As one of Hollywood's most prolific child actors, Dickie Moore (September 12, 1925) appeared in dozens of the Our Gang shorts. His natural talent, appealing presence and undeniable "cute" factor also made him a success in films such as Madame X (1929), Blonde Venus (1932) and Oliver Twist (1933). Not uncommon to child stars, Moore hit a rough patch as he entered adolescence; his film credits of the 1940's veer wildly from uncredited bits to featured roles in programmers like Youths Run Wild (1944). He also gave Shirley Temple her first screen kiss, in the minor comedy Miss Annie Rooney (1942).
Outgrowing his awkward stage, Moore matured into a striking young man, but that didn't translate into adult stardom. He did make a memorable appearance as "The Kid" in the noir classic, Out of the Past (1947), and had an effective cameo as the handsome soldier in the 1952 film version of Member of the Wedding.
PAUL VALENTINE, JANE GREER & DICKIE MOORE IN OUT OF THE PAST (1947)
Retiring from show business in the 1950's, Moore became a public relations executive. He penned his memoirs in 1981, Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star: And Don't Have Sex or Take the Car; in doing his research for the book, he met, for the first time (!), former MGM ingenue, Jane Powell; the two were married in 1988 and are still happily married today.
We had the pleasure of seeing Mr. Moore and Ms. Powell make a public appearance last year; they were gracious, charming and a lot of fun as they reminisced about their respective careers. Happy Birthday, Dickie Moore!
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