Merian Caldwell Cooper (October 24, 1893 â€" 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 KoÅ›ciuszko Squadron during the Polishâ€"Soviet
War and was a Soviet prisoner of war for a time. He was a notable
movie producer, and got his start with 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 always took priority. During his film career, he worked for
companies such as Pioneer Pictures, RKO Pictures, and
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. He is also credited as co-inventor of the
Cinerama film projection process. Cooper's most famous film was the
1933 movie King Kong. He was awarded an honorary Oscar for lifetime
achievement in 1952 and received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
in 1960.Merian Caldwell Cooper was born in Jacksonville, Florida, to
the lawyer John C. Cooper and the former Mary Caldwell. He was the
youngest of three children. At age six, Cooper decided that he wanted
to be an explorer after hearing stories from the book Explorations and
Adventures in Equatorial Africa.:10,14 He was educated at The
Lawrenceville School in New Jersey and graduated in 1911.:19After
graduation, Cooper received a prestigious appointment to the U.S.
Naval Academy,:19 but was expelled during his senior year for "hell
raising and for championing air power". In 1916, Cooper worked for the
Minneapolis Daily News as a reporter, where he met Delos Lovelace. In
the next few years, he also worked at the Des Moines Register-Leader
and the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.:22
American aviator, United States Air Force and Polish Air Force
officer, adventurer, screenwriter, film director, and producer. Cooper
was the founder of the KoÅ›ciuszko Squadron during the Polishâ€"Soviet
War and was a Soviet prisoner of war for a time. He was a notable
movie producer, and got his start with 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 always took priority. During his film career, he worked for
companies such as Pioneer Pictures, RKO Pictures, and
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. He is also credited as co-inventor of the
Cinerama film projection process. Cooper's most famous film was the
1933 movie King Kong. He was awarded an honorary Oscar for lifetime
achievement in 1952 and received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
in 1960.Merian Caldwell Cooper was born in Jacksonville, Florida, to
the lawyer John C. Cooper and the former Mary Caldwell. He was the
youngest of three children. At age six, Cooper decided that he wanted
to be an explorer after hearing stories from the book Explorations and
Adventures in Equatorial Africa.:10,14 He was educated at The
Lawrenceville School in New Jersey and graduated in 1911.:19After
graduation, Cooper received a prestigious appointment to the U.S.
Naval Academy,:19 but was expelled during his senior year for "hell
raising and for championing air power". In 1916, Cooper worked for the
Minneapolis Daily News as a reporter, where he met Delos Lovelace. In
the next few years, he also worked at the Des Moines Register-Leader
and the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.:22
Share this
SUBSCRIBE OUR NEWSLETTER
SUBSCRIBE OUR NEWSLETTER
Join us for free and get valuable content delivered right through your inbox.