Born: May 7th, 1901 (Montana)
Died: May 13th, 1961 (prostate cancer)
Marriage: Sandra Shaw (1933-1961 His death)
Children: One daughter Maria Cooper
Awards: He was awarded three Academy Awards: Best Actor in Sergeant York (1941) & High Noon (1952) and an Honorary Oscar in 1961 received by Jimmy Stewart in his place since Gary Cooper was battling cancer at the time. He was nominated three other times for Best Actor: Mr. Deeds Goes to Town (1936), The Pride of the Yankees (1942), For Whom the Bell Tolls (1943). He has received nine other awards for his acting and nominations for an additional three.
Interesting Fact: One month after Cooper died of cancer, his friend of twenty years, Ernest Hemingway, shot himself.
My Favorite Movie: Among my favorite of his are The Pride of the Yankees (1942), Friendly Persuasion (1956), Beau Geste (1939) & Sergeant York (1941)
Gary Cooper was more than just the home-spun boy of America, he was the loneliest one. His sad eyes and straight expressions, coupled with his deliberately slow performances, told you more about the character than anyone else could do. His biopics may have been few, but each one was on a grand scale. I find it interesting that he has played a war objector quite a few times; his most notable performances on this theme were Sergeant York & Friendly Persuasion.
I hate to admit that when I was young, I would often get Cooper confused with Stewart. I know, I know, how is it that even possible? Now looking back, I have taken some time to investigate where the confusion began. Maybe it was that they both did Capra films, or that they were western figures. No, I think it was their small-town delivery. They both took time on their speeches and focused more on their expressions or lack of. The truth of the matter may really be that I got confused when someone pointed them out in error as a kid. Who knows.
Speech from Pride of the Yankees.
Favorite scene from Mr. Deeds Goes to Town.
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE MOVIE OF HIS?
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