James Caughey Watson Jr. (November 16, 1912 – March 14, 2009), professionally known as Coy Watson, was an American child actor of the
silent era, who was from an extended family of nine siblings of fellow performers known as
The Watson Family. He appeared in more than 60 films.
Life and career
Coy Watson Jr. was the son of actor, stuntman, and pioneer special effects artist James Caughey "Coy" Watson Sr and his wife Golda. They lived by the
Echo Park
Echo Park is a neighborhood in the east-central region of Los Angeles, California. Located to the northwest of Downtown, it is bordered by Silver Lake to the west and Chinatown to the east. The culturally diverse neighborhood has become known f ...
area of the city and Coy attended nearby
Belmont High School. The younger Watson made his film debut in 1921 and appeared in approximately 24 films over a period of eight years. He had five brothers and three sisters who also acted in films, including Billy,
Delmar, Garry,
Harry
Harry may refer to:
TV shows
* ''Harry'' (American TV series), a 1987 American comedy series starring Alan Arkin
* ''Harry'' (British TV series), a 1993 BBC drama that ran for two seasons
* ''Harry'' (talk show), a 2016 American daytime talk show ...
, Vivian, Gloria, Louise Watson Roberts, and
Bobs Watson
Robert Ball Watson (November 16, 1930 – June 26, 1999), credited as Bobs Watson, was an American actor and Methodist minister.
Early years
Robert Ball Watson was a member of the Watson Family, famous in the early days of Hollywood as being a ...
. Because he was featured in several of
Mack Sennett
Mack Sennett (born Michael Sinnott; January 17, 1880 – November 5, 1960) was a Canadian-American film actor, director, and producer, and studio head, known as the 'King of Comedy'.
Born in Danville, Quebec, in 1880, he started in films in the ...
's popular "
The Keystone Cops" comedies, he earned the nickname "The Keystone Kid".
[Pool, Bob.]
Star Shines Brightly for Hollywood's First Family; Movies: The Watson clan of former child actors finally receives recognition for its pioneering contribution to films
" ''Los Angeles Times
The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the U ...
''. April 23, 1999. Metro Part B Metro Desk Page 1.
During
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...
, Watson served in the
United States Coast Guard
The United States Coast Guard (USCG) is the maritime security, search and rescue, and law enforcement service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the country's eight uniformed services. The service is a maritime, military, mu ...
, based out of
San Diego
San Diego ( , ; ) is a city on the Pacific Ocean coast of Southern California located immediately adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a 2020 population of 1,386,932, it is the eighth most populous city in the United State ...
.
Coy Watson Jr. was a Los Angeles-based news photographer for
CBS Television in the 1950s. He was the head news photographer at
KCRA-TV
KCRA-TV (channel 3) is a television station in Sacramento, California, United States, affiliated with NBC. It is owned by Hearst Television alongside Stockton-licensed MyNetworkTV affiliate KQCA (channel 58). Both stations share studios on Tel ...
in
Sacramento, California
)
, image_map = Sacramento County California Incorporated and Unincorporated areas Sacramento Highlighted.svg
, mapsize = 250x200px
, map_caption = Location within Sacramento ...
, in the late 1950s. He was credited with teaching brother
Harry R. Watson photography.
Watson's autobiography, ''The Keystone Kid: Tales of Early Hollywood'', was published in 2001.
Review of ''The Keystone Kid''
/ref>
The Watson family were collectively honoured by the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce by placing The Watson Family Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame located at 6674 Hollywood Boulevard, Hollywood, California
California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...
.Alpine, California
Alpine is a census-designated place (CDP) in the Cuyamaca Mountains of San Diego County, California. Alpine had a population of 14,696 at the 2020 census, up from 14,236 at the 2010 census. The town is largely surrounded by the Cleveland Nation ...
, on March 14, 2009, at the age of 96.[''Los Angeles Times'' obituary: "Coy Watson Jr. dies at 96; one of nine silent-era sibling actors"]
/ref>
Partial filmography
* '' The Show'' (1922)
* '' The Right of the Strongest'' (1924)
* ''Dorothy Vernon of Haddon Hall
''Dorothy Vernon of Haddon Hall'' is a 1902 historical novel written by Charles Major. Following the life and romances of Dorothy Vernon in Elizabethan England, the novel became the year's third most successful novel according to '' The Bookman ...
'' (1924)
* ''The Golden Strain
''The Golden Strain'' is a 1925 American silent Western film directed by Victor Schertzinger and written by Eve Unsell based upon a novel by Peter B. Kyne. The film stars Hobart Bosworth, Kenneth Harlan, Madge Bellamy, Lawford Davidson, Ann ...
'' (1925)
* ''Rich But Honest
''Rich But Honest'' is a 1927 American silent comedy-drama film, written by Randall H. Faye and directed by Albert Ray and Horace Hough. The film was released on May 22, 1927 by Fox Film Corporation, starring Nancy Nash, John Holland, Charles ...
'' (1927)
* ''Buttons
A button is a fastener that joins two pieces of fabric together by slipping through a loop or by sliding through a buttonhole.
In modern clothing and fashion design, buttons are commonly made of plastic but also may be made of metal, wood ...
'' (1927)
* ''Love Makes 'Em Wild
''Love Makes 'Em Wild'' is a 1927 American comedy film directed by Albert Ray and written by Harold Shumate. The film stars John Harron, Sally Phipps, Ben Bard, Arthur Housman, J. Farrell MacDonald and Natalie Kingston. The film was released on ...
'' (1927)
* '' The Shamrock and the Rose'' (1927)
* ''The Smart Set
''The Smart Set'' was an American literary magazine, founded by Colonel William d'Alton Mann and published from March 1900 to June 1930. Its headquarters was in New York City. During its Jazz Age heyday under the editorship of H. L. Mencken and ...
'' (1928)
* ''Show People
''Show People'' is a 1928 American silent comedy film directed by King Vidor. The film was a starring vehicle for actress Marion Davies and actor William Haines and included notable cameo appearances by many of the film personalities of the d ...
'' (1928)
* ''Taxi 13
''Taxi 13'' is a 1928 silent film comedy produced and distributed by Film Booking Offices of America and directed by Marshall Neilan. The film stars Chester Conklin in what is FBO's first film with a pre-recorded soundtrack.
Once thought lost ...
'' (1928)
* '' Blue Skies'' (1929)
See also
* Watson family
References
Bibliography
* John Holmstrom, ''The Moving Picture Boy: An International Encyclopaedia from 1895 to 1995'', Norwich, Michael Russell, 1996, p. 56.
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Watson, Coy Jr.
1912 births
2009 deaths
20th-century American male actors
American male child actors
American male silent film actors
Belmont High School (Los Angeles) alumni
Burials at Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery
Deaths from cancer in California
Deaths from stomach cancer
United States Coast Guard personnel of World War II
Coy Jr.