Melville Cooper

George Melville Cooper, often simply known as Melville Cooper, was an accomplished English actor, celebrated for his many prominent roles both on-screen and on-stage. Born on October 15, 1896, in Aston, Birmingham, Warwickshire, Cooper showed an interest in acting from a very young age before making his professional debut at age 18 in a Stratford-upon-Avon production. His early acting career was briefly halted by service in the First World War, where he was captured and held prisoner on the Western Front. After the war, Cooper continued to grace the stage and gradually transitioned into the film industry. In the early 1930s, Cooper starred in Black Coffee (1931) among other films before moving to the United States following favorable reviews for his performance in The Private Life of Don Juan (1934). He was usually cast as a snobbish, ineffective societal figure or a confidence trickster like his memorable roles in Four's a Crowd (1938) and The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938). Cooper's acting prowess equally shone in the '40s and '50s into his numerous television appearances till his last appearance in 1961. Towards the end of his career, he reverted back to his stage roots and starred in productions like My Fair Lady (1956–62) and Hostile Witness (1966). His last experience on stage was in the revival of Charley's Aunt which closed in 1970. Cooper passed away on 13 March 1973 in Los Angeles, California from cancer.