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Dudley Moore



 
 
Dudley Stuart John Moore CBE
Order of the British Empire

The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a United Kingdom order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom....
 (19 April, 1935 – 27 March, 2002) was an English
English people

The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England who speak English language in England. The English identity as a people is of early medieval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn....
 actor
Actor

An actor or actress is a person who acting in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio programming in that capacity....
, comedian
Comedian

A comedian or comic is a person who seeks to entertain members of an audience, primarily by making them laughter. This might be through jokes or amusing situations, or acting a fool, as in slapstick, or employing prop comedy....
 and musician
Musician

A musician is a person who plays or writes music. Musicians can be classified by their roles in creating or performing music:* An instrumentalist plays a musical instrument....
.

Moore first came to prominence as one of the four writer-performers in Beyond the Fringe
Beyond the Fringe

Beyond the Fringe was a United Kingdom comedy stage revue written and performed by Peter Cook, Dudley Moore, Alan Bennett, and Jonathan Miller....
 in the early 1960s
1960s

The 1960s list of decades were the years from the start of 1960 to the end of 1969. The term also refers to an era more often called The Sixties, denoting the complex of inter-related cultural and political trends in the west, particularly United States, United Kingdom, France, Canada, Brazil, Australia, Spain, Italy, and Ger...
 and became famous as half of the hugely popular television double-act he formed with Peter Cook
Peter Cook

Peter Edward Cook was an English people satirist, writer and comedian. He is widely regarded as the leading figure in the British satire boom of the 1960s....
. His fame as a comedic actor was later heightened by his success in Hollywood movies such as 10
10 (film)

10 is a 1979 in film romantic comedy film directed by Blake Edwards and starring Bo Derek, Dudley Moore and Julie Andrews. Considered a trend-setting film at the time, and one of the year's biggest box office hits, the movie made superstars of Derek and Moore....
 with Bo Derek
Bo Derek

Bo Derek is a Golden Globe-nominated American film actress and Model ....
 and Arthur
Arthur (film)

Arthur is a 1981 film set in New York City which tells the story of drunken playboy millionaire Arthur Bach , who is on the brink of an arranged marriage to a wealthy heiress, Susan Johnson ....
 in the late 1970s
1970s

The 1970s, or the Seventies was the decade that ran from January 1, 1970 to December 31, 1979.In the western world, social progressive values that began in the 1960s, such as increasing political awareness and political and economic liberty of women, continued to grow....
 and early 1980s
1980s

The 1980s or the Eighties or the 80s or the years between the 70s and the 90s, was the decade that ran from January 1, 1980 to December 31, 1989....
, respectively.






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Dudley Stuart John Moore CBE
Order of the British Empire

The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a United Kingdom order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom....
 (19 April, 1935 – 27 March, 2002) was an English
English people

The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England who speak English language in England. The English identity as a people is of early medieval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn....
 actor
Actor

An actor or actress is a person who acting in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio programming in that capacity....
, comedian
Comedian

A comedian or comic is a person who seeks to entertain members of an audience, primarily by making them laughter. This might be through jokes or amusing situations, or acting a fool, as in slapstick, or employing prop comedy....
 and musician
Musician

A musician is a person who plays or writes music. Musicians can be classified by their roles in creating or performing music:* An instrumentalist plays a musical instrument....
.

Moore first came to prominence as one of the four writer-performers in Beyond the Fringe
Beyond the Fringe

Beyond the Fringe was a United Kingdom comedy stage revue written and performed by Peter Cook, Dudley Moore, Alan Bennett, and Jonathan Miller....
 in the early 1960s
1960s

The 1960s list of decades were the years from the start of 1960 to the end of 1969. The term also refers to an era more often called The Sixties, denoting the complex of inter-related cultural and political trends in the west, particularly United States, United Kingdom, France, Canada, Brazil, Australia, Spain, Italy, and Ger...
 and became famous as half of the hugely popular television double-act he formed with Peter Cook
Peter Cook

Peter Edward Cook was an English people satirist, writer and comedian. He is widely regarded as the leading figure in the British satire boom of the 1960s....
. His fame as a comedic actor was later heightened by his success in Hollywood movies such as 10
10 (film)

10 is a 1979 in film romantic comedy film directed by Blake Edwards and starring Bo Derek, Dudley Moore and Julie Andrews. Considered a trend-setting film at the time, and one of the year's biggest box office hits, the movie made superstars of Derek and Moore....
 with Bo Derek
Bo Derek

Bo Derek is a Golden Globe-nominated American film actress and Model ....
 and Arthur
Arthur (film)

Arthur is a 1981 film set in New York City which tells the story of drunken playboy millionaire Arthur Bach , who is on the brink of an arranged marriage to a wealthy heiress, Susan Johnson ....
 in the late 1970s
1970s

The 1970s, or the Seventies was the decade that ran from January 1, 1970 to December 31, 1979.In the western world, social progressive values that began in the 1960s, such as increasing political awareness and political and economic liberty of women, continued to grow....
 and early 1980s
1980s

The 1980s or the Eighties or the 80s or the years between the 70s and the 90s, was the decade that ran from January 1, 1980 to December 31, 1989....
, respectively. He was often known as "Cuddly Dudley" or "The Sex Thimble", a reference to his short stature and popularity with women.

Biography


Early life

Moore was born the son of a railway electrician in Dagenham
Dagenham

Dagenham is a suburban town in the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham, situated east of Charing Cross, in East London....
, England
England

native_name =|conventional_long_name = England|common_name = England|image_flag = Flag of England.svg|image_coat = England COA.svg|symbol_type = Royal Coat of Arms...
. His working class
Working class

Working class is a term used in academic sociology and in ordinary conversation to describe, depending on context and speaker, those employed in specific fields or types of work....
 parents showed little affection to their offspring (as his elder sister publicly revealed). He was notably short: 5' 2½" (1.59 m) and was born with a club foot
Club foot

A clubfoot, or Giles Smith syndrome , is a birth defect. TEV is classified into 2 groups Postural TEV or Structural TEV. Without treatment, persons afflicted often appear to walk on their ankles, or on the sides of their feet....
 that required extensive hospital treatment and which, coupled with his diminutive stature, made him the butt of jokes from other children. Seeking refuge from his problems he became a choirboy at the age of six and took up piano and violin. He rapidly developed into a very talented pianist and organist and was playing the pipe organ
Pipe organ

The pipe organ is a keyboard musical instrument that produces sound by venting mechanically compressed air through resonant Organ pipe. Each pipe produces sound at one fixed pitch, so they are provided in sets or "ranks" with one pipe or more per note, each rank having a common timbre and loudness throughout....
 at church weddings by the age of 14. He attended Dagenham County High School where he received musical tuition from a dedicated teacher, Peter Cork. Cork became a friend and confidant to Moore, corresponding with him until 1994.

His musical talent won him a scholarship to Magdalen College, Oxford
Magdalen College, Oxford

Magdalen College redirects here, see also Magdalene College, CambridgeMagdalen College is one of the Colleges of the University of Oxford of the University of Oxford in England....
 and whilst studying music and composition there, he performed with Alan Bennett
Alan Bennett

Alan Bennett is an English author, actor, humorist and playwright....
 in the Oxford Revue
The Oxford Revue

The Oxford Revue is a comedy group featuring students from Oxford University, England....
. Bennett then recommended him to the producer putting together Beyond the Fringe
Beyond the Fringe

Beyond the Fringe was a United Kingdom comedy stage revue written and performed by Peter Cook, Dudley Moore, Alan Bennett, and Jonathan Miller....
, a comedy revue, where he was to first meet Peter Cook
Peter Cook

Peter Edward Cook was an English people satirist, writer and comedian. He is widely regarded as the leading figure in the British satire boom of the 1960s....
. Beyond the Fringe was at the forefront of the 1960s satire boom
Satire boom

The satire boom is a general term to describe the emergence of a generation of English satirical writers, journalists and performers at the end of the 1950s....
 and after enormous success in Britain, it transferred to the USA where it was also a major hit.

During his university years, Moore took a great interest in jazz
Jazz

Jazz is a primarily American musical art form which originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States from a confluence of African and European music traditions....
 and soon became an accomplished jazz pianist and composer, as well as working with such leading musicians as John Dankworth
John Dankworth

Sir John Phillip William Dankworth, Order of the British Empire , often known as Johnny Dankworth, is an England jazz composer, saxophonist and clarinetist....
 and Cleo Laine
Cleo Laine

Dame Cleo Laine Order of British Empire is a jazz singer and an actor, noted for her scat singing.She is the only female performer to have received Grammy nominations in the jazz, popular music and European classical music categories....
. In 1960, he left Dankworth's band to work on Beyond the Fringe. During the 1960s he formed the acclaimed "Dudley Moore Trio" (with drummer Chris Karan
Chris Karan

Chris Karan is a jazz percussionist, primarily a drummer, of Greek descent from Melbourne. He played in Mike Nock's trio and the Dudley Moore trio....
 and bassists Pete McGurk and later Peter Morgan). Moore's admitted principal musical influences were Oscar Peterson
Oscar Peterson

Oscar Emmanuel Peterson, Order of Canada, National Order of Quebec, Order of Ontario was a Canada jazz pianist and composer. He was called the "Maharaja of the keyboard" by Duke Ellington, "O.P." by his friends, and was a member of jazz royalty....
 and Errol Garner. In a later interview he recalled the day he finally mastered Garner's unique left hand strum, and he was so excited he walked around for several days with his left hand constantly playing that extraordinary cadence. His early recordings included "My Blue Heaven", "Lysie Does It", "Poova Nova", "Take Your Time", "Indiana", "Sooz Blooz", "Bauble, Bangles and 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
Peter Cook

Peter Edward Cook was an English people satirist, writer and comedian. He is widely regarded as the leading figure in the British satire boom of the 1960s....
's club, The Establishment.

Moore composed the soundtracks for the films Bedazzled, Inadmissible Evidence, Staircase
Staircase (play)

Staircase is a two-character play by Charles Dyer about an aging gay couple who own a barber shop in the East End of London. One of them is a part-time actor about to go on trial for propositioning a police officer....
, and Six Weeks, among others.

In the early 1970s, he had a brief relationship with British singer-songwriter Lynsey De Paul
Lynsey De Paul

Lynsey de Paul is an England singer-songwriter....
, whom he met at a party.

Career


Pete and Dud
After following the Establishment to New York City
New York City

The City of New York is the List of United States cities by population in the United States, while the New York metropolitan area ranks among the List of urban areas by population....
, Moore returned to the UK and was offered his own series on the BBC. Not Only... But Also
Not Only... But Also

Not Only... But Also was a popular 1960s BBC United Kingdom television series starring Peter Cook and Dudley Moore.The show was originally intended as a solo project for Moore, called Not Only Dudley Moore, But Also His Guests....
 (1965) was commissioned as a vehicle for Moore, but when he invited Peter Cook
Peter Cook

Peter Edward Cook was an English people satirist, writer and comedian. He is widely regarded as the leading figure in the British satire boom of the 1960s....
 on as a guest, their comedy partnership
Double act

A double act, also known as a comedy duo, is a comic device in which humor is derived from the uneven relationship between two partners, usually of the same gender, age, ethnic origin, and profession, but drastically different personalities....
 was so notable that it became a fixture of the series. Cook and Moore are most remembered for their sketches as two working class men, Pete and Dud
Pete and Dud

Pete and Dud were characters played by the comedians and entertainers Peter Cook and Dudley Moore.The dialogue format originated in 1964 when Dudley Moore invited Peter Cook to appear in a television performance, whereupon Peter Cook scripted a conversation between two men from Dagenham in flat caps....
, in macs and cloth caps, commenting on politics and the arts, but they 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 by using a tape recorder to tape an adlibbed 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"—the programmes often went on live, and Cook would deliberately make him laugh in order to get an even bigger reaction from the studio audience. Regrettably, many of the videotapes and film reels of these seminal TV shows were later erased
Wiping

Wiping or junking is an action by radio and television companies in which old audiotapes, videotapes and telerecordings , are erased, reused or destroyed after several uses....
 by the BBC (an affliction which wiped out large portions of other British television productions as well, such as Doctor Who
Doctor Who

Doctor Who is a British Science fiction on television programme produced by the BBC. The programme depicts the adventures of a mysterious alien Time travel known as "Doctor " who travels in his space and time-ship, the TARDIS, which normally appears from the exterior to be a blue 1950s police box....
), although some of the soundtracks (which were issued on record) have survived. Moore and Cook co-starred in the film Bedazzled (1967) with Eleanor Bron
Eleanor Bron

Eleanor Bron is a United Kingdom stage, film and television actor and author....
, and also had tours called Behind the Fridge and Good Evening.

Their three albums of the late 1970s as Derek and Clive
Derek and Clive

Derek and Clive are controversial cult characters created by double act Dudley Moore and Peter Cook respectively on the records Derek and Clive , 1976; Derek and Clive Come Again, 1977 and Derek and Clive Ad Nauseam, 1978 and a film documentary, Derek and Clive Get the Horn, 1979....
, were widely condemned for their use of obscene language and shocking, ad-libbed content. Shortly following the last of these, Ad Nauseam
Derek and Clive Ad Nauseam

Derek and Clive Ad Nauseam is the third and final recording made by Peter Cook and Dudley Moore of their characters Derek and Clive. The record is difficult to listen to in places as it also charts the breakup of their double act.For an advertising ploy when the record was released itcame with its own airplane sickbag and is still to this day...
, Moore made a break with Cook, whose alcoholism
Alcoholism

Alcoholism is a term with multiple and sometimes conflicting definitions to describe the detrimental effects of alcohol intake.In common and historic usage, alcoholism refers to any condition that results in the continued consumption of alcoholic beverages despite health problems and negative social consequences....
 was affecting his work, to concentrate on his film career. When Moore began to manifest the symptoms of a disease that eventually killed him (progressive supranuclear palsy
Progressive supranuclear palsy

Progressive supranuclear palsy is a rare degenerative disease involving the gradual deterioration and death of selected areas of the brain.The sexes are affected approximately equally and there is no racial, geographical or occupational predilection....
), it was at first suspected that he too had a drinking problem. Two of Moore's early starring roles, were the titular drunken playboy Arthur
Arthur (film)

Arthur is a 1981 film set in New York City which tells the story of drunken playboy millionaire Arthur Bach , who is on the brink of an arranged marriage to a wealthy heiress, Susan Johnson ....
, and to a lesser extent the heavy drinker George Webber in 10
10 (film)

10 is a 1979 in film romantic comedy film directed by Blake Edwards and starring Bo Derek, Dudley Moore and Julie Andrews. Considered a trend-setting film at the time, and one of the year's biggest box office hits, the movie made superstars of Derek and Moore....
.

Later career
In the late 1970s, Moore moved to Hollywood, where he appeared in Foul Play
Foul Play

Foul Play is a 1978 in film film by Colin Higgins starring Goldie Hawn and Chevy Chase. They are supported by Burgess Meredith, Brian Dennehy, Billy Barty and Dudley Moore in one of his first American feature film appearances....
 (1978) with Goldie Hawn
Goldie Hawn

Goldie Jean Hawn is an Academy Award- and Golden Globe- winning United Statesn actress, film director and film producer, best known for her 'dumb blonde' persona in a series of popular comedy....
 and Chevy Chase
Chevy Chase

Cornelius Crane ?Chevy? Chase is an United States Emmy Award comedian, writer, and television and film actor. Born into a prominent family, Chase quickly became a key cast member in the inaugural season of Saturday Night Live, where his Weekend Update skit quickly became a staple of the show....
. The following year saw his breakout role in Blake Edwards
Blake Edwards

Blake Edwards is an Academy Award-winning United States film director, screenwriter, and film producer.Born William Blake Crump in Tulsa, Oklahoma, Edwards was the son of a stage director....
's 10, which he followed up with the movie Wholly Moses
Wholly Moses

Wholly Moses! is a 1980 in film Bible spoof similar to that of Monty Python's Life of Brian. Dudley Moore, between star-making performances in 10 and Arthur, plays Old Testament-era idol maker Herschel, whose life and adventures seem to parallel that of the more famous Moses, all the while being misled to think HE is the prophet of God....
. Soon thereafter Arthur
Arthur (film)

Arthur is a 1981 film set in New York City which tells the story of drunken playboy millionaire Arthur Bach , who is on the brink of an arranged marriage to a wealthy heiress, Susan Johnson ....
, an even bigger hit than 10, which also starred Liza Minnelli
Liza Minnelli

Liza May Minnelli is an United Statesn actress and singer. She is the daughter of actress and singer Judy Garland and Garland's second husband, film director Vincente Minnelli....
 and Sir John Gielgud
John Gielgud

Sir Arthur John Gielgud, Order of Merit , Companion of Honour was an England actor and singer, particularly known for his warm and expressive voice, which his colleague Alec Guinness likened to "a silver trumpet muffled in silk"....
 (who won an Oscar for his role as Arthur's stern but loving man servant) and Geraldine Fitzgerald
Geraldine Fitzgerald

Geraldine Fitzgerald was an Academy Award-nominated Ireland-American actor and a member of the American Theatre Hall of Fame....
.

Moore was nominated for a Best Actor Academy Award but lost to Henry Fonda
Henry Fonda

Henry Jaynes Fonda was an United States Academy Awards-winning film and Stage actor, best known for his roles as plain-speaking idealists. Fonda's subtle, Naturalism acting style preceded by many years the popularization of method acting....
 (for On Golden Pond
On Golden Pond (1981 film)

On Golden Pond is a 1981 in film cinema of the United States drama film directed by Mark Rydell. The screenplay by Ernest Thompson was adapted from his On Golden Pond ....
). He did, however, win a Golden Globe award for Best Actor in a Musical/Comedy. In 1984, Moore had another hit, starring in the Blake Edwards
Blake Edwards

Blake Edwards is an Academy Award-winning United States film director, screenwriter, and film producer.Born William Blake Crump in Tulsa, Oklahoma, Edwards was the son of a stage director....
 directed Micki + Maude
Micki + Maude

Micki + Maude is a comedy film starring Dudley Moore as Rob Salinger, an overworked television reporter. It co-stars Tony-award winning actress, dancer, and singer Ann Reinking as Micki, a lawyer who eventually becomes promoted to a judge, and is Rob's first wife....
, co-starring Amy Irving
Amy Irving

Amy Davis Irving is an United States actress, known for her roles in the films Crossing Delancey, The Fury , Carrie and her The Oscars- and Golden Raspberry Awards nominated role in Yentl as well as acclaimed roles on Broadway theatre and off-Broadway....
. This won him another Golden Globe for Best Actor in a Musical/Comedy.

His subsequent films, including an Arthur sequel and an animated adaptation of King Kong
The Mighty Kong

The Mighty Kong is a 1998 in film animated, musical adaptation of the classic King Kong story. Jodi Benson and Dudley Moore headed its cast of voice actors....
, were inconsistent in terms of both critical and commercial reception. In later years Cook would wind up Moore by claiming he preferred Arthur 2: On the Rocks
Arthur 2: On the Rocks

Arthur 2: On the Rocks is the 1988 sequel to the 1981 Arthur . Lead actors Dudley Moore and Liza Minnelli reprised their roles.Billionaire Bert Johnson , the father of Susan Johnson , the wealthy woman whom Arthur jilted in the first film, takes control of Arthur's inheritance, and Arthur is soon broke and homeless....
 to Arthur
Arthur (film)

Arthur is a 1981 film set in New York City which tells the story of drunken playboy millionaire Arthur Bach , who is on the brink of an arranged marriage to a wealthy heiress, Susan Johnson ....
.

In addition to acting, Moore continued to work as a composer
Composer

A composer is a person who creates music, usually in the medium of musical notation, for interpretation and performance. The level of distinction between composers and other musicians varies, which affects issues such as copyright and the deference given to individual interpretations of a particular piece of music....
 and pianist
Pianist

A pianist is a musician who plays the piano. A professional pianist can perform solo pieces, play with an musical ensemble or orchestra, or accompany one or more singers, solo instrumentalists, or other performers....
, writing scores for a number of films and giving piano concerts, which were highlighted by his popular parodies of classical favourites. In addition, Moore collaborated with the conductor Sir Georg Solti
Georg Solti

Sir Georg Solti, Order of the British Empire was a Hungary-United Kingdom orchestral and operatic Conducting....
 to create a 1991 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

Michael Tilson Thomas , is an United States conducting, piano and composer. He is currently music director of the San Francisco Symphony....
 on a similar television series from 1993, Concerto!, likewise designed to introduce audiences to classical music concerto
Concerto

The term Concerto usually refers to a three-part musical work in which one solo instrument is accompanied by an orchestra. The concerto, as understood in this modern way, arose in the Baroque period side by side with the concerto grosso, which contrasted a small group of instruments with the rest of the orchestra....
s.

In 1987, he was interviewed for the New York Times by the music critic Rena Fruchter, herself an accomplished pianist. They became close friends. At that time Moore's film career was already on the wane. He was having trouble remembering his lines, a problem he had never previously encountered. He opted to concentrate on the piano, and enlisted Fruchter as an artistic partner. They performed as a duo in the U.S. and Australia
Australia

Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the southern hemisphere comprising the Australia of the world's smallest continent, the major island of Tasmania, and numerous list of islands of Australia in the Indian Ocean and Pacific Oceans....
. 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. Symptoms such as slurred speech and loss of balance were interpreted by the public and the media as a sign of drunkenness. Dudley Moore himself was at a loss to explain this. He moved into Fruchter's family home in New Jersey and stayed there for five years, but this, however, placed a great strain on both her marriage and her friendship with Moore, and she later set him up in the house next door.

Moore was deeply affected by the untimely death of Peter Cook
Peter Cook

Peter Edward Cook was an English people satirist, writer and comedian. He is widely regarded as the leading figure in the British satire boom of the 1960s....
 in 1995, and for weeks would regularly telephone Cook's home in London just to get the telephone answering machine and hear his friend's voice. 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
Martin Lewis

Martin Neil Lewis is a United States-based England humorist, writer, radio/TV host, producer and Marketing strategy. He is known for his participation in a variety of projects in the arts and entertainment worlds including his work as the co-creator and co-producer of the The Secret Policeman's Balls benefit shows for Amnesty Internatio...
 in organizing a two-day salute to Cook in Los Angeles which Moore co-hosted with Lewis.

Personal life

Moore was married and divorced four times: to actresses Suzy Kendall
Suzy Kendall

Suzy Kendall , is a United Kingdom actress best known for her film roles in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Her blonde, attractive looks got her leading roles in some fairly prestigious productions....
 and Tuesday Weld
Tuesday Weld

Tuesday Weld is an American actress.Weld began her acting career as a child, and progressed to more mature roles during the late 1950s. She won a Golden Globe Award in 1960....
 (by whom he had a son, Patrick, in 1976); Brogan Lane and Nicole Rothschild (one son, Nicholas, born in 1995).

He maintained good relationships with Kendall particularly, and also Weld and Lane. However, he expressly forbade Rothschild to attend his funeral. At the time his illness became apparent, he was going through a difficult divorce from Rothschild, despite sharing a household in Los Angeles with not only her but also her previous husband.

Moore dated and was a favourite of some of Hollywood's most attractive women, including the statuesque Susan Anton
Susan Anton

Susan Ellen Anton is an United States singing and actress from Oak Glen, California. Susan attended Yucaipa High School in Yucaipa, California, and graduated in 1968....
.

Illness and death
In June 1998, Nicole Rothschild was reported to have told an American television show that Moore was "waiting to die" due to a serious illness, but these reports were denied by Suzy Kendall
Suzy Kendall

Suzy Kendall , is a United Kingdom actress best known for her film roles in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Her blonde, attractive looks got her leading roles in some fairly prestigious productions....
.

On 30 September 1999, Moore announced that he was suffering from the terminal degenerative brain disorder Progressive Supranuclear Palsy
Progressive supranuclear palsy

Progressive supranuclear palsy is a rare degenerative disease involving the gradual deterioration and death of selected areas of the brain.The sexes are affected approximately equally and there is no racial, geographical or occupational predilection....
, and the illness had been diagnosed earlier in the year.

He died on 27 March 2002, as a result of pneumonia
Pneumonia

Pneumonia is an Inflammation illness of the lung. Frequently, it is described as lung parenchyma/alveolus inflammation and abnormal alveolar filling with fluid ....
, secondary to immobility caused by the palsy, in Plainfield, New Jersey
Plainfield, New Jersey

Plainfield is a City in Union County, New Jersey, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2000 Census, the city population was 47,829....
. Rena Fruchter was holding his hand when he died, and she reported his final words were "I can hear the music all around me". Moore was interred in Hillside Cemetery in Scotch Plains, New Jersey
Scotch Plains, New Jersey

Scotch Plains is a Township in Union County, New Jersey, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States Census, 2000, the township population was 22,732....
. Fruchter later wrote a memoir of their relationship (Dudley Moore, Ebury Press, 2004).

In December 2004, the UK's Channel 4
Channel 4

Channel 4 is a UK Public service broadcasting in the United Kingdom television broadcaster which began transmissions on 2 November 1982. Although commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the #Channel Four Television...
 television network broadcast Not Only But Always
Not Only But Always

Not Only But Always is a United Kingdom TV movie, originally screened on the Channel 4 network in the UK on December 30 2004. Written and directed by playwright Terry Johnson , the film tells the story of the working and personal relationship between the comedians Peter Cook and Dudley Moore, a hugely popular duo in the UK during the 1960...
, a television movie
Television movie

A television movie is a feature film that is produced for and originally distributed by a television network....
 dramatising the relationship between Moore and Cook, although the focus of the production was on Cook. Around the same time, the relationship between the two was also the subject of a stage play called Pete and Dud: Come Again
Pete and Dud: Come Again

Pete and Dud: Come Again is a stage play about Peter Cook and Dudley Moore written by Chris Bartlett and Nick Awde. This comedy drama had a sellout run at the Assembly Rooms as part of the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in August 2005 before transferring to London's West End at The Venue, in March 2006, in a version starring Kevin Bishop as Moore,...
.

Honours and awards

In June 2001, Moore was appointed a Commander of the Order of The British Empire
Order of the British Empire

The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a United Kingdom order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom....
 (CBE). Despite his deteriorating condition, he attended the ceremony, mute and wheelchair-bound, at Buckingham Palace
Buckingham Palace

Buckingham Palace is the official London residence of the British monarch. Located in the City of Westminster, the palace is a setting for state occasions and royal entertaining, and a major tourist attraction....
 to collect his honour.

Filmography

  • The Wrong Box
    The Wrong Box

    The Wrong Box is a British comedy film made by Salamander Film Productions and distributed by Columbia Pictures. It was produced and directed by Bryan Forbes from a screenplay by Larry Gelbart and Burt Shevelove, based on the The Wrong Box by Robert Louis Stevenson and Lloyd Osbourne....
     (1966)
  • Bedazzled
    Bedazzled (1967 film)

    Bedazzled is a 1967 in film film written by and starring Peter Cook and Dudley Moore, retelling the Faust legend in the Swinging London of the 1960s....
     (1967)
  • The Bed-Sitting Room
    The Bed-Sitting Room

    The Bed-Sitting Room is a satirical play by Spike Milligan and John Antrobus. It started off as a one-act play which was first produced at the Marlowe Theatre, Canterbury....
     (1969)
  • Monte Carlo or Bust
    Monte Carlo or Bust

    Monte Carlo or Bust is a 1969 in film comedy film. The story is based on the Monte Carlo Rally. The film is a United Kingdom/France/Italy co-production, and was released in the United States under the title Those Daring Young Men in Their Jaunty Jalopies....
     (1969)
  • Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
    Alice's Adventures in Wonderland

    Alice's Adventures in Wonderland is a novel written by England author Charles Lutwidge Dodgson under the pseudonym Lewis Carroll. It tells the story of a girl named Alice who falls down a Rabbit hole into a fantasy world populated by peculiar and anthropomorphic creatures....
     (1972)
  • The Hound of the Baskervilles
    The Hound of the Baskervilles (1978 film)

    The Hound of the Baskervilles is a 1978 British comedy film spoofing The Hound of the Baskervilles by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. It starred Peter Cook as Sherlock Holmes and Dudley Moore as John Watson ....
     (1978)
  • Foul Play
    Foul Play

    Foul Play is a 1978 in film film by Colin Higgins starring Goldie Hawn and Chevy Chase. They are supported by Burgess Meredith, Brian Dennehy, Billy Barty and Dudley Moore in one of his first American feature film appearances....
     (1978)
  • 10
    10 (film)

    10 is a 1979 in film romantic comedy film directed by Blake Edwards and starring Bo Derek, Dudley Moore and Julie Andrews. Considered a trend-setting film at the time, and one of the year's biggest box office hits, the movie made superstars of Derek and Moore....
     (1979)
  • BBC Horizon: "It's About Time" (1979)
  • Wholly Moses! (1980)
  • Arthur
    Arthur (film)

    Arthur is a 1981 film set in New York City which tells the story of drunken playboy millionaire Arthur Bach , who is on the brink of an arranged marriage to a wealthy heiress, Susan Johnson ....
     (1981)
  • Six Weeks (1982)
  • Lovesick
    Lovesick

    Lovesick is a 1983 in film romantic comedy film. It was written and directed by Marshall Brickman. It stars Dudley Moore, Elizabeth McGovern and guest stars Alec Guinness as the ghost of Sigmund Freud....
     (1983)
  • Romantic Comedy (1983)
  • Unfaithfully Yours
    Unfaithfully Yours (1984 film)

    Unfaithfully Yours is a 1984 in film romantic comedy film directed by Howard Zieff, starring Dudley Moore and Nastassja Kinski and featuring Armand Assante and Albert Brooks....
     (1984)
  • Micki + Maude
    Micki + Maude

    Micki + Maude is a comedy film starring Dudley Moore as Rob Salinger, an overworked television reporter. It co-stars Tony-award winning actress, dancer, and singer Ann Reinking as Micki, a lawyer who eventually becomes promoted to a judge, and is Rob's first wife....
     (1984)
  • Best Defense
    Best Defense

    Best Defense is a comedy starring Dudley Moore and Eddie Murphy. It was released in 1984 in film by Paramount Pictures....
     (1984)
  • Santa Claus: The Movie
    Santa Claus: The Movie

    Santa Claus: The Movie is a 1985 in film Christmas film starring Dudley Moore and John Lithgow. It is the last major fantasy film movie producer by the Paris-based father-and-son production team of Alexander Salkind and Ilya Salkind....
     (1985)
  • The Adventures of Milo and Otis
    The Adventures of Milo and Otis

    The Adventures of Milo and Otis is a live action Japanese film about an Orange tabby cat named Milo and a fawn pug named Otis. The original Japanese version was released in 1986 and the reworked English language version was released in 1989 in the United States....
     (1986, English voice over)
  • Like Father Like Son
    Like Father Like Son (1987 film)

    Like Father Like Son is a 1987 in film comedy film starring Kirk Cameron and Dudley Moore. This film is a remake of the 1976 classic Disney film Freaky Friday ....
     (1987)
  • Arthur 2: On the Rocks
    Arthur 2: On the Rocks

    Arthur 2: On the Rocks is the 1988 sequel to the 1981 Arthur . Lead actors Dudley Moore and Liza Minnelli reprised their roles.Billionaire Bert Johnson , the father of Susan Johnson , the wealthy woman whom Arthur jilted in the first film, takes control of Arthur's inheritance, and Arthur is soon broke and homeless....
     (1988)
  • Crazy People
    Crazy People

    Crazy People is a 1990 in film movie starring Dudley Moore as a burnt out advertising executive whose mental breakdown lands him in a psychiatric hospital....
     (1990)
  • Blame It on the Bellboy (1992)
  • The Disappearance of Kevin Johnson
    The Disappearance of Kevin Johnson

    The Disappearance of Kevin Johnson is a mockumentary on the disappearance of a fictitious wealthy United Kingdom film producer, Kevin Johnson, who is dealing in sex, lies and blackmail in Hollywood....
     (1995)
  • The Mighty Kong
    The Mighty Kong

    The Mighty Kong is a 1998 in film animated, musical adaptation of the classic King Kong story. Jodi Benson and Dudley Moore headed its cast of voice actors....
     (1998)


Discography


UK chart singles

  • "Goodbye-ee" (1965) Peter Cook and Dudley Moore
  • "The L.S. Bumble Bee" (1967) Peter Cook and Dudley Moore
  • "Song for Suzy" (1972) Dudley Moore Trio — upbeat jazz.


Jazz discography

  • Dudley Moore Trio - London Records PS558
  • From Beyond The Fringe - Atlantic Standard 2 017
  • Dudley Moore plays The Theme From Beyond The Fringe and All That Jazz - Atlantic 1403
  • The World of Dudley Moore - Decca SPA 106
  • Genuine Dud - Decca LK 4788
  • 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 BLP 12151
  • Smilin' Through - Cleo Laine & Dudley Moore - - Finesse Records FW 38091
  • Dudley Dell - Parlophone 45R 4772
  • Strictly For The Birds - Cleo Laine & Dudley Moore - CBS A 2947
  • The Theme From "Beyond The Fringe" & All That Jazz - Collectibles COL 6625
  • Live From an Aircraft Hanger - Martine Avenue Productions MAPI 8486
  • Songs Without Words - GRP/BMG LC 6713
  • The First Orchestrations - Dudley Moore & Richard Rodney Bennett - Played by John Bassett and his Band - Harkit Records HRKCD 8054
  • Jazz Jubilee - Martine Avenue Productions MAPI 1521


Further reading

  • From Fringe to Flying Circus - 'Celebrating a Unique Generation of Comedy 1960-1980' - Roger Wilmut, Eyre Methuen Ltd, 1980*
  • Dudley Moore, Rena Fruchter, Ebury Press, 2004.
  • Fallen Stars, Julian Upton, Headpress, 2004.


External links