Dudley Moore

Dudley Stuart John Moore, CBE (19 April 1935 – 27 March 2002) was an English actor, comedian, musician and composer.

Moore first came to prominence in the UK as one of the four writer-performers in the comedy revue Beyond the Fringe from 1960, and with one member of that team, Peter Cook, collaborated on the television series Not Only... But Also. The double act worked on other projects until the mid-1970s, by which time Moore had settled in Los Angeles to concentrate on his movie acting.

His solo career as a comedy film actor was heightened by the success of hit Hollywood films, particularly Foul Play, 10 and Arthur. He received an Oscar nomination for the latter role.

Early life

Moore was born in the original Charing Cross Hospital, in central London, the son of Ada Francis (née Hughes), a secretary, and John Moore, a railway electrician. His father was Scottish, from Glasgow. Moore was brought up in Dagenham, east London. He was notably short: 5 ft 2.5 in (1.588 m) and was born with club feet that required extensive hospital treatment and, coupled with his diminutive stature, made him the butt of jokes from other children. His right foot responded well to corrective treatment and had straightened itself by the time he was six, but his left foot became permanently twisted and consequently his left leg below the knee was withered. This was something he remained very self-conscious of throughout his life.

Dudey Moore

Donald W. "Dudey" Moore (April 5, 1910 – April 8, 1984) was an American college men's basketball coach. He was the head coach of Duquesne from 1948 to 1958 and La Salle from 1958-1963. He coached his teams to a 270-107 record, winning the 1955 National Invitation Tournament, five NIT semifinals appearances and making one NCAA tournament appearance. At Duquesne, Moore's team achieved a 17–5 record in the '49 season, and in 1950, 23 wins and another bid to the NIT. The 1950s marked an age of immense success for Dukes Basketball, with Moore leading his team to six NIT bids, during which time Moore was named "United Press Coach of the Year" and achieved a school-record 21–1 season (1951–52). In 1953, Duquesne was rated as a preseason "best in the East" and possibly the nation. With a 23–2 record, they were top seed for the NIT that year. Although they lost to the College of the Holy Cross, they achieved a new record of 26 victories in a season. Top-seeded again in '54, Duquesne, following a 19–4 regular season, finally won the title of NIT Champions in 1955. Moore coached such players as Chuck Cooper, Si Green, Dick Ricketts, and Bill Raferty.