DUDLEY MOORE
1935 – 2002

Dudley Moore was a celebrated actor and comedian, as well as an accomplished musician, composer and conductor, perhaps best known for the 1960’s satirical revue “Beyond the Fringe” and his leading roles within acclaimed films “10” and “Arthur”.

Dudley was born in London to working class parents and raised on the Becontree Estate in Dagenham, Essex. Born with club feet, he endured extensive hospital treatments as a child with only partial success which left him self-conscious throughout his lifetime. At 5’ 2” what he lacked in height, he certainly made up for in talent and at the age of six Dudley became a chorister and at aged eleven he earned a scholarship to the Guildhall School of Music, where he took up harpsichord, organ, violin, musical theory and composition. He went on to win an organ scholarship, and studied music at Magdalen College at Oxford University. During this time he also developed a love of jazz music and became an accomplished jazz pianist and composer, working with musicians such as John Dankworth and Cleo Laine and later formed the Dudley Moore Trio with Jeff Clyne and Chris Karen.

While studying at Oxford, Dudley met Alan Bennett and performed with The Oxford Revue. They were recruited by the Artistic Director of the Edinburgh International Fringe Festival, Robert Ponsonby, along with Cambridge graduates, Jonathan Miller and Peter Cook and in 1960 this talented quartet of Oxbridge graduates, wrote and starred in the uniquely memorable comedy revue “Beyond the Fringe”, which following its debut at the Royal Lyceum Theatre, Edinburgh, and short run at the Cambridge Arts Theatre, went on to collect rave reviews at the Fortune Theatre in London’s West End in 1961. The Observer’s critic, Kenneth Tynan, wrote “Future historians may well thank me for providing them with a full accord of the moment when English comedy took its first decisive step into the twentieth century.”

The show transferred, with the original cast, to Broadway and was staged at the John Golden Theatre between 1962 and 1964 earning the cast a Special Tony Award for the Broadway Production and a TV Special was produced by the BBC in 1964.

“Beyond the Fringe” captured the mood of Britain in the 1960’s and its huge success launched the satire movement and was a major force in establishing a completely new comedy era which remains an ongoing powerful influence on comedy for future generations.

Having forged the infamous comedy partnership between Cook & Moore, following the successful tour on Broadway and upon return to the UK, Dudley was offered his own television sketch show “Not Only …. But Also” for the BBC. This was intended as a vehicle for Dudley but his invitation to Peter Cook to appear alongside him on the pilot episode led to Peter becoming a permanent fixture. Series 1 aired in 1965, followed by a second series in 1966 together with a Special on Boxing Day. The third and final series aired in 1970. Not Only..But Also introduced the hilarious cloth capped duo Pete and Dud and Dudley is fondly remembered for “corpsing” during the sketches. They jointly received a BAFTA Television Award for Best Light Entertainment Programme and, “Goodbyeee”, the theme tune, written and performed by Peter & Dudley (and the Dudley Moore Trio) was released as a single on the Decca label on 25th May 1965.

During series 2 and 3 of ‘Not Only … But Also’ Cook and Moore briefly switched to Lew Grade’s ATV and recorded four one-hour programmes entitled “Goodbye Again” (1968 and 1969) on the ITV network.

Television success meant that Cook & Moore were now household names and this led to a number of appearances in comedy feature films including “The Wrong Box” (1966) and “Bedazzled” directed by Stanley Donen and written by Cook & Moore (1967). Two further films followed in 1968 “Monte Carlo or Bust” and “The Bed Sitting Room”. In 1968 and 1969 Dudley took on two solo comedy ventures; a film “30 is a Dangerous Age, Cynthia’” and, on stage at the Globe Theatre, London, Woody Allen’s, ”Play it Again Sam”.

In 1971 Cook & Moore embarked on a year-long successful tour of Australia in “Behind the Fridge” (a take on the ‘Beyond the Fringe’ title) featuring sketches from “Not Only … But Also”, “Goodbye Again” and newly created material. Whilst in Australia two Specials were produced by the Australian Broadcasting Commission “Not Only …. But Also : Peter Cook & Dudley Moore in Australia”. The production transferred to New York under the a new title “Good Evening” in 1973 and won them a second Special Tony Award in 1974 for ‘unique contribution to the theatre of comedy’ and the recording of the show won them a Grammy. It ran for a year on Broadway, and then on tour, including the Royal Alexandra Theatre in Toronto, before the show finally closed, in Los Angeles in 1975.

It is said that during the run of “Good Evening”, Peter persuaded Dudley to record the notoriously obscene Derek & Clive; three albums were released, “Derek & Clive Live” (Island Records – 1976), “Derek & Clive Come Again” – 1977 and “Ad Nauseum” (Virgin Records – 1978), the latter being accompanied by a film “Derek & Clive Get the Horn” released by Polygram.

Together they hosted and performed on NBC’s “Saturday Night Live” which aired in January 1976 and their final film together was “The Hound of the Baskervilles” in 1978.

Despite both enjoying separate careers and various rumours of a rift within their relationship, the bond between Peter and Dudley remained unbroken, and they reunited to appear in the US charity show Comic Relief ’87 hosted by Billy Crystal and produced by HBO recreating the ‘One Leg Too Few’ sketch, and later in 1989 for the Amnesty International benefit show “The Secret Policeman’s Biggest Ball” performing Arthur Streeb Greeebling’s ‘Frog and Peach’ sketch which was performed live over a number of nights at the Cambridge Theatre in London’s West End and also televised.

In the mid-70s Dudley decided to settle in America to pursue a film career which afforded him international success. Credits included “Foul Play” with Chevy Chase and Goldie Hawn in 1978 for which Dudley was nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Actor in a Supporting Role and “10” a romantic comedy in which he co-stared with Bo Derek and which became one of the biggest box office hits of 1979. He then went on to star in the title role of the critically acclaimed “Arthur” with Liza Minnelli (for which Dudley was nominated for an Oscar as Best Actor and winner of the Golden Globe Best Actor in a Motion Picture) in 1981, followed by “Six Weeks” (for which he composed the score and was nominated for a Golden Globe Best Original Score) in 1982 and “Micki & Maude” (1984) which earned Dudley a Golden Globe Best Actor Award.

Numerous film followed including, to name but a few, “Unfaithfully Yours” (1984), Santa Claus : The Movie” (1985) and the sequel “Arthur 2: On the Rocks” (1988), “Crazy People” (1990) and “Blame It On the Bellboy” (1992).
In the UK Dudley was the subject of “This is Your Life” twice – 1972 and 1986 and the guest subject for “An Audience With ….” for LTW in 1981.

Music continued to be a passion throughout Dudley’s life and career and in addition to acting, Dudley continued as a composer and pianist, writing scores for a number of his films including ‘Bedazzled’, ‘The Hound of the Baskervilles’, ’30 is a Dangerous Age, Cynthia’ and ‘Six Weeks’ as well as performing in concert. The Dudley Moore Trio made many appearances on British television, and were resident performers at Peter Cook’s Establishment Comedy Club in the 60’s and toured extensively in the UK and Australia as well as releasing a number of albums.

In 1981, he performed A Salute to George Gershwin with the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra at the Hollywood Bowl, and in 1982, after a New York concert with violinist Robert Mann, resumed a classical career that took him around the globe in performances as a piano soloist with major orchestras. During the 1990’s, he played several Carnegie Hall Benefits for Music For All Seasons, Inc., for which he served as founding Advisory Board President, and he toured with long time two-piano partner, Rena Fruchter.

Worrying symptoms affecting Dudley’s work led to a diagnosis of Progressive Supra-Nuclear Palsy (PSP); a rare degenerative disease which effected his speech and movement and for which there was no cure. One of his final appearances was in a moving and poignant tribute “Omnibus – Dudley Moore : After the Laughter” for BBC1 in December 2000. Within this programme a composition for a string quartet (written for his final exams) was discovered in a library in Oxford and was performed for him.

Dudley was awarded an CBE in November 2001. This was his last public appearance. Sadly, he passed away on March 27, 2002 aged just 66 after a long and debilitating illness, leaving behind a legacy record of comic and musical genius.

In celebrating Dudley’s memory the legacy lives on through programmes, books and music produced and published in his lifetime and posthumously including “Not Only But Always” an affectionate drama that examines the relationship between Peter & Dudley made by Company Pictures for Channel 4 in 2004, “The South Bank Show – Pete n’ Dud : The Lost Series” for ITV which focused on the specials recorded for ATV and which were released on DVD in the same year titled “The Very Best of Goodbye Again”, “Pete & Dud : The Lost Sketches” hosted by Jonathan Ross and including contemporary comedians recreating the ‘wiped’ sketches from original scripts which was produced by Hotsauce for the BBC (2010), “The Unforgettable Dudley Moore” made by North One Television for ITV in 2012.

Sadly, much of “Not Only …. But Also” has been wiped by the BBC but ‘The Best of What’s Left of Not Only But Also’ and “The Best of Cook & Moore” are both available on DVD.

In 2009 Australian company Token produced a tour of Australia, “Good Evening – The Sketches of Peter Cook & Dudley Moore” starring Shaun Micallef and Stephen Curry which included a prestigious season at the Sydney Opera House.

Rena Fruchter wrote a touching account of Dudley’s final years, which also takes the reader back through his life story “Dudley Moore : An Intimate Portrait” and a number of letters between Dudley Moore to his former high school music teacher, Peter Cork, between 1980 and 1994 have been published in “Letters from Dudley”.

Dudley co-founded with Rena Fruchter, Martine Avenue Productions. Inc, in order to continue to produce, publish and distribute his music. Since his death Rena is proud to continue this work and to ensure that his music is readily available to be enjoyed and appreciated. Available recordings include “Dudley Down Under – Unabridged” with the Dudley Moore Trio, “Live from an Aircraft Hanger”, “Bedazzled Revisited” (a remastered soundtrack), “The Dudley Moore Trio – Jazz In Oz” and “Songs without Words”. Further information can be found on www.dudleycd.com and the purchase of these recordings will directly benefit two charities closely associated with Dudley Moore: The Dudley Moore Research Fund for PSP and Music For All Seasons, Inc.