Before all the modern day movie stars that fans obsess over on a daily basis, there was Gary Cooper. Tall, handsome, and with an (*ahem*) reputation in Hollywood for romancing starlets, he dominated the silver screen for decades. Cooper got his start during the silent era, when he made a name for himself as a romantic lead, before being one of the lucky male stars to transition successfully into talkies. Beginning in the 1930s, he hopped from genre to genre, starring in action adventure pictures and Westerns as well as showcasing a natural affinity for comedy.

During his time in Hollywood, he was nominated for five Academy Awards and took home two, in addition to earning an Academy Honorary Award just weeks before he died from cancer in 1961. His work as an actor was impressive, but his reputation and legacy are larger-than-life. There were rumors of romances between him and...