Hollywood - Skippy Skinner, whose last name is known to only a few, is romping around Hollywood today.
It isn't because young Jackie Cooper, six years old and tow-headed, wears the costume which Percy Crosby has given his famous boy cartoon character that this in the flesh model of Skippy can be said to be parading the avenues of the film capital.
Jackie is at heart just the kind of tot he is supposed to portray in his title role in Paramount's "Skippy."
Writing about this life model of Skippy is far easier than tying him down to a talk. To actually talk with him one must either strap him to one spot or follow in the active footsteps of the youth.
Giving the lad free access to his typewriter, the writer finally secured a bit of conversation, interspersed with high and broad jumps around the office, with Jackie Cooper.
"What are you going to be when you grow up, Jackie?"
"A football player."
"What kind of a - ?"
"A good one - a quarterback."
"But you can't play football all your life."
"No - I'll go back to acting when I get through."
"Why are you so interested in the typewriter? Would you like to write?"
"Yep."
"So you want to be a writer?"
"Some day. After I get through football and acting and can't do anything else, I'll be a writer."
"So you like acting? But you don't like Skippy eh?"
"Who said so? Say, he's great."
"What kind of a kid do you suppose Skippy is?"
"Haven't you ever read Skippy, Mister?"
"Yes, ah - well, we'll let that question pass. What kind of pictures do you like?"
"War pictures, western pictures. Anything with some shooting."
"You like to hear guns bang?"
"Say could you make a wooden pistol for me? I got a holster the other day from the wardrobe man and I need a wooden pistol about so long."
"I-I'm really not very good at carving. Do you like to travel?"
"Yes. Say you don't suppose you could make a wooden sword, do you?"
"Well, I might but - "
"O. K. Now here's the way I'd like to have it. About long enough to -."