Vienna is in a state of excitement over Jackie Coogan. The film managers created such a hulabaloo through sensational publicity conducted for some time prior to Jackie’s arrival that thousands of people were constantly under the impression that the little film prodigy was arriving and each day they ran in great haste to the railroad station, waiting there for hours and hours until they were told that the publicity manager had anticipated matters and Jackie would arrive the next day.
In spite of the numerous disappointments the crowd did not fail to appear at the station in a large body on the day when Jackie arrived. There was terrific pushing and elbowing and craning of necks in an effort to catch a glimpse of the little boy or at least of his famoshanter. But a mean trick was played on the people, for Jackie was taken away through a rear door off the station to his hotel and hours later when the crowd was still waiting at the station, Jackie, all washed and dolled up, was having his meal and playing with toys and medals and decorations which were presented to him by the Pope, by a Balkan ruler and by many diplomatic bufoons and bufoonish diplomats.
When the crowd learned that Jackie had been absconded to Hotel Bristol they marched thither and forced the little hero to come out on the balcony where he was given a rousing, enthusiastic welcome. His mother taught him to say “Gute Nacht” and this he said to the delightful amazement and applause of the crowd on the street. After this the people went home, realizing that even Jackie must have his sleep.
One of the Viennese newspapers published a story that Jackie Coogan was a Jewish child who was baptized before he went to receive the Pope’s blessing. When I asked Jackie’s mother about this she looked at me as if she did not understand what I meant. I felt in my heart that the whole story is unfounded. I do not believe Jackie is a child of Jewish parents and the story of his baptism must be an invention.
Jackie will shortly celebrate his tenth birthday – in Vienna. Too bad it isn’t his thirteenth birthday, so we could tell if he is a Jew or not by his “bar mitzvah.”
If all of America and even the Kehillah of Los Angelos were to believe Jackie a Jew I should still remain sceptical.
The only question is: Why have Jackie’s parents such Setnitic physiognomies?
I will leave the problem of Jackie Coogan’s Jewishness to my American brethren. Let them discover if Jackie is a scion of the house of Abraham or a descendant of Essau.
I am satisfied with the fact that the Coogans not only deny that they are Jews, but they resent as an insult the very implication of such a possibility.
Nathan Harrison son of the Chicago orthodox rabbi. Harrison, will he the head of the debating team representing the University of Chicago in its debate with the Oxiord team headed by Maloo## McDonald, the son of the British Premier. The debate will take place Monday eve, at Mandell Hall, of the University of Chicago. “Prohibition” – will be the question argued.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
