Figure 1.--This image shows Dickie Moore in the 1938 film, "Love, Honor and Behave" as Ted. |
Child and then juvenile actor, Dickie Moore, appeare in an incredible number of movies, both as the central character and in bit roles. With his striking combination of fair hair and very dark, intense eyes, the tiny Moore fluttered maternal hearts everywhere, and was featured as the screen baby of many a famous name in
the early 1930s, most notably of Marlene Dietrich in Blonde Venus. For eight films during
1932-33 he was a leading member of Our Gang. In 1933 he also played Oliver Twist. He will always be remembered for bestowing on a 14-year-old Shirley Temple her first screen kiss - in Miss Annie Rooney (1942). Has been a public-relations executive since the 1950s, currently (1995) based in New York City.
Born in Los Angeles on September 12, 1925.
Dickie made his first film at the age of 11-months in The Beloved Rogue (1927) and played another baby role in Object Alimony (1928). He became a regular actor about 4 years of age. He began to become well known when he joined Our Gang in 1932. Looking back he says he disliked the whole school experience at Hal Roach studios, he says that he never really felt "part of the gang." He says that the one he felt closest to was Stymie (the Black boy) and his family. He only did Our Gang films until 1933. One of the unusual child stars of the 1930s that was cast in a variety of roles, from Oliver Twist (1933) to The Member of the Wedding (1952), and Marlene Dritich's son in Blond Venus (1932). He appeared in a Cecil B. DeMille film (The Sqaw Man) in 1931. Dickie didn't like DeMille, said he was insensitive to people and even hit the 5-year old Dickie. Dickie recalls, I didn't care for him at all. I thought he was egomaniacal, completely insensitive to other people and their feelings. He hit me. ... I was a 5-year old kid and he hit me." His major lead was Oliver in a 1933 production of Oliver Twist, but the impact was limited as it was produced by the shoe-string Monogram studios. He worked with Shirley Temple in 1940 (Blue Bird). The film was MGM's answer to Wizard of Ox which Shirley Temple was susposed to play in. Dickie liked her, saying she was fun and unpretentious and gave her first film kiss in Miss Annie Rooney (1942). He said later that "It was frightening" because of the big to do over it and because he was so naive. Dickie tried to do films as an adolescent and adults, but without the great success of his childhood films.
Dickie wore a wide range of costumes for his many different film roles. Dickie frequently commonly wore short pants in his various roles, at least those shot in contemprary time. By the 1940s, Dickie was becoming weary of just being cute on the screen. He must have objected to his role in Heaven Can Wait (1943) in which he plays a pampered teenager kept in short pants. He complains to the new French maid that his parents have a conspiracy against him to keep him in shorts pants. The feeling was understandable as he was nearing 20 years old. He says it used to bother him when any one mentioned his dimples, but not any more. He recalls, "I knew what was expected of me and I knew how to do it, but I resented those qualities very much and simply couldn't bring myself to do it any more.
Dickie appeared in an amazing 88 films and television shows over 4 decades.
Some were important films, most were rather obscure productions. We have not yet prepared reviews on many of these films, but hope to do so as HBC evolves. Do let us know if you have seen any of these films and can comment on the film or Dickie's role or performance. Dickie's early films are rarely seen anymore. Except for TCM's screenings they likely would not be shown at all. These early 1930s films probably seemed rather dated to filmgoers within a decade of their release. It should be remembered that the films of the 1930s were very early talkies. The dated look of these films in part I think reflected how much world events, the Second World War especially, had changed filmgoers' expectations. On the other hand there are some films from the 1950s even that are appreciated by modern audiences. By the late '40s to early '50s film making had come a long way from the first talkies. Here is a list of his many films:
(The) Beloved Rogue (1927) (uncredited)
Object: Alimony (1928) (as Dickey Moore) .... Jimmy Rutledge Jr.
... aka Object: Matrimony (1928)
Madame X (1929) (uncredited) .... Boy Watching the Puppets ... aka Absinthe (1929) (USA: TV title)
Lawful Larceny (1930) (uncredited) .... The Dorsey Child
Passion Flower (1930) .... Tommy Wallace
Let Us Be Gay (1930) (uncredited) .... Young Bobby
Three Sisters, The (1930) (uncredited) .... The Child
Son of the Gods (1930) .... Boy
Manhattan Parade (1931) .... Junior
Husband's Holiday (1931) .... Philip
Squaw Man, The (1931) .... Hal Carston ... aka White Man, The (1931) (UK)
Star Witness, The (1931) .... Ned Leeds
Confessions of a Co-Ed (1931) (uncredited) .... Child ... aka Her Dilemma (1931) (UK)
Three Who Loved (1931) .... Sonny Hanson
Seed (1931) .... Johnny Carter as a Child
Aloha (1931) .... Junior Bradford
Devil Is Driving, The (1932) .... Buddy Evans
No Greater Love (1932) .... Tommy Burns ... aka Divine Love (1932) (UK)
Racing Strain (1932) .... Big Shot as a Baby
Blonde Venus (1932) .... Johnny Faraday
(A) Lad an' a Lamp (1932)
Birthday Blues (1932)
Deception (1932) .... Dickie Allen
Free Wheeling (1932) .... Dickie
Hook and Ladder (1932) .... Dickie
(The) Hollywood Handicap (1932)
Million Dollar Legs (1932) .... Willie/Angela's Brother
Winner Take All (1932) .... Dickie Harmon
So Big! (1932) .... Dirk De Jong (younger)
Disorderly Conduct (1932) .... Jimmy
(The) Expert (1932) .... Richard M. "Dickie" Foster
Union Depot (1932) (uncredited) .... Little Boy ... aka Gentleman for a Day (1932) (UK)
Gallant Lady (1933) .... Deedy
Obey the Law (1933) .... Dickie Chester
Wolf Dog, The (1933)
Cradle Song (1933) .... Alberto
Man's Castle (1933) .... Joey
Mush and Milk (1933) .... Dickie
(The) Kid from Borneo (1933) .... Dickie
Gabriel Over the White House (1933) .... Jimmy 'Jim' Vetter
Forgotten Babies (1933) .... Dickie
Oliver Twist (1933) .... Oliver Twist: Here Dickie was a the top of his career and did play the starring role. I know little about this production.
Fish Hooky (1933) .... Dickie
This Side of Heaven (1934) .... Boy
Upperworld (1934) .... Tommy Stream: This is one of many films in which Dickie hs a small role as the boy in a family. He rarely got staring roles, but rather played supporting roles like the one in this Depression era drama. Like many Depression era films, the story involved a rich family and Dickie is smartly costumed or his role.
(The) Human Side (1934) .... Bobbie Sheldon
So Red the Rose (1935) .... Middleton Bedford
Swellhead (1935) .... Billy Malone
Tomorrow's Youth (1935)
World Accuses, The (1935) .... Tommy Weymouth
Peter Ibbetson (1935) .... Gogo
Without Children (1935) .... David Sonny Cole Jr. as a Child ... aka Penthouse Party (1935)
Little Men (1935) .... Demi
(The) Story of Louis Pasteur (1936) .... Joseph Meister: Joseph was of course the little French boy bitten by a rabid dog. Pasteur saved his life by innoculating him so he would not die from rabies.
Timothy's Quest (1936) .... Timothy
(The) Little Red School House (1936) .... Dickie Burke ... aka Schoolboy Penitentiary (1936)
Madame X (1937) (uncredited)
(The) Bride Wore Red (1937) .... Pietro
Life of Émile Zola, The (1937) .... Pierre Dreyfus" Dickie appears only briefly as Cpt. Drefus's son. I think he wore a sailor suit. What I recall definitely was the great gtoy soldiers he had.
Arkansas Traveler, The (1938) .... Benny Allen
My Bill (1938) .... Bill Colbrook
(The) Gladiator (1938) .... Bobby
Love, Honor and Behave (1938) .... Ted (as a Child)
Hidden Power (1939) .... Steve
(The) Under-Pup (1939) .... Jerry Binns
Lincoln in the White House (1939) .... Tad Lincoln
Dispatch from Reuters, A (1940) .... Reuter as a Boy ... aka This Man Reuter (1940) (UK)
(The) Great Mr. Nobody (1941) .... 'Limpy' Barnes
Sergeant York (1941) .... George York
Miss Annie Rooney (1942) .... Marty White
(The) Adventures of Martin Eden, The (1942) .... Johnny ... aka High Seas (1948) (USA: reissue title)
Happy Land (1943) .... Peter Orcutt
Heaven Can Wait (1943) .... Henry (younger)
(The) Song of Bernadette (1943) .... Adolard Bouhouhorts, age 15
Jive Junction (1943) .... Peter
Eve of St. Mark, The (1944) .... Zip West
Sweet and Lowdown (1944) .... General Carmichael
Youth Runs Wild (1944) .... George Dunlop
Out of the Past (1947) .... The Kid ... aka Build My Gallows High (1947) (UK)
16 Fathoms Deep (1948) .... George, Athos' son
Behind Locked Doors (1948) .... Jim ... aka Hinter verschlossenen Türen (1948) ... aka (the) Human Gorilla (????) (USA: reissue title)
Dangerous Years (1948) .... Gene Spooner
Tuna Clipper (1949) .... Frankie
Captain Video and His Video Rangers (1949) TV Series .... Ranger Hillary
(The) Bad Boy (1949) .... Charlie ... aka (THe) Story of Danny Lester, The (1949)
Cody of the Pony Express (1950) .... Bill Cody
Eight Iron Men (1952) .... Muller
(The) Member of the Wedding (1952) .... Soldier
He stayed in the business and now is a popular producer of industrial films.
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