Frank “Junior” Coghlan (1916 - 2009)

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Paul E. Gierucki
Godfather
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Frank “Junior” Coghlan (1916 - 2009)

Postby Paul E. Gierucki » Wed Sep 16, 2009 12:03 am

Found this via Google:

Frank “Junior” Coghlan, 93
Mar. 15, 1916 – Sept. 7, 2009

Frank “Junior” Coghlan , the child star actor of silent movies died
peacefully in his sleep in Saugus, CA at the age of 93. Frank moved
with his parents Frank and Katherine Coghlan to California as a baby.

In 1920 eventually all three family members performed extra work in
silent pictures, with Frank taking the stage name “Junior Coghlan”
starting at the tender age of three. By 1925, Junior managed the jump
from an extra to a popular actor with his name appearing on the
official cast lists. Junior quickly became one of the era’s most
recognized child actors. Junior signed a five year contract with Cecil
B. DeMille in 1925. When DeMille saw Junior’s publicily stills, he
stated, “Junior Coghlan is the perfect example of a homeless waif.”

In the following years he appeared in specially tailored movies to his
talent, such as “Slide, Kelly, Slide,” “The Yankee Clipper” “Rubber
Tires”, and “The Last Frontier”. His first three talkies were made at
Warner Brothers in 1931. There he played with Charles Bickford in
“River’s End”, co-starred as Sam in “Penrod and Sam” with Leon Janney
as Penrod, and then played James Cagney as a boy in “Public Enemy”.

He starred in the high school age series of comedies, “The Frolics of
Youth”, for Educational Studios in 1933 and 1934 where Shirley Temple
was his little sister in her first tour of these two reel comedies. He
is probably best remembered as Billy Batson in the 1941Republic action
serial, “Adventures of Captain Marvel” where he transformed into
Captain Marvel by saying the magic catch phrase, “Shazam!”

Junior worked with many legends of Hollywood such as: Charlie Chaplin,
Mickey Rooney, Shirley Temple, William Boyd, Pat O’Brien, James
Cagney, and Spencer Tracy.

Later, Junior became a Naval Aviator during World War II and served 23
years on active duty. For eight of those years he was in charge of the
Navy Film Cooperation Program. From 1952 to 1954, while stationed in
the Pentagon, he was the liaison on such films as; “The Caine Mutiny,”
“The Bridges at Toko-Ri,” and the great “Mr. Roberts”. From 1960 to
1965 he headed the Navy Hollywood office where he even had the
pleasure of helping his old friend Jackie Cooper on his television
series “Hennesey.”

Frank “Junior” Coghlan continued his many careers as a public
relations man for the Los Angeles Zoo, and the Port of Los Angeles. He
remained a commercial actor for various products and continued
performing into his 90’s. Frank wrote an autobiography titled, “They
Still Call Me Junior” published in 1992. In recent years Frank became
popular at movie and early television conventions.

Frank will be dearly missed by his family, community, and fans. Frank
a loving husband, a devoted father and grandfather. He is survived by
his son Patrick & Sioux Coghlan of Saugus, CA; his daughters Cathleen
& Michael Farley of Goldhill, OR., Judy Coghlan and Gordon of Seal
Beach, CA., and Elizabeth & Gil Gagnon of Long Beach, CA., preceded in
death by his, wife- Betty Coghlan, and their son son Michael Coghlan
and his second wife Letha Coghlan. His grandchildren; Casey, Cody,
Jared, Danae, Claire, and Micah.

Services were held at Eternal Valley Mortuary on Monday, September
14, 2009 at 10:00am. Burial followed at All Souls Catholic Cemetery
in Long Beach .CA.

Joe Moore
Associate
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Re: Frank “Junior” Coghlan (1916 - 2009)

Postby Joe Moore » Wed Sep 16, 2009 10:44 am

I'm sorry to hear this. "Junior" was an enjoyable guest at various Cinecons in the 1990s. Very approachable and agreeable to answer any questions that you might have.

He'll be missed.

Joe Moore

Bruce Calvert
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Posts: 149
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Location: Plano, TX USA
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Re: Frank “Junior” Coghlan (1916 - 2009)

Postby Bruce Calvert » Wed Sep 16, 2009 11:18 am

You can hear him on the recently released DVD from Flicker Alley, "Under Full Sail", talking about his experiences making The Yankee Clipper.


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