Early Career: Cooper started out as a political cartoonist in Helena, Montana. He later moved to Los Angeles in hopes of becoming a political cartoonist for a major publication. However, he ended up selling door to door.
He started playing as an extra in Hollywood Westerns. One thing led to another and he started appearing in several Western films, including: The Thundering Herd, Wild Horse Mesa, The Vanishing American, The Eagle, and The Enchanted Hill.
However, CooperÕs big break came in 1926 when he was put in as a last minute replacement for the second lead in The Winning of Barbara Worth, which also starred Ronald Colman and Vilma Banky.
Cooper was an instant box office success in this film. His physique, manner and movements captivated the film audience beyond measure. Cooper later received an Oscar for his performance in Mr. Deeds Goes to Washington (1936) and The Pride of the Yankees (1942). He later received another Oscar for his performance in High Noon, (1952) and received is first Academy Award and the New York Film Critics Award for Sergeant York (1941).
Following is a year by year chronology of Cooper's films, not including the films in which he was an extra:
1926: The Winning of Barbara Worth.
1927: It, Children of Divorce, Arizona Bound, Wings, Nevada, The Last Outlaw.
1928: Wolf Song, Betrayal, The Virginian.
1930: Only the Brave, Paramount on Parade, The Texan, Seven Days Leave, A Man from Wyoming, The Spoilers, Morocco.
1931: Fighting Caravans, City Streets, I Take this Woman, His Woman.
1932: A Farewell to Arms.
1933: Today We Live, One Sunday Afternoon, Design for Living, Alice in Wonderland.
1934: Operator 13, Now and Forever.
1935: The Wedding Night, The Lives of Bengal Lancer, Peter Ibbetson.
1936: Desire, Mr. Deeds Goes to Town, Hollywood Boulevard (cameo), The General Died at Dawn.
1937: The Plainsman (as Wild Bull Hitcock), Souls at Sea.
1938: The Adventures of Marco Polo, BluebeardÕs Eights Wife, The Cowboy and the Lady.
1939: Blue Geste, The Real Gory.
1940: The Westerner, North West Mounted Police.
1941: Meet John Doe, Sergeant York.
1942: Ball of Fire, The Pride of the Yankees.
1943: For Whom the Bell Tolls.
1944: The Story of Dr. Wassell, Casanova Brown.
1945: Along Came Jones, Saratoga Trunk.
1946: Cloak and Dagger.
1947: Unconquered, Variety Girl (cameo).
1948: Good Sam.
1949: The Fountainhead, ItÕs a Great Feeling (cameo role), Task Force.
1950: Bright Leaf, Dallas.
1951: YouÕre in the Navy Now (USS Teakettle), Starlift (cameo), Distant Dreams, ItÕs a Big Country.
1952: High Noon, Springfield Rigle.
1953: Return to Paradise, Blowing Wild.
1954: Garden of Evil, Vera Cruz.
1955: The Court- Martial of Billy Mitchell.
1956: Friendly Persuasion. 1957: Love in the Afternoon.
1958: Ten North Frederick, Man of the West.
1959: The Hanging Tree, Alias Jesse James (cameo), They Came to Cordura, The Wreck of the Mary Deare.
1961: The Naked Edge (Great Britain).
Death: Gary Cooper died of cancer on May 13, 1961 at the age of only 60.
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