One of the biggest ch1ld stars of the 1930's, he broke in to the film biz appearing in the "Our Gang" comedy shorts. He became the youngest person ever to grab an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor in Skippy (1931) when he was a mere 9 years old.
Like a lot of young stars, he dated a lot of other young stars (like Judy Garland) and rode the **29** wagon as long as it lasted. When it ended, he kicked around in various roles. A stint in the Navy helped him get it back together, and he moved into TV and to the production side of things. He won an Emmy for Best Director in 1979, and returned to the big screen in a big way as Perry White in the Superman movies.
The cause of death was given as old age.
"We always assume that very young actors will eventually turn into screwed-up messes. But Cooper — one of the first, most famous ch1ld stars — never did. With his passing once again reminding so many of what he accomplished, let’s hope that some of today’s under-18 actors are reading about him and thinking of his life as a potential guide post." - Jen Chaney, Washington Post