Junior Coghlan

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Frank Coghlan Jr., known as Junior Coghlan, was an American actor who became a popular child star in the 1920s and 1930s and later a Navy aviator and officer. He was born on March 15, 1916, in New Haven, Connecticut, and his family moved to Hollywood when he was a baby. He acted in about 129 films and TV programs from 1920 to 1974, gaining fame as a cheerful, freckled boy and appearing with stars like Shirley Temple and Bette Davis. He is best known for playing Billy Batson, who says the magic word “Shazam” to become Captain Marvel, in the 1941 Adventures of Captain Marvel serial.

In 1942, Coghlan joined the U.S. Navy as a naval aviator and served for 23 years, retiring as a lieutenant commander in 1965. He worked as a film liaison and advisor on many productions and logged thousands of flight hours, serving through World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam era. After leaving the Navy, he returned to acting in television, film, and commercials, and later worked in real estate. He published an autobiography in 1992, They Still Call Me Junior.

Coghlan was married twice, first to Betty Corrigan (1943–1974) and then to Letha Schwarzrock (1975–2001). He had five children. He passed away on September 7, 2009, at age 93 in Saugus, California. He was survived by his family and left a lasting memory as one of Hollywood’s enduring child stars and a dedicated Navy officer.