Thomas J. Moore
Encyclopedia
Thomas J. "Tom" Moore was an Irish-born American actor
and director
. He appeared in at least 186 motion pictures
from 1908
to 1954
. Frequently cast as the romantic lead, he starred in silent movies
as well as in some of the first talkies
.
Born in Fordstown Crossroads, County Meath
, Moore, along with his brothers, Owen
, Matt, and Joe (1895–1926), emigrated to the United States. Owen and Matt also had successful movie careers. Tom Moore appeared in his first silent motion picture in 1908. He also directed 17 motion pictures in 1914
and 1915
, including The Secret Room
(1915).
Alice Joyce
, with whom he had a daughter, Alice Moore (1916–1960), who acted in six films with her father from 1934 to 1937. While in New York City
on New Year's Eve, 1920, Moore met the young French actress Renée Adorée
. A whirlwind romance ensued and six weeks after meeting, they were married on February 12, 1921, in his home in Beverly Hills
. The marriage lasted only a few years. In 1931, Moore was married a third time to Eleanor Merry.
The Great Depression
saw many studios close and much consolidation as the motion picture industry went through tough times. Moore retired from the screen in the mid 1930s. Ten years later, he returned to act in minor supporting roles.
Tom Moore died, aged 71, in Santa Monica, California
. He has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
at 1640 Vine Street.
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
and director
Film director
A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
. He appeared in at least 186 motion pictures
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
from 1908
1908 in film
The year 1908 in film involved some significant events.-Events:*Thomas Edison formed the Motion Picture Patents Company, with goals of controlling production and distribution, raising theater admission prices, cooperating with censorship bodies, and preventing film stock from getting into the hands...
to 1954
1954 in film
The year 1954 in film involved some significant events and memorable ones.-Events:*May 12 - The Marx Brothers' Zeppo Marx divorces wife Marion Benda...
. Frequently cast as the romantic lead, he starred in silent movies
Silent film
A silent film is a film with no synchronized recorded sound, especially with no spoken dialogue. In silent films for entertainment the dialogue is transmitted through muted gestures, pantomime and title cards...
as well as in some of the first talkies
Sound film
A sound film is a motion picture with synchronized sound, or sound technologically coupled to image, as opposed to a silent film. The first known public exhibition of projected sound films took place in Paris in 1900, but decades would pass before sound motion pictures were made commercially...
.
Born in Fordstown Crossroads, County Meath
County Meath
County Meath is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Mid-East Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the ancient Kingdom of Mide . Meath County Council is the local authority for the county...
, Moore, along with his brothers, Owen
Owen Moore
Owen Moore was an Irish-born actor in American films, appearing in more than 279 movies spanning from 1908 to 1937.-Life and career:...
, Matt, and Joe (1895–1926), emigrated to the United States. Owen and Matt also had successful movie careers. Tom Moore appeared in his first silent motion picture in 1908. He also directed 17 motion pictures in 1914
1914 in film
The year 1914 in film involved some significant events, including the debut of Cecil B. DeMille as a director.-Events:*The 3,300-seat Mark Strand Theatre opens in New York City....
and 1915
1915 in film
The year 1915 in film involved some significant events.-Events:* February 8 : D.W Griffith's The Birth of a Nation premieres at Clune's Auditorium Los Angeles and breaks box office and film length records, running at a total length of 3 hrs 10 minutes.* June 18 : The Motion Picture Directors...
, including The Secret Room
The Secret Room
Y Stafell Ddirgel is a novel by Marion Eames written in the Welsh language and first published in 1969. An English translation was published in 1975 under the title The Secret Room...
(1915).
Personal life
In 1914, he married silent starMovie star
A movie star is a celebrity who is well-known, or famous, for his or her starring, or leading, roles in motion pictures. The term may also apply to an actor or actress who is recognized as a marketable commodity and whose name is used to promote a movie in trailers and posters...
Alice Joyce
Alice Joyce
Alice Joyce was an American actress, who appeared in more than 200 movies during the 1910s and 1920s, perhaps best known for her roles in the 1923 silent and 1930 talking versions of The Green Goddess....
, with whom he had a daughter, Alice Moore (1916–1960), who acted in six films with her father from 1934 to 1937. While in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
on New Year's Eve, 1920, Moore met the young French actress Renée Adorée
Renée Adorée
Renée Adorée was a French actress who had appeared in Hollywood silent movies during the 1920s.-Early life:...
. A whirlwind romance ensued and six weeks after meeting, they were married on February 12, 1921, in his home in Beverly Hills
Beverly Hills, California
Beverly Hills is an affluent city located in Los Angeles County, California, United States. With a population of 34,109 at the 2010 census, up from 33,784 as of the 2000 census, it is home to numerous Hollywood celebrities. Beverly Hills and the neighboring city of West Hollywood are together...
. The marriage lasted only a few years. In 1931, Moore was married a third time to Eleanor Merry.
The Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
saw many studios close and much consolidation as the motion picture industry went through tough times. Moore retired from the screen in the mid 1930s. Ten years later, he returned to act in minor supporting roles.
Tom Moore died, aged 71, in Santa Monica, California
Santa Monica, California
Santa Monica is a beachfront city in western Los Angeles County, California, US. Situated on Santa Monica Bay, it is surrounded on three sides by the city of Los Angeles — Pacific Palisades on the northwest, Brentwood on the north, West Los Angeles on the northeast, Mar Vista on the east, and...
. He has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
Hollywood Walk of Fame
The Hollywood Walk of Fame consists of more than 2,400 five-pointed terrazzo and brass stars embedded in the sidewalks along fifteen blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of Vine Street in Hollywood, California...
at 1640 Vine Street.
Selected filmography
- Dodging a Million (1918)
- Made in HeavenMade in HeavenMade in Heaven is the fifteenth studio album by British rock group Queen and the final one to feature lead singer Freddie Mercury and bassist John Deacon, released on 6 November 1995...
(1921) - One Night in RomeOne Night in RomeOne Night in Rome is a 1924 film starring Laurette Taylor. The film was directed by Clarence G. Badger and written J. Hartley Manners, Ms. Taylor's husband, based upon his play. Laurette Taylor was a great name of the American theatre, who made only three films in a triumph-studded career, all of...
(1924) - ManhandledManhandledManhandled is a 1949 film noir produced by Paramount Pictures and its B-unit Pine-Thomas. The film stars Dorothy Lamour, Dan Duryea, and Sterling Hayden and is based on the novel The Man Who Stole a Dream by L. S. Goldsmith.-Featured cast:...
(1924) - The Love Thrill (1927)
- The Wise Wife (1927)
- Stout Hearts and Willing HandsStout Hearts and Willing HandsStout Hearts and Willing Hands is a 1931 short comedy film directed by Bryan Foy. It was nominated for an Academy Award in 1932 for Best Short Subject , but was disqualified.-Cast:* Frank Fay* Lew Cody* Laura La Plante* Alec B...
(1931) - Trouble for TwoTrouble for TwoTrouble for Two is a 1936 film starring Robert Montgomery and Rosalind Russell. It is based on The Suicide Club, a short story collection by Robert Louis Stevenson...
(1936) - Ten Laps To Go (1938)
- Behind Green LightsBehind Green Lights-Cast:*Carole Landis as Janet Bradley*William Gargan as Lt. Sam Carson*Richard Crane as Johnny Williams, Reporter*Mary Anderson as Nora Bard*John Ireland as Det. Engelhofer*Charles Russell as Arthur Templeton*Roy Roberts as Max Calvert*Mabel Paige as Flossie...
(1946) - Mother Wore TightsMother Wore TightsMother Wore Tights is a 1947 musical film starring Betty Grable and Dan Dailey as married vaudeville performers. This was Grable and Dailey's first film together, based on a book of the same name by Miriam Young. It was the highest grossing film of Grable's career up to that time, earning more...
(1947) - Road HouseRoad House (1948 film)For the 1989 film, see Road House .Road House is a film noir drama directed by Jean Negulesco, with cinematography by Joseph LaShelle. The picture features Ida Lupino, Cornel Wilde, Celeste Holm, Richard Widmark, among others....
(1948)