Gary Cooper: American Hero

by Jeffrey Meyers

Published to coincide with his centennial in May 2001, this definitive biography of a Hollywood icon portrays actor Gary Cooper as a man of complex and sophisticated tastes, as well as large appetites. Meyers offers a riveting, inside look at Cooper's career; his tempestuous relationships with Grace Kelly, Ingrid Bergman, Clara Bow, and Tallulah Bankhead; and his legendary friendship with Ernest Hemingway.-- "The Instrumentalist"

Genres: Biography, Nonfiction, Film

415 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1998

About the author

Jeffrey Meyers, a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature, has recently been given an Award in Literature by the American Academy of Arts and Letters. Thirty of his books have been translated into fourteen languages and seven alphabets, and published on six continents. He lives in Berkeley, California.

Reviews

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book as I have other biographies of Hollywood stars and notables in other fields because a good biographer (and Jeffrey Meyers is very good) distills the star's life into a comprehensible essence. Cooper was, and still is, admired for the way he performs as an actor. His real life was quite different, but it's the essence of his existence that makes him act the way we perceive him on screen. The character that he portrays is merely a vehicle. "High Noon" was underneath it all about HUAC--the House Un-American Activities Committee in the 1950's.

Somewhere within the actor lies fragments of what we see on the screen coalesced into something we all have but cannot grasp. Maybe it's a glint in his eye or a tremble in the lip or the way he works his hands. That's the actor's genius. You can see it in Bogart, Dean, Brando, Gable, and so on. The genius of the actor is showing us what already lies within ourselves. Meyers lays that out very clearly in this biography.

[Graceann · Rating 1 out of 5]

Please see my detailed review at Amazon.co.uk Graceann's "Gary Cooper" Review"

What a godawful book. Gary Cooper was so interesting, and so complex that whether you like him or not, reading a book about him should be an enlightening experience. This opinionated, spoiler-filled, lousy piece of kindling was an insult to Cooper and his films. My Amazon review goes into specific issues with Meyers' lack of objectivity and apparent allergic reaction to research. I don't know any more about Cooper than I did when I started this book, and I'll never get the time I spent reading it back. I won't make that mistake again - if the author is Jeffrey Meyers, it will stay on the store shelf.

[Christine Mathieu · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this biography.
Up to this point all I knew was that Gary Cooper played the lead role in my favorite western of all times (High Noon), that he was friends with Ernest Hemingway and had an affair with Patricia Neal.
I didn't know that he was such a ladies man and basically had affairs with almost all of his leading ladies in his movies.

The fact that Jeffrey Meyers told Cooper's story in a chronological way is another big plus (I never cared much for (auto)biographies which are not told chronologically).

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the better show business biographies I have read this year. Meyers has a good grasp of his subject - he has researched it well. He is choosy about what he includes in the book - which I appreciate. On the other hand, he doesn't seem to have left much out. The book is not like a laundry list of events though. Well written, he makes Cooper and the times he lived in interesting, without padding the book with too much detail. He seems to like Cooper in some ways, but also seems disappointed. He holds back his disappointment in Cooper's behavior as a human being until near the end of the book. He has watched the films Cooper acted in, that is obvious from the descriptions and expressed opinions. The film details are just long enough that they are not boring to the average reader. On the other hand, it is obvious Meyers has not simply watched the films, but researched their making somewhat and thought about them. I was impressed at his succinctly expressed, grounded opinions, even though I did not always agree with them.

He spent a fair amount of time on the Hemingway - Cooper on-again off-again friendship which was interesting. That the two died so close together was not something I realized before. A bit too much time spent on Cooper's extramarital affairs to suit me, but I guess they were a large part of his life and couldn't be avoided. Actually, I liked Cooper less due to his humiliating treatment of his wife - but liked him more because of the way he handled himself during the making of the film High Noon - particularly his supportive behavior towards Carl Foreman.

However, William Wyler was most certainly not an overrated director. (p. 140..."The movie was directed by William Wyler, a laborious plodder with an inflated reputation...") Ah, no. Dodsworth. Wuthering Heights. The Little Foxes. The Letter. The Best Years of our Lives. Dead End. These Three. Jezebel. The Heiress. Carrie. The Children's Hour. That's like calling Bill Russell of the Boston Celtics - who won 11 championships while he played there - overrated. I recently heard this said in a basketball documentary. Such statements are simply laughable and outrageously wrong.

Finally, I agree with at least one other reviewer who wished that more would have been written about his wife and daughter's lives after his death.

Definitely worth reading.

[Toni · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm reading the book originally published in 1998. Didn't realize there were so many versions out there. The older versions, when the actor is young, vital and important to the Hollywood cash machine read more like an "in depth" People mag article. Right. You read that correctly.
The more recent bios, or less delicately said, after the star is deceased, more can be said.
Up to chapter 6 and love reading about the dashing actor. His main flaw, ahh, (dramatically waving a fan), is that he loves women, and he's shy.
Well since women love him that shyness starts to ease up a bit. Fun.
Oh, and well written. Haha

[Jaime · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a superior biography about an incredible and respected actor. Although his private life was always getting him in the gossip columns, Mr. Cooper kept it private. Mr. Cooper was a passionate man who loved women, being a cowboy and making movies. He was the consummate professional who could be counted on to deliver on screen. He is known for many memorable roles but always saw himself as a man and a father. I enjoyed reading about him and was surprised by some of his romantic escapades. I enjoyed this book!

[Pat · Rating 5 out of 5]

A thorough account of the life and film career of Gary Cooper. It would seem that if ever there was a natural born film actor, it was Gary. Many times, directors, reviewers and fellow actors are quoted as saying that during filming of a scene, it would often appear as if Cooper had missed the mark, hadn't done much of anything; until they saw how effective Cooper's understated technique was when captured by the camera. His private life, particularly his womanizing, was as legendary as his own screen performances. A worthwhile read.

[Dkeslin · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was impressed as to how "down home" the guy from Montana really was. Although rocketed to fame and led a fast Hollywood lifestyle before he married a wealthy society lady from the East, he remained a cowboy at heart. He was the perfect cowboy as his early life was as a real rancher and cowpoke. I didn't realize how famous a Hollywood star he really was until reading this book. By 1939, he was the highest paid star in the world.

[Jane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting read. I learned more about the investigations done in Hollywood by House of Un-American Committee and how the 'studio system' worked. Meyers does nice job summarizing the plots of all Cooper's movies. Meyers must have done tons of research because he has quotes from almost everyone connected to the star - professionally and from his private life. I'm going to read other biographies he's written.

[Kirk Morrison · Rating 2 out of 5]

"Coop" was a real American icon. He deserves a definitive biography- however I don't think this is it. Meyers seems to want to write a typical gossipy Hollywood celeb book and I thought that approach detracted from my interest.

[Keith · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good biography of this film star and American icon. He grew up on a ranch!

[Annie · Rating 4 out of 5]

50/50 Book Quest category: Name in Title.

Okay, confession time: I love old movie stars. Especially from the classic Hollywood era of the 1930s-40s (and heck, 1950s too). I love Cary Grant and Gregory Peck, and my latest obsession has been Gary Cooper. He’s made some great movies and he’s just so darn charming that I wanted to learn more about him.

The author takes a good approach by dividing his chapters into themes by years. His writing is pretty good but sometimes flashbacks or tangents hijack the narrative. I knew that Cooper was a womanizer- and it turns out maybe a little more so than I thought- but the author puts in details from some of his mistresses that is a little TMI, you know what I mean?

Overall, Meyer covers the highlights (and lowlights) of Cooper’s career and how he portrayed the “ideal” American man. Cooper’s humor, candor, and humility are refreshing and endearing. Despite it all though, he was mortal, and though a flawed mortal at that, a man worth knowing.

[John Smiley · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you love movies (and movie stars), I think you'll enjoy this book.

It's about Gary Cooper, of course, but also presents a picture of Hollywood from the 20's through the 60's that is very interesting.

I must say, Gary Cooper was a very busy man!