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Olive Cooper

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Olive Cooper
BornJuly 31, 1892
San Francisco, California, USA
DiedJune 12, 1987 (aged 94)
Los Angeles, California, USA
Occupation(s)Screenwriter, actress
RelativesGeorge Stevens (nephew)

Olivette "Olive" Cooper (1892–1987) was a prolific American screenwriter known for movies like Cocoanut Grove, Bandit King of Texas and Three Little Sisters. She wrote many of the screenplays for Roy Rogers and Gene Autry vehicles.[1]

Biography

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Cooper was born in San Francisco on July 31, 1892,[2][3] to a well-known theatrical family. Her mother, Georgia Woodthorpe, was an actress, as was her sister, Georgie Cooper. Her nephew, George Stevens, went on to become a celebrated Hollywood director.[4] Her brother Harry was a cinematographer.

She first appeared on stage at age 5, under the name Ollie Cooper,[5] and performed in Bay Area theater productions before moving to Hollywood.[6] She appeared chiefly in character roles and comedic parts. Her film debut was The Brass Check (1918).[7] After appearing in a few short films in the early 1930s, she decided to pursue a career as a screenwriter. She wrote dozens of scripts over the course of her career, many of which were Westerns. She often collaborated with the directors Joseph Kane, Lew Landers and Joseph Santley. She was married to the stage director Edwin H. Curtis,[5] and died in Los Angeles aged 94.[2]

Screenwriting credits

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References

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  1. ^ "CURTAIN CALLS: WOMEN WRITE ADVENTURE PLAYS". Oakland Tribune. January 30, 1942. p. 25. Retrieved December 22, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
  2. ^ a b Doyle, Billy H. (1999). The Ultimate Directory of Film Technicians. Lanham, Maryland: Scarecrow Press. p. 54. ISBN 978-0-8108-3546-7 – via Internet Archive.
  3. ^ "26 November 2014, Olive Cooper Curtis, 12 Jun 1987". California Death Index, 1940-1997, database. Sacramento: Department of Public Health Services – via FamilySearch.
  4. ^ "RECALLS OLD DAYS". The Los Angeles Times. August 28, 1927. p. 47. Retrieved December 22, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ^ a b G. C. W. (September 27, 1925). "Was So Funny in Emotional Roles that She Made a Success of Comedy". San Francisco Chronicle. p. D1.
  6. ^ ""ABIE'S IRISH ROSE" OPENS CAPITOL RUN ON SUNDAY". The San Francisco Examiner. May 10, 1927. p. 15. Retrieved December 22, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ^ "Ollie Cooper Making Screen Debut". The Moving Picture World. February 16, 1918. p. 988 – via Internet Archive.
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