Biography
Served with the Navy in the South Pacific toward the end of World War II. Then, quietly and without publicity or fanfare, compiled one of the most distinguished peacetime military careers of anyone in his profession. In 1961, as his weekly TV series Hennesey (1959) was enhancing naval recruiting efforts, accepted a commission as a line officer in the Naval Reserve with duties in recruitment, training films, and public relations. Holder of a multi-engine pilot license, he later co-piloted...
Known For
Complete Filmography
The Little Rascals - The ClassicFlix Restorations, Volume 1
2021
The Little Rascals - The ClassicFlix Restorations, Volume 1 contains the first 11 Our Gang sound shorts produced by Roach at the dawn of the “talkie e...
You Will Believe: The Cinematic Saga of Superman
2006
as Self
A 5-part documentary of the history of Superman in the movies. • Origin - Superman in the media and the challenges the Salkinds faced • Vision - Cre...
Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut
2006
as Perry White
Superman agrees to sacrifice his powers to start a relationship with Lois Lane, unaware that three Kryptonian criminals he inadvertently released are ...
Look, Up in the Sky! The Amazing Story of Superman
2006
as Self
The history of the comic book superhero, Superman, in his various media incarnations.
Judy Garland: By Myself
2004
as Self - Actor (voice)
As Hollywood biographies go, Judy Garland's story is one of the saddest success stories you'll ever hear. The sanitized studio version of her life pre...
Lana Turner... a Daughter's Memoir
2001
as Self
A rare behind the scenes look at the tragedies and bitter disappointments that plagued one of MGM's most popular leading ladies
Without Lying Down: Frances Marion and the Power of Women in Hollywood
2000
as Self
From 1915-1939, Frances Marion was one of the most powerful talents in the movie industry. In one of the most liberating eras for women in film, she w...
Sports on the Silver Screen
1997
as Self (archive footage)
HBO (in association with the American Film Institute) presents this 1997 anthology, narrated by Liev Schreiber, which looks at sports in cinema from t...
Inside the Dream Factory
1995
Faye Dunaway hosts a behind-the-scenes look at the Hollywood star-making machine.
The First 100 Years: A Celebration of American Movies
1995
as Self
Based on the first centenary of the largest exporter of films in the world, that is Hollywood, is the story told by its protagonists, actors and write...
The Our Gang Story
1994
as Jackie (archive footage)
Join all you favorites--Spanky, Buckwheat, Alfalfa, Darla, Butch, Froggy and more--in a jam-packed special covering more than twenty years and 200 epi...
When We Were Young: Growing Up on the Silver Screen
1989
as Self
A documentary about the careers of child stars of the '40s in Hollywood, featuring movie clips with Shirley Temple, Margaret O'Brien, and numerous oth...
Surrender
1987
as Ace Morgan
A wealthy writer who has had terrible experiences with money-hungry girlfriends & ex-wives pretends to be a broke, washed-up novelist to see if the wo...
Superman IV: The Quest for Peace
1987
as Perry White
With global superpowers engaged in an increasingly hostile arms race, Superman leads a crusade to rid the world of nuclear weapons. But Lex Luthor, re...
The Ladies
1987
Producer, Director
Sentimental drama in which, following her divorce, a middle-aged woman (Patricia Elliott) moves in with her daughter (Talia Balsam). But things do not...
The Deacon Street Deer
1986
Director
Neighborhood children protect a deer that has escaped from cruel carnival owners.
Izzy & Moe
1985
Director
The adventures of two retired vaudeville performers who become two of the best prohibition agents in the 1920's.
The Making of 'Superman III'
1985
as Self
This documentary treats movie fans to a behind-the-scenes look at the making of Superman III, a more comical take on the superhero story in which the ...
The Night They Saved Christmas
1984
Director
An oil company is exploring two Arctic sites for oil. The needed blasting at the first site rocks Santa Claus' North Pole village. He realizes that an...
Ticket to Hollywood
1984
as Narrator
Documentary looking at how Hollywood went from a small town to a mega center.
No Earthly Reason
1984
as J. Nash Hawkins
Television short
The Making of 'Superman II'
1983
as Self
Documentary about the making of the sequel to Superman.
Superman III
1983
as Perry White
Aiming to defeat the Man of Steel, wealthy executive Ross Webster hires bumbling but brilliant Gus Gorman to develop synthetic kryptonite, which yield...
Hollywood Out-takes and Rare Footage
1983
as Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
Out-takes (mostly from Warner Bros.), promotional shorts, movie premieres, public service pleas, wardrobe tests, documentary material, and archival fo...
Rosie: The Rosemary Clooney Story
1982
Director
The story of singer Rosemary Clooney's rise to fame, her marriage to Jose Ferrer, and her nervous breakdown.
Moonlight
1982
Director
A fast-food delivery man for a New York Chinese restaurant gets involved with international terrorists and is recruited by undercover agents to help t...
Hollywood’s Children
1982
as Self (archive footage)
A documentary about child actors, since the beginning of motion pictures (narrated by Roddy McDowell).
The Making of 'Superman: The Movie'
1982
as Self
Ernie Anderson narrates this look at the making of Richard Donner's blockbuster 1978 film. Behind-the-scenes footage, as well as scenes from the film,...
Leave 'Em Laughing
1981
Director
Real-life clown Jack Thum, along with his devoted wife, Shirlee, cared for dozens of homeless children — 37 of them over the years — in the Chicago ar...
Rascal Dazzle
1981
as Jackie (archive footage)
The Most Memorable Adventures from the "Our Gang Comedies" aka "The Little Rascals", Narrated By Jerry Lewis, Music by Nelson Riddle.
Superman II
1980
as Perry White
Three Kryptonian criminals led by General Zod team up with Lex Luthor to conquer Earth, forcing a depowered Superman to regain his strength and stop t...
Rodeo Girl
1980
Director
Sammy Garrett, the wife of a champion rodeo performer, is tired of her subsidiary role at home as a housewife. So she becomes an aspiring rodeo rider ...
White Mama
1980
Director
A poor, elderly white woman living in a tenement in a black ghetto is befriended by a neighborhood boy, and the two of them form a mutually beneficial...
Marathon
1980
Director
A bemused, mild-mannered accountant takes up jogging and a lithesome, young woman sprints into his life, inspiring him to enter a marathon, to the ann...
Sex and the Single Parent
1979
Director
Two attractive divorcees find that their newly realized independence continues to be guided by their respective parental obligations.
Superman
1978
as Perry White
Mild-mannered Clark Kent works as a reporter at the Daily Planet alongside his crush, Lois Lane. Clark must summon his superhero alter-ego when the ne...
Rainbow
1978
Director
The early life and struggles of Judy Garland (portrayed by Andrea McArdle), and of the film star's trials as a youngster in dealing with the movie stu...
Perfect Gentlemen
1978
Director
Women whose husbands are incarcerated decide to band together to rob a hotel safe.
Having Babies III
1978
Director
Dr. Julie Farr presides over three impending births and cannot help but get involved in the lives of her troubled patients.
Hooray for Hollywood
1976
as Self (archive footage)
A celebration of Hollywood in the 1930s, featuring a compilation of clips from features and newsreels of the era.
Mobile Two
1975
as Peter Campbell
A TV reporter whose career was ruined by his drinking gets another chance when he is hired by a TV news program.
Journey into Fear
1975
as Eric Hurst
U.S geologist discovers something about Oil that proves VERY threatening to the Turkish and Arab business people.
Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?
1975
as Self (archive footage)
Period music, film clips and newsreel footage combined into a visual exploration of the American entertainment industry during the Great Depression.
The Invisible Man
1975
as Walter Carlson
Inspired by the original 1897 novel by H.G. Wells, the pilot film depicts Daniel Westin working for a company called the Klae Corporation, which is do...
The Day the Earth Moved
1974
as Steve Barker
An aerial photography team tries to alert a small town about an impending earthquake, but no one believes the duo until the tremors start and the wall...
Chosen Survivors
1974
as Raymond Couzins
A group of diverse individuals are suddenly taken from their homes and flown via helicopter to a futuristic bomb shelter in the desert, nearly two mil...
Big John Morrison
1973
as John Morrison
Detectives Calabrese and Jameson become emotionally involved in a robbery/homicide/rape crime spree when a friend becomes a victim.
Stand Up and Be Counted
1972
as Doctor
Sheila is a newspaper reporter who returns to her home town in order to write an article about the progress of the liberation of the women. Arriving a...
Stand Up and Be Counted
1972
Director
Sheila is a newspaper reporter who returns to her home town in order to write an article about the progress of the liberation of the women. Arriving a...
The Astronaut
1972
as Kurt Anderson
An elaborate deception emerges when an American astronaut is lost on a mission to Mars. Space agency officials fearful of losing public support and go...
The Love Machine
1971
as Danton Miller
An ambitious TV newscaster has an affair with the wife of a network executive to get a promotion.
Maybe I'll Come Home in the Spring
1971
as Ed Miller
Dennie has returned from a year among the hippies to her superficial, image-conscious suburban family. She must face their disapproval of her actions....
Shadow on the Land
1968
as Lt. Col. Andy Davis
Patriotic freedom fighters struggle against a fascist dictatorship in a near-future USA.
Calhoun
1964
as Everett Calhoun
Unaired pilot for a drama/adventure series about a county agent.
The New March of Dimes Presents: The Scene Stealers
1962
as Self
A TV movie with intertwining music numbers and sketches.
Everything's Ducky
1961
as Lt. J.S. Parmell - Psychiatrist
Everything's Ducky is a 1961 film directed by Don Taylor and starring Buddy Hackett, Mickey Rooney, and Jackie Cooper. Two sailors sneak a talking du...
French Leave
1948
as Skitch Kilroy
Merchant seaman Skitch Kilroy (Jackie Cooper) and "Pappy" Reagan (Jackie Coogan)arrive in Marseilles, eager to resume their combative rivalry for Mimi...
Kilroy Was Here
1947
as John J. Kilroy
"Kilroy Was Here" was a popular expression during World War II, but it's not much fun to John J. Kilroy, who has to try to live with all the jokes and...
Stork Bites Man
1947
as Ernest (Ernie) C. Brown
A man engages in a boycott of a no children allowed apartment house, with the help of an imaginary stock and a large department store, after his wife ...
Where Are Your Children?
1943
as Danny Cheston
Judy Wilson (Gale Storm), feeling neglected because both of her parents are working in defense plants, meets and falls in love with Danny Chester (Jac...
The Navy Comes Through
1942
as Joe 'Babe' Duttson
A U.S. Navy crew aboard a merchant marine ship battle Nazis.
Men of Texas
1942
as Robert Houston Scott
A Chicago reporter (Robert Stack) and photographer focus on a Confederate outlaw (Brod Crawford) in post-Civil War Texas.
Syncopation
1942
as Johnny Schumacher
A young trumpeter rises through the jazz world and finds love.
Soaring Stars
1942
as Pilot
Two autograph hounds attend an air show at Santa Anita racetrack.
Glamour Boy
1941
as Tiny Barlow
Former child star Jackie Cooper headlines this sentimental behind-the-scenes comedy drama. He plays an ex-child star who now jerks sodas for a living ...
Screen Snapshots Series 21 No. 1
1941
as Self
This edition of Screen Snapshots has more of a vaudeville flavor as opposed to Ralph Staub's usual candid-camera at home with the stars offerings. Ken...
Her First Beau
1941
as Chuck Harris
15-year-old Penelope (Penny) Wood has two great interests - Chuck Harris and the hope that some day she might become a famous,great writer. Chuck also...
Ziegfeld Girl
1941
as Jerry Regan
Discovery by Flo Ziegfeld changes a girl's life but not necessarily for the better, as three beautiful women find out when they join the spectacle on ...
Life with Henry
1941
as Henry Aldrich
Henry Aldrich wants to win a trip to Alaska.
Gallant Sons
1940
as Byron Newbold
When a teenager's father is accused of murder, the boy and his high-school classmates set out to find the real killer.
Rodeo Dough
1940
as Jackie Cooper
After a trip to Hollywood, two young ladies attempt to hitchhike home but end up at a star-filled rodeo.
The Return of Frank James
1940
as Clem
Farmer Frank and his ward hunt brother Jesse's killers, the back-shooting Fords.
Seventeen
1940
as William Sylvanus Baxter
A high-school student in a small town becomes smitten with the sophisticated new girl who's just arrived from Chicago. Based on Booth Tarkington's sto...
The Big Guy
1939
as Jimmy Hutchins
A man is given the choice between having fabulous wealth or saving an innocent man from the death penalty.
Hollywood Cavalcade
1939
as Burglar
Starting in 1913 movie director Connors discovers singer Molly Adair. As she becomes a star she marries an actor, so Connors fires them. She asks for ...
What a Life
1939
as Henry Aldrich
Jackie Cooper stars in this first film in the wholesome "Henry Aldrich" series of teen comedies.
Two Bright Boys
1939
as Rory O'Donnell
A young man inherits a valuable piece of Texas land that an oil man plots to steal away.
Streets of New York
1939
as James Michael 'Jimmy' Keenan
Jimmy, an idealistic and hard-working young man, has just arrived in New York City with dreams of making his fortune. Along the way he faces numerous ...
The Spirit of Culver
1939
as Tom Allen
Tom Allen, an orphan accustomed to waiting in bread lines is awarded a scholarship to the Culver Military Academy. Talked into attending so that he c...
Scouts to the Rescue
1939
as Bruce Scott
Filmed in the Sierra Nevada mountains near Sonora, California, this Universal serial is Universal's 40th sound-era serial. Eagle Scout Bruce Scott, le...
Newsboys' Home
1938
as Rifle Edwards
A beautiful girl inherits a newspaper that sponsors a charity home for boys.
Gangster's Boy
1938
as Larry Kelly
A popular high school valedictorian and star athlete becomes a pariah when it's discovered that his father is a former bootlegger.
That Certain Age
1938
as Kenneth Warren
Dashing reporter Vincent Bullit has just returned from covering the Spanish Civil War. His boss, newspaper magnate Fullerton, has more plans to send h...
White Banners
1938
as Peter Trimble
A homeless woman named Hannah drifts into the lives of the kindly Ward family, in a small Indiana town in 1919. Hannah makes herself useful as a cook ...
Bear Facts
1938
as Bear
In an effort to impress Darla, Alfalfa tells her that he's a famous bear trainer. Little does he know that Darla's father owns a circus - and a bear c...
Boy of the Streets
1938
as Chuck Brennan
Cocky young street kid worships his father, a sleazy political operative.
The Devil Is a Sissy
1936
as 'Buck' Murphy
A well-bred young English lad living in lower Manhattan tries to gain acceptance from his not-so-well-bred peers at school.
Tough Guy
1936
as Frederick Martindale Vincent III
An unhappy child, accompanied by his dog, runs away from home and is befriended by a gangster on the lam.
O'Shaughnessy's Boy
1935
as Joseph "Stubby" O'Shaughnessy
A circus wild animal trainer searches for the son who was taken away from him by a meddling relative years earlier.
Dinky
1935
as Dinky Daniels
A mother sends her young son to military school so he won't find out she's been sentenced to a prison term on a framed fraud charge.
Peck's Bad Boy
1934
as Bill Peck
Young boy Bill Peck adores his father and tries to be good, but the arrival of Bill's cousin Horace upsets Bill's plans. Horace's brattish ways result...
Treasure Island
1934
as Jim Hawkins
In this early film adaptation of the classic novel by Robert Louis Stevenson, young Jim Hawkins is caught up with the pirate Long John Silver in searc...
Hollywood on Parade No. B-1
1934
Short film in which Frankie Darro as a Telegram delivery boy visits various Hollywood locations to make deliveries. He visits the Los Angeles Pier and...
Lone Cowboy
1933
as Scooter O'Neal
Young Scooter O’Neal, orphaned after his father’s suicide, is sent out West to live with family friend Dobe Jones. Unaware of his father’s fate Scoote...
The Bowery
1933
as Swipes McGurk
"In the Gay Nineties New York had grown up into bustles and balloon Sleeves ... but The Bowery had grown younger, louder and more rowdy until it was k...
Broadway to Hollywood
1933
as Ted Hackett Jr. as Child
In this through-the-years saga about a show business family, the fame of husband and wife vaudeville headliners of the 1880s is eclipsed by their son.
Hollywood on Parade No. A-3
1932
as Self
Eddie Kane wanders round the studio back-lot, opening various doors to see which stars pop out.
Divorce In The Family
1932
as Terry Parker
A child struggles to come to terms with his parents' divorce. Director Charles Reisner's 1932 drama stars Jackie Cooper, Lewis Stone, Conrad Nagel, Lo...
When a Feller Needs a Friend
1932
as Edward Haverford 'Eddie' Randall
A lame boy's uncle tries to rescue him from his over-protective parents.
Sooky
1931
as Skippy
Skippy, son of Dr. Herbert and Mrs. Skinner, adamantly stands by his poor friend, Sooky Wayne, who lives in Shantytown with his sickly mother. The Boo...
The Christmas Party
1931
as Himself
In this holiday short, Jackie Cooper wants to throw a Christmas party for his friends on his football team but doesn't know how to go about it. His fe...
The Champ
1931
as Dink Purcell
A broken-down alcoholic prizefighter struggles to keep custody of his adoring son.
Young Donovan's Kid
1931
as Midge Murray
A crusader tries to keep a dope dealer from corrupting children.
Bargain Day
1931
as Jackie
Wheezer and Stymie, door-to-door salesmen, meet a lonely little rich girl.
Skippy
1931
as Skippy Skinner
Skippy, the mischievous son of a wealthy doctor, meets Sooky in poverty-ridden Shantytown, and together they try to save Sooky's pet from a cruel dogc...
Little Daddy
1931
as Jackie
Farina plans a going-away party for Stymie as authorities prepare to place him in an orphanage.
Love Business
1931
as Jackie Cooper
Miss Crabtree, the teacher Jackie has a crush on, rents a room at Jackie's house.
Helping Grandma
1931
as Jackie
The kids' adopted grandma decides to sell her store, but can't decide whom to sell it to. The kids try to help her out.
School's Out
1930
as Jackie Cooper
The schoolchildren lost their last teacher because she got married and quit her job. When the brother of their teacher Miss Crabtree comes to visit, t...
Teacher's Pet
1930
as Jackie
Jackie prepares a series of elaborate jokes for his new teacher.
Pups Is Pups
1930
as Jackie
The gang decides to enter their animals in a local pet show.
A Tough Winter
1930
as Jackie
The gang creates a huge mess after they get into a taffy-pulling contest.
Bear Shooters
1930
as Jackie
The gang decides to go camping with a little bear hunting on the side. A pair of poachers decides to try and scare them off with a gorilla suit but th...
The Ghosts
1930
as Juanito
Juanito gets locked out of his house in the middle of a windy night. Spanish language version of When the Wind Blows (1930)
When the Wind Blows
1930
as Jackie
Jackie throws his schoolbook out the window in disgust, but then climbs outside to retrieve it. Finding himself locked out, he tries various means of ...
The First Seven Years
1930
as Jackie
Jackie gets in a duel over the affections of Mary Ann.
Shivering Shakespeare
1930
as Jackie
The gang is participating in a program sponsored by the Golden Age Dramatic League. They present their own fractured version of Quo Vadis. Things go ...
Sunny Side Up
1929
as Jerry McGinnis (uncredited)
Molly and Bee, sweet young 'working girls,' live in a cheap room over a New York grocery store. Molly's idol, wealthy Jack Cromwell, lives in a Long I...
Moan & Groan, Inc.
1929
as Jackie
The gang goes digging for treasure in an old abandoned house against Kennedy the Cop's wishes.
Bouncing Babies
1929
as Kid listening to Farina (uncredited)
With Wheezer's new baby brother getting all the attention, he tries to send the baby back.
Boxing Gloves
1929
as Jackie
The Rascals have a boxing arena that could pack them in if they could find fighters who would actually mix it up. Harry and Farina notice a rivalry be...
Fox Movietone Follies of 1929
1929
as Little Boy in 'That's You, Baby' Number (uncredited)
Lila Beaumont is an understudy in a Broadway musical. Her boyfriend, George Shelby, arrives in New York hoping to take Lila back home with him to marr...