LOS ANGELES — Coy Watson Jr., who appeared in Mack Sennett comedies and other silent films before abandoning acting for a long career as a newspaper and TV news photographer, has died at 96.
Watson, who lived in the San Diego suburb of Alpine, died Saturday, his daughter, Pattie Watson Price, said Tuesday.
Born in 1912, Watson made his film debut as a baby. He was one of nine siblings who all went into the movie business, as did his father, Coy Sr. The family was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1999.
In addition to Keystone Kops movies, young Coy appeared in films of such stars as Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks Jr. His last film was 1930’s “Puttin’ on the Ritz,” but his daughter said he never adapted to talkies.
Watson moved behind the camera, working at Acme News Pictures. He also took photos for local papers and later was active in television news and filming for the early celebrity-news program “Hollywood Reel.” The Associated Press
