Jackie Cooper was an American actor, TV director, and producer. He is best remembered for his lead role in the 1931 American film ‘Skippy,’ for which he earned an ‘Academy Award’ nomination for ‘Best Actor.’ At age nine, he was also the youngest actor to receive the honor and remained so for about 50 years. He was also known for playing ‘Perry White’ in the ‘Superman’ film series (1978, 1980, 1983, and 1987). Cooper made his first appearance as a little boy in the 1929 film ‘Fox Movietone Follies of 1929.’ ‘Skippy’ was his first credited role. Some of his successful films include ‘Treasure Island’ (1934), ‘The Devil is a Sissy’ (1936), ‘White Banners’ (1938), ‘Streets of New York’ (1939), ‘Seventeen’ (1940), and ‘French Leave’ (1948). His failed films include Dinky’ (1935), ‘The Love Machine’ (1971), and ‘Surrender’ (1987). Some of his TV show appearances include ‘Suspense’ (1951-52), ‘Hennesey’ (1959-62), and ‘Poilice Story’ (1974-77).
Jor-EI, a scientist from the doomed Planet Krypton, sends his infant son Kal-EI on a spaceship to Earth. Brought up in Smallville by farmers Jonathan and Martha Kent, he becomes aware of his extraordinary abilities during boyhood. Later, working for Daily Planet as a gentle and polite reporter Clark Kent, he uses his superhuman powers to fight criminal mastermind, Lex Luthor.
Wheezer feels jealous of his baby brother, as he is getting all the attention, while he himself is expected to behave like a ‘big boy’. He eventually thinks of running away from home along with Pete the Pup.
A great boxer, Billy gave up boxing and settled for hardscrabble life, taking care of his son, T.J, training horses, and drinking most of the time. Since his wife, Annie, had left him, he had the custody of his son T.J. However, Annie plans to return, triggering a new struggle. Billy is determined to keep T.J with him, so he returns to the ring. Will he be able to match his past success?
After Louis Lane, the love of Superman’s life, discovers that Superman is none other than the shy reporter Clerk Kent, it is a huge surprise for her. Superman agrees to renounce his powers in order to start a relationship with Lois. Meanwhile, three Kryptonian criminals are headed towards Earth. Superman eventually learns about this, and also comes to know that they have teamed up with Lex Luthor. Superman realizes that he will need to regain his powers to save humanity.
This comedy film revolves around two friends Chuck and Steve, who like to find new ways to insult, prank and outdo one another. When both of them fall for a lovely girl named Lucy, their games turn more serious.
Henry is a student who needs to defend himself after being falsely accused of creating trouble at school.
Stepin Fetchit, a comedian, along with his friends, gets into a huge mess after they enter a taffy-pulling contest .
Three evil conspirators - General Zod, Ursa and Non – are banished from planet Krypton and are imprisoned at Phantom Zone. They are accidentally released after a terrorist attack on earth leads to a hydrogen bomb blast. The trio head towards earth to claim it. Meanwhile Clark Kent and Lois Lane grow closer with Clark deciding to let go his superman powers for the sake of love.
A newspaper publisher lets his star reporter stay in his guest house so that he can write his article in peace. However, his teen daughter is annoyed at this, since she promised the guest house to a troop of Boy Scouts rehearsing a musical. However, soon she finds herself falling for the reporter.
Claude is a well-mannered young boy, living in lower Manhattan, who tries to gain acceptance from his school’s batchmates. However, unlike him, his batchmates are not very well-mannered.
Socialite Jack Cromwell has second thoughts regarding his coming marriage, when he sees his fiancée flirting. He runs off to New York, where he meets Molly, daughter of a grocer, who lives in a poor neighborhood. He persuades Molly to return to Southampton with him to make his fiancée jealous. But the two develop a liking for each other in the process.
Rodeo Dough is a western short film which tells the story of two women Marry and Sally, who work as waitresses and are not too bright. They are both looking forward to go home to Kokomo, Indiana, but things don’t go so easy for them.
The Christmas Party is a short drama film, which tells the story of Jackie, who is willing to throw a Christmas party for his friends on his football team. However, he is unsure how to begin working on it, and therefore, has to take help.
Based on comic strip ‘Skippy,’ the film follows Skippy, spirited son of stern Dr. Herbert Skinner, who ignores his parents’ rules and goes to play in poverty-ridden shantytown. He befriends Sooky, a poor boy who can’t afford the license fee for his pet dog Penny. When City’s dog catchers capture Penny, Skippy tries various ventures to raise money for the license fee.
When gunner Mike Mallory testifies against Lt. Tom Sands at an inquiry, Tom quits Navy and breaks with girlfriend, Myra, Mike’s sister. As WWII starts, Tom rejoins Navy and is assigned to Mike’s crew, to their displeasure. Disappointed to man a merchant marine freighter, the diverse crew fights back when attacked by German U-boat and air-bombing, and Tom succeeds in clearing his name.
Ted and Lulu are a successful vaudeville couple. But they quit in order to have time to raise their son. However, years later, they find that their duet act has become stale with time. Meanwhile Ted Jr. also gets married and has a son, but soon finds himself becoming a victim to excessive drinking.
Howard is an American engineer living in Istanbul, who is targeted for assassination, as he has made contributions to the Turkish Navy. Eventually he manages to escape with the help of police Colonel Haki, and decides to board a ship to safety from his hotel. On board, one of the passengers seem suspicious.
Business magnate Ross Webster takes help of computer genius Gus Gorman to take hold of weather satellite control, but doesn’t want Superman to interfere. So he orders Gorman to destroy Superman. Gorman prepares a synthetic Kryptonite, but replaces a missing element with tar. This flaw in Kryptonite brings out a total change in Superman’s personality. Will he be the same savior Superman?
This fantasy comedy film tells the story of Kermit and John, two sailors who are shocked when they encounter a talking duck. Soon, they come to know that it used to be the pet for a scientist, and the duck holds a lot of valuable information about rocket technology.
The Love Machine is a drama film which tells the story of an ambitious TV newsman who, in order to get a promotion, starts having an affair with the wife of the chairman of a TV network board.
Stand Up and Be Counted is a comedy drama film which tells the story of Sheila, a newspaper reporter who returns to her hometown in order to write about the progress in women’s liberation. She is surprised when not only her sister, but her mother agrees with the feminist arguments as well.
Based on the popular DC Comics superhero Superman, this film revolves around Superman as he is planning to destroy all nuclear weapons as the world is on the brink of a nuclear war. However, his nemesis, Lex Luthor, creates Nuclear Man, a force which may even be strong enough to even take down Superman.
Jackie Cooper Awards
| The White Shadow | Outstanding Directing in a Drama Series | 1979 |
| M*A*S*H | Best Directing in Comedy | 1974 |
