Richard Coogan

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Richard Coogan
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
OccupationActor
Years active1941–1963
PartnerLeona
Children1[1]

Richard Charles Potter Coogan

from 1949 to 1950.

Career

Born in Madison, New Jersey,[2] Coogan worked in radio for some time,[3] including appearing as Abie Levy in Abie's Irish Rose. He appeared on Broadway in five different productions between 1945 and 1955, all of them short-lived except for Diamond Lil with Mae West, and The Rainmaker. He was still appearing on Broadway with West when he took the role of Captain Video and His Video Rangers on the DuMont Television Network on June 27, 1949. After the live telecast each day, ending at about 7:30 pm EST, he took a cab to the theatre where Diamond Lil was playing. As the popularity of Captain Video increased, Coogan grew less and less comfortable with both the role and the very, very low budget of the production. He left Captain Video in December 1950 and was replaced by Al Hodge, who played the part until the series ended on April 1, 1955. Coogan transferred to the soap opera Love of Life, where he played the heroic Paul Raven.[citation needed]

Between 1954 and 1961, Coogan appeared in such films as

Marshal Matt Dillon. His co-stars included Carole Mathews in a romantic role as the young widow Wilma Fansler and later Jeopardy! host, Art Fleming
.

He also had a continuing role on the police procedural series Vice Raid (1960–1961), as Sergeant Whitey Brandon. During 1951–1963 he guest-starred on a number of other television series, mainly Westerns such

Cheyenne in the episode titled "Alabi for the Scalped Man".[citation needed] In 1960 he appeared as Hank Lawson on Maverick in the episode "Thunder from the North".[citation needed
]

Coogan retired from film and television in 1963 following an appearance on Perry Mason as Police Sgt. Gifford in "The Case of the Shoplifter's Shoe", and his final appearance as Luke Ryan in an episode of Gunsmoke. In later life, he was best known as a professional golfer and golf instructor.

Death

Coogan died on March 12, 2014, in Los Angeles from natural causes a few weeks before his 100th birthday.[4]

Filmography

Year Title Role Notes
1953 Girl on the Run Bill Martin
1954 Three Hours to Kill Niles Hendricks
1956 The Revolt of Mamie Stover Captain Eldon Sumac
1959 Vice Raid Whitey Brandon

References

  1. ^ "Richard Coogan, Star of 'Captain Video and His Video Rangers,' Dies at 99". The Hollywood Reporter. 12 March 2014.
  2. ^
    ProQuest 111446103. Retrieved December 6, 2020 – via ProQuest
    .
  3. .
  4. ^ Barnes, Mike (March 12, 2014). "Richard Coogan, Star of 'Captain Video and His Video Rangers,' Dies at 99". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved March 13, 2014.

External links