Trivia

Being the producer of King Kong (1933), he personally removed a scene in which four sailors, after Kong shook them off a log bridge, fall into a ravine and are eaten alive by giant spiders because, when previewed in January 1933, audience members either fled the theater in terror or talked about the ghastly scene during the entire movie.

Cooper had a bizarre dream about a giant ape that was destroying New York City and recorded it when he woke up. This was the basis for the classic King Kong (1933), which he developed and produced.

He was John Ford's favorite producer with whom to work.

He died only day after Robert Armstrong, with whom he worked on The Most Dangerous Game (1932), King Kong (1933), Blind Adventure (1933), Son of Kong (1933), The Fugitive (1947) and Mighty Joe Young (1949): Armstrong died on April 20, 1973 and Cooper died on April 21, 1973.

During the Russo-Polish War of 1920, when Soviet forces invaded Poland, Cooper helped to create the Kosciusko Squadron, a group of American pilots who flew for the Polish Air Force. They were of invaluable help during the Battle of Warsaw and were instrumental in preventing Russian forces from taking the city. When asked why he traveled all the way to Poland to fight in a war that America was not involved in, Cooper said that his great-grandfather, Col. John Cooper, had been a close friend of Gen. Pulaski, a Polish officer who had volunteered his services to help the American colonists in the US Revolutionary War. John Cooper had been present at Pulaski's death during the Battle of Savannah in 1779. Merrian Cooper said that since Poles had helped America in its fight for independence, he and his squadron were returning the favor.

Entered the U.S. Naval Academy, graduating in the Class of 1915. He left in his senior year. In 1916, he joined the Georgia National Guard to help chase Pancho Villa in Mexico.

His creation, the title character of King Kong (1933), is ranked #30 on Premiere Magazine's 100 Greatest Movie Characters of All Time.

He has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. But, his name is misspelled as "Meriam C. Cooper."

Honored by NBC Radio's "This Is Your Life" (5 April 1949). Guests included Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers, Fay Wray, and wife Dorothy Jordan.

Biography: John Wakeman, editor, "World Film Directors, Volume One, 1890-1945," pp. 147-152. New York: The H.W. Wilson Company, 1987.

During his time in Belyov, Cooper used the assumed name of Frank Mosher and was interviewed by the famous Russian author Isaak Babel.

Interviewed in "Earth vs. the Sci-Fi Filmmakers" by Tom Weaver (McFarland, 2005).

Great-uncle of Wells Bennett.

Fictionalized version of his life portrayed in Gwiazdzista eskadra (1930).

During his time in Belyov, Cooper used the assumed name of Frank Mosher and was interviewed by the famous Russian author Isaac Babel. Mosher is also mentioned in Babel's diary entry of July 14, 1920.

He has directed three films that have been selected for the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically or aesthetically" significant: Grass: A Nation's Battle for Life (1925), King Kong (1933) and This Is Cinerama (1952). He has also executive produced one film that is in the registry: The Searchers (1956).

During World War II, with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel, he served as assistant executive officer to Colonel Caleb Vance "C.V." Haynes of Tenth Air Force Assam-Burma-China Ferry Company's Task Force Aquila.

Was a Pan Am executive.

During World War II he served briefly as Colonel Claire L. Chennault (the Flying Tigers) chief of staff who helped punch up his official letters to his superiors and President Roosevelt.

Was a World War I bomber pilot.