Delving Into Del Moore

May 14 was the birthday of the great comedy foil Del Moore (Marion Delbridge Moore, 1916-1970). Moore completes a triad of comedy Dels that also includes Del Lord, who directed the Three Stooges at Columbia, and Dell Henderson, who worked with just about all of the classic comedians.

Moore was best known for his long association with Jerry Lewis, with his best known role being Dr. Warfield, the college dean in The Nutty Professor (1963). He also appeared with Lewis in Hollywood or Bust (1956, his last picture with Dean Martin), The Bell Boy (1960), Cinderfella (1960), The Ladies Man (1961), The Errand Boy (1961), It’s Only Money (1962), Who’s Minding the Store? (1963), The Patsy (1964), The Disorderly Orderly (1964), Three on a Couch (1966), The Big Mouth (1967), and Hook, Line and Sinker (1969). I posted about some of those films here.

The Florida native had started out as a radio announcer. He was among the many of that generation who adapted that straight, flat vocal delivery of radio broadcasting to the job of being a comedy straight man in movies and television. Among his other notable credits: parts in the Joe McDoakes comedy shorts with George O’Hanlon (1952-54), and being cast as regulars on the sit-coms Life with Elizabeth (1953-55) and Bachelor Father (1960-62). Along the way there were guest shots on The Life of Riley,The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet, Wagon Train,The Lucy Show,The Addams Family, I Dream Jeannie, F Troop, Batman, My Three Sons,The Flying Nun,and Get Smart. He was in Jack Webb’s movie The Last Time I Saw Archie (1961), which led to lots of appearances on Dragnet and Adam-12. He was also in William Conrad’s Two on a Guillotine (1965), and Albert Zugsmith’s Movie Star, American Style or; LSD, I Hate You (1966). This is gonzo career for such a straight-seeming guy.

Del Moore died of a cerebral hemorrhage in 1970 — which seems uncannily like what one of his characters would do: burst a blood vessel. I also can’t help noticing that Jerry retired from making comedy films at the exact same time. Could it be that the entertainer who was strong enough and capable enough to carry on without Dean Martin…just couldn’t go on without Del Moore?

For more on classic comedy film please check out: Chain of Fools: Silent Comedy and Its Legacies from Nickelodeons to Youtube — now also available on audiobook.