Merian C. Cooper
Merian Caldwell Cooper (October 24, 1893 – April 21, 1973) was an American filmmaker, actor, and producer, as well as a former aviator who served as an officer in the
United States Army Air Service and
Polish Air Force. In film, his most famous work was the 1933 movie ''
King Kong'', and he is credited as co-inventor of the
Cinerama film projection process. He was awarded an
honorary Oscar for lifetime achievement in 1952 and received a star on the
Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1960. Before entering the movie business, Cooper had a distinguished career as the founder of the
Kościuszko Squadron during the
Polish–Soviet War and was a Soviet prisoner of war for a time. He got his start in with film as part of
the Explorers Club, traveling the world and documenting adventures. He was a member of the board of directors of Pan American Airways, but his love of film took priority. During his film career, he worked for companies such as
Pioneer Pictures,
RKO Pictures, and
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. In 1925, he and
Ernest B. Schoedsack went to
Iran and made ''
Grass: A Nation's Battle for Life'', a documentary about the
Bakhtiari people.
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