Dudley Stuart John Moore (19 April 193527 March 2002) was an English actor, comedian, musician and composer. He first came to prominence in the UK as a leading figure in the British
satire boom of the 1960s. He was one of the four writer-performers in the comedy revue ''
Beyond the Fringe'' from 1960 that created a boom in
satirical
Satire is a genre of the visual arts, visual, literature, literary, and performing arts, usually in the form of fiction and less frequently Nonfiction, non-fiction, in which vices, follies, abuses, and shortcomings are held up to ridicule, ...
comedy. With a member of that team,
Peter Cook
Peter Edward Cook (17 November 1937 – 9 January 1995) was an English comedian, actor, satirist, playwright and screenwriter. He was the leading figure of the British satire boom of the 1960s, and he was associated with the anti-establishmen ...
, Moore collaborated on the BBC television series ''
Not Only... But Also''. In their popular double act, Moore's buffoonery contrasted with Cook's deadpan monologues.
They jointly received the 1966
and worked together on other projects until the mid-1970s, by which time Moore had settled in
Los Angeles
Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...
, California, to concentrate on his film acting.
Moore's career as a comedy film actor was marked by hit films, particularly ''
Bedazzled'' (1967), set in
Swinging Sixties London (in which he co-starred with Cook) and Hollywood productions ''
Foul Play'' (1978), ''
10'' (1979) and ''
Arthur
Arthur is a masculine given name of uncertain etymology. Its popularity derives from it being the name of the legendary hero King Arthur.
A common spelling variant used in many Slavic, Romance, and Germanic languages is Artur. In Spanish and Ital ...
'' (1981). For ''Arthur'', Moore was nominated for the
Academy Award for Best Actor
The Academy Award for Best Actor is an award presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). It has been awarded since the 1st Academy Awards to an actor who has delivered an outstanding performance in a leading ...
and won a
Golden Globe Award
The Golden Globe Awards are awards presented for excellence in both international film and television. It is an annual award ceremony held since 1944 to honor artists and professionals and their work. The ceremony is normally held every Janua ...
. He received a second Golden Globe for his performance in ''
Micki & Maude
''Micki & Maude'' is a 1984 American romantic comedy film directed by Blake Edwards and starring Dudley Moore. It co-stars Tony Award-winning actress and dancer Ann Reinking as Micki and Amy Irving as Maude.
With the exception of appearances a ...
'' (1984). Moore was awarded a star on the
Hollywood Walk of Fame
The Hollywood Walk of Fame is a landmark which consists of 2,813 five-pointed terrazzo-and-brass stars embedded in the sidewalks along 15 blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of Vine Street in the Hollywood, Los Angeles, Hollywood dist ...
in 1987 and was made a CBE by Queen
Elizabeth II
Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 19268 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II, her death in 2022. ...
at
Buckingham Palace
Buckingham Palace () is a royal official residence, residence in London, and the administrative headquarters of the monarch of the United Kingdom. Located in the City of Westminster, the palace is often at the centre of state occasions and r ...
on 16 November 2001 in what was his last public appearance.
Early life
Moore was born at the original
Charing Cross Hospital in
central London
Central London is the innermost part of London, in England, spanning the City of London and several boroughs. Over time, a number of definitions have been used to define the scope of Central London for statistics, urban planning and local gove ...
, the son of Ada Francis (née Hughes), a secretary, and John Moore, a railway electrician from
Glasgow
Glasgow is the Cities of Scotland, most populous city in Scotland, located on the banks of the River Clyde in Strathclyde, west central Scotland. It is the List of cities in the United Kingdom, third-most-populous city in the United Kingdom ...
.
He had an older sister, Barbara. Moore was brought up on the
Becontree
Becontree ( or Both pronunciations are given as Received Pronunciation in the Longman Pronunciation Dictionary, but the form is prioritised (). The dialectologist Peter Wright wrote in 1981 that is the traditional pronunciation in the cockney ...
estate in
Dagenham
Dagenham () is a town in East London, England, within the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham. Dagenham is centred east of Charing Cross.
It was historically a rural parish in the Becontree Hundred of Essex, stretching from Hainault Fo ...
,
Essex
Essex ( ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the East of England, and one of the home counties. It is bordered by Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, the North Sea to the east, Kent across the Thames Estuary to the ...
. He was short at and had
club feet that required extensive hospital treatment. This made him the butt of jokes from other children. His right foot responded well to corrective treatment by the time he was six, but his left foot was permanently twisted and his left leg below the knee was withered. He remained self-conscious about this throughout his life.
Moore became a chorister at the age of six. When he was 11 years old, he earned a scholarship to the
Guildhall School of Music
The Guildhall School of Music and Drama is a music and drama school located in the City of London, England. Established in 1880, the school offers undergraduate and postgraduate training in all aspects of classical music and jazz along with dram ...
, where he took up harpsichord, organ, violin, musical theory and composition.
He rapidly developed into a highly talented pianist and organist and was playing the organ at local church weddings by the age of 14. He attended
Dagenham County High School, where he received dedicated musical tuition from Peter Cork (1926–2012), who helped him towards his Oxford music scholarship. (
Norma Winstone was another student of Cork's at Dagenham). Cork was also a composer. Moore kept in touch until the mid-1990s and his letters to Cork were published in 2006.
[Cork, Peter (ed.). ''Letter From Dudley'' (2006)]
In 1955 Moore won an
organ scholarship to
Magdalen College, Oxford
Magdalen College ( ) is a Colleges of the University of Oxford, constituent college of the University of Oxford. It was founded in 1458 by Bishop of Winchester William of Waynflete. It is one of the wealthiest Oxford colleges, as of 2022, and ...
, where he was tutored by the composer
Bernard Rose and from where he graduated in 1958.
While studying music and composition there, he also performed with Alan Bennett in The Oxford Revue. During his university years, Moore developed a love of jazz
Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...
music and became an accomplished jazz pianist and composer. He began working with musicians such as John Dankworth and Cleo Laine. In 1960, Moore left Dankworth's band to work on ''Beyond the Fringe''.
Career
Jazz Pianist
On leaving Oxford University he joined Sir John Dankworth’s big band on piano. Subsequently he made a number of recordings leading his own trio including Pete McGurk (later replaced by Jeff Clyne) on bass and Chris Karan on drums.
''Beyond the Fringe''
John Bassett, a graduate of Wadham College, Oxford
Wadham College ( ) is a Colleges of the University of Oxford, constituent college of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom. It is located in the centre of Oxford, at the intersection of Broad Street, Oxford, Broad Street and Parks Road ...
recommended Moore, his jazz bandmate and a rising cabaret talent, to producer Robert Ponsonby, who was putting together a comedy revue entitled '' Beyond the Fringe''. Bassett also chose Jonathan Miller
Sir Jonathan Wolfe Miller CBE (21 July 1934 – 27 November 2019) was an English theatre and opera director, actor, author, television presenter, comedian and physician. After training in medicine and specialising in neurology in the late 19 ...
. Moore then recommended Alan Bennett, who in turn suggested Peter Cook
Peter Edward Cook (17 November 1937 – 9 January 1995) was an English comedian, actor, satirist, playwright and screenwriter. He was the leading figure of the British satire boom of the 1960s, and he was associated with the anti-establishmen ...
.
''Beyond the Fringe'' was at the forefront of the 1960s UK satire boom, although the show's original runs in Edinburgh and the provinces in 1960 had had a lukewarm response. When the revue transferred to the Fortune Theatre
The Fortune Theatre is a 432-seat West End theatre in Russell Street, near Covent Garden, in the City of Westminster. From 1989 until 2023 the theatre hosted the long running play '' The Woman in Black''.
History
The site was acquired by aut ...
in London, in a revised production by Donald Albery and William Donaldson, it became a sensation, thanks in some part to a favourable review by Kenneth Tynan
Kenneth Peacock Tynan (2 April 1927 – 26 July 1980) was an English theatre critic and writer. Initially making his mark as a critic at ''The Observer'', he praised John Osborne's ''Look Back in Anger'' (1956) and encouraged the emerging wave ...
. There were also a number of musical items in the show, using Dudley Moore's music, most famously an arrangement of the Colonel Bogey March in the style of Beethoven, which Moore appears unable to bring to an end.
In 1962 the show transferred to the John Golden Theatre in New York, with its original cast. President John F. Kennedy attended a performance on 10 February 1963. The show continued in New York until 1964.
Partnership with Peter Cook
Sir John Dankworth's trumpeter, Ron Simmonds, rememered the duo playing in the intervals of the band's saturday night residency at the Marquee Club
The Marquee Club was a music venue in London, England, that opened in 1958 with a range of jazz and skiffle acts. It was a small and relatively cheap club, in the heart of London's West End of London, West End.
It was the location of the first ...
in 1961.
When Moore returned to the UK he was offered his own series on the BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...
, '' Not Only... But Also'' (1965, 1966, 1970). It was commissioned specifically as a vehicle for Moore, but when he invited Peter Cook
Peter Edward Cook (17 November 1937 – 9 January 1995) was an English comedian, actor, satirist, playwright and screenwriter. He was the leading figure of the British satire boom of the 1960s, and he was associated with the anti-establishmen ...
on as a guest, their comedy partnership was so notable that it became a permanent fixture of the series. Cook and Moore are most remembered for their sketches as two working-class men, Pete and Dud, in macs and cloth caps, commenting on politics and the arts, but they also fashioned a series of one-off characters, usually with Moore in the role of interviewer to one of Cook's upper-class eccentrics.
The pair developed an unorthodox method for scripting the material, using a tape recorder to tape an ad-libbed routine that they would then have transcribed and edited. This would not leave enough time to fully rehearse the script, so they often had a set of cue cards. Moore was famous for " corpsing" so, as the programmes often went out live, Cook would deliberately make him laugh in order to get an even bigger reaction from the studio audience. The BBC wiped much of the series, though some of the soundtracks (which were issued on LP record) have survived. In 1968 Cook and Moore briefly switched to ATV for four one-hour programmes entitled '' Goodbye Again''; however, they were not as critically well-received as the BBC shows.
On film, Moore and Cook appeared in the 1966 British comedy film '' The Wrong Box'', before co-writing and co-starring in '' Bedazzled'' (1967) with Eleanor Bron. Set in Swinging London
The Swinging Sixties was a youth-driven cultural revolution that took place in the United Kingdom during the mid-to-late 1960s, emphasising modernity and fun-loving hedonism, with Swinging London denoted as its centre. It saw a flourishing in ...
of the 1960s, ''Bedazzled'' was directed by Stanley Donen
Stanley Donen ( ; April 13, 1924 – February 21, 2019) was an American film director and choreographer. He received the Honorary Academy Award in 70th Academy Awards, 1998, and the Golden Lion#Golden Lion – Honorary Award, Career Golden Lion ...
. The pair closed the decade with appearances in the ensemble caper film '' Monte Carlo or Bust'' and Richard Lester
Richard Lester Liebman (born January 19, 1932) is an American retired film director, who spent the majority of his professional life in the United Kingdom. He is known for the fast-paced, flamboyant directing he brought to his comedy films, mo ...
's '' The Bed Sitting Room'', based on the play by Spike Milligan
Terence Alan "Spike" Milligan (16 April 1918 – 27 February 2002) was an Irish comedian, writer, musician, poet, playwright and actor. The son of an English mother and Irish father, he was born in British Raj, British India, where he spent his ...
and John Antrobus. In 1968 and 1969 Moore embarked on two solo comedy ventures, firstly in the film '' 30 is a Dangerous Age, Cynthia'' and secondly, on stage, for an Anglicised adaptation of Woody Allen
Heywood Allen (born Allan Stewart Konigsberg; November 30, 1935) is an American filmmaker, actor, and comedian whose career spans more than six decades. Allen has received many List of awards and nominations received by Woody Allen, accolade ...
's ''Play It Again, Sam'' at the Globe Theatre
The Globe Theatre was a Theater (structure), theatre in London associated with William Shakespeare. It was built in 1599 at Southwark, close to the south bank of the Thames, by Shakespeare's playing company, the Lord Chamberlain's Men. It was ...
in London's West End.
In the 1970s, the relationship between Moore and Cook became increasingly strained as the latter's alcoholism
Alcoholism is the continued drinking of alcohol despite it causing problems. Some definitions require evidence of dependence and withdrawal. Problematic use of alcohol has been mentioned in the earliest historical records. The World He ...
began affecting his work. In 1971, however, Cook and Moore took sketches from ''Not Only....But Also'' and ''Goodbye Again'', together with new material, to create the stage revue ''Behind the Fridge''. This show toured Australia and New Zealand in 1971 and ran in London's west end between 1972 and 1973 before transferring to New York City in 1973, re-titled ''Good Evening''. Cook frequently appeared inebriated, on and off stage. Nonetheless, the show proved very popular and it won Tony and Grammy Award
The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious ...
s.
When the Broadway run of ''Good Evening'' ended, Moore stayed on in the U.S. to pursue his film acting ambitions in Hollywood, but the pair reunited to host ''Saturday Night Live
''Saturday Night Live'' (''SNL'') is an American Late night television in the United States, late-night live television, live sketch comedy variety show created by Lorne Michaels and developed by Michaels and Dick Ebersol that airs on NBC. The ...
'' on 24 January 1976 during SNL's first season. They performed a number of their classic stage routines, including " One Leg Too Few" and "Frog and Peach", among others, in addition to participating in some skits with the show's ensemble.
It was during the Broadway run of ''Good Evening'' that Cook persuaded Moore to take the humour of Pete and Dud further on long-playing records as Derek and Clive. Chris Blackwell
Christopher Percy Gordon Blackwell OJ (born 22 June 1937) is a Jamaican-British former record producer and the founder of Island Records, which has been called "one of Britain's great independent labels". According to the Rock and Roll Hall ...
circulated bootleg copies to friends in the music business and the popularity of the recording convinced Cook to release it commercially as '' Derek and Clive (Live)'' (1976). Two further "Derek and Clive" albums, '' Derek and Clive Come Again'' (1977) and '' Derek and Clive Ad Nauseam'' (1978), were later released. The latter was also filmed for a documentary, '' Derek and Clive Get the Horn''. In the film it is clear tensions between the two men were at a breaking point, with Moore at one point walking out of the recording room singing, 'Breaking up is so easy to do.' In 2009, it came to light that, at the time, there were attempts to have them prosecuted under obscenity laws for their "Derek and Clive" comedy recordings.
The last significant appearance for the partnership was in 1978's ''The Hound of the Baskervilles
''The Hound of the Baskervilles'' is the third of the four Detective fiction, crime novels by British writer Arthur Conan Doyle featuring the detective Sherlock Holmes. Originally serial (literature), serialised in ''The Strand Magazine'' from ...
'', where Moore played Dr. Watson to Cook's Sherlock Holmes
Sherlock Holmes () is a Detective fiction, fictional detective created by British author Arthur Conan Doyle. Referring to himself as a "Private investigator, consulting detective" in his stories, Holmes is known for his proficiency with obser ...
, as well as three other roles: in drag; as a one-legged man; and at the start and end of the film as a flamboyant and mischievous pianist. He also wrote the film's score. Co-star Terry-Thomas
Terry-Thomas (born Thomas Terry Hoar Stevens; 10 July 1911 – 8 January 1990) was an English character actor and comedian who became internationally known through his films during the 1950s and 1960s. He often portrayed disreputable members ...
described it as "the most outrageous film I ever appeared in ... there was no magic ... it was bad!". The film was not a success, either critically or financially.
Moore and Cook eventually reunited for the annual American benefit for the homeless, ''Comic Relief
Comic Relief is a British charity, founded in 1986 by the comedy scriptwriter Richard Curtis and comedian Sir Lenny Henry in response to the 1983–1985 famine in Ethiopia. The concept of Comic Relief was to get British comedians to make t ...
'', in 1987, and again in 1989 for a British audience at the Amnesty International
Amnesty International (also referred to as Amnesty or AI) is an international non-governmental organization focused on human rights, with its headquarters in the United Kingdom. The organization says that it has more than ten million members a ...
benefit '' The Secret Policeman's Biggest Ball''.
Moore was deeply affected by the death of Cook in 1995, and for weeks would regularly telephone Cook's home in London, just to hear his friend's voice on the telephone answering machine. Moore attended Cook's memorial service in London and, at the time, many people who knew him noted that Moore was behaving strangely and attributed it to grief or drinking. In November 1995, Moore teamed up with friend and humorist Martin Lewis in organising a two-day salute to Cook in Los Angeles that Moore co-hosted with Lewis.
In December 2004 the Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British free-to-air public broadcast television channel owned and operated by Channel Four Television Corporation. It is state-owned enterprise, publicly owned but, unlike the BBC, it receives no public funding and is funded en ...
television station in the United Kingdom broadcast '' Not Only But Always'', a TV film dramatising the relationship between Moore and Cook, although most of the attention of the production was directed towards Cook. Around the same time, the relationship between the two was also the subject of a stage play called '' Pete and Dud: Come Again'' by Chris Bartlett and Nick Awde. For this production Moore is the main subject. Set in a chat-show studio in the 1980s, it concerns Moore's comic and personal relationship with Cook and the directions their careers took after the split of the partnership.
Music
During the 1960s Moore formed the Dudley Moore Trio, with drummer Chris Karan and bassist Pete McGurk. Following McGurk's suicide in June 1968, Peter Morgan joined the group as his replacement.
Moore's admitted principal musical influences were Oscar Peterson
Oscar Emmanuel Peterson (August 15, 1925 – December 23, 2007) was a Canadian jazz pianist and composer. As a virtuoso who is considered to be one of the greatest Jazz piano, jazz pianists of all time, Peterson released more than 200 recordin ...
and Erroll Garner. In an interview he recalled the day he finally mastered Garner's unique left-hand strum and was so excited that he walked around for several days with his left hand constantly playing that cadence. His early recordings included " My Blue Heaven", "Lysie Does It", "Poova Nova", "Take Your Time", "Indiana
Indiana ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Lake Michigan to the northwest, Michigan to the north and northeast, Ohio to the east, the Ohio River and Kentucky to the s ...
", "Sooz Blooz", " Baubles, Bangles & Beads", "Sad One for George" and " Autumn Leaves". The trio performed regularly on British television, made numerous recordings and had a long-running residency at Peter Cook's London nightclub, the Establishment. Amongst other albums, they recorded '' The Dudley Moore Trio'', ''Dudley Moore plays The Theme from Beyond the Fringe and All That Jazz'', ''The World of Dudley Moore'', ''The Other Side Of Dudley Moore'' and ''Genuine Dud''.
Moore was a close friend of record producer Chris Gunning and played piano (uncredited) on the 1969 single "Broken Hearted Pirates" which Gunning produced for Simon Dupree and the Big Sound. In 1976 he played piano on Larry Norman's album '' In Another Land'', in particular on the song ''The Sun Began to Rain''. In 1981 he recorded ''Smilin' Through'' with Cleo Laine.
He composed the soundtracks for the films '' Bedazzled'' (1967), '' 30 is a Dangerous Age, Cynthia'' (1968), '' Inadmissible Evidence'' (1968), ''Staircase
A stairwell or stair room is a room in a building where a stair is located, and is used to connect walkways between floors so that one can move in height. Collectively, a set of stairs and a stairwell is referred to as a staircase or stairway ...
'' (1969), ''The Hound of the Baskervilles
''The Hound of the Baskervilles'' is the third of the four Detective fiction, crime novels by British writer Arthur Conan Doyle featuring the detective Sherlock Holmes. Originally serial (literature), serialised in ''The Strand Magazine'' from ...
'' (1978) and '' Six Weeks'' (1982), among others.
Later career in film, television and music
In the late 1970s Moore moved to Hollywood, where he had a supporting role in the hit film '' Foul Play'' (1978) with Goldie Hawn
Goldie Jeanne Hawn (born November 21, 1945) is an American actress, producer, dancer, and singer. She achieved stardom and acclaim for playing lighthearted comedic roles in film and television. In a career spanning six decades, she has received ...
and Chevy Chase
Cornelius Crane "Chevy" Chase (; born October 8, 1943) is an American comedian, actor, and writer. He became the breakout cast member in the first season of ''Saturday Night Live'' (1975–1976), where his recurring ''Weekend Update'' segment b ...
. The following year saw his breakout role in Blake Edwards
Blake Edwards (born William Blake Crump; July 26, 1922 – December 15, 2010) was an American film director, producer and screenwriter.
Edwards began his career in the 1940s as an actor, but he soon began writing screenplays and radio scripts ...
's '' 10'', which became one of the biggest box-office hits of 1979 and gave him an unprecedented status as a romantic leading man. Moore followed up with the comedy film '' Wholly Moses!'', which was not a major success.
In 1981 Moore appeared in the title role of the comedy ''Arthur
Arthur is a masculine given name of uncertain etymology. Its popularity derives from it being the name of the legendary hero King Arthur.
A common spelling variant used in many Slavic, Romance, and Germanic languages is Artur. In Spanish and Ital ...
'', an even bigger hit than ''10''. Co-starring Liza Minnelli
Liza May Minnelli ( ; born March 12, 1946) is an American actress, singer, and dancer. Known for her commanding stage presence and powerful alto singing voice, Minnelli has received numerous accolades including an Academy Award, a BAFTA Award, ...
and Sir John Gielgud
Sir Arthur John Gielgud ( ; 14 April 1904 – 21 May 2000) was an English actor and theatre director whose career spanned eight decades. With Ralph Richardson and Laurence Olivier, he was one of the trinity of actors who dominated the Britis ...
, it was both commercially and critically successful, Moore receiving an Oscar
Oscar, OSCAR, or The Oscar may refer to:
People and fictional and mythical characters
* Oscar (given name), including lists of people and fictional characters named Oscar, Óscar or Oskar
* Oscar (footballer, born 1954), Brazilian footballer ...
nomination for Best Actor, while Gielgud won the Best Supporting Actor Oscar for his role as Arthur's stern but compassionate manservant. Moore lost to Henry Fonda (for '' On Golden Pond''). He did, however, win a Golden Globe award for Best Actor in a Musical/Comedy. In the same year, on British television, Moore was the featured guest subject on '' An Audience With...''.
His subsequent films, '' Six Weeks'' (1982), '' Lovesick'' (1983), ''Romantic Comedy
Romantic comedy (also known as romcom or rom-com) is a sub-genre of comedy and Romance novel, romance fiction, focusing on lighthearted, humorous plot lines centered on romantic ideas, such as how true love is able to surmount all obstacles. Ro ...
'' (1983) and '' Unfaithfully Yours'' (1984) were only moderate successes. He won another Golden Globe for Best Actor in a Musical/Comedy in 1984, starring in the Blake Edwards
Blake Edwards (born William Blake Crump; July 26, 1922 – December 15, 2010) was an American film director, producer and screenwriter.
Edwards began his career in the 1940s as an actor, but he soon began writing screenplays and radio scripts ...
directed ''Micki & Maude
''Micki & Maude'' is a 1984 American romantic comedy film directed by Blake Edwards and starring Dudley Moore. It co-stars Tony Award-winning actress and dancer Ann Reinking as Micki and Amy Irving as Maude.
With the exception of appearances a ...
'', co-starring Amy Irving
Amy Irving (born September 10, 1953) is an American actress and singer, who has worked in film, stage, and television. Her accolades include an Obie Award, and nominations for two Golden Globe Awards and an Academy Award.
Born in Palo Alto, Cali ...
.
Later films, including '' Best Defense'' (1984), '' Santa Claus: The Movie'' (1985), '' Like Father Like Son'' (1987), '' Arthur 2: On the Rocks'' (1988), a sequel to the original, '' Crazy People'' (1990), '' Blame It on the Bellboy'' (1992) and an animated adaptation of ''King Kong'', were inconsistent in terms of both critical and commercial reception. Moore eventually disowned the ''Arthur'' sequel, but, in later years, Cook would tease him by claiming he preferred ''Arthur 2: On the Rocks'' to ''Arthur''.
In 1986 he once again hosted ''Saturday Night Live'', albeit without Peter Cook this time.
Moore was the subject of the British '' This Is Your Life'', for a second time, in March 1987 when he was surprised by Eamonn Andrews at his Venice Beach restaurant; he had previously been honoured by the programme in December 1972.
In addition to acting, Moore continued to work as a composer and pianist, writing scores for a number of films and giving piano concerts, among the highlights of which were his popular parodies of classical favourites. He appeared as Ko-Ko in Jonathan Miller's production of ''The Mikado
''The Mikado; or, The Town of Titipu'' is a comic opera in two acts, with music by Arthur Sullivan and libretto by W. S. Gilbert, their ninth of fourteen Gilbert and Sullivan, operatic collaborations. It opened on 14 March 1885, in London, whe ...
'' in Los Angeles
Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...
in March 1988. He appeared on Kenny G's music video "Against Doctor's Orders" from the album ''Silhouette''.
In 1991 he released the album ''Songs Without Words'' and in 1992 ''Live From an Aircraft Hangar'', recorded at London's Royal Albert Hall
The Royal Albert Hall is a concert hall on the northern edge of South Kensington, London, England. It has a seating capacity of 5,272.
Since the hall's opening by Queen Victoria in 1871, the world's leading artists from many performance genres ...
.
He collaborated with the conductor Sir Georg Solti in 1991 to create a Channel 4 television series, ''Orchestra!'', which was designed to introduce audiences to the symphony orchestra. He later worked with the American conductor Michael Tilson Thomas
Michael Tilson Thomas (born December 21, 1944) is an American conductor, pianist, and composer. He is Artistic Director Laureate of the New World Symphony, an American orchestral academy in Miami Beach, Florida, Music Director Laureate of the S ...
on a similar television series, ''Concerto!'' (1993), likewise designed to introduce audiences to classical music concertos.
Moore appeared in two series for CBS, ''Dudley
Dudley ( , ) is a market town in the West Midlands, England, southeast of Wolverhampton and northwest of Birmingham. Historically part of Worcestershire, the town is the administrative centre of the Metropolitan Borough of Dudley. In the ...
'' (1993) and '' Daddy's Girls'' (1994); however, both were cancelled before the end of their run.
Moore had been interviewed for the ''New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
'' in 1987 by the music critic Rena Fruchter, herself an accomplished pianist, and the two became close friends. By 1995 Moore's film career was on the wane and he was having trouble remembering his lines, a problem he had never previously encountered. It was for this reason he was sacked from Barbra Streisand
Barbara Joan "Barbra" Streisand ( ; born April 24, 1942) is an American singer, actress, songwriter, producer, and director. With a career spanning over six decades, she has achieved success across multiple fields of entertainment, being the ...
's film '' The Mirror Has Two Faces''. However, his difficulties were, in fact, due to the onset of the medical condition that eventually led to his death. Opting to concentrate on the piano, he enlisted Fruchter as an artistic partner. They performed as a duo in the US and Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...
. However, his disease soon started to make itself apparent there as well, as his fingers would not always do what he wanted them to do. Further symptoms such as slurred speech and loss of balance were misinterpreted by the public and the media as a sign of drunkenness. Moore himself was at a loss to explain this. He moved into Fruchter's family home in New Jersey
New Jersey is a U.S. state, state located in both the Mid-Atlantic States, Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States, Northeastern regions of the United States. Located at the geographic hub of the urban area, heavily urbanized Northeas ...
and stayed there for five years; however, this placed a great strain both on her marriage and her friendship with Moore, and she later set him up in the house next door.
Restaurant
Tony Bill and Dudley Moore founded a restaurant in 1983 (closed in November 2000), 72 Market Street Oyster Bar and Grill, in Venice, California
Venice is a neighborhood of the City of Los Angeles within the Westside region of Los Angeles County, California, United States.
Venice was founded by Abbot Kinney in 1905 as a seaside resort town. It was an independent city until 1926, whe ...
.
Personal life
Moore was married and divorced four times: to actresses Suzy Kendall (15 June 1968 – 15 September 1972); Tuesday Weld (20 September 1975 – 18 July 1980), with whom he had a son, Patrick, on 26 February 1976; Brogan Lane (21 February 1988 – 1991); and Nicole Rothschild (16 April 1994 – 1998), with whom he had a son, Nicholas, on 28 June 1995.
In 1994, Moore was arrested and charged with domestic assault after allegedly assaulting his then-girlfriend and soon-to-be wife, Nicole Rothschild.
He maintained good relationships with Kendall, Weld, and Lane. He expressly forbade Rothschild from attending his funeral, however, since at the time his illness became apparent, he was going through a difficult divorce with her, while still sharing a Los Angeles house with her and her previous husband.[
]
Illness and death
In April 1997, after spending five days in a New York hospital, Moore was informed that he had calcium deposits in the basal ganglia
The basal ganglia (BG) or basal nuclei are a group of subcortical Nucleus (neuroanatomy), nuclei found in the brains of vertebrates. In humans and other primates, differences exist, primarily in the division of the globus pallidus into externa ...
of his brain and irreversible frontal lobe damage. He underwent quadruple coronary artery bypass surgery
Coronary artery bypass surgery, also known as coronary artery bypass graft (CABG, pronounced "cabbage"), is a surgical procedure to treat coronary artery disease (CAD), the buildup of plaques in the arteries of the heart. It can relieve chest ...
in London and also suffered four strokes.
On 30 September 1999, Moore announced that he was suffering from the terminal degenerative brain disorder progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP), a Parkinson-plus syndrome.
As some of its early symptoms are very similar to intoxication, he had been reported as being drunk. However, the illness had been diagnosed earlier that year.[ In November 1999, Moore made his first public appearance since disclosing his illness, reading poetry, alongside ]Julie Andrews
Dame Julie Andrews (born Julia Elizabeth Wells; 1 October 1935) is an English actress, singer, and author. She has garnered numerous accolades throughout her career spanning over eight decades, including an Academy Award, a British Academy Fi ...
, at a benefit concert in Philadelphia
Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...
for the charity ''Music for All Seasons''. At first Moore struggled, but soon he settled in and began to joke and ad-lib. He then received a standing ovation, for what was to be his last performance. His disease would quickly progress, eventually requiring him to use a wheelchair.
Moore died on the morning of 27 March 2002[ as a result of ]pneumonia
Pneumonia is an Inflammation, inflammatory condition of the lung primarily affecting the small air sacs known as Pulmonary alveolus, alveoli. Symptoms typically include some combination of Cough#Classification, productive or dry cough, ches ...
, secondary to immobility caused by his PSP, in Plainfield, New Jersey
Plainfield is a City (New Jersey), city in Union County, New Jersey, Union County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. Nicknamed "The Queen City", , at the age of 66. Rena Fruchter was holding his hand when he died; she reported his final words were "I can hear the music all around me." Moore was buried at Hillside Cemetery in Scotch Plains, New Jersey. Fruchter later wrote a memoir of their relationship titled ''Dudley Moore'' ( Ebury Press, 2004).
Honours and awards
In 1981, Moore won the Golden Globe for Best Actor for his role in ''Arthur'', for which he was also Oscar-nominated. In November 2001, Moore was appointed a Commander of the Order of The British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding valuable service in a wide range of useful activities. It comprises five classes of awards across both civil and military divisions, the most senior two o ...
(CBE). Despite his deteriorating condition, he attended the ceremony at Buckingham Palace
Buckingham Palace () is a royal official residence, residence in London, and the administrative headquarters of the monarch of the United Kingdom. Located in the City of Westminster, the palace is often at the centre of state occasions and r ...
on 16 November to collect his honour in a wheelchair. It was his last public appearance.
Filmography
Discography
UK chart singles
* "Goodbye-ee" b/w "Not Only But Also", 1965, Peter Cook and Dudley Moore / The Dudley Moore Trio (Decca Records
Decca Records is a British record label established in 1929 by Edward Lewis (Decca), Edward Lewis after his acquisition of a gramophone manufacturer, The Decca Gramophone Company. It set up an American subsidiary under the Decca name, which bec ...
(UK) F.12158)
* "The Ballad of Spotty Muldoon", 1965, Peter Cook and Dudley Moore
Jazz discography
* "Strictly for the Birds" b/w "Duddly Dell", 1961 (Parlophone
Parlophone Records Limited (also known as Parlophone Records and Parlophone) is a record label founded in Germany in 1896 by the Carl Lindström Company as Parlophon. The British branch of the label was founded on 8 August 1923 as the Parloph ...
R 4772) The Dudley Moore Trio (Derek Hogg, drums; Hugo Boyd, double bass)
* ''The Other Side of Dudley Moore'', 1965 (Decca LK 4732 Mono) The Dudley Moore Trio (Pete McGurk double bass, Chris Karan drums)
* ''Genuine Dud'', 1966 (Decca LK 4788 Mono) The Dudley Moore Trio (Pete McGurk double bass, Chris Karan drums) eissued as ''The World of Dudley Moore'', vol 2, 1973* ''From Beyond The Fringe'', 1966 (Atlantic Records
Atlantic Recording Corporation (simply known as Atlantic Records) is an American record label founded in October 1947 by Ahmet Ertegun and Herb Abramson. Over the course of its first two decades, starting from the release of its first recor ...
Standard 2 017)
* '' The Dudley Moore Trio'', 1969 (Decca Records
Decca Records is a British record label established in 1929 by Edward Lewis (Decca), Edward Lewis after his acquisition of a gramophone manufacturer, The Decca Gramophone Company. It set up an American subsidiary under the Decca name, which bec ...
(UK) / London Records
London Recordings (or London Records and London Music Stream) is a British record label that marketed records in the United States, Canada, and Latin America for Decca Records from 1947 to 1980 before becoming semi-independent. The London nam ...
(US) PS558)
* ''Dudley Moore plays the Theme from Beyond the Fringe and All That Jazz'', 1962 (Atlantic 1403)
* ''The World of Dudley Moore'', (Decca SPA 106)
* ''The Music of Dudley Moore'', ( EMI Australia ( Cube Records) TOOFA.14-1/2)
* ''Dudley Down Under'', (Cube ICS 13)
* ''Dudley Moore at the Wavendon Festival'', (Black Lion Records
Black Lion Records was a British jazz record company and record label, label based in London, England.
Alan Bates founded Black Lion Records in 1968. The label had two series of releases, one for British jazz musicians and one for internation ...
BLP 12151)
* ''Smilin' Through'' – Cleo Laine and Dudley Moore, (Finesse Records FW 38091)
* "Strictly for the Birds" – Cleo Laine and Dudley Moore, ( CBS A 2947)
* ''The Theme from Beyond The Fringe and All That Jazz'', (Collectibles COL 6625)
* ''Live from an Aircraft Hangar'' (Martine Avenue Productions MAPI 8486)
* ''Songs Without Words'', 1991 (GRP/BMG LC 6713)
* ''The First Orchestrations'' – Dudley Moore and Richard Rodney Bennett, played by John Bassett and his Band, (Harkit Records HRKCD 8054)
* ''Jazz Jubilee'', (Martine Avenue Productions MAPI 1521)
* ''The Dudley Moore Trio'' at Sydney Town Hall, 2 May 1978 (with Peter Morgan on bass and Chris Karan on drums). Produced by Peter Wall.
* ''Today, The Dudley Moore Trio'' again with Morgan and Karan (see above) recorded at United Sound, Sydney, in 1971, with some mono tracks added from a 1961 London session. No details.
Comedy discography
* ''Beyond The Fringe'' (West End recording) (1961)
* ''Beyond The Fringe'' (Broadway recording) (1962)
* ''Not Only Peter Cook But Also Dudley Moore'' (1965)
* ''Once Moore with Cook'' (1966)
* ''Peter Cook and Dudley Moore Cordially Invite You to Go to Hell!'' (1967)
* ''Goodbye Again'' (1968)
* ''Not Only But Also'' (1971)
* ''Behind the Fridge'' (1971) AUS No. 35
* ''The World of Pete & Dud'' (1974)
* ''Good Evening'' (1974)
* '' Derek and Clive (Live)'' (1976)
* '' Derek and Clive Come Again'' (1977)
* '' Derek and Clive Ad Nauseam'' (1978)
Bibliography
* Dudley Moore (1966). ''Originals. Arranged as Piano Solos Transcribed from the Decca L.P. 'The Other Side of Dudley Moore. Essex Music.
References
Further reading
* Roger Wilmut, ''From Fringe to Flying Circus: Celebrating a Unique Generation of Comedy 1960–1980'', Eyre Methuen Ltd, 1980
*
*
*
*
*
*
External links
"The Films of Dudley Moore"
film clip compilation, 5 minutes
*
*
*
Obituary at CNN.com
"Affectionately Dudley"
2006 Radio 4 programme
{{DEFAULTSORT:Moore, Dudley
1935 births
2002 deaths
20th-century English male musicians
20th-century English male actors
21st-century English male actors
20th-century English classical musicians
20th-century English pianists
20th-century English comedians
Actors from the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham
Actors from the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham
Alumni of the Guildhall School of Music and Drama
Alumni of Magdalen College, Oxford
Best Entertainment Performance BAFTA Award (television) winners
Best Musical or Comedy Actor Golden Globe (film) winners
Black Lion Records artists
English male pianists
Burials at Hillside Cemetery (Scotch Plains, New Jersey)
Comedians from the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham
Comedians from the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham
Commanders of the Order of the British Empire
Deaths from pneumonia in New Jersey
Deaths from progressive supranuclear palsy
Dudley Moore Trio members
English classical organists
English expatriate male actors in the United States
English jazz pianists
English jazz organists
English male comedians
English male film actors
English male television actors
English people of Scottish descent
English satirists
Grammy Award winners
People from Hammersmith
English male classical organists
Neurological disease deaths in New Jersey
Male actors from London
People from Dagenham
Special Tony Award recipients
British male jazz pianists