Dickie Moore (U.S., 1925- )


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.

Childhood

Born in Los Angeles on September 12, 1925.

Movie Career

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.

Costuming

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.

Films

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:

1927

(The) Beloved Rogue (1927) (uncredited)

1928

Object: Alimony (1928) (as Dickey Moore) .... Jimmy Rutledge Jr. ... aka Object: Matrimony (1928)

1929

Madame X (1929) (uncredited) .... Boy Watching the Puppets ... aka Absinthe (1929) (USA: TV title)

1930

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

1931

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

1932

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)

1933

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

1934

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

1935

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

1936

(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)

1937

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.

1938

Arkansas Traveler, The (1938) .... Benny Allen

My Bill (1938) .... Bill Colbrook

(The) Gladiator (1938) .... Bobby

Love, Honor and Behave (1938) .... Ted (as a Child)

1939

Hidden Power (1939) .... Steve

(The) Under-Pup (1939) .... Jerry Binns

Lincoln in the White House (1939) .... Tad Lincoln

1940

Dispatch from Reuters, A (1940) .... Reuter as a Boy ... aka This Man Reuter (1940) (UK)

1941

(The) Great Mr. Nobody (1941) .... 'Limpy' Barnes

Sergeant York (1941) .... George York

1942

Miss Annie Rooney (1942) .... Marty White

(The) Adventures of Martin Eden, The (1942) .... Johnny ... aka High Seas (1948) (USA: reissue title)


Figure 1.--I had thought that the main chracter of the film, Henry Van Cleef, was played as a child by Dickie Moore. He did, but it was not this boy. Dickie played Henry at a later point of the film when Henry was a teenager. He was about 14-15 years at the time.

1943

Happy Land (1943) .... Peter Orcutt

Heaven Can Wait (1943) .... Henry (younger)

(The) Song of Bernadette (1943) .... Adolard Bouhouhorts, age 15

Jive Junction (1943) .... Peter

1944

Eve of St. Mark, The (1944) .... Zip West

Sweet and Lowdown (1944) .... General Carmichael

Youth Runs Wild (1944) .... George Dunlop

1947

Out of the Past (1947) .... The Kid ... aka Build My Gallows High (1947) (UK)

1948

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

1949

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)

1950

Cody of the Pony Express (1950) .... Bill Cody

1952

Eight Iron Men (1952) .... Muller

(The) Member of the Wedding (1952) .... Soldier

Adult Life

He stayed in the business and now is a popular producer of industrial films.







HBC





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Created: January 2, 2000
Last updated: 5:54 PM 12/4/2005