Please Don't Shoot My Dog: The Autobiography Of Jackie Cooper [Paperback]

Jackie Cooper (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback
• Publisher: Berkley (May 15, 1984)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0425074838
• ISBN-13: 978-0425074831
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 3.8 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #538,046 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Uneven Autobiograhy That Leaves Unanswered Questions, May 15, 2010

By 

Mediaman "TVviewer" (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Please Don't Shoot My Dog: The Autobiography Of Jackie Cooper (Paperback)

Some of Jack Cooper's autobiography is enjoyable to read, with some insights into the inner workings of Hollywood--but a lot of it glosses over details and in the end the author doesn't seem honest about himself or his failings.

He covers his somewhat tragic childhood and the still unanswered questions about his father. Then he quickly skips through his adulthood, taking only a little time to tell much about his broadway shows, TV series and productions that he directed. There is never enough detail to make the reader feel satisfied because Cooper is obviously concerned about his image and he has trouble sharing things that make him look bad.

If he has a success, then he claims it is due to him. His ego is quite large. He claims to have given the start to many Hollywood stars or producers and complains when they fail to credit him with their success.

If he has a failure, he either blames others or says that he knew he shouldn't do it but he ignored his own inner voice. Rarely does he share regret or accept that he made many of his own poor choices that resulted in a weak adult career and some bad relationships. It's kind of hard to feel sorry for a guy who never saw his father growing up, then brags about refusing to meet his dad when he had the chance as an adult.

There are some great sections of the book. He spends a lengthy chapter taking on the author of "Only You Dick Daring." It was an expose of what it was like to work with Cooper on the pilot of a TV show--and is one of the best books ever written about the Hollywood system. Yet it made Cooper look like an egotistical nutcase and Jackie defends himself at length here, claiming that other book's author is a liar.

Then he allows others to "speak" in this book through lengthy paragraphs contributed by spouses, business partners and children. Often these contradict what Cooper says and even make him look like a jerk. The long ending section on his separation from his wife and how it damaged his family is difficult to read because the kids and wife are so hurt, yet Cooper is cavalier in his reaction. He doesn't seem to see that almost everything in the book makes him look bad.

The 3 and 1/2-star book is worth reading if you like a little glimpse into what it's like to be an actor and director in Hollywood and New York. There are just too many unanswered questions about his life and career.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Please Don't Shoot My Dog, September 7, 2011

By 

Lilypug "Movie Hound" (Boise, Id) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Please Don't Shoot My Dog: The Autobiography of Jackie Cooper (Paperback)

I love this book, I read it years ago and lent to someone to read and they never returned the book. I'm so happy to finally have back in my collection.
Jackie Cooper takes us on a personel journey that gives us a glimpse of what it was like to work for the studios when you were just a commodity and not treated like a real person. You will enjoy this honestly written autobiography from one of the great actors who survived childhood to adult in the movie industry and the heartbreaks along the way in his personel life.

4 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars What Happened to the Rascals?, February 9, 2010

By 

Michael A. Newman (New York) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Please Don't Shoot My Dog: The Autobiography Of Jackie Cooper (Paperback)

Cooper weaves a not so glamourous memoir that begins where he has the opportunity to meet the father that abandoned him when he was born. He passes on the opportunity thus leaving mysteries of his birth and reasons for his father leaving totally a mystery. In his mind he didn't want the answers but his readers certainly do.

We learn that Cooper lived a "Michael Jackson-esque" childhood. That is he was not allowed to play with other kids as he was too valuable a commodity to get hurt playing. And he was virtually working everyday from the time he was about seven.

His mother was an entertainer who played piano in theaters where there were silent films so she was always unavailable. His grandmother became his main guardian and would take him to the movie studio every day in the hopes of getting work. If picked he could get a free lunch which the two of them would split. Those days at the gate got him noticed by Hal Roach and he was put into some of the Our Gang shorts.

He eventually made it to feature length films working a film for his uncle that thrust him into a big star. Some interesting tidbits are how mercilious the director was on occasions to make Cooper cry where scenes called for it such as pretending to kill his dog (thus the title of the book).

There is virtually nothing in the book about his Our Gang times other than saying how he loved the dog (owned by Pete so I guess they called the dog Pete) used in the filming and he was so happy one weekend where he got to take Pete home.

Cooper paints unflattering portraits of Bing Crosby who married his mother's best friend and Wallace Beery who he starred with in the movie The Champ as well as others. He is especially harsh on Beery who he said was the most unfriendly and snobbish person around.

Cooper lived a life among all the big stars of his day and was close to Judy Garland years before The Wizard of Oz. Fans of movie history will love some of the tales of these stars.

As a Little Rascals fan I was expecting some great stories of how the various kid were and was greatly disappointed. That and the unsolved mystery of Cooper's father prevented me from rating the book higher.