Terry Moore
About
Biography
Filmography
Family & Companions
Bibliography
Biography
Lively, full-figured lead of the post-WWII era, never a top star but one whose career, in retrospect, sums up much of 1950s attitudes about women, sexuality, and permissiveness. A photographer's child model, Moore entered films in 1940 in "Maryland" and played small parts in a variety of films under first her real name, and then as Judy Ford and Jan Ford. At 19 she played a girl convinced that her horse was the reincarnation of a dead uncle in the odd comedy "The Return of October" (1948). She attracted more attention the following year, however, in another strange, but decidedly better, film about a woman and her pet, "Mighty Joe Young" (1949). For many buffs, the most indelible image of Moore's career was of her born aloft by her bush-league King Kong, playing "Beautiful Dreamer" on a piano.
Although Moore began playing innocents, during her peak she often played boldly flirtatious ingenues, sometimes from the wrong side of the tracks, sometimes from "old money," whose burgeoning sexuality often leads her into fast cars with reckless Romeos who had been drinking too much at the prom. Sometimes her gallery of teases and tramps was to the betterment of the picture: well-cast, she copped an Oscar nomination as Best Supporting Actress as the downstairs neighbor in "Come Back, Little Sheba" (1952). Moore also did well in a typical role in the surprisingly good small-town expose, "Peyton Place" (1957) and in very restrained and appealing supporting work in "Daddy Long Legs" (1955). But too often Moore was exploited for her vivacity and figure; as she approached 30 the cheerleader roles didn't suit her and, by the time of "Why Must I Die?" (1960), a revamp of the Susan Hayward hit "I Want to Live" (1958), she hadn't been groomed to move into tough melodrama territory.
Moore did the next best thing, TV, starring in the well-done proto-"Dallas" Western soaper, "Empire" (1962-64) and later bringing a professional seasoning to occasional leads and supporting roles in minor features ranging from "Town Tamer" (1965) to "Hellhole" (1984). Part of the sensationalistic aspect of Moore's persona had always been her private life: her three marriages and many beaus (including Henry Kissinger) had always been good tabloid material, and Moore again garnered attention when she wrote of her secret marriage to reclusive, eccentric billionaire Howard Hughes. A woman of considerable drive, Moore ventured into cosmetics with a company called "Moore's More," appeared on the cover of a 1984 issue of Playboy and even formed a production company with partner Jerry Rivers, co-producing, acting in and co-writing the original story for the minor satire, "Beverly Hills Brats" (1989).
Filmography
Assistant Direction (Feature Film)
Cast (Feature Film)
Writer (Feature Film)
Producer (Feature Film)
Film Production - Main (Feature Film)
Misc. Crew (Feature Film)
Cast (Special)
Cast (TV Mini-Series)
Producer (TV Mini-Series)
Film Production - Construction/Set (TV Mini-Series)
Casting (TV Mini-Series)
Life Events
1940
Made feature film debut in "Maryland"; was also in "The Howards of Virginia" that year; at the time known under her original name, Helen Koford
1942
Worked as "Judy Ford" in films including "My Gal Sal" (1942), "Gaslight" (1944) and "Son of Lassie" (1945)
1947
Billed as "Jan Ford" in the feature, "The Devil on Wheels"
1948
First film with the name "Terry Moore", "Return to October"
1949
Attracted attention in the film, "Mighty Joe Young"
1952
Received an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress for "Come Back, Little Sheba"
1960
Left feature film work for a time
1965
Returned to features with roles in "Black Spurs", "Town Tamer" and "City of Fear"
1984
Appeared on the cover of the August issue of <i>Playboy</i>
1988
Formed Moore/Rivers Productions with partner Jerry Rivers
1989
Producer, acted in and provided original story for the feature comedy, "Beverly Hills Brats"
1997
Filmed cameo in remake of "Mighty Joe Young"
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Family
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