Tim Moore (December 9, 1887 – December 13, 1958) was an American vaudevillian and comic actor of the first half of the 20th century. He gained his greatest recognition in the starring role of George "Kingfish" Stevens in the

CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS, the abbreviation of its former legal name Columbia Broadcasting System, is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainmen ...

TV's '' The Amos 'n' Andy Show''. He proudly stated, "I've made it a point never to tell a joke on stage that I couldn't tell in front of my mother."

Biography

Early years

Moore was born Harry Roscoe Moore in

Rock Island, Illinois Rock Island is a city in and the county seat of Rock Island County, Illinois, Rock Island County, Illinois, United States. The original Rock Island, from which the city name is derived, is now called Rock Island Arsenal, Arsenal Island. The popul ...

, one of 13 children of Harry and Cynthia Moore. His father was a night watchman at a brewery. Tim Moore dropped out of grammar school to work at odd jobs in town and even danced for pennies in the streets with his friend, Romeo Washburn. In 1898, Moore and Washburn went into

vaudeville Vaudeville (; ) is a theatrical genre of variety entertainment born in France at the end of the 19th century. A vaudeville was originally a comedy without psychological or moral intentions, based on a comical situation: a dramatic composition ...

in an act called "Cora Miskel and Her Gold Dust Twins." It was booked by agents and travelled through the United States and even Great Britain. As Moore and Washburn grew older, the act became less effective and Miss Miskel sent them back to their parents in Rock Island. Shortly after this, Moore joined the medicine show of "Doctor Mick" (Charles S. Mick), who sold a patented

quack Quack, The Quack or Quacks may refer to: People * Quack Davis, American baseball player * Hendrick Peter Godfried Quack (1834–1917), Dutch economist and historian * Joachim Friedrich Quack (born 1966), German Egyptologist * Johannes Quack (b ...

remedy called ''Pru-ri-ta''. Doctor Mick travelled through the Midwestern states, with songs and dances provided by Moore and four Kickapoo Indians. The young man also worked in a carnival

sideshow In North America, a sideshow is an extra, secondary production associated with a circus, carnival, fair, or other such attraction. Types There are four main types of classic sideshow attractions: *The Ten-in-One offers a program of ten seq ...

and gave guided tours as a "native" tour guide in Hawaii.

Boxing and vaudeville years

Moore left Doctor Mick, first to become a

stableboy A groom or stable boy (stable hand, stable lad) is a person who is responsible for some or all aspects of the management of horses and/or the care of the stables themselves. The term most often refers to a person who is the employee of a stable o ...

and later a jockey. He also tried his hand as a professional boxer under the name "Young Klondike" in 1905, and found it lucrative. He returned to performing in 1908, with a troupe of

minstrel A minstrel was an entertainer, initially in medieval Europe. It originally described any type of entertainer such as a musician, juggler, acrobat, singer or fool; later, from the sixteenth century, it came to mean a specialist entertainer who ...

s called "

The Rabbit's Foot Company The Rabbit's Foot Company, also known as the Rabbit('s) Foot Minstrels and colloquially as "The Foots", was a long-running minstrel and variety troupe that toured as a tent show in the American South between 1900 and the late 1950s. It was establi ...

." By 1909, he was back in vaudeville and had met and married his first wife, Hester. They performed as a team, "The Moores – Tim & Hester", appearing in the United States and abroad. In 1910, the couple was part of an act called the Four Moores. They next performed together in "Georgia Sunflowers," a minstrel show that played the southern vaudeville circuit. The Moores drew glowing reviews, Hester for her singing and Tim for his comedy. By 1914, both Moores were co-stars of an act that was billed as ''Tim Moore and Tom Delaney & Co.''. Tim played the tuba and Hester played drums as part of a band. Moore's own stock company was responsible for all aspects of it. The couple toured China, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, the Fiji Islands and Hawaii with a vaudeville troupe. The marriage ended in divorce in 1915, and in September, Moore married a vaudeville actress named Gertrude Brown. After more than a year on the road in vaudeville in the United States, the Hawaiian Islands, Australia and New Zealand, he returned to boxing once more as "Young Klondike", training in

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...

. He fought there and in Australia, England, and

Scotland Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the ...

. Before this, Moore fought as "Young Klondike" in the US, with Jack Johnson and

Sam Langford Samuel Edgar Langford (March 4, 1886 – January 12, 1956), known as the Boston Tar Baby, Boston Terror and Boston Bonecrusher, was a Black Canadian boxing standout of the early part of the 20th century. Called the "Greatest Fighter Nobody Know ...

as some of his opponents. While Tim and Gertie were entertaining in New Zealand, a story in ''The Evening Post'' from May 28, 1917, went on to say, "Another "star" item will be that of Tim and Gertie Moore, who have earned a big reputation in America, and were booked for Fuller's direct from the well-known Orpheum circuit." Moore became well known for his one-man presentation of ''

Uncle Tom's Cabin ''Uncle Tom's Cabin; or, Life Among the Lowly'' is an anti-slavery novel by American author Harriet Beecher Stowe. Published in two volumes in 1852, the novel had a profound effect on attitudes toward African Americans and slavery in the U. ...

'', where he would play the role of both Simon Legree and Uncle Tom, applying white chalk to half his face, and burnt cork to the other. Moore literally took his one man act into the street of San Jose, California, for the sale of War Stamps in 1918. Having made $141,000 with his fists, in 1921 Moore and his wife returned to performing full-time in vaudeville. He formed his Chicago Follies troupe and was a favorite on the

Theater Owners Bookers Association Theatre Owners Booking Association, or T.O.B.A., was the vaudeville circuit for African American performers in the 1920s. The theaters mostly had white owners, though there were exceptions, including the recently restored Morton Theater in Athens, G ...

vaudeville circuit during the "

Roaring Twenties The Roaring Twenties, sometimes stylized as Roaring '20s, refers to the 1920s decade in music and fashion, as it happened in Western society and Western culture. It was a period of economic prosperity with a distinctive cultural edge in the U ...

" period. In 1923, Moore and his wife co-starred with

Sandy Burns Sandy Burns was a comedian. He toured on the T.O.B.A. circuit. Burns led the Sandy Burns Stock Company. He was married to fellow performer Gretchen Burns. He was born in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma and grew up in Huntsville, Texas Huntsville is a c ...

, Fannetta Burns, Walter Long, and Bobby Smart in a silent film comedy, ''His Great Chance,'' directed by Ben Strasser (North State Film Corp.). The following year, the Moores toured vaudeville together in "Aces and Queens". Subsequently, he went on tour as one of the stars of producer Edward E. Daley's "black and white musical comedy sensation", ''Rarin' to Go'', for three seasons on the Columbia Burlesque Wheel (1925, 1926 and 1927 editions).

Broadway comedian

In June 1925, Tim Moore made his Broadway debut as the star of ''

Lucky Sambo ''Lucky Sambo'' was a 1925 musical comedy staged on Broadway. It originally toured as ''Aces and Queens'' in 1923 and 1924. It was by Porter Grainger and Freddy Johnson. It played at the Colonial Theatre (New York City). Time magazine described it ...

'' (based on "Aces and Queens'). However, the show closed after only a few performances. He was a success in burlesque in the mid 1920s with the hit show '' Rarin' to Go'', followed by a return to vaudeville in 1927 with ''The Southland Revue''. In 1928, he produced and starred in weekly shows at Harlem theatres such as the Alhambra. Moore wrote all of his own material and also did some writing for other performers; a Moore skit called, "Not a Fit Night for Man Nor Beast", was bought by

W.C. Fields WC or wc may refer to: * Water closet or flush toilet Arts and entertainment * ''W.C.'' (film), an Irish feature film * WC (band), a Polish punk rock band * WC (rapper), a rapper from Los Angeles, California * Westside Connection, former hi ...

. He also did some writing for the radio show of the

Two Black Crows The Two Black Crows (also called The Black Crows and Moran and Mack) was a blackface comedy act popular in the 1920s and 1930s. The duo appeared in vaudeville, on Broadway, on radio, comedy records, and in film features and shorts. History The a ...

comedy team. Moore was brought to New York to sign a writing contract but before this was done, Charles Mack of the team was killed in an auto accident, thus ending the act. Moore wrote sketches which became part of Lew Leslie's "Blackbirds" revues as well. In 1928, Moore took time off from his vaudeville bookings to try his luck once more on the Great White Way –

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 ...

. This time he met with enormous success as the star comedian of Lew Leslie's hit musical comedy revue, the ''

Blackbirds of 1928 ''Blackbirds of 1928'' was a hit Broadway musical revue that starred Adelaide Hall, Bill Bojangles Robinson, Tim Moore and Aida Ward, with music by Jimmy McHugh and lyrics by Dorothy Fields. It contained the hit songs "Diga Diga Do", the duo's ...

''. Moore's co-stars were singers

Adelaide Hall Adelaide Louise Hall (20 October 1901 – 7 November 1993) was an American-born UK-based jazz singer and entertainer. Her long career spanned more than 70 years from 1921 until her death and she was a major figure in the Harlem Renaissance. Hal ...

and

Aida Ward Aida Ward (February 11, 1900 – June 23, 1984) was an American jazz singer. Born in Washington, D.C., Ward rose to fame in the 1920s and 1930s in New York, on Broadway and at Harlem's Cotton Club. She appeared alongside Adelaide Hall and Bill "B ...

and renowned tap dancer

Bill "Bojangles" Robinson Bill Robinson, nicknamed Bojangles (born Luther Robinson; May 25, 1878 – November 25, 1949), was an American tap dancer, actor, and singer, the best known and the most highly paid African-American entertainer in the United States during the f ...

. The hit musical scored high in Paris and London as well as on the road throughout the states. In 1931, Moore and his then vaudeville straight man at the Alhambra, Andrew Tribble, performed one of their funniest routines in

Oscar Micheaux Oscar Devereaux Micheaux (; January 2, 1884 – March 25, 1951) was an author, film director and independent producer of more than 44 films. Although the short-lived Lincoln Motion Picture Company was the first movie company owned and controlled ...

's first talking picture, '' The Darktown Revue''. After a disagreement with

Lew Leslie Lew Leslie (born Lewis Lessinsky; April 15, 1888 – March 10, 1963) was an American writer and producer of Broadway shows. Leslie got his start in show business in vaudeville in his early twenties. Although white, he was the first major imp ...

, Moore starred in two unsuccessful Broadway revues for other producers, ''Fast and Furious'' (1931), and ''The Blackberries of 1932''. In the former, Moore wrote some of the skits along with his friend and co-star

Zora Neale Hurston Zora Neale Hurston (January 7, 1891 – January 28, 1960) was an American author, anthropologist, and filmmaker. She portrayed racial struggles in the early-1900s American South and published research on Hoodoo (spirituality), hoodoo. The most ...

. Moore and fellow comedian "Morton" (i.e.,

Mantan Moreland Mantan Moreland (September 3, 1902 – September 28, 1973) was an American actor and comedian most popular in the 1930s and 1940s. He starred in numerous films. His daughter Marcella Moreland appeared as a child actress in several films. E ...

) left the show in April 1932, refusing to perform what were termed "dirty lines". Needing each other, he and Leslie patched up their differences and Moore resumed his position as star comedian in the ''Blackbirds'' revues of 1934, 1935, 1936, 1937, and 1939. Politics played a role in the 1936 edition of the ''Blackbirds'', causing the London run to be shut down. At the time the troupe was booked in the United Kingdom,

King Edward VIII Edward VIII (Edward Albert Christian George Andrew Patrick David; 23 June 1894 – 28 May 1972), later known as the Duke of Windsor, was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Empire and Emperor of India from 20 January 1 ...

had just abdicated the British throne for love of American

Wallis Simpson Wallis, Duchess of Windsor (born Bessie Wallis Warfield, later Simpson; June 19, 1896 – April 24, 1986), was an American socialite and wife of the former King Edward VIII. Their intention to marry and her status as a divorcée caused ...

. There was a wave of anti-Americanism, with women picketing performances of the ''Blackbirds'', carrying signs disparaging American women. Yet the next season saw the return of the revue as ''Blackbirds of 1937'', its last edition in England. Two years later, on Broadway, Lew Leslie presented the last edition of the ''Blackbirds'' (1939); the principal singing star was

Lena Horne Lena Mary Calhoun Horne (June 30, 1917 – May 9, 2010) was an American dancer, actress, singer, and civil rights activist. Horne's career spanned more than seventy years, appearing in film, television, and theatre. Horne joined the chorus of th ...

. Moore's last Broadway show was ''Harlem Cavalcade'' (1942), produced by

Ed Sullivan Edward Vincent Sullivan (September 28, 1901 – October 13, 1974) was an American television personality, impresario, sports and entertainment reporter, and syndicated columnist for the ''New York Daily News'' and the Chicago Tribune New York ...

and

Noble Sissle Noble Lee Sissle (July 10, 1889 – December 17, 1975) was an American jazz composer, lyricist, bandleader, singer, and playwright, best known for the Broadway musical ''Shuffle Along'' (1921), and its hit song "I'm Just Wild About Harry". Ea ...

. When

Al Jolson Al Jolson (born Eizer Yoelson; June 9, 1886 – October 23, 1950) was a Lithuanian-American Jews, Jewish singer, comedian, actor, and vaudevillian. He was one of the United States' most famous and highest-paid stars of the 1920s, and was self-bi ...

attended a performance of ''Harlem Cavalcade'' at the Ritz Theatre, he declared that "Moore was one of the most expert craftsmen he had ever roared at." During the late 1930s and early 1940s, Moore was one of the top comedians headlining at the

Apollo Theater The Apollo Theater is a music hall at 253 West 125th Street between Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Boulevard (Seventh Avenue) and Frederick Douglass Boulevard (Eighth Avenue) in the Harlem neighborhood of Upper Manhattan in New York City. It is a not ...

Harlem Harlem is a neighborhood in Upper Manhattan, New York City. It is bounded roughly by the Hudson River on the west; the Harlem River and 155th Street (Manhattan), 155th Street on the north; Fifth Avenue on the east; and 110th Street (Manhattan), ...

. He also performed on radio as a dramatic actor. In 1946, he starred as Bumpsie in the musical comedy film, ''

Boy! What a Girl! ''Boy! What a Girl!'' is a 1947 race film directed by Arthur H. Leonard and starring Tim Moore, with guest appearances by the Brown Dots, Slam Stewart, Sid Catlett and Gene Krupa. Plot Would-be theatrical producer Jim Walton (Elwood Smith) is ...

''. He made some appearances on

's television show, ''

Toast of the Town ''The Ed Sullivan Show'' is an American television variety show that ran on CBS from June 20, 1948, to March 28, 1971, and was hosted by New York entertainment columnist Ed Sullivan. It was replaced in September 1971 by the '' CBS Sunday Night ...

'', and at the Apollo Theater; Moore then retired from show business. His wife Gertrude having died in 1934, Moore settled down with his third wife, Benzonia Davis Moore (1889–1956). The couple was married in 1941 and initially made their home in Baltimore. In 1946, the couple settled down in his home town of Rock Island. There, he kept busy working the night shift at the Servus Rubber company, where boots and shoes were made.

Television stardom

In 1948, CBS hired

Flournoy Miller Flournoy Eakin Miller (14 April 1885 – 6 June 1971), sometimes credited as F. E. Miller, was an American entertainer, actor, lyricist, producer and playwright. Between about 1905 and 1932 he formed a popular comic duo, Miller and Lyles, with ...

as a casting advisor for the planned ''Amos 'n' Andy'' TV series. They had failed to locate Tim Moore for the role of George "Kingfish" Stevens, a role which was created and voiced on radio by white actor

Freeman Gosden Freeman Fisher "Gozzie" Gosden (May 5, 1899 – December 10, 1982) was an American radio comedian, actor and pioneer in the development of the situation comedy form. He is best known for his work in the radio series ''Amos 'n' Andy''. Life and ...

. It was Miller's job to trace the actor's whereabouts. Meanwhile, in January 1950, Moore went to New York to perform at the Apollo and appear as guest star on CBS-TV's ''Toast of the Town''. After fulfilling these engagements, Moore returned to Rock Island. A few months later, Flournoy Miller called the manager of the Apollo and finally received Moore's address. Moore did voice tests at CBS radio studios in Peoria and Chicago, and then was brought to CBS-TV in Hollywood for a screen test. He returned to Rock Island. Shortly after this, he was signed by

Columbia Broadcasting System CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS, the abbreviation of its former legal name Columbia Broadcasting System, is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainmen ...

to star in a new television adaptation of ''

Amos 'n' Andy ''Amos 'n' Andy'' is an American radio sitcom about black characters, initially set in Chicago and later in the Harlem section of New York City. While the show had a brief life on 1950s television with black actors, the 1928 to 1960 radio show ...

''. As the radio series had developed in prior years, the scheming but henpecked Kingfish had become the central focus of most of the plots. In the television version, Moore played the character more broadly, with louder and more forceful delivery and a distinctive Georgia drawl, exaggerated for comic effect. Moore's Kingfish dominated the calmer and soft-spoken "Amos 'n' Andy" characters. Early in his career, Moore had developed a "con-man" routine he used for many years while in vaudeville; re-working some aspects of his old act produced the television character Kingfish. Moore was very popular in the show and for the first time in his career became a national celebrity as well as the first African American to win stardom on television. When leaving a train in Albuquerque to buy some Native American pottery, the proprietor recognized him immediately, saying, "You, you Kingfish." This was the first time it happened in Moore's 52 years in show business. The show aired on prime-time TV from June 1951 to June 1953. Although quite popular, the series was eventually canceled due to complaints about ethnic stereotyping. Shortly after the television show left the air, there were plans to turn it into a vaudeville act in August 1953, with Moore, Williams, and Childress playing the same characters. Although it is not known if this ever materialized in that year, a vaudeville-style Amos 'n' Andy road show did tour the country in 1957. After the series was canceled, it was shown in

syndication Syndication may refer to: * Broadcast syndication, where individual stations buy programs outside the network system * Print syndication, where individual newspapers or magazines license news articles, columns, or comic strips * Web syndication, ...

until 1966 when increasing condemnation and pressure from the NAACP persuaded the show's owners (CBS, which still owns the copyrights) to withdraw it from further exhibition. It was resurrected in the early days of home videotape through public domain video dealers who had acquired episodes from collectors of used 16mm TV prints, although the copyright was never in the public domain. Illegally produced copies continue to be sold over the internet. The series itself would not be seen on a regular basis again until independent network Rejoice TV began re-airing episodes in 2012. Many of the episodes revolved around Moore's Kingfish character, supported by

Ernestine Wade Ernestine Wade (August 7, 1906 – April 15, 1983) was an American actress. She was best known for playing the role of Sapphire Stevens on both the radio and TV versions of '' The Amos 'n' Andy Show''. Career Born in Jackson, Mississippi, Wade ...

as his level-headed, emotionally strong wife Sapphire, and

Amanda Randolph Amanda E. Randolph (September 2, 1896 – August 24, 1967) was an American actress, singer and musician. She was the first African-American performer to star in a regularly scheduled network television show, appearing in DuMont's ''The Laytons' ...

as his openly aggressive mother-in-law, without the participation of Amos or Andy. These Kingfish-only episodes were originally produced as a spinoff series, '' The Adventures of Kingfish'', which made its debut on CBS on January 4, 1955, but lasted only a few episodes. When the ''Amos 'n' Andy'' half-hours went into syndication, the ''Adventures of Kingfish'' shows were added to the syndicated package under the ''Amos 'n' Andy'' series title. In 1956, Moore and his fellow cast mates

Spencer Williams Spencer Williams (October 14, 1889 – July 14, 1965) was an American jazz and popular music composer, pianist, and singer. He is best known for his hit songs " Basin Street Blues", "I Ain't Got Nobody", "Royal Garden Blues", "I've Found a New B ...

Alvin Childress Alvin Childress (September 15, 1907 – April 19, 1986) was an American actor, who is best known for playing the cabdriver Amos Jones in the 1950s television comedy series ''Amos 'n' Andy''. Biography Alvin Childress was born in Meridian, Missis ...

and

Lillian Randolph Lillian Randolph (December 14, 1898 – September 12, 1980) was an American actress and singer, a veteran of radio, film, and television. She worked in entertainment from the 1930s until shortly before her death. She appeared in hundreds of radi ...

with her choir, tried a tour of personal appearances as "The TV Stars of ''Amos 'n' Andy''". The tour was halted by

, who viewed this as infringing on their exclusivity. Moore, and fellow cast members Williams, Childress and Lee, were able to perform for one night in 1957 in

Windsor, Ontario Windsor is a city in southwestern Ontario, Canada, on the south bank of the Detroit River directly across from Detroit, Michigan, United States. Geographically located within but administratively independent of Essex County, it is the souther ...

, since legal action had not been taken against them in Canada.

Later years

Moore married his last wife Vivian Cravens (1912–1988) eight months after Benzonia's death; she should not be confused with actress Vivian Harris with whom he had been performing as a comedy team at the Apollo Theatre in Harlem in the 1940s. This marriage won considerable publicity for him thanks to the "Roast Beef Scandal" of January 1958. Moore fired a gunshot in his home because of his "mooching in-laws" (stepson, stepdaughter, and her husband) when he found that the last of the New Year's roast beef had been eaten by them. Moore related, "These free-loaders have eaten everything in the house. My wife protects them and every time we talk about it, we get into an argument. The argument got a little loud and the next thing I knew, the big boy (his stepson Hubbard) jumped out of his chair. I ran upstairs and got out my old pistol. I didn't want to hit anybody." When the police arrived at the home, Moore, pistol still in his belt, told them, "I'm the old Kingfish, boys. I'm the one you want. I fired that shot. I didn't want to hit anyone, although I could have. Anyway, you should have seen the in-laws scatter when I fired that gun." The shot Moore fired hit the china cabinet; he was arrested and charged with assault with a deadly weapon, with police calling him the "funniest prisoner in police history." Moore was initially ordered held on $1,000 bond; the judge changed his mind and released Moore on his own recognizance. Tim and his wife reconciled, with Vivian's pleading for the charges to be dropped. Moore entered a not guilty plea before the case went to trial on March 24. He received a $100 fine and a year's probation as his sentence. When the story broke, local television personality and columnist

Paul Coates Paul V. Coates (March 10, 1921 – November 16, 1968) was an American print and television journalist. He was known for his popular daily newspaper column and as the host of the syndicated tabloid-style television series ''Confidential File'', ...

invited Tim Moore to appear on his

KTTV KTTV (channel 11) is a television station in Los Angeles, California, United States, serving as the West Coast flagship of the Fox network. It is owned and operated by the network's Fox Television Stations division alongside MyNetworkTV outle ...

television show; Moore explained the situation in two guest appearances. Coates was promptly taken to task for Moore's appearances on his show by Stanley Robertson, a journalist for the African-American newspaper, the ''

Los Angeles Sentinel The ''Los Angeles Sentinel'' is a weekly African-American owned newspaper published in Los Angeles, California. The paper boasts of reaching 125,000 readers , making it one of the oldest, largest and most influential African-American newspapers ...

'', calling Moore "disgraceful" and labeling the two shows with Moore as "television's darkest hour." Coates replied to his critic in his January 29, 1958 ''

Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the Un ...

'' column, calling Moore "a pretty wonderful, sincere man" and saying he strongly resented Robertson's attack on him. Because of the "Roast Beef Scandal," Moore was once more in demand and even received a testimonial tribute dinner from the

Friars Club of Beverly Hills The Friars Club of Beverly Hills (also known as the Friars Club of California) was a private show business club started in 1947 by comedian/actor Milton Berle, among other celebrities who had moved from New York. It was forced to change its name ...

, and appearing on ''

The Tonight Show ''The Tonight Show'' is an American late-night talk show that has aired on NBC since 1954. The show has been hosted by six comedians: Steve Allen (1954–1957), Jack Paar (1957–1962), Johnny Carson (1962–1992), Jay Leno (1992–2009 and 201 ...

'' with

Jack Paar Jack Harold Paar (May 1, 1918 – January 27, 2004) was an American talk show host, author, radio and television comedian, and film actor. He was the second host of ''The Tonight Show'' from 1957 to 1962. ''Time'' magazine's obituary of Paar repo ...

. The publicity also won him an extended performance engagement at the legendary Mocambo nightclub.

Death and legacy

Moore died at age 71 on December 13, 1958, of pulmonary tuberculosis in Los Angeles, four days after his birthday. There was no money to pay for his hospital care or for his funeral, Moore having received his final $65.00 residual payment from ''Amos 'n' Andy'' in January 1958. At one time, Moore had made $700 per week. After a large funeral at Mt. Sinai Baptist Church, he was buried at

Rosedale Cemetery Rosedale Cemetery is a cemetery located at the tripoint of Orange, West Orange and Montclair in Essex County, New Jersey, United States. Cyrus Baldwin drew up the original plan for the cemetery in 1840. Notable interments * Platt Adams (1 ...

. At the funeral service, 10,000 fans and mourners passed his open coffin; attendance was star-studded and included

Groucho Marx Julius Henry "Groucho" Marx (; October 2, 1890 – August 19, 1977) was an American comedian, actor, writer, stage, film, radio, singer, television star and vaudeville performer. He is generally considered to have been a master of quick wit an ...

Frank Sinatra Francis Albert Sinatra (; December 12, 1915 – May 14, 1998) was an American singer and actor. Nicknamed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Chairman of the Board" and later called "Ol' Blue Eyes", Sinatra was one of the most popular ...

Dean Martin Dean Martin (born Dino Paul Crocetti; June 7, 1917 – December 25, 1995) was an American singer, actor and comedian. One of the most popular and enduring American entertainers of the mid-20th century, Martin was nicknamed "The King of Cool". M ...

Louis Armstrong Louis Daniel Armstrong (August 4, 1901 – July 6, 1971), nicknamed "Satchmo", "Satch", and "Pops", was an American trumpeter and vocalist. He was among the most influential figures in jazz. His career spanned five decades and several era ...

, Tony Curtis,

Sidney Poitier Sidney Poitier ( ; February 20, 1927 – January 6, 2022) was an American actor, film director, and diplomat. In 1964, he was the first black actor and first Bahamian to win the Academy Award for Best Actor. He received two competitive ...

, Charlie Barnet,

, Erskine Hawkins, Louis Prima,

Freeman F. Gosden Freeman Fisher "Gozzie" Gosden (May 5, 1899 – December 10, 1982) was an American radio comedian, actor and pioneer in the development of the situation comedy form. He is best known for his work in the radio series ''Amos 'n' Andy''. Life and ...

, Charles Correll, Spencer Williams, Jr.,

, Johnny Lee,

Sammy Davis, Jr. Samuel George Davis Jr. (December 8, 1925 – May 16, 1990) was an American singer, dancer, actor, comedian, film producer and television director. At age three, Davis began his career in vaudeville with his father Sammy Davis Sr. and the ...

, Eddie "Rochester" Anderson,

Andy Razaf Andy Razaf (born Andriamanantena Paul Razafinkarefo; December 16, 1895 – February 3, 1973) was an American poet, composer and lyricist of such well-known songs as " Ain't Misbehavin'" and " Honeysuckle Rose". Biography Razaf was born in Washi ...

, Clarence Muse, Roy Glenn,

, Pigmeat Markham, Willie Bryant, Earl Grant.

later related that

organized the effort to pay Tim Moore's funeral expenses. Moore's grave remained unmarked from the time of his burial until 1983; fellow comedians

Redd Foxx John Elroy Sanford (December 9, 1922 – October 11, 1991), better known by his stage name Redd Foxx, was an American stand-up comedian and actor. Foxx gained success with his raunchy nightclub act before and during the civil rights movement. ...

and

George Kirby George Kirby (June 8, 1923 – September 30, 1995) was an American comedian, singer, and actor. Career Born in Chicago, Kirby broke into show business in the 1940s at the Club DeLisa, a South Side establishment that employed a variety-show ...

raised funds for a headstone. There is now one marking the graves of Moore and his wife, Vivian, who died in 1988. Paying tribute to one of its favorite sons, the Rock Island Public Library held "Tim Moore Day" July 16, 2008. Moore's relatives in the area participated by sharing their memories of his life and work. In spite of his achievement as the first major African American television star, Moore is still not honored with a star on the

Hollywood Walk of Fame The Hollywood Walk of Fame is a historic landmark which consists of more than 2,700 five-pointed terrazzo and brass stars embedded in the sidewalks along 15 blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of Vine Street in Hollywood, Californ ...

Selected stage productions

*''Cora Miskel and Her Gold Dust Twins'' (vaudeville, 1899–1901) *'' Rabbit Foot Minstrels'' (travelling road show, 1908) *''Tim Moore and His Georgia Sunflowers'' (vaudeville tour, 1909–10) *''The Chicago Follies'' (vaudeville tour, 1915–16) *''Bronze Revue'' (Honolulu, Hawaii, 1916) *''A Wedding in Jazz'' (vaudeville tour, 1919) *''The Chicago Follies'' ka ''The Tim Moore Follies''(vaudeville tours, 1920–25) *''Rosie's Wedding Day'' (vaudeville tour, 1923) *''Aces and Queens'' (vaudeville, 1924) *''Lucky Sambo'' (Broadway, 1925) *''Rarin' to Go'' (Columbia Burlesque Circuit, 1925–27) *''The Southland Revue'' (vaudeville tour, 1927) *''Take The Air'' (touring road show, 1927) *''Bronze Buddies'' (Harlem, 1928) *''

'' (Broadway, 1928–29; Moulin Rouge, Paris, 1929; and London, 1929) *''Say It With Girls'' (Harlem, 1930) *''Fast and Furious'' (Broadway, 1931) *''Harlem Scandals'' (Harlem, 1931–32) *''Blackberries of 1932'' (Broadway, 1932) *''Blackbirds of 1934'' (England, Scotland and provinces) *''Blackbirds of 1935'' (England and Scotland and provinces) *''Blackbirds of 1936'' (England and provinces) *''Blackbirds of 1937'' (England, Scotland and provinces) *''The Black Messiah'' (Harlem, 1939) *''Blackbirds of 1939'' (Broadway, 1939) *''Rhapsody in Black'' (Erlanger Theatre, Philadelphia, 1941) *''Harlem Cavalcade'' (Broadway, 1942) *''Amos 'n' Andy Revue'' (touring road show, 1957)

References

;Notes ;Works cited * Bogle, Donald. ''Blacks in American Films and Television: An Illustrated Encyclopedia.'' Simon and Schuster, 1988. *Ely, Melvin Patrick. ''The Adventures of Amos 'n' Andy: A Social History of an American Phenomenon'', The Free Press, 1991

External links

*
Tim Moore biography
* *

Watch

''Amos 'n' Andy: Anatomy of a Controversy'' Video by Hulu
*
Boy! What a Girl!
' at Internet Archive. {{DEFAULTSORT:Moore, Tim African-American male actors African-American male comedians American male comedians American male film actors American male television actors Blackface minstrel performers Vaudeville performers 1887 births 1958 deaths Burials at Angelus-Rosedale Cemetery People from Rock Island, Illinois 20th-century American male actors Male actors from Illinois Comedians from Illinois 20th-century American comedians 20th-century African-American male singers 20th-century deaths from tuberculosis Tuberculosis deaths in California