Season 5. Episode #148. Some time in the 1970’s on a black and white console at my aunt and uncle’s house in Alhambra, California on a lazy summer Saturday afternoon.
This is when I first became acquainted with Mr. Jackie Cooper who has just passed away, leaving us with his huge body of work in film and television, including a record for the youngest actor ever (at age 9) to be nominated for an Oscar as Best Actor for his roll in the 1931 film Skippy.
Many folks out there will know Cooper from his stint in the Christopher Reeve Superman films … and why not? He was Perry White to a “T” over the course of that franchise.
But I will never forget him as the seemingly-mad Jonathan West in Caesar And Me, the ultra-creepy Twilight Zone episode in which he played ventriloquist to a maniacal dummy, Little Caesar. You see, the dummy manipulated Cooper’s character into committing burglaries and — in the end — takes the fall for the crimes suggested by the puppet.
Freaked. Me. Out. Imagine yourself as a kid taking this in, all by your lonesome. That was me, hair standing on end at the back of my neck. Needless to say I didn’t sleep well that night … all because of the brilliant performance by Jackie Cooper.
Whereas it would be years before I could truly appreciate the effectiveness of Cooper’s craft, it left an indelible mark on me. And now, I have a hole inside me with his passing. And I’m not the only one who will miss him; CliqueClack’s own Chuck Duncan apparently will as well:
“That’s sad. I knew Jackie Cooper best from Superman. That first scene at the Daily Planet had the feel of the great screwball comedies like His Girl Friday and Cooper delivered the dialog perfectly.”
Farewell, Jackie Cooper.
Clacked by Michael Noble 
on May 04, 2011 @ 22:35 EST5EDT
I so remember, as a kid and later on in life, watching re-runs of Our Gang. Absolutely classic. That was the first time I remember seeing him. Always seemed to have a natural pout. I remember watching him in another sitcom called: Hennessy. But being a huge huge fan of the Twilight Zone… can remember having the kajeebers scared out of me watching Ceasar and Me. After that I watched my dolls verrreeee closely. Fair winds Little Jackie Cooper…thanks for the memories!
Years ago, when Cowtown USA only received 4 television channels, children often found themselves at the mercy of a penny-pinching independent TV station for relief from the ever present weekend sports programming on the three networks. In the ancient B&W reruns, Jackie Cooper was the child hero we worshipped … he and his hangdog expression when caught in the wrong. It was several years before I realized the boy matinee idol had grown into the debonair “Hennesey”! ‘Bye, Jackie.
He was a very talented actor. I remember that Twilight Zone episode well and it wss scary for little kids and he played it so well. I loved him as Perry White and you are so right. He fit that part to a T. I hope they will not stop showing those old movies so, that the kids of today will know all the great actors. I know my parents helped in my appreciation of Jackie Cooper and many others great actors. He will be missed.
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https://www.sitcomsonline.com/photopost/data/1284/14549cleo1.jpg
My first thoughts went to the ‘Columbo’ episode he did – “Candidate For Crime”. I also remember the two-part ‘Rockford Files’ he was in and seeing his name in the director’s credits for several of those episodes. He even did the answering machine message for the opening credits in one episode….
A lot of child stars – and their parents/agents etc – should look to him as an example……