Owen Moore
Owen Moore was an Irish-born American actor, appearing in more than 279 movies spanning from 1908 to 1937.
Early life and career
Moore was born in Fordstown Crossroads, County Meath, Ireland. Along with his parents, John and Rose Anna Moore, brothers Tom, Matt, and Joe, and sister Mary, he emigrated to the United States as a steerage passenger on board the S.S. Anchoria. The Moore family were inspected on Ellis Island in May 1896 and settled in the Toledo, Ohio area. Moore and his siblings went on to successful careers in motion pictures in Hollywood, California.
While working at D. W. Griffith's Biograph Studios, Moore met a young Canadian actress named Gladys Smith, whom he married on January 7, 1911. Their marriage was kept secret at first because of the strong opposition of her mother. However, Smith soon overshadowed her husband under her stage name, Mary Pickford. In 1912, he signed on with Victor Studios, co-starring in a number of their films with studio owner/actress Florence Lawrence.
Pickford left Biograph Studios to join the Independent Moving Pictures to replace their star, Florence Lawrence. Carl Laemmle, the owner of IMP, agreed to sign Moore as part of the deal. This humiliation, together with his wife's meteoric rise to fame, drastically affected Moore, and alcohol became a problem that led to violent behavior and his physically abusing Pickford. In 1916, Pickford met actor Douglas Fairbanks. In 1920, Pickford filed for divorce from Moore when she agreed to his demand of $100,000 settlement. Pickford and Fairbanks married days later.
Moore appeared in many successful films for Lewis J. Selznick, in the late teens and early 1920s. He was a popular star at Selznick Pictures along with Olive Thomas, Elaine Hammerstein, Eugene O'Brien and Conway Tearle. He also appeared in films for his own production company as well as Goldwyn and Triangle.
Moore married a second time to silent film actress, Katherine Perry, in 1921. With the advent of sound film, Moore's career declined, and he became a supporting actor for newer stars. He competed, as the third lead, with Cary Grant and Noah Beery, Sr. for the attentions of Mae West in She Done Him Wrong, Paramount's most lucrative film of 1933. His last film appearance was as a movie director in the 1937 drama A Star Is Born, starring Janet Gaynor and Fredric March – ironically a movie about a former film star who turned to alcohol, much like himself at that time.
Death
After years of fighting alcoholism, Moore was found dead on 9 June 1939, in his apartment in Beverly Hills, California. An Associated Press news report said that he "apparently had been dead two days". An autopsy was scheduled for the next day.
For his contribution to the motion picture industry, Moore has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6727 Hollywood Boulevard.
Selected filmography
The Guerrilla The Valet's Wife The Honor of Thieves as Ned GrattanThe Sacrifice A Rural Elopement In CrowdThe Criminal Hypnotist as The ManThe Welcome Burglar In Office / In BarThe Brahma Diamond The Golden Louis as The Good Samaritan Trying to Get Arrested as PasserbyThe Prussian Spy as The SpyHis Wife's Mother as Restaurant PatronA Fool's Revenge as The DukeThe Roue's Heart as NoblemanThe Deception as The Rich PatronA Burglar's Mistake At Folsom'sLady Helen's Escapade as The BoyfriendResurrection At Court / At PrisonTwo Memories as Party GuestA Sound Sleeper as Police OfficerJones and the Lady Book Agent as Office Employee The Lonely Villa as A BurglarThe Little Darling In Boarding HouseThe Hessian Renegades as Colonial Army MessengerLeather Stocking as Leather StockingPippa Passes as SibaldNursing a Viper as Fleeing AristocratThe Red Man's View as Indian In Little Italy At the BallTo Save Her Soul At PartyThe Rocky Road The Time-Lock Safe as The FriendWhat the Daisy Said In the Border States Love in Quarantine Their First Misunderstanding Behind the Times as Billy ThompsonThe Lesser Evil The Angel of the Studio So Runs the Way Caprice as Jack HendersonThe Battle of the Sexes as Cleo's loverHome, Sweet Home as The TempterThe Escape as Dr. von EidenAftermath as Allan BuchannanCinderella as Prince CharmingMistress Nell as King Charles IIPretty Mrs. Smith as Mr. Smith No. 3, FrankHelp Wanted as Jack ScottBetty in Search of a Thrill as Jim DenningMabel Lost and Won as Mabel's SweetheartThe Little Teacher as Teacher's FiancéNearly a Lady as Jack Rawlins'Twas Ever Thus as Long Biceps / Frank Warren / Jack RogersJordan Is a Hard Road as Mark SheldonBetty of Greystone as David ChandlerLittle Meena's Romance as The CountSusan Rocks the Boat as Larry O'NeilUnder Cover as Steven DenbyRolling Stones as Dave FultonIntolerance as uncredited extraThe Kiss as Jean-MarieA Coney Island Princess as Pete MilhollandA Girl Like That as Jim BrooksThe Little Boy Scout as Thomas MortonThe Crimson Gardenia as Roland Van DamPiccadilly Jim as James Braithwaite Crocker / Piccadilly JimSooner or Later as Patrick MurphyThe Desperate Hero as Henry BairdThe Poor Simp as Melville G. CarruthersThe Chicken in the Case as Steve PerkinsA Divorce of Convenience as Jim BlakeOh, Mabel Behave as Randolph RoanokeReported Missing as Richard BoydLove Is an Awful Thing as Anthony ChurchillModern Matrimony as Chester WaddingtonHollywood as himselfThe Silent Partner as George CoburnThundergate as Robert Wells / Kong SurHer Temporary Husband as Thomas BurtonTorment as HansenEast of Broadway as Peter MullaneyThe Parasite as Arthur RandallCode of the West as Cal ThurmanGo Straight as John RhodesCamille of the Barbary Coast as Robert MortonFalse Pride as James Mason ArdsleyThe Blackbird as Bertram P. Glayde aka West End BertieThe Skyrocket as Mickey ReidMarried ? as Dennis ShawnMoney Talks as Sam StarlingThe Road to Mandalay as The AdmiralThe Red Mill as DennisThe Taxi Dancer as Lee RogersWomen Love Diamonds as Patrick Michael ReganTea for Three as Philip CollamoreBecky as Dan ScarlettHusbands for Rent as Herbert WillisThe Actress as Tom WrenchStolen Love as Curtis BarstowHigh Voltage as Det. Dan EganSide Street as Dennis O'FarrellWhat a Widow! as Gerry MorganOutside the Law as Harry 'Fingers' O'DellExtravagance as Jim HamiltonStout Hearts and Willing Hands as Lookalike Bartender 1Hush Money as Steve PeltonAs You Desire Me as Tony BoffieShe Done Him Wrong as Chick ClarkA Man of Sentiment as Stanley ColtonA Star Is Born as Casey Burke - Director