Gary Cooper Off Camera: A Daughter Remembers by Maria Cooper Janis

by Maria Cooper Janis

Gary Cooper (1901-1961) is an American icon-an actor whose handsome features and unstudied poise made him one of the great stars of Hollywood's Golden Era. Now, his only child gives us an extraordinary memoir-a book that reveals the Gary Cooper only she knew. Illustrated throughout with 175 photographs, including many never-before-published family pictures, Maria Cooper Janis' heartfelt book offers an unprecedented look at her father's private side, from his Montana boyhood and his Hollywood home life to his friendships with Ernest Heming way, Pablo Picasso, and Jimmy Stewart, among others. Filled with anecdotes that capture the off-screen humor and warmth of this avid outdoorsman and great humanitarian, Gary Cooper Off Camera is an unforgettable portrait of a great star and a beloved father. 175 photographs in duotone, 911/2 x 11"

Genres: Nonfiction, Biography, Media Tie In, Memoir, Photography

Hardcover

First published November 1, 1999

Reviews

[Karina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gary Cooper's background as a rancher who transitioned into stunt riding then acting is well known. It's the intimate photographs and anecdotes from Maria Cooper Janis that make this "biography" such a pleasure to peruse. I put it in quotes because it does offer highlights of his life, but I suppose it's more of a loving tribute from a doting daughter.

[Wayne Baker · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this picture-book. Lots of family photos and many stories told about friends and numerous activities. A solid tribute to a real American hero who lived much of the Cowboy Code as part of his daily life.

[Julian · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a heartfelt portrait of the one of a kind man and truly stand-up guy that was Gary Cooper. I learned so much about the man's personal life and was refreshed to learn about how his on-screen presence was not merely a persona or a facade, but something that existed very much in harmony with his principled yet simple off-screen life. Coop was already one of my all-time favorite actors before reading this book, but after eagerly sifting through its pages I have even more respect for this truly unique individual and artist. And of course, to have his life and work conveyed through the lens of his daughter was very special and made it feel a lot more intimate than a more traditional, potentially sensationalized "biography" might have. Really quite a treat--I can already tell that this book shall become a coffee table staple for me for years to come!

[黑 · Rating 4 out of 5]

生活中的库珀要比他演的角色有意思多了……虽然你们一通解释，但我还是不能get到他的“natural”表演法XD【能多来点早期静照就更好了（颜党永不满足！）】

[Geoffrey Greeley · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was good, pictures and stories about the life of the Coopers - I enjoyed the journey.

[Dana Gillis · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very easy read with beautiful photographs. Maria captures the essence of her dad and his relationships with family, friends, and the movies.

[Anthony McGill · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Gary Cooper was the personification of the honor-bound man." - Fred Zinnemann.

"With his high brow and chiseled features, his combed-back hair and 6-foot-3-inch lanky frame, Gary Cooper (1901-1961) was handsome in a way that personified Hollywood- and Hollywood glamour- in its heyday. He was the seamless actor who became our Sheriff Kane or Lou Gehrig or Sergeant York. Gary Cooper was, in short. an American icon when actors still seemed to personify the hopes and ambitions of a thriving nation."

In this very handsome tribute to a very handsome man, daughter Maria Cooper Janis shares her personal stories about her father and a charmed life growing up in Hollywood, along with letters and photos from family scrapbooks.

The photographs in this collection are extraordinary; many of the off-camera shots were taken by classic photographers Robert Capa, Jean Howard and Slim Aarons featuring famous film personalities and friends with Coop, a mixture as diverse as Ernest Hemingway, Averell Harriman and Pablo Picasso. But it's the "private" home scenes, mostly unseen in other Coop books that will truly delight his forever fans.

Book is basically broken up into sections titled: Private Time/ Family Time/ Play Time/ Movie Time/ End Time - all highlighted by superbly reproduced black and white photos.

Remembering a touching, closing moment in Coop's life as told by his daughter.

"Fred Zinnemann wanted to give Rene, his wife of twenty-six years, a special wedding gift. Knowing how much this would mean to her, he asked my parents to help arrange for them to be remarried in a Catholic ceremony, with my father as best man. So it happened the last time Poppa ever left the house in 1961 was to stand up with Fred at the wedding service ...... four weeks later he was buried from that same altar. In spite of great pain, Poppa wanted to be there for Fred. After the ceremony, we came home to toast life and celebrate love.

"Our friendship with Fred Zinnemann was unique and deep. It was eleven years from the time he and Poppa first worked together to the end of my father's life. They were both quiet men who seemed to communicate on another level."

[Anh Nch · Rating 4 out of 5]

Found this book at my university library.
I haven't known much about Gary Cooper as actor but thanks to this loving and tender memory of a daughter towards her "poppa", I learn about him as a great father. Of course Gary Cooper wasn't an ordinary father. He himself was an icon of Hollywood with 2 Oscars, befriended with hundreds of famous people working in politics and movie industry, traveled around the world staying in top-notch hotels surrounded by paparazzi, flashes and flowers, had several luxurious items a simple middle-income family couldn't afford. But that's not the point, the book doesn't try to show off that side of his life, it's just impossible not to mention it. I think most of us will remember the other side of his life much better. It is personal and endearing and soulful, just like the life of our own beloved fathers.

[Victoria Nicholson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is great for cinema buffs.James Dean was a visual genuis and poet of the pose but Cooper
(a "natural actor") might have really been Hollywoods 1st rebel. Before Johnny Depp became a honorary member of a commanche tribe Cooper did in another tribe. He acted with african-american
Bo Jangles and Gary loved jazz. Cooper turned down GWTW...this book shows Cooper through his daughters vision and it made the impression on me that she adored him. The book has lots of family
photos of Cooper and a few photos of Cooper goofing off in a bullring. It doesnt have many Hollywood poster type images of Cooper though.Being into male celebrities Im probably going to buy
this book eventually. I checked it out on interlibary loan. Mary Cooper Janis is a concert pianist
if I recall correctly.

[Richard Wheeler · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a tender pictorial memoir of Gary Cooper, written by his daughter Maria Cooper Janis. She does a splendid job of it, giving us rich insights and anecdote about her father and mother, their lives, friends, vacations, stardom, and ideals. Cooper was probably the finest male star of the golden years, in part because of his innate dignity and quiet way of playing his roles. He was much the same in real life as on the screen. Maria Cooper does a fine job of bringing her father to life, especially for younger generations who scarcely know him.

[Maryka · Rating 5 out of 5]

The author is actually Maria Cooper Janis, daughter of Gary Cooper and his wife, Rocky. She is married to concert pianist Byron Janis.