Sandra Shaw Profile

Sandra Shaw

	(Veronica Madeleine Balfe)
27 May 13	is born in Brooklyn, New York to Harry Balfe Jr and Veronica Gibbons
22	lives in Paris, France with her mother
31	attends the Todhunter School in New York City
31	attends the Bennett School in Millbrook, New York
32	is on contract with RKO
7 October 32	The Brooklyn Daily Eagle writes that "Rocky Balfe was her name when she came to Hollywood not so long since but whoever heard of Rocky Balfe for a film starette? So it was changed to Sandra Shaw."
33	meets actor Gary Cooper at a boating party
15 December 33	marries Gary Cooper. She will later become instrumental in the continued success of his career.
December 33	honeymoons with Cooper in Phoenix, Arizona
?	becomes the California State Woman's Skeet Champion
15 September 37	her daughter, Maria is born in Los Angeles, California
?	her scene from King Kong (1933) is edited out of the re-release. It will later be found decades later.
39	is living on a large ranch in the San Fernando Valley
3 June 41	vacations for several weeks in New Mexico with husband Gary Cooper
?	when asked by reporters about her film career, she says "Could we just not go into my film career? I had no talent whatsoever... don't remind me of those days. I was the most awful actress in the world and I never had a chance."
?	Copper admits to Sandra that he had an affair with Anita Ekberg, saying "It seemed like a good idea at the time."
13 May 61	becomes the widow of Cooper, who dies at age 60 in Beverly Hills, California
27 June 64	marries Dr. John Marquis Converse
69	the once lost footage of her scene from King Kong (1933) is found and will be restored back to the film a year later
31 January 81	becomes the widow of Converse
?	actress Patricia Neal writes her a letter apologizing for her affair with Gary Cooper years ago
?	moves to New York because of a distaste for Hollywood
16 February 00	dies in New York City, New York
15 November 18	columnist Oliver Birrell describes Sandra and Gary Cooper's marriage, writing that "It was a classic marriage of convenience: Cooper received the necessary communications for a career, and Veronica got a handsome husband who did not restrict her privacy rights."

Sources: Albuquerque Journal, The Times and Democrat, Daily News, Forbes, Fabiosa.com, Ancestry.com
Recommended Books: Gary Cooper: Enduring Style by G. Bruce Boyer and Maria Cooper Janis Gary Cooper: American Hero by Jeffrey Meyers
Links: Internet Movie Database