Victor Moore
Encyclopedia
Victor Frederick Moore was an American
actor of stage and screen, as well as a comedian, writer, and director.
He had three children with his first wife: Victor, Junior (born 1910), Ora (born 1919), and Robert (born 1921).
- Chimmie Fadden
and Chimmie Fadden Out West
.
He appeared in over 50 films and 21 Broadway
shows. His first appearance was on Broadway in Rosemary
(1896). He also appeared in George M. Cohan
's Forty-five Minutes from Broadway
, which opened January 1, 1906, and its sequel, The Talk of New York (1907). He went on to star in shows such as Oh, Kay!
(1926) as Shorty McGee, Hold Everything!
as Nosey Bartlett, Gershwin's Of Thee I Sing
(1931) with William Gaxton
, Let 'Em Eat Cake
(1933), Cole Porter
's Anything Goes
(1934) as Moonface Martin, and Irving Berlin
's Louisiana Purchase
(1940) as Oliver P. Loganberry.
Victor Moore worked in film twice with Bob Hope
, first in Louisiana Purchase
(1941) and again in Star Spangled Rhythm
(1942).
He made a guest appearance as himself on The Martin and Lewis radio show on 8/16/49, and was a regular (as himself) on The Jimmy Durante Show.
He also appeared in such Hollywood films as Swing Time
(1936) with Fred Astaire
and Ginger Rogers
, Make Way for Tomorrow
(1937), The Heat's On
with Mae West
, Duffy's Tavern
(1945), Ziegfeld Follies
(1946), It Happened on 5th Avenue
(1947), On Our Merry Way
(1948), A Kiss in the Dark
(1949), and We're Not Married (1952), working with Ginger Rogers for a second time. His last screen appearance was a cameo role as a plumber in The Seven Year Itch
(1955).
His most unusual role came in the 1945 Daffy Duck
cartoon Ain't That Ducky
. Moore was so pleased with the caricature of him that he offered to add his voice free of charge on one condition: that the animators drew him with a little more hair.
, Queens
, served by the trains and Q33, Q47 and Q49 buses, is named for him.
, New York, USA.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
actor of stage and screen, as well as a comedian, writer, and director.
Personal life
He was married twice – first to actress Emma Littlefield from 1902 until her death on June 25, 1934, and then to Shirley Paige in 1942. The marriage was not announced for a year and a half. At the time of the announcement, Moore was 67 years old and Paige was 22. They remained married until Victor Moore's death 20 years later.He had three children with his first wife: Victor, Junior (born 1910), Ora (born 1919), and Robert (born 1921).
Career
Victor Moore made his film debut in 1915. He starred in three films that year, two of which were directed by Cecil B. DeMilleCecil B. DeMille
Cecil Blount DeMille was an American film director and Academy Award-winning film producer in both silent and sound films. He was renowned for the flamboyance and showmanship of his movies...
- Chimmie Fadden
Chimmie Fadden
Chimmie Fadden is a 1915 comedy film directed by Cecil B. DeMille. The film is now considered to be lost.-Cast:* Victor Moore - Chimmie Fadden* Raymond Hatton - Larry, His Brother* Mrs. Lewis McCord - Mrs...
and Chimmie Fadden Out West
Chimmie Fadden Out West
Chimmie Fadden Out West is a 1915 comedy-Western film directed by Cecil B. DeMille.-Plot:Chimmie is sent out west as part of a scam by a railroad company. He is to pretend to find gold, then retreat as the company takes advantage. Things do not go as planned.-Cast:* Victor Moore - Chimmie Fadden*...
.
He appeared in over 50 films and 21 Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
shows. His first appearance was on Broadway in Rosemary
Rosemary
Rosemary, , is a woody, perennial herb with fragrant, evergreen, needle-like leaves and white, pink, purple or blue flowers, native to the Mediterranean region. It is a member of the mint family Lamiaceae, which includes many other herbs, and is one of two species in the genus Rosmarinus...
(1896). He also appeared in George M. Cohan
George M. Cohan
George Michael Cohan , known professionally as George M. Cohan, was a major American entertainer, playwright, composer, lyricist, actor, singer, dancer, and producer....
's Forty-five Minutes from Broadway
Forty-five Minutes from Broadway
Forty-Five Minutes From Broadway is a three-act musical by George M. Cohan written about New Rochelle, New York. The play's title refers to the 45-minute train ride from New Rochelle to Broadway....
, which opened January 1, 1906, and its sequel, The Talk of New York (1907). He went on to star in shows such as Oh, Kay!
Oh, Kay!
Oh, Kay! is a musical with music by George Gershwin, lyrics by Ira Gershwin, and a book by Guy Bolton and P. G. Wodehouse. It is based on the play La Presidente by Maurice Hanniquin and Pierre Veber. The plot revolves around the adventures of the Duke of Durham and his sister, Lady Kay, English...
(1926) as Shorty McGee, Hold Everything!
Hold Everything!
Hold Everything! is a musical comedy with book by John McGowan and B. G. de Sylva, lyrics by Lew Brown and B. G. de Sylva, and music by Ray Henderson....
as Nosey Bartlett, Gershwin's Of Thee I Sing
Of Thee I Sing
Of Thee I Sing is a musical with a score by George Gershwin, lyrics by Ira Gershwin and a book by George S. Kaufman and Morrie Ryskind. The musical lampoons American politics; the story concerns John P. Wintergreen, who runs for President of the United States on the "love" platform...
(1931) with William Gaxton
William Gaxton
William Gaxton was a star of vaudeville, film, and theatre.Born as Arturo Antonio Gaxiola in San Francisco, he appeared on film and onstage. He debuted on Broadway in the Music Box Revue on October 23, 1922...
, Let 'Em Eat Cake
Let 'Em Eat Cake
Let 'Em Eat Cake is a Broadway musical that opened October 21, 1933 at the Imperial Theatre, New York, USA and ran for 89 performances. It had music by George Gershwin, lyrics by Ira Gershwin, and book by George S. Kaufman and Morrie Ryskind. The cast included William Gaxton, Victor Moore, Philip...
(1933), Cole Porter
Cole Porter
Cole Albert Porter was an American composer and songwriter. Born to a wealthy family in Indiana, he defied the wishes of his domineering grandfather and took up music as a profession. Classically trained, he was drawn towards musical theatre...
's Anything Goes
Anything Goes
Anything Goes is a musical with music and lyrics by Cole Porter. The original book was a collaborative effort by Guy Bolton and P.G. Wodehouse, heavily revised by the team of Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse. The story concerns madcap antics aboard an ocean liner bound from New York to London...
(1934) as Moonface Martin, and Irving Berlin
Irving Berlin
Irving Berlin was an American composer and lyricist of Jewish heritage, widely considered one of the greatest songwriters in American history.His first hit song, "Alexander's Ragtime Band", became world famous...
's Louisiana Purchase
Louisiana Purchase (musical)
Louisiana Purchase is a musical theater production from 1940. It has music and lyrics by Irving Berlin and book by Morrie Ryskind based on a story by B. G. DeSylva. In 1941 it was adapted for the film Louisiana Purchase directed by Irving Cummings....
(1940) as Oliver P. Loganberry.
Victor Moore worked in film twice with Bob Hope
Bob Hope
Bob Hope, KBE, KCSG, KSS was a British-born American comedian and actor who appeared in vaudeville, on Broadway, and in radio, television and movies. He was also noted for his work with the US Armed Forces and his numerous USO shows entertaining American military personnel...
, first in Louisiana Purchase
Louisiana Purchase (musical)
Louisiana Purchase is a musical theater production from 1940. It has music and lyrics by Irving Berlin and book by Morrie Ryskind based on a story by B. G. DeSylva. In 1941 it was adapted for the film Louisiana Purchase directed by Irving Cummings....
(1941) and again in Star Spangled Rhythm
Star Spangled Rhythm
Star Spangled Rhythm is a 1943 all-star cast musical film made by Paramount Pictures during World War II as a morale booster. Many of the Hollywood studios produced such films during the war, generally musicals, frequently with flimsy storylines, and with the specific intent of entertaining the...
(1942).
He made a guest appearance as himself on The Martin and Lewis radio show on 8/16/49, and was a regular (as himself) on The Jimmy Durante Show.
He also appeared in such Hollywood films as Swing Time
Swing Time
Swing Time is a 1936 RKO musical comedy film set mainly in New York City and stars Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers, Helen Broderick, Victor Moore, Eric Blore and Georges Metaxa, with music by Jerome Kern and lyrics by Dorothy Fields...
(1936) with Fred Astaire
Fred Astaire
Fred Astaire was an American film and Broadway stage dancer, choreographer, singer and actor. His stage and subsequent film career spanned a total of 76 years, during which he made 31 musical films. He was named the fifth Greatest Male Star of All Time by the American Film Institute...
and Ginger Rogers
Ginger Rogers
Ginger Rogers was an American actress, dancer, and singer who appeared in film, and on stage, radio, and television throughout much of the 20th century....
, Make Way for Tomorrow
Make Way for Tomorrow
Make Way for Tomorrow is a 1937 American drama film directed by Leo McCarey. The plot concerns an elderly couple who are forced to separate when they lose their house and none of their five children will take both parents in....
(1937), The Heat's On
The Heat's On
The Heat's On is a movie musical starring Mae West, William Gaxton, and Victor Moore, and released by Columbia Pictures.-Plot:Broadway star Fay Lawrence is a temperamental diva who is reluctantly persuaded by a Broadway producer to star in his latest production.-Production background:Mae West...
with Mae West
Mae West
Mae West was an American actress, playwright, screenwriter and sex symbol whose entertainment career spanned seven decades....
, Duffy's Tavern
Duffy's Tavern
Duffy's Tavern was a popular American radio situation comedy which ran for a decade on several networks , concluding with the December 28, 1951 broadcast....
(1945), Ziegfeld Follies
Ziegfeld Follies
The Ziegfeld Follies were a series of elaborate theatrical productions on Broadway in New York City from 1907 through 1931. They became a radio program in 1932 and 1936 as The Ziegfeld Follies of the Air....
(1946), It Happened on 5th Avenue
It Happened on 5th Avenue
It Happened on Fifth Avenue is a 1947 motion picture comedy, with an Academy Award nomination for original story.-Production:It marked the debut of Allied Artists Pictures, the higher-budget division of Monogram Pictures, formerly a low-budget film studio...
(1947), On Our Merry Way
On Our Merry Way
On Our Merry Way is an American comedy film, produced by Benedict Bogeaus and Burgess Meredith, and released by United Artists. At the time of its release, King Vidor and Leslie Fenton were credited with its direction, although the DVD lists John Huston and George Stevens, who assisted with one of...
(1948), A Kiss in the Dark
A Kiss in the Dark
A Kiss in the Dark is a 1949 comedy film directed by Delmer Daves. It stars David Niven and Jane Wyman. The plot revolves around a pianist that inherits an apartment house full of loony tenants....
(1949), and We're Not Married (1952), working with Ginger Rogers for a second time. His last screen appearance was a cameo role as a plumber in The Seven Year Itch
The Seven Year Itch
The Seven Year Itch is a 1955 American film based on a three-act play with the same name by George Axelrod. The film was co-written and directed by Billy Wilder, and starred Marilyn Monroe and Tom Ewell, reprising his Broadway role...
(1955).
His most unusual role came in the 1945 Daffy Duck
Daffy Duck
Daffy Duck is an animated cartoon character in the Warner Bros. Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies series of cartoons, often running the gamut between being the best friend and sometimes arch-rival of Bugs Bunny...
cartoon Ain't That Ducky
Ain't That Ducky
Ain't That Ducky is a 1945 Warner Bros. Looney Tunes cartoon, directed by Friz Freleng, and starring Daffy Duck. Daffy has to outwit a hunter after him - and find out what's in the briefcase another duck is carrying around. While Mel Blanc did the voices for the ducks in this cartoon, the hunter...
. Moore was so pleased with the caricature of him that he offered to add his voice free of charge on one condition: that the animators drew him with a little more hair.
The Victor Moore bus terminal
The Victor Moore bus terminal at the New York City Subway's Roosevelt Avenue / 74th Street station in Jackson HeightsJackson Heights, Queens
Jackson Heights is a neighborhood in the Northwestern portion of the borough of Queens in New York, New York, United States. The neighborhood is part of Queens Community Board 3...
, Queens
Queens
Queens is the easternmost of the five boroughs of New York City. The largest borough in area and the second-largest in population, it is coextensive with Queens County, an administrative division of New York state, in the United States....
, served by the trains and Q33, Q47 and Q49 buses, is named for him.
Death
Victor Moore died of a heart attack on 23 July 1962. He was 86 years old. He is interred at Cypress Hills Cemetery in BrooklynBrooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
, New York, USA.
Silent films
- Snobs (1915)
- Chimmie FaddenChimmie FaddenChimmie Fadden is a 1915 comedy film directed by Cecil B. DeMille. The film is now considered to be lost.-Cast:* Victor Moore - Chimmie Fadden* Raymond Hatton - Larry, His Brother* Mrs. Lewis McCord - Mrs...
(1915) - Chimmie Fadden Out WestChimmie Fadden Out WestChimmie Fadden Out West is a 1915 comedy-Western film directed by Cecil B. DeMille.-Plot:Chimmie is sent out west as part of a scam by a railroad company. He is to pretend to find gold, then retreat as the company takes advantage. Things do not go as planned.-Cast:* Victor Moore - Chimmie Fadden*...
(1915) - The Race (1916)
- The Clown (1916)
- In Society and Out (1916)
- The Best Man (1916)
- The Wrong Mr. Fox (1917)
- He Meant Well (1917)
- Did It Ever Happen to You? (1917)
- The Sleepwalker (1917)
- He Got There After All (1917)
- Some Doctor (1917)
- His Military Figure (1917)
- Ballad and Bologna (1917)
- Invited Out (1917)
- Flivvering (1917)
- Moving (1917)
- Community (1917)
- Bungalowing (1917)
- Oh, Pop! (1917)
- Camping (1917)
- In Bed-In Bad (1917)
- The Cow Jumped Over the Moon (1917)
- Home Defense (1917)
- Faint Heart and Fair Lady (1917)
- Nutty Knitters (1917)
- Toothaches and Heartaches (1917)
- The Installment Plan (1917)
- Oh! U-Boat (1917)
- Meatless Days and Sleepless Nights (1918)
- He Got His (1918)
- Adam and His Eves (1918)
- The Man Who Found Himself (1925)
Sound films
- Dangerous Nan McGrewDangerous Nan McGrewDangerous Nan McGrew is a 1930 American comedy starring Helen Kane and Victor Moore.-Story:Helen Kane takes lead role and stars as Dangerous Nan Mcgrew, an entertainer in a travelling medicine show run by her boss. Muldoon one of the members of the medicine show is a fugitive who is on the run from...
(1930) - Head's Up (1930)
- Love in the Suburbs (1931)
- Ladies not Allowed (1932)
- Romance in the Rain (1934)
- Gold Diggers of 1937Gold Diggers of 1937Gold Diggers of 1937 is a 1936 Warner Bros. movie musical directed by Lloyd Bacon with musical numbers created and directed by Busby Berkeley, and starring Dick Powell and Joan Blondell, who were married at the time, and Victor Moore. The film features songs by the teams of Harold Arlen and E.Y...
(1936) - Swing TimeSwing TimeSwing Time is a 1936 RKO musical comedy film set mainly in New York City and stars Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers, Helen Broderick, Victor Moore, Eric Blore and Georges Metaxa, with music by Jerome Kern and lyrics by Dorothy Fields...
(1936) - We're on the Jury (1937)
- Meet the Missus (1937)
- The Life of the PartyThe Life of the PartyThe Life of the Party may refer to:* Life of the Party , a 1999 album by The Planet Smashers* The Life of the Party , a 1930 musical comedy film* The Life of the Party , a 1999 album by Neal McCoy...
(1937) - She's got Everything (1937)
- Make Way for TomorrowMake Way for TomorrowMake Way for Tomorrow is a 1937 American drama film directed by Leo McCarey. The plot concerns an elderly couple who are forced to separate when they lose their house and none of their five children will take both parents in....
(1937) - Radio City Revels (1938)
- This Marriage Business (1938)
- Louisiana PurchaseLouisiana Purchase (film)Louisiana Purchase is a 1941 film adaptation of the musical theater play, Louisiana Purchase. A Paramount Pictures production, the film was directed by Irving Cummings with Robert Emmett Dolan serving as musical director as he had done for the play. Starring comedian Bob Hope, the film featured...
(1941) - Star Spangled RhythmStar Spangled RhythmStar Spangled Rhythm is a 1943 all-star cast musical film made by Paramount Pictures during World War II as a morale booster. Many of the Hollywood studios produced such films during the war, generally musicals, frequently with flimsy storylines, and with the specific intent of entertaining the...
(1942) - Riding High (1943)
- The Heat's OnThe Heat's OnThe Heat's On is a movie musical starring Mae West, William Gaxton, and Victor Moore, and released by Columbia Pictures.-Plot:Broadway star Fay Lawrence is a temperamental diva who is reluctantly persuaded by a Broadway producer to star in his latest production.-Production background:Mae West...
(1943) - True to LifeTrue to LifeTrue to Life is a 1977 studio album by American recording artist Ray Charles. It marked Ray's return to Atlantic Records. The album contains several cover versions, most notably Johnny Nash's "I Can See Clearly Now", Joe Cocker's "The Jealous Kind", George and Ira Gershwin's "How Long Has This...
(1943) - This Is the ArmyThis Is the ArmyThis Is the Army is a 1943 American wartime motion picture produced by Hal B. Wallis and Jack L. Warner, and directed by Michael Curtiz, and a wartime musical designed to boost morale in the U.S. during World War II, directed by Sgt. Ezra Stone...
(1943) - Carolina Blues (1944)
- Duffy's TavernDuffy's TavernDuffy's Tavern was a popular American radio situation comedy which ran for a decade on several networks , concluding with the December 28, 1951 broadcast....
(1945) - It's in the Bag!It's in the Bag!It's in the Bag! is a 1945 comedy film featuring Fred Allen in his only starring film role. The film was released by United Artists at a time when Allen was at the peak of his fame as one of the most popular radio comedians.-Characters and story:...
(1945) - Ziegfeld FolliesZiegfeld FolliesThe Ziegfeld Follies were a series of elaborate theatrical productions on Broadway in New York City from 1907 through 1931. They became a radio program in 1932 and 1936 as The Ziegfeld Follies of the Air....
(1946) - It Happened on 5th AvenueIt Happened on 5th AvenueIt Happened on Fifth Avenue is a 1947 motion picture comedy, with an Academy Award nomination for original story.-Production:It marked the debut of Allied Artists Pictures, the higher-budget division of Monogram Pictures, formerly a low-budget film studio...
(1947) - On Our Merry WayOn Our Merry WayOn Our Merry Way is an American comedy film, produced by Benedict Bogeaus and Burgess Meredith, and released by United Artists. At the time of its release, King Vidor and Leslie Fenton were credited with its direction, although the DVD lists John Huston and George Stevens, who assisted with one of...
(1948) - A Kiss in the DarkA Kiss in the DarkA Kiss in the Dark is a 1949 comedy film directed by Delmer Daves. It stars David Niven and Jane Wyman. The plot revolves around a pianist that inherits an apartment house full of loony tenants....
(1949) - We're Not Married (1952)
- The Seven Year ItchThe Seven Year ItchThe Seven Year Itch is a 1955 American film based on a three-act play with the same name by George Axelrod. The film was co-written and directed by Billy Wilder, and starred Marilyn Monroe and Tom Ewell, reprising his Broadway role...
(1955)