the murder of circus manager Hank Sutter. Jessica (Angela Lansbury) is convinced that Neil is innocent, and that he is covering up for somebody else--and this proves to be a reasonable conclusion when a second murder occurs, in which the victim is rival circus owner Harry Kingman (Joe Dorsey). Seriously hampering Jessica's investigation is the stone wall of resistance built up by the highly clannish circus folk--and by the curiously hostile local authorities. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1986
In this episode of the detective comedy, Sledge works as an impersonator to discover who is killing Elvis impersonators. ~ All Movie Guide
- 1985
Art Carney effectively portrays a weary, wisecracking Santa Claus (not the department store variety, but the real McCoy) in the made-for-TV The Night They Saved Christmas. Right now, Santa has very little to be jolly about: his North Pole toy factory is threatened with demolition by greedy oil prospectors. Eco-conscious Jaclyn Smith and three kids come to the rescue. The film is highlighted by several songs written by Paul Williams, who co-stars as chief elf Ed. Filmed in part at the Arctic Circle, The Night They Save Christmas was a Holiday perennial for several years after its December 1984 debut. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Honeymooners stars Jackie Gleason and Art Carney re-team for this tea-teetotaling comedy about a pair of down-on-their-luck vaudeville actors who go to work as prohibition agents. The time is the Roaring Twenties, and the advent of the motion picture has made vaudeville old news. When the stage lights dim, actors Isadore Einstein and Morris Smith are forced to consider another line of work. Now, in order to keep food on the table and help halt crime, Isadore and Morris begin using their unique penchant for disguise to bust the local speakeasies and stop the mob from ruling the streets. Unfortunately for Isadore and Morris, the mob isn't willing to loosen their grip on the lucrative alcohol trade quite so easily, and the duo soon finds themselves targeted by some of the meanest criminals that the underworld has to offer. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
In a major departure from the tone of the preceding two Superman adventure films, this mix of vile deeds and fantasy heroics drops the "S" out of cosmic and goes for comic instead. Right at the starting gate, Gus Gorman (Richard Pryor) and a subsequent slapstick sequence upstage (Christopher Reeves again), who later develops an identity crisis. Gorman, newly trained as a computer whiz, starts working for a conglomerate run by the corporate nemesis Ross Webster (Robert Vaughn), intent on world domination. Gorman is sent to Superman's small town of Smallville to wipe out Columbia's coffee crop by fiddling with the computer side of a weather satellite. Clark Kent is in town for his class reunion, leading Superman to clash with Gorman, which in turn, leads Gorman to develop a hybrid red Kryptonite. Unwittingly, since Gorman's wits are always in doubt, the Red Kryptonite causes Superman to split into a Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde schizophrenia -- but in two separate bodies. As the evil Superman swaggers around town, megalomaniac Ross Webster has other tricks in mind -- and in one of the more memorable action scenes (interspersed with a video game sequence), Superman is chased through the Grand Canyon by a fast-flying, very determined missile. Lana Lang (Annette O'Toole) is on hand for romantic interest (Margot Kidder only appears briefly -- she was growing tired of Lois Lane). ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Christopher Reeve, Richard Pryor, (more)
- 1982
This for Remembrance, the autobiography of popular singer Rosemary Clooney (1928-2002), was the source for this made-for-TV biopic. Played herein by Sondra Locke, the Kentucky-born Clooney begins her career as one-half of a musical act with her sister Betty (Penelope Milford), performing at the election rallies of her politician uncle (John Karlen). Achieving radio popularity in Cincinnati, Ohio, Rosemary goes on to enjoy nationwide fame in the 1950s with such hit recordings as "Come On A' My House", "Tenderly" and "Hey There". Though her success in movies is negligible (White Christmas notwithstanding), she makes a huge impact on television, hosting several of her own weekly series. All the while, however, Rosemary's private life is in turmoil, due in great part to a tempestuous marriage to actor-director Jose Ferrer (played by, of all people, Tony Orlando). After the assassination of her great friend Robert Kennedy in 1968, Rosemary suffers a nervous breakdown, and it is many years before she is able to make a triumphant comeback on the concert trail. Rosemary Clooney herself serves as the singing voice of Sondra Locke, and also dubs in the tunes performed by the actress playing sister Betty. Had Rosie: The Rosemary Clooney Story aired on CBS a decade or so after its original telecast on December 18, 1982, mention might have been made of the subsequent success of Clooney's actor son Miguel Ferrer and her TV-star nephew George Clooney; there might even have been a re-enactment of Rosemary's third marriage, capriciously staged at a White Castle restaurant in Cincinnati. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Robert Desiderio stars in this TV movie as a Chinese food delivery man (the food is Chinese, not Desiderio). While on the job, he witnesses a murder. Since the killer was an international terrorist, Desiderio is pressed into duty by the US government. He is forced to moonlight as a spy, taking on seemingly trivial assignments that turn out to be of grave importance. That Moonlight was doomed from the start as the pilot for a series was indicated by the directorial credit given "Alan Smithee"--a pseudonym assumed whenever a director is so displeased by the end product that he (or she) desires to have his (or her) name removed from the credits. In this instance, two directors--Jackie Cooper and Rod Holcomb--preferred to remain anonymous. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1982
Directed in 1982 by Gene Feldman, this acclaimed documentary examines the emotional price child actors pay for being Hollywood stars. Narrated by Roddy McDowall, who was himself a child star, this program also looks at how well child stars have made the transition to adulthood. The program features interviews with former child stars, as well as directors and agents, regarding Baby Peggy (born Margaret Montgomery, aka Diana Serra Cary), Jackie Cooper, Deanna Durbin, Edith Fellows, Jodie Foster, Judy Garland, Peggy Ann Garner, George McFarland ( who played Spanky), Margaret O'Brien, Mickey Rooney, Shirley Temple, and others. Other highlights include sequences excerpted from various movies such as Miracle on 34th Street (1947), Paper Moon (1973), Little Lord Fauntleroy (1936), Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore (1974), The Little Colonel (1935), and many more. Feldman co-produced the program with Suzette Winter. ~ Steve Blackburn, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Roddy McDowall
- 1982
Based on Jane Adams' book of the same name, the made-for-TV Sex and the Single Parent stars Susan Saint James as Sally and Mike Farrell as George. Newly divorced from their respective spouses, both Sally and George intend to celebrate their independence by throwing sexual caution to the wind. But the couple's romance is complicated by their sense of obligation to their children. Accompanied by a raunchy ad campaign that promised much more than the film delivered, Sex and the Single Parent was first seen over CBS on September 19, 1979. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1981
This video is a highlights compilation taken from the lovable Little Rascals episodes. It's narrated by Jerry Lewis. ~ All Movie Guide
- 1981
Mickey Rooney stars in this made-for-TV docudrama as circus clown Jack Thum, who aids his wife (Anne Jackson) in raising dozens of orphans; despite learning he is dying, Jack still struggles to earn money to support his growing brood. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Movie Guide
Between giving up his super powers, confronting criminals from outer space, and having problems with his girlfriend, it's a bad time to be the Man of Steel in this sequel to the 1978 blockbuster. When terrorists threaten to destroy Paris with a thermonuclear device as they hold reporter Lois Lane (Margot Kidder) hostage, Superman (Christopher Reeve) comes to the rescue and flings the weapon into space. However, its blast outside the earth's orbit awakens Zod (Terence Stamp), Ursa (Sarah Douglas), and Non (Jack O'Halloran), three villains from Superman's home planet of Krypton who were exiled to outer space for their crimes. Zod and his partners arrive on Earth and use their powers in a bid to take over the U.S., and then the world. However, when Lois realizes that mild mannered Clark Kent and Superman are actually the same person, he brings her to his Fortress of Solitude, where his decision to marry Lois costs him his remarkable strength. Without his super powers, how can Superman vanquish Zod and save the world? Gene Hackman, Ned Beatty, Susannah York, and Jackie Cooper return from the first film, which was shot at the same time as parts of the sequel. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Christopher Reeve, Gene Hackman, (more)
