41 Facts About Jackie Coogan

John Leslie Coogan was an American actor and comedian who began his film career as a child actor in silent films.

Jackie Coogan later sued his mother and stepfather over his squandered film earnings and provoked California to enact the first known legal protection for the earnings of child performers, the California Child Actor's Bill, widely known as the "Coogan Act".

Jackie Coogan continued to act throughout his life, later earning renewed fame in middle age portraying Uncle Fester in the 1960s television series The Addams Family.

John Leslie Jackie Coogan was born in Los Angeles, California, in 1914 to John Henry Jackie Coogan, Jr.

Jackie Coogan began performing as an infant in both vaudeville and film, with an uncredited role in the 1917 film Skinner's Baby.

Jackie Coogan's father was an actor, as was his younger brother, Robert.

Jackie Coogan was a natural mimic and delighted Chaplin with his abilities.

In 1922, Jackie Coogan was cast in the title role in Oliver Twist, directed by Frank Lloyd.

Jackie Coogan was one of the first stars to be heavily merchandised.

Jackie Coogan was tutored until the age of 10, when he entered Urban Military Academy and other preparatory schools.

Jackie Coogan attended several colleges, as well as the University of Southern California.

Jackie Coogan was reported to have been present and to have held the lynching rope.

In May 1935,20-year-old Coogan was the sole survivor of a car crash in eastern San Diego County that killed his father, his best friend 19-year-old actor Junior Durkin, their ranch foreman Charles Jones, and actor and writer Robert J Horner.

Jackie Coogan's assets had been conservatively managed by his father, who had died in the car accident five months earlier.

Jackie Coogan soon discovered, though, that nearly the entire amount had been squandered by his mother and stepfather, Arthur Bernstein, on fur coats, diamonds and other jewelry, and expensive cars.

Coogan's mother and stepfather claimed Jackie enjoyed himself and simply thought he was playing before the camera.

Jackie Coogan insisted, "No promises were ever made to give Jackie anything", and claimed he "was a bad boy".

Jackie Coogan sued them in 1938, but after his legal expenses, he received just $126,000 of the $250,000 remaining of his earnings.

When Jackie Coogan went broke during the litigation, he asked Charlie Chaplin for assistance; Chaplin handed him $1,000 cash without hesitation.

Jackie Coogan worked with Near East Relief, he toured across the United States and Europe in 1924 on a "Children's Crusade" as part of his fundraising drive, which provided more than $1 million in clothing, food, and other contributions.

Jackie Coogan was honored by officials in the United States and Greece, where he had an audience with Pope Pius XI.

Jackie Coogan appeared with then-wife Betty Grable in College Swing, a 1938 musical comedy starring George Burns, Gracie Allen, Martha Raye, and Bob Hope.

Jackie Coogan appeared as a police officer in the Elvis Presley comedy Girl Happy in 1965.

In 1940, Jackie Coogan played the role of "a playboy Broadway producer" in the Society Girl program on CBS radio.

Jackie Coogan starred in his own program, Forever Ernest, on CBS from April 29,1946, to July 22,1946.

Jackie Coogan flew British troops, the Chindits, under General Orde Wingate, on March 5,1944, landing them at night in a small jungle clearing 100 miles behind Japanese lines in the Burma Campaign.

Jackie Coogan appeared, too, as Corbett, in two episodes of NBC's 1960 series The Outlaws.

Jackie Coogan appeared in episode 37, titled "Barney on the Rebound", of The Andy Griffith Show, which aired October 31,1961.

Jackie Coogan finally found his most famous television role as Uncle Fester in ABC's The Addams Family.

Jackie Coogan appeared four times on the Perry Mason series, including the role of political activist Gus Sawyer in the 1963 episode, "The Case of the Witless Witness" and TV prop man Pete Desmond in the final episode, "The Case of the Final Fadeout", in 1966.

Jackie Coogan was a guest several times on The Red Skelton Show, appeared twice on The Brady Bunch, I Dream of Jeannie, Family Affair, Here's Lucy, and The Brian Keith Show, and continued to guest-star on television, including multiple appearances on The Partridge Family The Wild Wild West, Hawaii Five-O and McMillan and Wife, until his retirement in the middle 1970s.

Jackie Coogan appeared in the first season of Barnaby Jones, in the episode titled "Sing a Song of Murder".

Jackie Coogan married his third wife, Ann McCormack, on December 26,1946.

Jackie Coogan died in a motorcycle accident in Palm Springs, California.

Leslie Jackie Coogan has a son, actor Keith Jackie Coogan, who was born Keith Eric Mitchell.

Jackie Coogan began acting in 1975 and later changed his name two years after his grandfather's death, in 1986.

Jackie Coogan's roles include the oldest son in Adventures in Babysitting and Don't Tell Mom the Babysitter's Dead.

Jackie Coogan had a long history of heart trouble and hypertension and had previously suffered several strokes.

Jackie Coogan had been undergoing kidney dialysis when his blood pressure dropped.

Jackie Coogan was taken to Santa Monica Hospital, where he died from cardiac arrest.

Jackie Coogan was interred at Holy Cross Cemetery in Culver City.