Profile via TMDB · Courtesy of TMDB
Merian C. Cooper
Sign in to saveAlso known as Merian Caldwell Cooper, Merian Cooper, Merian Coldwell Cooper, Frank Mosher
American aviator, actor, director and producer (1893-1973)
Film & TV
Jacksonville, Florida, USA
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Merian Caldwell Cooper (October 24, 1893 – April 21, 1973) was an American aviator, United States Air Force and Polish Air Force officer, adventurer, screenwriter, film director, and producer. Cooper was the founder of the Kościuszko Squadron during the Polish–Soviet War and was a Soviet prisoner of war for a time. He was a notable movie producer, and got…
Known for
- King Kong: Monster and Myth — Self - Filmmaker (archive footage)2024
- I'm King Kong!: The Exploits of Merian C. Cooper — Self (archive footage)2005
- Cinerama Adventure — Self (archive)2002
- King Kong — Pilot of Plane that Kills Kong (uncredited)1933
- Grass: A Nation's Battle for Life — Self (as Merian Cooper)1925
via TMDB
Key facts
- Born
- Merian Caldwell Cooper , ( 1893-10-24 ) October 24, 1893, Jacksonville, Florida , U.S.
- Died
- April 21, 1973 (1973-04-21) (aged 79), San Diego, California , U.S.
- Alma mater
- United States Naval Academy Georgia Institute of Technology
- Occupations
- Film director Movie producer Military officer Aviator
- Spouse
- Dorothy Jordan ( married</span>"}]]}'>m. 1933 )
- Allegiance
- United States , Poland
- Branch
- United States Army , Polish Air Force
- Service years
- 1913–1915 1916–1919 1919–1921 1941–1973
- Rank
- Brigadier General (US) , Podpułkownik (PL)
- Conflicts
- Border War World War I Polish-Soviet War World War II
- Awards
- Mexican Border Service Medal World War I Victory Medal Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal World War II Victory Medal Order of Virtuti Militari Cross of Valour
via Wikipedia infobox
Wikidata facts
- Instance of
- human
- Family name
- Cooper
- Gender
- male
- Citizenship
- United States
- Place of birth
- Jacksonville
- Place of death
- San Diego
- Spouse
- Dorothy Jordan
- Child
- Maciej Słomczyński
- Sibling
- John Cobb Cooper
- Occupation
- producer
- Educated at
- Georgia Tech
- Languages spoken
- English language
- Native language
- English language
- Conflict
- Polish–Soviet War
- Military branch
- United States Army Air Forces
- Military rank
- podpolkovnik
- Image
- Merian Cooper.jpg
Show 8 more facts
- date of birth
- 1893-10-24
- date of death
- 1973-04-21
- writing language
- English language
- nominated for
- Academy Award for Best Picture
- Commons category
- Merian C. Cooper
- manner of death
- natural causes
- cause of death
- cancer
- related category
- Category:Films directed by Merian C. Cooper
Sources (6)
via Wikidata · CC0
~19 min read
Encyclopedic overview
Merian Caldwell Cooper (October 24, 1893 – April 21, 1973) was an American filmmaker, actor, producer and military aviator. In film, his most famous work was the 1933 movie King Kong, and he is credited as co-inventor of the Cinerama film projection process. He was awarded an honorary Oscar for lifetime achievement in 1952 and received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1960. He was a passionate anti-communist.
Before entering the movie business, Cooper fought in the World War I as a pilot in the United States Army Air Service and later in the Polish Air Force. He had a distinguished career as the founder of the Kościuszko Squadron during the Polish–Soviet War and was a Soviet prisoner of war for a time. He got his start in film as part of the Explorers Club, traveling the world and documenting adventures. He was a member of the board of directors of Pan American Airways, but his love of film took priority. During his film career, he worked for companies such as Pioneer Pictures, RKO Pictures, and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. In 1925, he and Ernest B. Schoedsack went to Iran and made Grass: A Nation's Battle for Life, a documentary about the Bakhtiari people.
Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “Merian C. Cooper” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.