Fester: first child star? - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

rich2 · 02-05-2005, 01:29 AM

I was reading about the actor who played Fester as being the "first child star" of movies. He played a character called "The Kid" in Charlie Chaplin movies and was a huge sensation at the time. He also made guest appearances on Brady Bunch in his older years.

His grandson is Keith Coogan who appeared in Adventures in Babysitting.

Stuck In The '70's · 02-07-2005, 02:00 AM

Yep he was in the Kid. I have that movie on video and he was very good in it. You would never know that he'd grow up to be Uncle Fester.

EmpressDR · 02-11-2005, 05:40 PM

Yes--I think I read his autobiography--his parents stole his money, and there was the Jackie Coogan law, to help protect child actors, as a result. One story he told was how he was made to sell things door-to-door to get extra money, and got groped by a child molester--so at least he got out of having to go door-to-door. Sadly, the molester got away with it, because in those days, people were "too embarrassed" to take something like that to the cops or courts.

Jackie Cooper, who played Perry White ( Clark Kent's and Lois Lane's boss, in the Superman movies ) was also a child actor, and there was sometimes confusion. I'm not sure which films he was in. But Coogan must've been the wealthier/famous one.

rich2 · 02-11-2005, 05:53 PM

Jackie Cooper was another child actor, but he was actually a lot more famous than Coogan, at least as an adult. As a child he was in the Little Rascals, but not the most famous cast with Alfalfa and Spanky. He was in the earlier ones with the young schoolteacher, and he portrayed a young student in love with her - "Mrs Crabtree." As an adult he was director of the TV show MASH, and he portrayed the news editor in the first Superman movie.

Tweety · 04-12-2005, 08:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rich2

Jackie Cooper was another child actor, but he was actually a lot more famous than Coogan, at least as an adult. As a child he was in the Little Rascals, but not the most famous cast with Alfalfa and Spanky. He was in the earlier ones with the young schoolteacher, and he portrayed a young student in love with her - "Mrs Crabtree." As an adult he was director of the TV show MASH, and he portrayed the news editor in the first Superman movie.

Yes, Jackie was in the Little Rascals shorts (known back then as "Our Gang").
Jackie was in Our Gang in the early 1930s, and was really the first big star of the Gang once they went to talkies (the series debuted in 1922, but didn't produce talkies until 1929).

Jackie was the star of the gang at a time when the other members consisted primarily of Mary Ann, Wheezer, Farina, Chubby, and Dorothy (Stymie came along about that time as well).

Jackie was probably the biggest child star in Hollywood form 1930-1933, until Shirley Temple became famous (about 1934), and Hal Roach would regularly lend him out to other studios who needed Jackie to play a certain part.

Coogan was several years older than Cooper.

02-05-2005, 01:29 AM	#1
rich2 Frequent Poster Member Join Date: Oct 07, 2004 Location: Texas Posts: 65	Fester: first child star? I was reading about the actor who played Fester as being the "first child star" of movies. He played a character called "The Kid" in Charlie Chaplin movies and was a huge sensation at the time. He also made guest appearances on Brady Bunch in his older years. His grandson is Keith Coogan who appeared in Adventures in Babysitting.

02-07-2005, 02:00 AM	#2
Stuck In The '70's Forum Legend Member Join Date: Jun 06, 2003 Location: In Television Hell Posts: 56,772	Yep he was in the Kid. I have that movie on video and he was very good in it. You would never know that he'd grow up to be Uncle Fester. __________________ Sonny

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02-11-2005, 05:40 PM	#3
EmpressDR Forum Regular Member Join Date: Mar 22, 2004 Location: California Posts: 274	Yes--I think I read his autobiography--his parents stole his money, and there was the Jackie Coogan law, to help protect child actors, as a result. One story he told was how he was made to sell things door-to-door to get extra money, and got groped by a child molester--so at least he got out of having to go door-to-door. Sadly, the molester got away with it, because in those days, people were "too embarrassed" to take something like that to the cops or courts. Jackie Cooper, who played Perry White ( Clark Kent's and Lois Lane's boss, in the Superman movies ) was also a child actor, and there was sometimes confusion. I'm not sure which films he was in. But Coogan must've been the wealthier/famous one.

02-11-2005, 05:53 PM	#4
rich2 Frequent Poster Member Join Date: Oct 07, 2004 Location: Texas Posts: 65	Jackie Cooper was another child actor, but he was actually a lot more famous than Coogan, at least as an adult. As a child he was in the Little Rascals, but not the most famous cast with Alfalfa and Spanky. He was in the earlier ones with the young schoolteacher, and he portrayed a young student in love with her - "Mrs Crabtree." As an adult he was director of the TV show MASH, and he portrayed the news editor in the first Superman movie.