Here is Skippy. A little moon-faced boy with a snub nose and a golden mop of hair. To be sure, his name is Jackie Cooper. But to practically no one is he Jackie any more. Skippy is the name.
He is a serious minded little boy of 7 with a great many ideas on things. And loads of ambition. Courage a-plenty, too. He is not afraid to tackle anything, because his confidence in himself is too sure and steady to make him afraid.
Jackie's a regular kid. Or rather, Skippy's all boy, just like the Tom or Joe or Bill that might live next door to you.
He goes to school. He studies. He hates arithmetic, but has found as most all the kids have, there's nothing to do about it. He plays. He dreams. He has ambitions. He has just a swell time, for he lives with all the energy, the vim, of a boy of 7.
To take Jackie Cooper's own words - "Dames is dames."
And that, ladies and gentlemen, is Jackie's philosophy concerning the women in his life and their vagaries.
In fact his reaction to the feminine gender sums itself up to the following:
"Girls is O. K."
But other than that, Jackie maintains a discreet silence regarding his affairs of the heart. And because of his taciturn disposition on this point, little Mitzi Green, Paramount's pride and joy, is in danger of becoming a woman scorned.
HIS LOVES
You see Jackie and Mitzi appeared together in 'Skippy' and while working together became great pals. But Hollywood has a way of rumoring handsome young leading men in love with their leading women, and Jackie being one of the talks of the town, as well as one of the most eligible bachelors, was reported seeing too much of Mitzi not to have it called a romance. But when the writer asked Jackie about this, all he replied was:
"Who told you that? What does it mean, anyway? I don't understand that kind of talk. Mitzi's a nice girl. I like her. I can beat her running races any day. But - " And away he went denying any truth of a romance with as much fervor as a Richard Dix or John Gilbert.
Among other facts gained about Jackie are:
His greatest fear is being thought a sissy.
His favorite players are Mitzi Green (see, the old rumor crops up again) and Richard Dix.
WANTS TO WRITE
His ambition is to be an author. At night he spends most of his time writing stories about his friends. His latest is about Richard Dix, whom he regards as his pal.
He thinks constantly of food.
And his mother reports that Jackie writes about the world's worst hand. But, then, you know the famous story about geniuses writing lop-sided, and Mrs. Cooper hasn't lost faith as yet.
And, in conclusion, Jackie can be seen at the Orpheum this week in "Young Donovan's Kid" with Richard Dix.