Down the road less traveled..: Jackie Coogan and the missing $4 Million Dollars

Shortly before he died Jackie Coogan was interviewed by a British Magazine. What struck me was the last words Jackie said. "I'm the luckiest guy in the world. I have a beautiful wife, wonderful kids and grandkids and the best friends, who could ask for anything more." A lot of people would be amazed by that. Jackie was the world's first child star, appearing in "The Kid" with Charlie Chaplin in 1918. During the 20's Jackie's movies were actually making more money than Rudolf Valentino's, Douglas Fairbanks' and Mary Pickford's were. I've been looking for a picture of Arthur Bernstein, Jackie Coogan's step-father. I finally found one in a story from Life Magazine 1938. I had seen a picture of Jackie with his Mom and Dad before, but I wanted to see a picture of the guy who was driving a new Rolls Royce while his stepson drove a used Ford, which he had purchased with his stepson's money, of course. Not a memorable face, but unforgettable for what he did. When Jackie's Dad, Jack, was killed in a traffic accident(which also killed Jackie's best friend, Trent "Junior" Durkin) near Pine Valley, California, Jackie was worth $4 Million Dollars. When Jackie's Mom, married his agent, Arthur Bernstein, 18 months later, he was still worth $4 Million Dollars. After giving excuse after excuse, Jackie won a subsequent lawsuit(1936) in which the settlement was half of the money that was left, around $136,000.00. About half of that went to pay off his debts. How much money was $4 million 1935 dollars in today's money? $100,000,000.00, that's $100 Million Dollars, which his mom and step-father blew through in 3 years through extravagant spending, traveling, partying, bad investments and, purportedly, drugs and booze. Amazing! Worse than anything they did was what they said. You have to read it for yourself. They said that Jackie may have earned it, but the money belonged to them. Clarence Darrow once said that he could tell the intelligence of his clients by the amount they said. The less they said, he assumed, the more intelligent they were. Jackie said that he was the luckiest guy in the world. I don't know about that, but the one thing of which I have no doubt, is that his wife, kids, grandkids and friends were. And maybe us too, because we had Jackie in our lives.

Jackie Cooper's brother Robert and Jackie Cooper in a Kid's Comedy during the late 1920's

After Jackie Coogan's Dad's Death, Jackie's Mom moved in with their accountant/lawyer Arthur Bernstein and they both began plundering Jackie's trust fund set up by his dad. A photo of Mom and Dad and Arthur Bernstein. In court, they would argue that Jackie's money belonged to them, not Jackie.

A photo of Jackie and his Dad shortly before the accident. Jack made money off his son's success, but worked for MGM too and left $4 million for Jackie in a trust fund for his son, whom he loved. Jackie was among the five richest people in California, thanks to his Dad. Then his Mom and Stepdad stole almost every cent he had from him. When Mom and Arthur Bernstein were done running through Jackie's money, there would only be $35,000 left.

Getty Images

Jackie said in the 1970's, everyone else went to see Babe Ruth and his NY Yankees, when I was a child star, they came to see me. Jackie said none of his later problems would have happened if his Dad and Junior had not been killed in that traffic accident. I know he was right.

Jackie with his best childhood friend, gay child star and orphan Trent "Junior" Durkin. Of course, no one knew Trent was gay, but his best friends would. Jackie never betrayed his friend. They were real friends. Jack Coogan would take the boys hunting and camping. Jackie said losing his Dad and Best Friend in that Car Wreck was the worst day in his life and he never fully got over it.

Jackie and his pal Junior Durkin, despite the loss of his mom and his family remaining back East, Junior was a positive well-adjusted boy who was a good friend to Jackie. If Junior had survived the accident, Jackie might have had a rock to hang onto during the Tsunami which would soon engulf him and ruin his life. As bad as stealing his money, his mom Lillian and Arthur Bernstein, would go into court saying that Jackie wasn't entitled to any of his money as they ran through his fortune. The were greedy, but they were also heartless and cruel. Jackie was truly alone, except for brother Robert.

There is one difference between Arthur and Lillian and Jack Coogan. Jack loved his son, Arthur and Lillian Coogan loved his money.

Jackie said later he felt that the only close friend he had left after the death of his Dad was his little brother Robert.

The Kidnapping and Murder of Jackie Coogan's friend Brooke Hart

Brooke Hart June 11, 1911 – November 9, 1933

Statement from the kidnappers, Thomas Harold Thurmond and John M. Holmes.

Then we came to the San Mateo bridge and drove onto it for about a half mile to where the water flows under the bridge. We stopped the car and ordered Brooke to get out. He started to cry for help and Holmes hit him over the head a couple of times with one of the bricks.

They were pretty good blows and he didn't give us much trouble after that. We then tied his arms behind him with the wire and also bound his legs with it.

We picked him up hand and foot and heaved him over into the water.

I don't know whether he cried out or not. I don't know whether he was conscious or not. Or whether he drowned, or was killed before he hit the water.

Before we threw him over we took his wallet away from him. There was $15 in it and we split the money between us. Thurmond Statement

Brooke asked for a cigarette on the way to the bridge and I gave him one. When we got to the bridge Harold [Thurmond] told him to get out of the car and started to tie him up with some wire.

We led him to believe we were going to transfer him to another car. At this moment an automobile came over the bridge and Brooke started to shout for help.

I hit him with my fist and knocked him down. It was a good blow and I don't think he ever snapped out of it. I wanted to show him we meant business.

Harold got the concrete blocks and tied them to Brooke's feet. Then I said to Harold:

"Let's give it to him."

Then we picked him up and threw him overboard.

He struggled around down there and Harold said:

"Give me the gun. I'll fix him up."

I gave him the gun and he climbed over the railing and held on to the bridge stringers and fired away. We couldn't see Brooke. It was dark. But we could hear him floundering about. Holmes statement

California Republican Governor James Rolph Jr. said he would pardon anyone convicted of the lynching the two kidnappers/murderers

The San Mateo Bridge opened in 1929 and its modern replacement which opened in 1967.

The official search for Brooke's body ended on November 25, 1933. The next day, two duck hunters from Redwood City discovered a badly decayed and crab-eaten body approximately 0.5 miles (0.80 km) south of the San Mateo Bridge on San Francisco Bay near Palo Alto. Brooke's body was identified by the coroner and his friends and employees later that day, with several personal effects with the body matched to Brooke's known possessions. According to the autopsy, Brooke had died from drowning, and there were no bullet wounds found. Wikipedia Brooke Hart's Body after recovery

Jackie Coogan and buddies from Santa Clara University joined a huge crowd besieging the jail where the two kidnappers were imprisoned.

Eventually the crowd found a battering ram, a street lamp post, then began ramming the door, finally breaking it down and gaining entry. The grabbed the two men and proceeded to take them to the park across the street where they lynched them.

Jackie was a part of that crowd. Jackie said he was ambivalent about the death penalty, but knowing Brooke Hart made this personal. Warning this photo of the lynching was carried by several newspapers at the time of the lynching.

The governor was as good as his word, no one was ever prosecuted for the lynching.

Jackie's first wife, they married in 1937, Betty Grable was an unknown at the time but would go on be a huge star, including becoming the #1 pin-up in World War II