The Story Of That Coogan Lawsuit

Auckland Star, Volume LXIX, Issue 142, 18 June 1938, Page 7 (Supplement)

The Story Of That Coogan Lawsuit

Film Page

From Our Own Correspondent LOS ANGELES. DA\ aiter day sordid revelations have been made of the dire stress under which Jackie Coogan. The Kid made famous by Charles Chaplin, has been labouring after making four million dollars before he reached manhood, causing him to enter the Los Angeles courts to demand an accounting from his mother and stepfather, Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Bernstein, who are living in Southern California in the lap of luxury and using three expensive Rolls-Royce motors. Jackie <. "'.stn awoke from a fantastic film nightmare, rubbed his eyes, and realise.! n» is the world's richest bov without .t rent to his name. ' The bridegroom of Betty Grable, who during hi- boyhood earned millions of dollars in silent pictures, heard his mother and stepfather deny him any portion of the fortune he amassed. "He'll not get a penny from us." said Jackie's stepfather. Arthur Bernstein, brewery owner, in answer to hi* stepeon's suit seeking an accounting of the millions the boy earned from the time Charles Chaplin discovered him for "The Kid." until lie became a man, almost three years ago. The boy who had no natural childhood. who often complained that he could not play "ake other kids." because he had to earn the 4000 dollars a week First National Pictures purportedlv paid him. knew now how it felt to be broke. The law is on our side,' continued Bern<tt in. '-Jackie Coogan will get not a cent of income from bis past earnings. Lawyers tell his mother and me tlmt every dollar a kid earns before he is -21 years of age belongs to his parents. None of that money he earned belongs to him." Coogan meanwhile sat in his modest home in West Los Angeles figuring out a way to earn a living for himself and his pretty actress bride. Although his wife. Betty Grable. has a contract at Paramount which carries a comfortable weekly wage, both the youngsters are proud, and - feel that ,7"-kie -dmuM be the head of the house ;uiil trie breadwinner for the fa in iiy. "I've had offers from two Press syndicates to sell them the story of "mv life," said young Coogan. "There are a lot of things about my boyhood that

SUMMONS-SERVING. pOLICE late in April forced the 'hurglarproof" gates of the palatial Bollywood home of Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Bernstein, Jackie Coogan's step-father and mother and served summonses on them to appear in Court. It had been reported that Mrs. Bernstein had 9 f "'c Jo Palm Springs. Armed inth binoculars, a resourceful process server observed her talking to her husband. He obtained a Court order giving him permission to break in. Accompanied by police. i( found the Bernsteins dressing for dinner. They accepted a summons ordering them to make a deposition in Court• in Jackie's action for accounting of his 4.000,000-dollar fortune.

never have been told. That would be one way to make money just now when I am in real need of it." Jackie courted Betty Grable on a weekly allowance of (».2"> dollars. This was all the money his stepfather-mana-ger gave him out of the millions the bov had earned, according to the complaint of Jackie lodged in the Los Angeles Court. °

Coogan declared that often his late father, John Henry Coogan, who was killed in an automobile accident in May, 193.3, near San Diego, Southern California. and hia mother told him thev had invested his fortune for him for use when he be\aine a man. "I think father meant that," said Coogan. "Jackie has had all that he is entitled to and more," was the mother's answer % to her son's request for an accounting. He is not entitled to that money. It belongs to us." The boy.'s mother said she never created a trust fund for Jackie, and has no intention of creating one now. "The law says the money belongs to me," said Mrs. Bernstein several times in answer to queries made by Attorney William Rains, her son's counsel. Jackie was pictured by his mother as a "bad 20-vear-old boy," who at that time was breaking his mother's heart because of his conduct, the details of which Mrs. Bernstein refused to disclose. ,» "Let Jackie tell about that himself," •die said after she recovered from a prolonged hysterical attack. "My son hasn't hesitated to embarrass me," she cried. "I'll answer these questions about his conduct, which has left much to be desired. He's my son. I love him. Ive always loved him. IVe worked diligently and tried to make a man of him. I don't think I've been very successful."

Coogan's mother began her depositions by declaring that there never had been any promise made to Jackie that he was to receive any of the proceeds of his screen millions. "There was never a promise in any way, shape or form," she snapped with emphasis.

Question: Does the boy's stepfather. Arthur Bernstein, intend to create a trust fund for Jackie? Answer: Xot to my knowledge. Question: Is it your position that .Jackie's fortune belongs to you? Answer: I believe that's the law. That's my position. Question: Has that always been your position? Answer: Yes.

When questioned about contemplating the purchase of a 4r>.000 dollar diamond ring some years ago, Mrs. Bernstein refused to answer. She also refused to declare whether she at the time told friends that people might criticise her for buying the diamond, but that it was being bought with Jackie's money as an investment for him. The. mother refused to say how long it was after Bernstein came into the pH"ture that Tackie was informed that none of his earnings or the proceeds from them belonged to him.

Jackie Coogan dug into a dark vault in the Los Angeles Hall of Records and found two legal documents which would be used as his chief offensi e weapons in the fight *ith his mother and stepfather over the millions he earned as a child prodigy of the silent screen.

Legal proof that in 1923 it was the intention of his parents. Mr. and Mrs. John R. Coogan, to establish a trust fund for their talented son was found in these documents, Coogan's counsel icvealed.

A few hours before young Coogan unearthed these old Court orders his mo*her sijrned a sworn deposition that never had it been her intention nor that of her deceased husband to allow "The Kid" to share with them any of the money he earned before he reached his twenty-first birthday anniversary.

This discovery, which his lawyer considered of incalculable value in battling the California law that awards parents the earnings of a minor child, came on the h«?els of an intensive search for a will purportedly written by John R. Coogan subsequent to the one" which was admitted to probate.

In the probated will young Coogan's father left hie interest in his son's millions to the mother. "The Kid." who, from the time he wa« four years of age until he was 14, received a high salary as • screen actor, wa»> not mentioned in the Coogan testament. "I am certain that dad prepared another will later than that admitted to probate, said .Jackie Coogan. "I have always felt strongly (lint there was a later will. But not until to-day have I been able to get tangible information to bolster up my convictions. I intend to leave no *tone unturned in my search for that later will which 1 am certain was written by my father." During another day's pr<">eeedmg« jn 'he Courts Jackie Coogan saved himother and stepfather from legal ousting from the luxurious mansion his screen fortune built, when "The Kid" went to the rescue when h<? learned that a temporary receiver, appointed after he tiled his 4.000.000 dollar accounting suit igainst his mother anil stepfather, was empowered to seize the home, three automobiles and personal effects used bv Uncouple. Hurrying to his attorney's 'office young Coogan obtained a stipulation whereby his mother and stepfather could remain in possession of the palatial pro|>ertv pending trial of his -,Tit. Xext day Jackie Coogan scored a point to regain part of his" 4.000.000 dollars film earnings when Su|>erior Judge Kmrnet Wilson refused the reijiiest of Coogan's stepfather and mother that a temporary receivership lx- dismissed. He then ordered that a temporary restraining order be continued against Jackie's mother and her second liuslmiikl. to keep them from disposing of the property.

Muni Not To Retire. "DAUL MUNI is to retire from 1 the screen!" Following completion of "The Life of Emile Zola." Paul's only film in many months, rumour circulated that it was quite likely tliat tlie artistry of one of the screen's most illustrious personalities would he seen no more. However, this lias been proved groundleas by a cabled announcement that Muni ha* signed a new long-term contract with his old studio. Warner Hros. Interviewed hv Internat ion.il Pros representatives before the star and his wife sailed for an extended tour of Kurope some months ago. Muni hinted that he might never made another pir ture and that if he did decide to return to Hollywood it wax likely he would free-lance, thus availing himself of a choice of story material from all studios. The consummate artistry of Paul Muni s performances since, "I Am a Fugitive from a Chain (iang," has made him one of Hollywood's most hrii liant luminaries. He won the Academy award for the In-st acting of the vear as the immortal French scientist in 'The Story of Louis Pasteur." and additional laurels were heaped upon him when -Zola" was proclaimed •'the best film of the year" last Mardi. It is reported from Hollywood that Muni is already conferring witli studio officials with regard to his next a.-si-n----ment. Two properties under e.iii-idcTa ■ tion are Maximilian and tluarez," hased upon Mexican history, and Jack London's "Sea Wolf."