Melville Cooper

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Melville Cooper
Cooper in 1940
Born
George Melville Cooper

(1896-10-15)15 October 1896
Aston, Birmingham, Warwickshire, England
Died13 March 1973(1973-03-13) (aged 76)
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
OccupationActor
Years active1914–1961
Spouses
  • Gladys Grice (divorced)
  • Rita Page (?–1954)
  • Elizabeth Sutherland (?–1973)
Children1

George Melville Cooper (15 October 1896 – 13 March 1973) was an English actor. His many notable screen roles include the High Sheriff of Nottingham in

The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938), Mr. Collins in Pride and Prejudice (1940) and the wedding-rehearsal supervisor Mr. Tringle in Father of the Bride (1950).[1]

Biography

George Melville Cooper was born on 15 October 1896 in

First World War, in which he was captured on the Western Front and held prisoner by the Germans for a brief time.[2]

After the war, Cooper resumed his stage career, appearing in numerous stage productions, including The Farmer's Wife, Back to Methuselah, The Third Finger and Journey's End.

Leslie Howard and Merle Oberon.[2] In 1934, after receiving good reviews for his performance in The Private Life of Don Juan, Cooper moved to the United States.[1]

In Hollywood, Cooper was generally cast as a snobbish, ineffectual society type or as a confidence trickster.

The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938) with Errol Flynn and Olivia de Havilland. During the 1940s, Cooper continued to appear in some of the more popular films of the decade, including Alfred Hitchcock's Rebecca (1940) with Joan Fontaine, Pride and Prejudice (1940) with Greer Garson, The Lady Eve (1941) and You Belong to Me (1941) with Barbara Stanwyck and Henry Fonda, This Above All (1942) with Joan Fontaine, Random Harvest (1942) with Greer Garson, Henry Hathaway's 13 Rue Madeleine (1947) with James Cagney and The Red Danube (1949) with Walter Pidgeon.[2]
Cooper also appeared in Harvey, with James Stewart.

In the 1950s, he continued to appear in popular feature films, such as Father of the Bride (1950), It Should Happen to You (1954), and Around the World in 80 Days (1956), his second supporting role in an Academy Award winning film. In addition to his film work throughout the decade, Cooper appeared in numerous television series, including Musical Comedy Time (1950–51), Fireside Theatre (1951), Kraft Television Theatre (1952), Robert Montgomery Presents (1952–53), Broadway Television Theatre (1952–53), Schlitz Playhouse of Stars (1954), Lux Video Theatre (1951–55), The Red Skelton Show (1956), Studio 57 (1957), Playhouse 90 (1957), Alfred Hitchcock Presents (1957), Shirley Temple's Storybook (1958), and Whirlybirds (1959). Cooper's final television appearance was on The Best of the Post (1961).

Towards the end of his career, Cooper focused on stage work and appeared in such productions as The Liar (1950), Much Ado About Nothing (1952), Escapade (1953), My Fair Lady (1956–62) and Hostile Witness (1966). Cooper's final acting role was Brassett in the revival of Charley's Aunt, which closed on 11 July 1970.[3]

After a brief first marriage to Gladys Grice that ended in divorce, Cooper married actress Rita Page. Their marriage produced one child and ended with her death in London on 19 December 1954.[2] Cooper's third marriage to Elizabeth Sutherland lasted until his death.[2]

Cooper died of cancer on 13 March 1973 in Los Angeles, California.[1]

Filmography

Radio appearances

Year Program Episode/source
1952 Theatre Guild on the Air The Pickwick Papers[4]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f Erickson, Hal (2014). "Melville Cooper". Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times. Archived from the original on 10 August 2014. Retrieved 28 July 2014.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h "Melville Cooper". Matinee Classics. Archived from the original on 19 July 2014. Retrieved 28 July 2014.
  3. ^ "Melville Cooper". Internet Broadway Database. Retrieved 29 July 2014.
  4. Newspapers.com. Open access icon

External links