Erin O'Brien-Moore (born Annette O'Brien-Moore, May 2, 1902 – May 3, 1979) was an American actress. She created the role of Rose in the original Broadway production of Elmer Rice's Pulitzer Prize-winning play, '' Street Scene'' (1929), and was put under contract in Hollywood and made a number of films in the 1930s. Her promising career on the stage and screen was interrupted by severe injuries she sustained in a 1939 fire. Following her recovery and extensive plastic surgery she returned to the stage and character roles in films and television, including four seasons of the primetime serial drama '' Peyton Place'' (1965–68).

Biography

Early life and beginning in the theater

O'Brien-Moore was born in Los Angeles, to J.B.L. and Agnes O'Brien-Moore. Her father was publisher of the ''

Tucson Citizen The ''Tucson Citizen'' was a daily newspaper in Tucson, Arizona. It was founded by Richard C. McCormick with John Wasson as publisher and editor on October 15, 1870, as the ''Arizona Citizen''. When it ceased printing on May 16, 2009, the daily ...

''; her older brother was classical scholar Ainsworth O'Brien-Moore. She was educated at a convent in Arizona, and planned to become a painter until she saw

Alla Nazimova Alla Nazimova (Russian: Алла Назимова; born Marem-Ides Leventon, Russian: Марем-Идес Левентон; June 3 Old_Style_and_New_Style_dates">O.S._May_22.html" ;"title="Old_Style_and_New_Style_dates.html" ;"title="nowiki/>O ...

on the stage, when she turned her attention to the theatre. She first appeared on Broadway in 1926 as a maid in '' The Makropoulos Secret''. In 1928, O'Brien-Moore played the female lead in

E.E. Cummings Edward Estlin Cummings, who was also known as E. E. Cummings, e. e. cummings and e e cummings (October 14, 1894 - September 3, 1962), was an American poet, painter, essayist, author and playwright. He wrote approximately 2,900 poems, two autobi ...

' '' Him'' at the

Provincetown Playhouse The Provincetown Playhouse is a historic theatre at 133 MacDougal Street between West 3rd and West 4th Streets in the Greenwich Village neighborhood of Manhattan, New York City. It is named for the Provincetown Players, who converted the former ...

. She was the star of Elmer Rice's '' Street Scene'' (1929), a naturalistic drama about life in a New York City tenement that ran for 601 performances on

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...

, toured throughout the United States, and received the

Pulitzer Prize The Pulitzer Prize () is an award for achievements in newspaper, magazine, online journalism, literature, and musical composition within the United States. It was established in 1917 by provisions in the will of Joseph Pulitzer, who had made ...

. During the play's six-month run in London,

Aldous Huxley Aldous Leonard Huxley (26 July 1894 – 22 November 1963) was an English writer and philosopher. He wrote nearly 50 books, both novels and non-fiction works, as well as wide-ranging essays, narratives, and poems. Born into the prominent Huxle ...

became an ardent fan of O'Brien-Moore and saw her performance at least three times.

Career in Hollywood

O'Brien-Moore's stage success led to a Hollywood contract and second-lead roles in films, including '' Black Legion'' (1937) with

Humphrey Bogart Humphrey DeForest Bogart (; December 25, 1899 – January 14, 1957), nicknamed Bogie, was an American film and stage actor. His performances in Classical Hollywood cinema films made him an American cultural icon. In 1999, the American Film In ...

. In ''

The Life of Emile Zola ''The Life of Emile Zola'' is a 1937 American biographical film about the 19th-century French author Émile Zola starring Paul Muni and directed by William Dieterle. It premiered at the Los Angeles Carthay Circle Theatre to great critical and ...

'' (1937), with

Paul Muni Paul Muni (born Frederich Meshilem Meier Weisenfreund; September 22, 1895– August 25, 1967) was an American stage and film actor who grew up in Chicago. Muni was a five-time Academy Award nominee, with one win. He started his acting career in ...

, she played the character who inspired the fictional character Nana. Her other films include ''

Dangerous Corner ''Dangerous Corner'' was the first play by the English writer J. B. Priestley. It was premiered in May 1932 by Tyrone Guthrie at the Lyric Theatre, London, and filmed in 1934 by Phil Rosen. Priestley had recently collaborated with Edward Kno ...

'' (1934), '' Little Men'' (1934), ''

His Greatest Gamble ''His Greatest Gamble'' is a 1934 American drama film directed by John Robertson from a screenplay by Sidney Buchman and Harry Hervey, based on a story by Salisbury Field. The film stars Richard Dix, Dorothy Wilson, Bruce Cabot, and Erin O'Br ...

'' (1934), ''

Seven Keys to Baldpate Seven Keys to Baldpate may refer to: * '' Seven Keys to Baldpate'', a novel by Earl Derr Biggers * ''Seven Keys to Baldpate'' (play), a 1913 play by George M. Cohan based on the novel * ''Seven Keys to Baldpate'' (1916 film), a 1916 Australian si ...

'' (1935), '' Streamline Express'' (1935), '' Our Little Girl'' (1935), ''

Two in the Dark ''Two in the Dark'' is a 1936 American mystery film directed by Benjamin Stoloff and starring Walter Abel, Margot Grahame, Wallace Ford, Gail Patrick, and Alan Hale. The screenplay concerns an amnesiac suspected of murder. In 1945, Stoloff ...

'' (1936), ''

The Ex-Mrs. Bradford ''The Ex-Mrs. Bradford'' is a 1936 American comedy-mystery film. William Powell and Jean Arthur star as a divorced couple who investigate a murder at a racetrack. This was the last film directed by Stephen Roberts before his untimely death from ...

'' (1936), '' Ring Around the Moon'' (1936), '' The Leavenworth Case'' (1936), '' Green Light'' (1937) and ''

The Plough and the Stars ''The Plough and the Stars'' is a four-act play by the Irish writer Seán O'Casey that was first performed on 8 February 1926 at the Abbey Theatre. It is set in Dublin and addresses the 1916 Easter Rising. The play's title references the Sta ...

'' (1937). Described by ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'' as "a slender, dark-haired woman with fragile, beautiful features", O'Brien-Moore had a rising career that was interrupted by severe injuries she suffered January 22, 1939 in a fire. After she recovered from the accident, O'Brien-Moore resumed her acting career on radio, including '' Big Sister''. After extensive plastic surgery, O'Brien-Moore returned to the stage and resumed her career in films and television. In 1948, she performed on ''

Kraft Television Theatre ''Kraft Television Theatre'' is an American anthology drama television series running from 1947 to 1958. It began May 7, 1947 on NBC, airing at 7:30pm on Wednesday evenings until December of that year. It first promoted MacLaren's Imperial Chees ...

'' and in ''

The Philco Television Playhouse ''The Philco Television Playhouse'' is an American television anthology series that was broadcast live on NBC from 1948 to 1955. Produced by Fred Coe, the series was sponsored by Philco. It was one of the most respected dramatic shows of the Golde ...

'' presentation, "Street Scene". She took the role of Anna, and

Betty Field Betty Field (February 8, 1916 – September 13, 1973) was an American film and stage actress. Early years Field was born in Boston, Massachusetts, to George and Katharine (née Lynch) Field. She began acting before she reached age 15, and went ...

played Rose, the role that O'Brien-Moore had created on the stage. She co-starred with

Charlie Ruggles Charles Sherman Ruggles (February 8, 1886 – December 23, 1970) was an American comic character actor. In a career spanning six decades, Ruggles appeared in close to 100 feature films, often in mild-mannered and comic roles. He was also the e ...

in the situation comedy '' The Ruggles'' (1950–52), and in series including ''NBC Presents'', ''

General Electric Theater ''General Electric Theater'' was an American anthology series hosted by Ronald Reagan that was broadcast on CBS radio and television. The series was sponsored by General Electric's Department of Public Relations. Radio After an audition show ...

'', ''

Lux Video Theater ''Lux Video Theatre'' is an American television anthology series that was produced from 1950 until 1957. The series presented both comedy and drama in original teleplays, as well as abridged adaptations of films and plays. Overview The ''Lux Vid ...

'', ''

Alfred Hitchcock Presents ''Alfred Hitchcock Presents'' is an American television anthology series created, hosted and produced by Alfred Hitchcock, aired on CBS and NBC between 1955 and 1965. It features dramas, thrillers and mysteries. Between 1962 and 1965 it was r ...

'', and '' Perry Mason'' ("The Case of the Deadly Verdict"). She portrayed Miss Kelly in the 1961 pilot episode, "The Return," of the series ''

Window on Main Street ''Window on Main Street'' is an American comedy-drama television series starring Robert Young about an author who returns to his home town after an absence of many years to write about the people and events there. Original episodes aired from Oct ...

'' (1961–62), appeared in a 1965 episode of '' Kentucky Jones'' and played the role of Nurse Esther Choate in the TV version of '' Peyton Place'' for four seasons (1965–68). Her later feature films include '' Destination Moon'' (1950), '' The Family Secret'' (1951), ''

Sea of Lost Ships ''Sea of Lost Ships'' is a 1953 American adventure film directed by Joseph Kane and starring John Derek, Wanda Hendrix and Walter Brennan. It is a tribute to the US Coast Guard. Plot The son of a deceased Coast Guard hero is raised by a Coast Gua ...

'' (1954), '' Phantom of the Rue Morgue'' (1954), '' Peyton Place'' (1957) and ''

How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying ''How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying'' may refer to: * ''How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying'' (book), a 1952 book written by Shepherd Mead and the inspiration for the musical of the same name. * ''How to Succeed in Bu ...

'' (1967).

Personal life and last years

O'Brien-Moore was married to Mark Barron, drama editor of the

Associated Press The Associated Press (AP) is an American non-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association. It produces news reports that are distributed to its members, U.S. new ...

in 1936. Their 10-year marriage ended in divorce. O'Brien-Moore died of cancer on May 3, 1979 at the

Motion Picture Country Hospital The Motion Picture & Television Fund (MPTF) is a charitable organization that offers assistance and care to those in the motion picture and television industries and their families with limited or no resources, including services such as tempo ...

in Los Angeles.

Filmography

References

External links

* *
Erin O'Brien Moore Papers, circa 1910–1950
#4069, Southern Historical Collection, The Wilson Library,

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United State ...

{{DEFAULTSORT:OBrien-Moore, Erin 1902 births 1979 deaths Actresses from Los Angeles American film actresses American stage actresses American television actresses Deaths from cancer in California 20th-century American actresses