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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Merian Caldwell Cooper (October 24, 1893 – April 21, 1973) was an American aviator, United States Air Force and Polish Air Force officer, adventurer, screenwriter, film director, and producer. Cooper was the founder of the Kościuszko Squadron during the Polish–Soviet War and was a Soviet prisoner of war for a time. He was a notable movie producer, and got his start 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 always took priority. During his film career, he worked for companies such as Pioneer Pictures, RKO Pictures, and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. He is also credited as co-inventor of the Cinerama film projection process. Cooper's most famous film was the 1933 movie King Kong. He was awarded an honorary Oscar for lifetime achievement in 1952 and received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1960. Description above from the Wikipedia article Merian C. Cooper, licensed under CC-BY-SA,full list of contributors on Wikipedia.
Merian C. Cooper was a pioneering aviator and filmmaker who transitioned from global exploration to producing some of the most influential films in Hollywood history.
He is most famous for creating the 1933 film King Kong and his frequent collaborations with director John Ford on celebrated works like The Searchers and The Quiet Man.
He produced grand-scale adventure cinema and gritty westerns, while also co-inventing the Cinerama widescreen projection process.