Cooper was born in San Francisco on July 31, 1892,[2][3] to a well-known theatrical family. Her mother, Georgia Woodthorpe, was an actress, as was her sister, Georgie Cooper. Her nephew, George Stevens, went on to become a celebrated Hollywood director.[4] Her brother Harry was a cinematographer.
She first appeared on stage at age 5, under the name Ollie Cooper,[5] and performed in Bay Area theater productions before moving to Hollywood.[6] She appeared chiefly in character roles and comedic parts. Her film debut was The Brass Check (1918).[7] After appearing in a few short films in the early 1930s, she decided to pursue a career as a screenwriter. She wrote dozens of scripts over the course of her career, many of which were Westerns. She often collaborated with the directors Joseph Kane, Lew Landers and Joseph Santley. She was married to the stage director Edwin H. Curtis,[5] and died in Los Angeles aged 94.[2]
