Richard Coogan Photo

Richard Coogan

Acting

2.2 Popularity Apr 04, 1914 (111 years old) Short Hills, New Jersey, United States

Richard Coogan (born April 4, 1914) is an American actor best known for his portrayal of Captain Video from 1949-1950.

Born in Short Hills, New Jersey, Coogan worked in radio for some time, including appearing as Abie Levy in Abie's Irish Rose. He also appeared on Broadway in five different product...

Biography

Richard Coogan (born April 4, 1914) is an American actor best known for his portrayal of Captain Video from 1949-1950.

Born in Short Hills, New Jersey, Coogan worked in radio for some time, including appearing as Abie Levy in Abie's Irish Rose. He also appeared on Broadway in five different productions between 1945 and 1955, all of them short-lived except for Diamond Lil with Mae West, and The Rainmaker. He was still appearing on Broadway with West when he took the role of Captain Video on the DuMont Television Network on June 27, 1949. After the live telecast each day, ending at about 7:30 p.m. EST, he would take a cab to the theatre where Diamond Lil was playing. As the popularity of Captain Video increased, Coogan grew less and less comfortable with both the role and the very, very low budget of the production. He left Captain Video in December 1950, replaced by Al Hodge, who played the part for the remainder of the run of the series, until April 1, 1955. Hodge became so completely identified with the character that he was never able to escape it. Coogan transferred to the soap opera Love of Life, where he played the heroic Paul Raven.

Between 1954 and 1961, Coogan appeared in such films as Three Hours to Kill, The Revolt of Mamie Stover, Vice Raid, and Girl on the Run. On the NBC television series The Californians (1957–1959) set in the San Francisco gold rush of the 1850s, Coogan appeared as Marshal Matthew Wayne, a character who struck most viewers and critics as a deliberate clone of Gunsmoke's Marshal Matt Dillon. He also had a continuing role on the police procedural series Vice Raid (1960–1961), as Sergeant Whitney Brandon. During 1951–1963 he guest-starred on a number of other TV series, mainly Westerns such as Gunsmoke, Laramie, Bonanza, Maverick, Stagecoach West, Cheyenne, Sugarfoot, Bronco, and Wichita Town, as well as detective series such as Perry Mason, Surfside 6, and 77 Sunset Strip.

Coogan retired from film and television around 1964. In later life he was best known as a professional golfer and golf instructor.

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Filmography 23

1960
1960
Johnny Midnight TV

as Hans Weidman

1959
Vice Raid Movie

as Police Sgt. Whitey Brandon

1958
1957
The Californians TV

as Marshal Matthew Wayne

1957
1957
Perry Mason TV

as Police Sgt. Gifford

1957
Sugarfoot TV

as Judd Mallory

1956
The Revolt of Mamie Stover Movie

as Capt. Eldon Sumac

1955
1955
Gunsmoke TV

as Luke

1954
Three Hours to Kill Movie

as Niles Hendricks

1953
Girl on the Run Movie

as Bill Martin

1953
Letter to Loretta TV

as Henry Roberts

Photos 1

Richard Coogan Photo

Personal Details

Known For Acting
Gender Male
Birthday April 04, 1914 (111 years old)
Place of Birth Short Hills, New Jersey, United States
Years Active 1948 - 1960
Popularity 2.2
Career Stats
23 Total Credits
4 Movie Roles
19 TV Roles
1 Photos