Ben Cooper

Ben Cooper (September 30, 1933 – February 24, 2020) was an American film and television actor who won a Golden Boot Award in 2005 for his work in Westerns.

Stage Cooper appeared on Broadway in Life with Father (1939). He debuted in the role of Harlan at age 9; before the play performances ended in 1943, Cooper had grown enough to play Whitney.

Radio Cooper acted in thirty-four radio serials, many of them soap operas, in the era of old-time radio.

He appeared in Tales of Wells Fargo, Wagon Train, Gunsmoke (in 1962 as “Pitt”, a semi-outlaw trying to go straight and become a Doctor with “Doc Adam’s” help in S7E11’s “Apprentice Doc” and in 1965 as “Breck”, a more progressive thinking townsman in S10E36’s “Two Tall Men”), Bonanza, an episode of The Rifleman and Rawhide. He unsuccessfully tested in 1962 for the role of Steve Hill on NBC's 90-minute Western television series, The Virginian. He appeared in 1963 as Corporal Cross—second in command to Sergeant Saunders, played by series co-star Vic Morrow—in Season 1/episode 18 of the series Combat. He played murderer Frank Wells in the 1961 Perry Mason episode "The Case of the Impatient Partner," Davis Crane in the (1962) episode "The Case of the Promoter's Pillbox" and James Grover in "The Case of the Polka Dot Pony". He also played murderer Clyde Jasper in the (1965) episode "The Case of the Mischievous Doll" and Lowell Rupert in "The Case of the Baffling Bug".

Personal life Cooper was a native of Hartford, Connecticut,

After he was diagnosed with dementia, he moved to a memory care facility in Memphis, Tennessee, in 2017 to be near his family; he died there on February 24, 2020, at the age of 86. He had two daughters by his late wife Pamela R. Cooper.

Cooper supported Barry Goldwater in the 1964 United States presidential election.

Quotes

Filmography Film appearances

Side Street (1950) - Young Man at Cleaners (uncredited) Thunderbirds (1952) - Calvin Jones Woman They Almost Lynched (1953) - Jesse James A Perilous Journey (1953) - Sam Sea of Lost Ships (1953) - 3rd Plane Crewman Flight Nurse (1953) - Pfc. Marvin Judd Outlaw's Son (1953) - Jeff Blaine Johnny Guitar (1954) - Turkey Ralston The Outcast (1954) - The Kid Hell's Outpost (1954) - Alec Bacchione The Eternal Sea (1955) - Seaman P.J. 'Zuggy' Zugbaum The Last Command (1955) - Jeb Lacey Headline Hunters (1955) - David Flynn The Rose Tattoo (1955) - Seaman Jack Hunter The Fighting Chance (1955) - Mike Gargan A Strange Adventure (1956) - Harold Norton Rebel in Town (1956) - Gray Mason Duel at Apache Wells (1957) - Johnny Shattuck Outlaw's Son (1957) - Jeff Blaine Chartroose Caboose (1960) - Dub Dawson Gunfight at Comanche Creek (1963) - Carter The Raiders (1963) - Tom King Arizona Raiders (1965) - Willie Martin Waco (1966) - Scotty Moore Red Tomahawk (1967) - Lt. Drake The Fastest Guitar Alive (1967) - Rink Support Your Local Gunfighter (1971) - Colorado One More Train to Rob (1971) - First Deputy The Sky's the Limit (1975) - Hank Lightning Jack (1994) - Shopkeeper in Bank

Television appearances Cooper was a notable performer in many television Westerns. Cooper also appeared in television pilots for Command (1958), The Reno Brothers (1960), and The Freebooters (1967). These performances include appearances in the following television Westerns:

One Step Beyond (1959) - Ronnie Watson Tales of Wells Fargo (1959) - Matthew Land Wichita Town (1959) - Tom Warren Johnny Ringo (1960) - Mike Reno Wagon Train (1959-1960) - Tom Tuckett/Steve Campden II Zane Grey Theater (1956-1960) - Sandy/Darryl Thompson/Sam Duskin Jr./Clint Harding Stagecoach West (1960) - Jeremy Boone The Westerner (1960) - Cal Davis The Twilight Zone (1961) - Dauger The Rifleman (1961) - Simon Lee Bonanza (1960-1961) - Johnny Lightly/Sam Kirby Gunsmoke (1961-1965) - Pitt Campbell/Breck Taylor Perry Mason (1961-1965) - Various Roles Laramie (1962) - Johnny Hartley/Sandy Catlin Combat! (1963-1965) - Corporal Cross/Willy Kleve Rawhide (1964) - Clell Miller The Time Tunnel (1966) - Nazarro Mannix (1969) Death Valley Days (1969) - Jason Tugwell The Virginian (1970) - Jason Room 222 (1971) - Ben Cooper - Ep9 Kung Fu (1974) - Goodnight B. J. and the Bear (1979) - Waverly The Misadventures of Sheriff Lobo (1979-1980) - Waverly Who's the Boss? (1984) - Truth In Dating Dallas (1985) - Mr. Parrish Kung Fu: The Legend Continues (1995) - Sheriff Dowd