Image of Richard Coogan

Richard Coogan

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia 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. Description above from the Wikipedia article Richard Coogan, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.


Read bio at tmdb | Read bio at Wikipedia
Born:
Apr 4, 1914 In Short Hills, New Jersey, United States
Movie/TV Credits:
16
First Appeared:
In the series Suspense 1949-01-06
Latest Project:
Series Surfside 6 1960-10-06
Known For
Poster of Vice Raid
Poster of Three Hours to Kill
Poster of Girl on the Run
Filmography
Series The Clear Horizon 1960-07-11
Series Surfside 6 Unknown 1960-10-06
Movie Vice Raid Police Sgt. Whitey Brandon 1959-12-01
Series 77 Sunset Strip Unknown 1958-10-10
Series Perry Mason Unknown 1957-09-21
Series Sugarfoot Unknown 1957-09-17
Series Maverick Unknown 1957-09-22
Series The Californians Marshal Matthew Wayne 1957-09-24
Movie The Revolt of Mamie Stover Capt. Eldon Sumac 1956-05-11
Series Gunsmoke Unknown 1955-09-10
Series Cheyenne Unknown 1955-09-20
Movie Three Hours to Kill Niles Hendricks 1954-11-04
Series Letter to Loretta Unknown 1953-09-20
Movie Girl on the Run Bill Martin 1953-12-15
Series Love of Life 1951-09-24
Series Suspense Unknown 1949-01-06