American actor Jackie Coogan (1914-1984) began as a child actor in silent films. He was Charlie Chaplin's irascible sidekick in The Kid (Charles Chaplin, 1921) and played the title role in Oliver Twist (Frank Lloyd, 1922). In 1924, the popular child star made a charity tour through Europe of which remarkably many postcards were published.
![Jackie Coogan Les Vedettes de Cinéma]()
Jackie Coogan, on board of SS Leviathan in 1924. French postcard by A.N. in the Les Vedettes de Cinéma series, Paris, no. 88. Photo: Rol. On 4 November 1924, Jackie went back to the US on the SS Leviathan, after his European tour of September-October that year, visiting London, Paris, Rome, Athens, Budapest, Vienna, and Berlin. He had come with the same boat, wearing a cap from the boat during his tour.
![Jackie Coogan in Berlin]()
German postcard by Ross Verlag, Berlin, 922/1. Photo: Rembrandt, Berlin. The photo was taken in Berlin during Coogan's European tour in 1924. The man at the left is Coogan's father, John Henry Coogan Jr.
![Jackie Coogan in Berlin]()
Jackie Coogan in Berlin. The man at the far left is Coogan's father. German postcard by Ross Verlag, Berlin, no. 923/1. Photo: C. Fernstädt, Berlin.
According to Wikipedia, Jackie Coogan toured across the United States and Europe in 1924 on a "Children's Crusade", working with Near East Relief (NER). The tour was part of his fundraising drive, which provided more than $1 million in clothing, food, and other contributions (worth more than $13 million in 2012 dollars), funds raised for Armenian and Greek Genocide Orphans.
In addition, the tour promoted Coogan's film A Boy of Flanders (Victor Schertzinger, 1924), which, oddly enough, takes place in the Netherlands and not in Belgium of which Flanders is a part. Coogan was also dressed up in a typical Volendamer (Dutch) folkloristic outfit. In The Netherlands, the film was therefore rebaptised 'Een Hollandsche jongen' (A Dutch Boy).
According to the newspapers, September 1924 Coogan docked in Southampton and then visited London, Paris, Rome, and Athens. After ten days of holidays early October in Semmering (Austria), the trip continued to Budapest, Vienna, and Berlin. Attempts to have him visit Amsterdam as well failed.
Coogan was honored by officials in the United States, Greece, and Rome, where he had an audience with Pope Pius XI. He also had a 15-minute meeting with Benito Mussolini, who gave him an autographed photo inscribed "Al Piccolo Grande" (To the Little Great One). There were demonstrations against his visit to Vienna in October 1924 because some people on the far right believed he was Jewish. He was in fact of Irish Catholic descent.
Coogan may well have been the first star using his status for a humanitarian cause. After a return to Paris, Jackie Coogan and his father took the ship back to the US on 4 November, as he had to work from 28 October on the film sets again.
![Jackie Coogan ans his father travelling to/from Berlin]()
Jackie Coogan and his father travelling to Berlin. German postcard by Ross Verlag, Berlin, no. 923/2. Photo: C. Fernstädt, Berlin.
![Jackie Coogan and his father in Berlin]()
Held by his father, Jackie Coogan waves to his fans from the balcony of the Hotel Adlon in Berlin, October 1924. German postcard by Ross Verlag, Berlin, no. 923/3. Photo: C. Fernstädt, Berlin.
![Jackie Coogan in Berlin]()
Part of the 1924 charity tour of Jackie Coogan through Europe. German postcard by Ross Verlag, Berlin, no. 924/3. Photo: C. Fernstädt, Berlin.
![Jackie Coogan in Berlin]()
Part of the 1924 charity tour of Jackie Coogan through Europe. Mark the cap from the ocean liner Leviathan with which he traveled to and from Europe. German postcard by Ross Verlag, Berlin, no. 924/4. Photo: C. Fernstädt, Berlin.
![Jackie Coogan in A Boy of Flanders (1924)]()
German postcard by Ross Verlag, no. 669/1, 1919-1924. Photo: Transocean-Film-Co., Berlin. Jackie Coogan in A Boy of Flanders (Victor Schertzinger, 1924).
Sources: Wikipedia and IMDb.
Jackie Coogan, on board of SS Leviathan in 1924. French postcard by A.N. in the Les Vedettes de Cinéma series, Paris, no. 88. Photo: Rol. On 4 November 1924, Jackie went back to the US on the SS Leviathan, after his European tour of September-October that year, visiting London, Paris, Rome, Athens, Budapest, Vienna, and Berlin. He had come with the same boat, wearing a cap from the boat during his tour.
German postcard by Ross Verlag, Berlin, 922/1. Photo: Rembrandt, Berlin. The photo was taken in Berlin during Coogan's European tour in 1924. The man at the left is Coogan's father, John Henry Coogan Jr.
Jackie Coogan in Berlin. The man at the far left is Coogan's father. German postcard by Ross Verlag, Berlin, no. 923/1. Photo: C. Fernstädt, Berlin.
Using his status for a humanitarian cause
According to Wikipedia, Jackie Coogan toured across the United States and Europe in 1924 on a "Children's Crusade", working with Near East Relief (NER). The tour was part of his fundraising drive, which provided more than $1 million in clothing, food, and other contributions (worth more than $13 million in 2012 dollars), funds raised for Armenian and Greek Genocide Orphans.
In addition, the tour promoted Coogan's film A Boy of Flanders (Victor Schertzinger, 1924), which, oddly enough, takes place in the Netherlands and not in Belgium of which Flanders is a part. Coogan was also dressed up in a typical Volendamer (Dutch) folkloristic outfit. In The Netherlands, the film was therefore rebaptised 'Een Hollandsche jongen' (A Dutch Boy).
According to the newspapers, September 1924 Coogan docked in Southampton and then visited London, Paris, Rome, and Athens. After ten days of holidays early October in Semmering (Austria), the trip continued to Budapest, Vienna, and Berlin. Attempts to have him visit Amsterdam as well failed.
Coogan was honored by officials in the United States, Greece, and Rome, where he had an audience with Pope Pius XI. He also had a 15-minute meeting with Benito Mussolini, who gave him an autographed photo inscribed "Al Piccolo Grande" (To the Little Great One). There were demonstrations against his visit to Vienna in October 1924 because some people on the far right believed he was Jewish. He was in fact of Irish Catholic descent.
Coogan may well have been the first star using his status for a humanitarian cause. After a return to Paris, Jackie Coogan and his father took the ship back to the US on 4 November, as he had to work from 28 October on the film sets again.
Jackie Coogan and his father travelling to Berlin. German postcard by Ross Verlag, Berlin, no. 923/2. Photo: C. Fernstädt, Berlin.
Held by his father, Jackie Coogan waves to his fans from the balcony of the Hotel Adlon in Berlin, October 1924. German postcard by Ross Verlag, Berlin, no. 923/3. Photo: C. Fernstädt, Berlin.
Part of the 1924 charity tour of Jackie Coogan through Europe. German postcard by Ross Verlag, Berlin, no. 924/3. Photo: C. Fernstädt, Berlin.
Part of the 1924 charity tour of Jackie Coogan through Europe. Mark the cap from the ocean liner Leviathan with which he traveled to and from Europe. German postcard by Ross Verlag, Berlin, no. 924/4. Photo: C. Fernstädt, Berlin.
German postcard by Ross Verlag, no. 669/1, 1919-1924. Photo: Transocean-Film-Co., Berlin. Jackie Coogan in A Boy of Flanders (Victor Schertzinger, 1924).
Sources: Wikipedia and IMDb.