Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1943-11-21
KEYHO[E /
PORTRAIT
Ry Ha,riei Pa,,o~.
Victor Moore
a Trouper for
Half a Century
HOLLYWOOD, Nov. 20.

v the show business for hair
q century and he's stin 60
ING strong Early this year.
while making Riding High
with Dorothy Lamour and DICK
Powell. he celebrated his 9th
birthday and the beginning OF
his 50th year as a professional
entertainer Victor did his
first acting around 1890 In
school plays The school was
in Hammonton, N. j., where he
was born and where his father
ran a general store.
Later the family moved to
Boston Moore Sr. opened a
restaurant and Victor worked as
a waiter But his dad APP
proved of his stage ambitions
and urged him to try for JOB
in the theater.
So. at 10, he made his pro-
fessional debut as super In
Babes in the Woods" He wore
tin armor and made $3.50 a
week.
Spent the next three years IN
stock and in his spare time de-
veloped a speciality act :.
Managed to book the act with
the Austin and Strong Museum
in Boston and played six shows
a day.
Next he tried female imper-
sonation as the giants wife In
Klaw e. Changers production
of Jack and the Beanstalk :. {.
Abe Erlanger featured him in
Talk of the Town." which
George M. Cohan wrote espe-
cially for him.
His first New York job was
in the John Drew company. OF
Rosemary" He got "a a
week and somehow existed on
it during the shows six months
run in the big city When
Rosemary" closed, Victor re-
turned to vaudeville.
He bought a sketch called
"Change Your Act. or Back to
the Woods" and played in 1t
on and off for the next Is years.
Started at $50 a week and
worked to $4,000 +. The origi-
nal cost of the skit was S125.
While playing the Brighton
music hall at Ceaey Island Vic
tor met and married Emma
Littlefield She joined him
in the act and the billing there
after was always Moore and
Littlefield The partnership
ended when Victor signed q
contract with Cohan and Harris
to appear in their Broadway
productions.
But the marriage lasted until
Funny Face" Hold Every
thing" Heads Up and Dan
gerous Dan McGrew" are a
few of the hits in which he APP
peared throughout the years.
His greatest stage triumph,
of course. was as Vice President
Throttlebottom in "Of Thee l
Sing" which won the Pulitzer
prize in 1882 Moore made
his first movie in 1916 After
playing in Al one-reelers he de-
cided the stage was more rest
full Not until 1880 did he
face the cameras again
From then on he alternated be-
tween stage and screen.
But he didn't really hit his
movie stride until a couple OF
years ago when Paramount
signed him for the screen version
of Louisiana Purchase" .
He followed this with True ia
Life" and Riding High" -,
Then was loaned to Columbis
for "Tropicanav with Mae West
Victor recently married
Shirley Paige.
Few weeks ago he went easi
10 see his small granddaughter
the child of his only daughter
Mrs. Ora Mora 80. He has two
sons, Victor Jr. and Pvt. Robert
Emmett Moore. who was mem
Der or the This is the Army
cast.
Vic's wife and her youthful
and attractive, mother accom-
panied him of'his trip to New
York He had great time
showing the girls the town
He feels spry as a juvenile and
good for another so years OF
trouping.
Emma Littlefield's death sever
years ago on her 32d wedding
anniversary Under the Co
han and Harris aegis, Moor'
became great success or
Broadway "Forty-five Min
utes From Broadway" which
Cohan wrote for him; "Oh Kay