May 13: Tinseltown's Lady-Killer

Welcome to the American Catholic Daily Reader podcast. Today is May 13th, and our story is Tinseltown's Lady Killer. Gary Cooper was a man who married well. In the end, that made all the difference. Born in 1901 to British parents, Cooper spent his childhood on the family's ranch in Montana, and his adolescence at a boarding school in England. When his parents moved to Los Angeles in 1924, he followed and soon found work in the motion picture industry.

Within five years, he was a star. Over the next three decades, the three-time Academy Award-winning actor moved from hit to hit. A Farewell to Arms, 1932, Mr. Deeds Goes to Town, 1936, Sergeant York, 1941, Meet John Doe, 1941, High Noon, 1952, and many more, appearing in nearly a hundred films during his time in the U.S. 36-year career. Unfortunately, Cooper also moved from woman to woman, with his leading ladies routinely falling in love with him and Cooper falling back. Even after his 1933 marriage to Catholic socialite Veronica Rocky Balfe, the love affairs continued, almost without pause.

Rocky, however, bore her husband's wandering eye with patience, always forgiving, always taking him back, and always praying for a change. Those prayers were answered in the late 1950s, when Cooper became friends with his wife's tough-talking, outdoor-loving parish priest, dubbed Father Tough Stuff by Cooper. As their friendship grew, so did Cooper's interest in the faith, and in 1959, Father Tough Stuff received Cooper into the Catholic Church.

Cooper later explained his conversion, saying, I'd spent all my waking hours, year after year, doing almost exactly what I personally wanted to do. And what I wanted to do wasn't always the most polite thing, either. I'll never be anything like a saint. The only thing I can say for me is that I'm trying to be a little better. Maybe I'll succeed.

Cooper learned he had prostate cancer a year after his conversion. He bore the illness with grace, and, as he lay dying, told the world, I know that what is happening is God's will. I am not afraid of the future. Cooper passed away on May 13, 1961.

Cooper's example encourages humility, openness, and the willingness to let faith reshape priorities, even in adulthood. We, too, can experience renewal, conversion, and the strength to face challenges by placing trust in God's plan and guidance. Reflect on an area of your life that could benefit from renewed faith or attention to God's will. Thank you for listening to the American Catholic Daily Reader podcast. Join us tomorrow, May 14th, for another story of faith and courage in America.