Elizabeth Cooper

Elizabeth Cooper (born Isabel Rosario Cooper; January 15, 1914 (or 1909/1912) also known by the stage names Chabing

Born in Manila, she was famous for the first onscreen kiss in Philippine cinema, in the 1926 movie Ang Tatlong Hambog. In the 1930s, she met General Douglas MacArthur and became his paramour when she was around the age of 16 (or 18/21) and he was in his 50s. He arranged for her to follow him to Washington, D.C.

Early life Cooper's precise date of birth is unclear. Her death certificate lists her date of birth as January 15, 1914, but she may have been born as early as 1909 or 1912. Cooper herself provided various dates of birth over the course of her life, ranging from 1909 to 1921. ), an American-born firefighter and veteran of the Philippine–American War, and Protacia Rubin (born 1894), a Chinese-Filipino Two of her films were Miracles of Love (1925) and Ang Tatlong Hambog (1926). In the latter film, Cooper made history with Luis Tuason when they performed the very first kissing scene in a Philippine film. She was just around 12 years old at the time.

She did not act in any Filipino films after 1930, although the 1941 Tagalog film Ikaw Pala is sometimes wrongly attributed to her. "Ikaw Pala" had another actress named Cresencia Aligada acting in it in a supporting role; Aligada also went by the screen name "Dimples," hence the mistaken identity.

After her 1934 break-up with MacArthur, Cooper attempted to find roles in Hollywood, landing some smaller bit roles under the stage name "Chabing" including The Chinese Ring (1947), The Art of Burlesque (1950), and I Was an American Spy (1951).

Relationship with Douglas MacArthur In 1930, at the age of 16 (or 18/21), Cooper met the American General Douglas MacArthur, then commander of all U.S. troops in the Philippines. MacArthur's marriage had ended a year earlier. Cooper became his mistress in Manila, a fact the 50-year-old MacArthur hid from his 80-year-old mother. In 1934, the 20-year-old (or 22/25-year-old) Cooper moved to Oklahoma, and married Filipino-American bartender Milton Moreno in 1944. She was 46 (or 48/51) years old. She was buried on July 5, 1960, in an unmarked grave in Holy Cross Cemetery in Culver City, California.

Filmography 1925 Miracles of Love 1926 Ang Tatlong Hambog 1927 Fate or Consequence 1943 So Proudly We Hail! 1944 The Story of Dr. Wassell 1944 The Purple Heart 1946 Anna and the King of Siam 1947 The Chinese Ring 1947 Unconquered 1947 Singapore 1947 Boomerang 1948 Shanghai Chest 1950 The Art of Burlesque 1950 The Great Jewel Robber 1951 Anne of the Indies 1951 I Was an American Spy