Jerry Jerome

born: 03 October 1902 Evansville, Indiana, United States of America

died: 29 October 1985 Santa Maria, California, United States of America (age 83)

Tall, oft-mustachioed American actor who appeared in films from the mid-1920s through the late 1940s. He frequently played henchman roles, including in a number of 1930s and 1940s Republic serials. Two notable roles came as the bus passenger in the corduroy coat who gives chase to concentration camp escapee Spencer Tracy in "The Seventh Cross" (1944) and as one of the henchmen of Ziggy (Marc Lawrence) in "Key Largo" (1948). His father was Dr. Joseph Nicholas Jerome (1869-1946), and his mother was Clara Maria Reis (1865-1947); they married in 1897 and had three children: Antoinette (Jerome) McLoud (1898-1975), Isabelle Catherine (Jerome) Webster (1899-1976), and Jerry. He was in Hollywood as early as 1923, and acting in movies as early as 1925. He later worked as a merchandiser, and owned and operated a coin-operated machine business. In 1970, he relocated to Santa Maria, California, remaining there (excepting a stint living in Santa Barbara between 1973 and 1975) for the remainder of his life. He was married three times, with his first two marriages each ending in divorce, and his last marriage, in 1953 to Mary Louise Coppin (1916-2009), lasting for 32 years until his 1985 passing. He was born Jerome H. Jerome (yes, that was his real name); his christening record Latinizes his name to Hieronymum Henricum Jerome (the Latin name "Hieronymus" corresponds to "Jerome," while "Henricus" corresponds to "Henry" -- suggesting perhaps that Henry is Jerry's middle name). He later used the middle name of James, and was sometimes billed as Jerome J. Jerome. Other online sources give dates (1912-2001) which actually apply to a jazz saxophonist of the same name.

Real name: Jerome H. Jerome Height: 6'0"

Films listed on this page: complete Hal Roach filmography.

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1925 Laughing Ladies Rollercoaster passenger 1925 Starvation Blues [?] 1925 His Wooden Wedding Passenger 1926 Baby Clothes [?] 1926 Mighty Like A Moose Desk clerk 1926 Bromo And Juliet Man backstage 1926 Raggedy Rose [?] 1926 On The Front Page Reporter 1926 The Nickel-Hopper [?] 1927 Anything Once! [?] 1927 Should Men Walk Home Party guest 1927 Sugar Daddies Hotel guest/ Turnstile man 1927 Sailors, Beware! Passenger pushed into pool 1927 The Second 100 Years Dinner guest 1928 All For Nothing Nightclub patron [*image is from a still] 1928 Aching Youth [?] 1928 Should Married Men Go Home? Muddy combatant MISCELLANEOUS (click any image to enlarge) Acknowledgements: Jerome H Jerome, "Indiana, U.S., WPA Birth Index, 1880-1920" (Ancestry.com) https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:4KR6-R43Z (christening record) https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MKRS-XPM (1910 Census) https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MFHM-6ZZ (1920 Census) https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K8JN-1YY (1934 marriage) https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K978-5G5 (1940 Census) https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QGFS-G28B (WWII draft reg. card) https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K82S-FC9 (1949 marriage) https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:6XGH-B37V (1950 Census) https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K86W-PQ1 (1953 marriage) https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VG1P-QWN (CA Death Index) https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VMMF-D3T (Social Security Death Index) https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/772074355/ (Evansville Journal, 05 Oct 1902) https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/772705098/ (Evansville Courier and Journal, 23 Sep 1923) https://archive.org/details/general-dir-oct-1931/page/100/mode/1up?q=%22jerome+j+jerome%22 (General Directory, Oct 1931) https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/844190603/ (Stockton Daily Evening Record, 15 Feb 1933) https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/763371538/ (Evansville Press, 24 Dec 1934) https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/763966047/ (Evansville Journal, 24 Dec 1934) https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/763966085/ (Evansville Courier and Journal, 25 Dec 1934) https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/380846768/ (Los Angeles Times, 07 Aug 1942) https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/380693555/ (Los Angeles Times, 17 Sep 1942) https://digitalcollections.oscars.org/digital/collection/p15759coll35/search/searchterm/jerry%20jerome/field/all/mode/exact/conn/and (Academy Players Directory, 1946-48 issues) https://digitalcollections.oscars.org/digital/collection/p15759coll35/search/searchterm/jerome%20jerome/field/all/mode/exact/conn/and (Academy Players Directory, 1947-48 issues) https://digitalcollections.oscars.org/digital/collection/p15759coll35/id/20633/rec/54 (Academy Players Directory, Apr 1948) https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/381016554/ (Los Angeles Times, 10 May 1950) https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/602695698/ (Santa Maria Times, 30 Oct 1985) https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/1192081932/ (Santa Barbara News-Press, 30 Oct 1985) https://www.newspapers.com/search/results/?county=Vanderburgh&date-end=1985&date-start=1902&keyword=%22jerry+jerome%22&region=us-in&sort=paper-date-asc (Newspapers.com, search) https://www.newspapers.com/search/results/?county=Vanderburgh&date-end=1985&date-start=1923&keyword=%22jerry+jerome%22+hollywood&region=us-in&sort=paper-date-asc (Newspapers.com, search) https://www.newspapers.com/search/results/?county=Vanderburgh&date-end=1985&date-start=1902&keyword=%22jerome+jerome%22&region=us-in&sort=paper-date-asc (Newspapers.com, search) https://www.newspapers.com/search/results/?date-end=1985&date-start=1930&keyword=%22jerome+j+jerome%22&region=us-ca&sort=paper-date-asc (Newspapers.com, search) Robert Demoss (additional film credits based on ledgers) Jesse (bio notes and research; identification in all films) This page was last updated on: 15 June 2026