‘Our Gang,’ ‘Superman’ star Jackie Cooper dies

LOS ANGELES (AP) – Jackie Cooper, the former child movie star who won a best actor Oscar nomination at the age of 9 for “Skippy” and grew up to play The Daily Planet editor in Christopher Reeves’ four “Superman” movies, has died. He was 88.

Cooper died from an undisclosed illness Tuesday at a Los Angeles hospital, agent Ronnie Leif said.

A handsome kid with tousled blond hair and a winning smile, Cooper had a memorable bit in the 1929 musical “Sunny Side Up” and appeared in eight of the popular “Our Gang” comedies, including “Pups Is Pups” and “Teacher’s Pet.” Those credits led to a test that won him the title role of “Skippy.”
His other credits included “Sooky” and “The Love Machine.”

Copyright (2011) Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

×