Merian C. Cooper

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Merian C. Cooper
Order of Virtuti Militari
  • Cross of Valour
  • Merian Caldwell Cooper (October 24, 1893 – April 21, 1973) was an American filmmaker, actor, and producer, as well as a former aviator who served as an officer in the United States Army Air Service and Polish Air Force. 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. Before entering the movie business, Cooper 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 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 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.

    Early life

    Merian Caldwell Cooper was born in

    The Lawrenceville School in New Jersey and graduated in 1911.[2]: 19 [3]

    After graduation, Cooper received a prestigious appointment to the

    Delos Lovelace.[5] In the next few years, he also worked at the Des Moines Register-Leader and the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.[2]
    : 22 

    Early military service

    Georgia National Guard

    In 1916, Cooper joined the Georgia

    National Guard to help chase Pancho Villa in Mexico.[6] He was called home in March 1917. He worked for the El Paso Herald on a 30-day leave of absence. After returning to his service, Cooper was appointed lieutenant; however, he refused the appointment hoping to participate in combat. Instead, he went to the Military Aeronautics School in Atlanta to learn to fly. Cooper graduated at the top of his class.[2]
    : 24–25 

    World War I

    Death statement from when Cooper was presumed dead in 1918
    Merian C. Cooper in Polish Air Force uniform

    In October 1917, six months after the

    1st Day Bombardment Group).[2]
    : 26–27 

    Cooper served as a DH-4 bomber pilot with the United States Army Air Service during World War I.[7] On September 26, 1918, his plane was shot down. The plane caught fire, and Cooper spun the plane to suck the flames out. Cooper survived, although he suffered burns, injured his hands, and was presumed dead. German soldiers saw his plane landing and took him to a prisoner reserve hospital.[2]: 8, 38–41  The death certificate on this page was sent to Cooper's family. The Army had believed him killed but he was captured by the Germans and taken as a Prisoner of war (POW). Cooper's father received a letter from Merian around the time the death certificate arrived. Merian C. Cooper sent the copy back to the Army with the notation on top "In the language of Mark Twain Your death has been greatly exaggerated."[8]

    Captain Cooper remained in the Air Service after the war; he helped with Herbert Hoover's U.S. Food Administration that provided aid to Poland. He later became the chief of the Poland division.[9]

    Kościuszko Squadron

    From late 1919 until the 1921

    prisoner of war camp[9] where the writer Isaac Babel interviewed him.[10] He escaped just before the war was over and made it to Latvia. For his valor he was decorated by Polish commander-in-chief Józef Piłsudski with the highest Polish military decoration, the Virtuti Militari.[9]

    Cooper at the Latvian border after escaping the Soviet POW camp

    During his time as a POW, Cooper wrote an autobiography: Things Men Die For.[6] The manuscript was published by G. P. Putnam's Sons in New York (the Knickerbocker Press) in 1927. However, in 1928, Cooper regretted releasing certain details about "Nina" (probably Małgorzata Słomczyńska) with whom he had relations outside of wedlock. Cooper asked Dagmar Matson, who had the manuscript, to buy all the copies of the book possible. Matson found almost all 5,000 copies that had been printed. The books were destroyed, while Cooper and Matson each kept a copy.[6][11]

    An

    interbellum Polish film directed by Leonard Buczkowski, Gwiaździsta eskadra (The Starry Squadron), was inspired by Cooper's experiences as a Polish Air Force officer. The film was made with the cooperation of the Polish army and was the most expensive Polish film prior to World War II. After World War II, all copies of the film found in Poland were destroyed by the Soviets.[12]

    Career

    Cooper and Schoedsack

    Ernest Schoedsack in a scene from Grass
    (1925).

    After returning from overseas in 1921, Cooper got a job working the night shift at

    Haile Selassie I. The ship left Abyssinia in February 1923. On their way home, the crew narrowly missed being attacked by pirates, and the ship was burned down.[2]: 81–83, 95–104  His three-part series for Asia was published in 1923.[2]
    : 106 

    After returning home, Cooper researched for the

    Chang (1927). They also produced the film The Four Feathers,[2]: 132–137, 162  which was filmed among the fighting tribes of the Sudan. These films combined real footage with staged sequences.[7]

    Pan American Airways

    Between 1926 and 1927, Cooper discussed with John Hambleton the plans for

    Pan American Airways, which was formed during 1927.[2]: 180  Cooper was a member of the board of directors of Pan American Airways.[13] During his tenure at Pan Am, the company established the first regularly scheduled transatlantic service.[9] While he was on the board, Cooper did not devote his full attention to the organization; he took time in 1929 and 1930 to work on the script for King Kong. By 1931, he was back in Hollywood.[2]: 182, 183  He resigned from the board of directors in 1935, following health complications.[2]
    : 258 

    King Kong

    Cooper said that he thought of King Kong after he had a dream that a giant gorilla was terrorizing New York City. When he awoke, he recorded the idea and used it for the film.[14] He was going to have a giant gorilla fight a Komodo dragon or other animal, but found that the technique of interlacing that he wanted to use would not provide realistic results.[2]: 194 

    King Kong movie poster

    Cooper needed a production studio for the film, but recognized the great cost of the movie, especially during the

    David Selznick get a job at RKO Pictures, which was struggling financially. Selznick became the vice president of RKO and asked Cooper to join him in September 1931, although he had only produced three films thus far in his career.[2]: 202–203  Cooper began working as an executive assistant at age thirty-eight.[15]: 74  He officially pitched the idea for King Kong in December 1931. Shortly after, he began to seek actors and build full-scale sets, although the screenplay was not yet complete.[2]
    : 207–208 

    The screenplay was delivered to Cooper in January 1932. Schoedsack contributed to the film, focusing on shooting scenes for the boat sequences and in native villages, leaving Cooper to shoot the jungle scenes. In February 1933, the title for the film was registered for copyright.[2]: 218–223  Throughout filming there were creative battles. Critics at RKO argued that the film should begin with Kong. Cooper believed that a film should begin with a "slow dramatic buildup that would establish everything from characters to mood ..." so that the action of the film could "naturally, relentlessly, roll on out of its own creative movement", and thus chose to not begin the film with a shot of Kong. The iconic scene in which Kong is atop of the Empire State Building was almost canceled by Cooper for legal reasons, but was kept in the film because RKO bought the rights to The Lost World.[2]: 229, 231 

    Overlapping with the production of King Kong was the making of

    The Most Dangerous Game, which began in May 1932. Cooper once again worked with Schoedsack to produce the film.[2]
    : 214 

    In the 1933 version of King Kong, Cooper and co-director Ernest B. Schoedsack appear at the end, piloting the plane that finally finishes off Kong. Cooper had reportedly said, "We should kill the sonofabitch ourselves."[16] Cooper personally cut a scene in King Kong in which four sailors are shaken off a rope bridge by Kong, fall into a ravine, and are eaten alive by giant spiders. According to Hollywood folklore, the decision was made after previews in January 1933, during which audience members either fled the theater in terror or talked about the ghastly scene throughout the remainder of the movie. However, more objective sources maintain that the scene merely slowed the film's pace. Despite the rumor that Cooper kept a print of the cut footage as a memento, it has never been found.[17] In 2021, film historian Ray Morton stated in an interview that, after looking through the films shooting schedule, he found no evidence the sequence was ever filmed.[18] In 1963, Cooper argued unsuccessfully that he should own the rights to King Kong; later in 1976, judges ruled that Cooper's estate owned the rights to King Kong outside the movie and its sequel.[2]: 362, 387  Selznick left RKO before the release of King Kong, and Cooper served as production chief from 1933 to 1934 with Pan Berman as his executive assistant.[15]

    In the 2005 remake of

    Jack Black) replies, "Cooper, huh? I might have known."[19]

    Pioneer Pictures, Selznick International Pictures, and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer

    Cooper helped the Whitney cousins form Pioneer Pictures in 1933, while he was still working for RKO.[2]: 254  He was named vice president in charge of production for Pioneer Pictures in 1934.[20] He would use Pioneer Pictures to test his technicolor innovations. The company contracted with RKO in order to fulfill Cooper's obligations to the company, including She and The Last Days of Pompeii. Cooper later referred to She as the "worst picture I ever made."[2]: 259, 263 

    After these disappointments, Pioneer Pictures released a short film in three-strip technicolor called La Cucaracha, which was well-received. The film won an Academy Award in 1934. Pioneer released the first full-length technicolor film, Becky Sharp in 1935.[2]: 267–269  Cooper helped to advocate and pave the way for the ground-breaking technology of technicolor,[9] as well as the widescreen process called Cinerama.[21]

    Selznick formed Selznick International Pictures in 1935, and Pioneer Pictures merged with it in June 1936.[2]: 269, 274  Cooper became the vice president of Selznick International Pictures that same year.[1] Cooper did not stay long; he resigned in 1937 due to disagreements over the film Stagecoach.[2]: 275 

    After resigning from Selznick International, Cooper went to Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) in June 1937. A noteworthy project that Cooper was involved in was the fantasy film War Eagles. The film, which would have used extensive special effects, was abandoned in approximately 1939 and never finished. Cooper was to return to the Army Air Force.[2]: 276–281 

    World War II

    Cooper re-enlisted and was commissioned a

    U.S. Army Air Forces.[9][22] He served with Col. Robert L. Scott in India. He worked as logistics liaison for the Doolittle Raid. Thereafter, Cooper and Scott worked with Col. Caleb V. Haynes at Dinjan Airfield. They all were involved in establishing the Assam-Burma-China Ferrying Command. This marked the beginnings of The Hump
    Airlift.

    Colonel Cooper later served in China as chief of staff for General

    Claire Chennault of the China Air Task Force, which was the precursor of the Fourteenth Air Force.[22] On October 25, 1942, a CATF raid consisting of 12 B-25s and 7 P-40s, led by Colonel Cooper, successfully bombed the Kowloon Docks at Hong Kong.[23]

    He served from 1943 to 1945 in the Southwest Pacific as chief of staff for the Fifth Air Force's Bomber Command.[24] At the end of the war, he was promoted to brigadier general. For his contributions, he was also aboard the USS Missouri to witness Japan's surrender.[9]

    Argosy Pictures and Cinerama

    Cooper and his friend and frequent collaborator, noted director

    Argosy Productions in 1946[25] and produced such notable films such as Wagon Master (1950),[26]: 112  Ford's Fort Apache (1948), and She Wore a Yellow Ribbon (1949).[25] Cooper's films at Argosy reflected his patriotism and his vision of the United States.[2]
    : 321 

    Argosy negotiated a contract with RKO in 1946 to make four pictures. Cooper was able to make Grass a complete picture. Cooper also produced and directed Mighty Joe Young, which recruited Schoedsack as director. Cooper visited the set of the film every day to check on progress.[2]: 335, 340–342 

    Cooper left Argosy Pictures to pursue the process of

    The Searchers (1956).[26]
    : 117 

    Awards

    Star on Hollywood Walk of Fame, at 6525 Hollywood Blvd., with first name misspelled

    For his military service in Poland, Cooper was awarded the Silver Cross of the

    Piłsudski), and Poland's Cross of Valour.[6]

    In 1927, Cooper was one of 19 prominent Americans who were given the title of "Honorary Scouts" by the

    In 1949, Mighty Joe Young won an Academy Award for Best Visual Effects, which was presented to Willis O'Brien, the man responsible for the film's special effects.[28][29]

    Cooper was awarded an honorary Oscar for lifetime achievement in 1952.[30] His film The Quiet Man was nominated for Best Picture that year, but lost to Cecil B. DeMille's The Greatest Show on Earth.[31] Cooper has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, though his first name is misspelled "Meriam".[32]

    Personal life

    Cooper was the father of Polish translator and writer Maciej Słomczyński.[6] He married film actress Dorothy Jordan on May 27, 1933.[1] They kept their marriage a secret from Hollywood for a month before it was reported by journalists. He suffered a heart attack later that year.[2]: 252, 255  In the 1950s, he supported Joseph McCarthy in his crusade to root out Communists in Hollywood and Washington, D.C.[33]

    Cooper supported Barry Goldwater in the 1964 United States presidential election.[34]

    Cooper founded Advanced Projects in his later life and served as the chairman of the board. He wanted to explore new technologies like 3-D color television productions.[2]: 374  Cooper died of cancer on April 21, 1973,[1] in San Diego.[9] His ashes were scattered at sea with full military honors.[2]: 378 

    Filmography

    Year Title Director Producer Writer Cinematographer Notes
    1924 The Lost Empire No No Titles No Also editor
    1925 Grass: A Nation's Battle for Life Yes Yes No Yes Role: Himself; Documentary
    1927
    Chang: A Drama of the Wilderness
    Yes Yes Yes No Documentaries
    1928 Gow the Head Hunter No No No Yes
    1929 Captain Salisbury's Ra-Mu No No No Yes
    The Four Feathers Yes Yes No Yes
    1931 Gow the Killer No No No Yes Documentary
    1932 Roar of the Dragon No No Story No
    1933 King Kong Yes Yes Story No Role: Pilot of plane that kills Kong
    1935 The Last Days of Pompeii Yes Yes No No
    1949 Mighty Joe Young Yes Yes Story No Also presenter
    1952 This Is Cinerama Yes Yes No No Documentary
    Only Producer
    Year Title Producing role Notes
    1932
    The Most Dangerous Game
    Associate producer
    Flaming Gold Executive producer
    The Phantom of Crestwood Associate producer
    1933 The Monkey's Paw Producer
    Lucky Devils Associate producer
    Diplomaniacs Executive producer
    The Silver Cord
    Emergency Call
    Cross Fire
    Professional Sweetheart
    Melody Cruise
    Bed of Roses
    Flying Devils
    Double Harness
    Headline Shooter
    Before Dawn
    No Marriage Ties
    Morning Glory
    Blind Adventure
    One Man's Journey
    Rafter Romance
    Midshipman Jack
    Ann Vickers
    Aggie Appleby, Maker of Men
    Ace of Aces
    After Tonight
    Chance at Heaven
    Little Women
    The Right to Romance
    If I Were Free
    The Son of Kong
    Also characters
    Flying Down to Rio
    1934 Stingaree Presenter
    The Meanest Gal in Town Executive producer
    Man of Two Worlds
    Long Lost Father
    Two Alone
    Hips, Hips, Hooray!
    The Lost Patrol
    Keep 'Em Rolling
    Spitfire
    Success at Any Price
    This Man Is Mine
    Sing and Like It
    Finishing School
    Kentucky Kernels
    1935 She Producer
    1936 Dancing Pirate Executive producer
    1938 The Toy Wife Producer
    1940 Dr. Cyclops
    1947 The Fugitive Presenter, producer
    1948 Fort Apache Presenter, executive producer
    3 Godfathers Presenter, producer
    1949 She Wore a Yellow Ribbon Presenter, executive producer
    1950 Wagon Master
    Rio Grande Producer
    1952 The Quiet Man
    1953 The Sun Shines Bright
    1956 The Searchers Executive producer
    Seven Wonders of the World Producer Documentary
    1963 Best of Cinerama

    References

    1. ^ a b c d James V. D'Arc and John N. Gillespie (2013). "Merian C. Cooper papers". Prepared for the L. Tom Perry Special Collections, Provo, UT.
    2. ^ .
    3. ^ "Notable Alumni". The Lawrenceville School. Retrieved July 11, 2016.
    4. ^ Smith, Dinitia (August 13, 2005). "Getting That Monkey Off His Creator's Back". The New York Times.
    5. . Retrieved November 14, 2016.
    6. ^ a b c d e f "Memoirs of King Kong Director and War Hero at Hoover". Hoover Institution. Board of Trustees of Leland Stanford Junior University. March 4, 2014. Retrieved July 11, 2016.
    7. ^
      OCLC 8484128
      .
    8. ^ https://catalog.archives.gov/id/7787194
    9. ^ a b c d e f g h "Merian C. Cooper – Forgotten hero of two nations". American Polish Cooperation Society. Archived from the original on August 12, 2016. Retrieved July 11, 2016.
    10. ^ Liukkonen, Petri. "Isaac Babel". Books and Writers (kirjasto.sci.fi). Finland: Kuusankoski Public Library. Archived from the original on March 8, 2014.
    11. .
    12. ^ Snusz, Zbyszek (September 25, 2012). ""Gwiaździsta eskadra" – film kręcony z gigantycznym rozmachem w 1930 roku". Naszemiasto. Retrieved July 8, 2016.
    13. . Retrieved July 8, 2016.
    14. ^ Krizanovich, Karen. "The big monkey with a big backstory: The Legend of King Kong". Picture Box Films. Retrieved July 8, 2016.
    15. ^ .
    16. . Retrieved July 8, 2016.
    17. .
    18. ^ "The Legacy of Kong with Author Ray Morton! | the Kaiju Transmissions Podcast".
    19. ^ Dawidziak, Mark (April 4, 2008). "Turner Classic Movies celebrates the 75th anniversary of 'King Kong'". Cleveland.com. Archived from the original on October 11, 2016. Retrieved July 8, 2016.
    20. ^ "Pioneer Plans Color Films". The Wall Street Journal. November 5, 1934.
    21. ^ "Merian C. Cooper Productions Sunday, July 3". TCM. Retrieved July 11, 2016.
    22. ^ a b "Colonel Merian C. Cooper". Ozatwar. Retrieved July 11, 2016.
    23. ^ "WW2 Air Raids over Hong Kong & South China: View pages - Gwulo: Old Hong Kong". gwulo.com. Retrieved March 23, 2018.
    24. . Retrieved July 13, 2016.
    25. ^ a b "John Ford—Independent Profile". Hollywood Renegades. Cobblestone Entertainment. Retrieved July 13, 2016.
    26. ^ . Retrieved July 11, 2016.
    27. ^ "Around the World". Time. August 29, 1927. Archived from the original on February 20, 2008. Retrieved October 24, 2007.
    28. ^ "'Mighty Joe Young' (1949)". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on August 7, 2016. Retrieved July 8, 2016.
    29. . Retrieved November 14, 2016.
    30. . Retrieved July 8, 2016.
    31. ^ "1952 Academy Awards® Winners and History". AMC. Retrieved July 8, 2016.
    32. ^ Conradt, Stacy (July 2016). "6 Misspellings on the Hollywood Walk of Fame". mental_floss. Retrieved July 8, 2016.
    33. ^ Vaz, M. Living Dangerously: The Adventures of Merian C. Cooper, Creator of King Kong. Villard (2005), pp. 386–91.
    34. .

    Bibliography

    External links

    Archival materials