Veronica Cooper

Veronica Cooper (née Balfe; May 27, 1913 – February 16, 2000) was an American actress who appeared in The Gay Nighties under the name Sandra Shaw. She was the wife of the actor Gary Cooper and mother of painter Maria Cooper Janis.

Veronica Cooper
Veronica and Gary Cooper, 1933
Born
Veronica Balfe

(1913-05-27)May 27, 1913
Brooklyn, New York City, U.S.
DiedFebruary 16, 2000(2000-02-16) (aged 86)
Southampton, Suffolk County, New York, U.S.
Other namesSandra Shaw, Rocky Cooper
OccupationActress
Years active1933
Spouse(s)
​
(
m. 1933; died 1961)

John Converse
​
(
m. 1964; died 1981)
Children1
RelativesCedric Gibbons (maternal uncle)

Early life

Veronica Balfe was born to Veronica Gibbons and Harry Balfe, Jr. Following her parents' divorce, she lived in Paris with her mother. Balfe did not see her father for many years, but kept in touch with her grandfather, who owned a ranch in California. Balfe saw her father a few years before his death in the 1950s. Her mother married Paul Shields, a successful Wall Street financier.

An avid sportswoman, Balfe was known to her friends by the nickname, "Rocky." [1]

Career

Balfe was sent to Miss Bennett's School for Girls for her education. In 1933, she went to see her uncle, Cedric Gibbons, in Hollywood. She played parts in King Kong, Blood Money, and No Other Woman, as well as the sleepwalking countess in the Clark & McCullough comedy short The Gay Nighties (1933). She also played herself in Hedda Hopper's Hollywood No. 3 (1942), and appeared in a few television shows and documentaries.

Personal life

Balfe married actor Gary Cooper on December 15, 1933, at her mother's home at 778 Park Avenue, New York; the wedding had been planned for the Waldorf Astoria hotel, but the location was probably changed to avoid public attention.[2] In 1937, Balfe gave birth to their daughter, Maria Veronica Cooper. Following Cooper's death, Balfe married John Converse in 1964. She was an enthusiastic sportswoman and was the female California skeet champion in the 1930s. She also enjoyed golf, swimming, tennis, and scuba-diving.

She and her daughter were both devout Catholics.

Death

Balfe died in Suffolk County, New York, on February 16, 2000.

Filmography
Year Film Role Notes
1933 No Other Woman Uncredited
King Kong Woman grabbed out of bed by Kong while he is climbing a building in New York City, then dropped to her death[lower-alpha 1] Uncredited[3]
The Gay Nighties The Sleepwalking Countess
Blood Money Girl at Racetrack Uncredited
1942 Hedda Hopper's Hollywood No.3 Herself

Notes
  1. In subsequent reissues after the enforcement of Motion Picture Production Code in 1934, this scene was considered too violent and was censored during one of many successful reissues of King Kong between 1938 and 1956. This and other lost footage was found in 1969, and the restored film was released to art houses by Janus Films in 1970.
gollark: I see.
gollark: LEDs are apparently a few times more efficient.
gollark: What's the benefit of this over LEDs? Really bright single light sources?
gollark: Interesting idea. I think the code technically already would allow this with no changes.
gollark: I really should work out how to reasonably handle people setting reminders with times in the past.

References
  1. Thomson, David (2010). Gary Cooper. New York: Faber and Faber. p. 35. ISBN 9780865479326.
  2. "Gary Cooper Weds in Quiet Ceremony". The New York Times. December 16, 1933. p. 18. Retrieved March 3, 2015.
  3. Goldner, Orville; Turner, George E. (1975). The Making of King Kong – The Story Behind a Film Classic. New York: Ballantine Books, a division of Random House. p. 165. ISBN 0-8109-4535-5.
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