Dudley Moore
I've thought some this week about Dudley Moore.
What with all the rigamarole surrounding Michael Jackson's death far surpassing the memorials for Farrah Fawcett, I pointed out on Facebook that when 2 celebrities happed to die on the same day, one invariably seems to eclipse the other. The most famous example of this, of course, is when Elvis & Groucho died on the same day, and Groucho was pushed to the back of the paper as everyone focused on the passing of Elvis Presley. But the same thing, to a lesser degree, happened a few years ago when Dudley Moore and Milton Berle passed the same day. Uncle Miltie got the lion's share of the coverage, and Dudley was usually mentioned only in passing.
That's kind of sad, actually. Dudley was a very funny man, and a whiz on the piano. His work with "Beyond the Fringe" was nothing short of hilarious. My first fiance had a bit of a crush on the man (so much so that she occasionally lapsed into a British accent). He was hilarious in "Arthur" and "10" and several other films.
But here's the sad part. If you go to IMDb and look up "Dudley Moore", the first entry returned isn't even for Dudley Moore - it's for Woody Allen!
Anyway, just because I feel like it, here's two Dudley Moore clips. The first is him & Peter Cook performing the routine about the one-lggged man auditioning for the role of Tarzan. The second is a rare recording of the Dudley Moore Trio on the BBC that showcases his musical ability.
What with all the rigamarole surrounding Michael Jackson's death far surpassing the memorials for Farrah Fawcett, I pointed out on Facebook that when 2 celebrities happed to die on the same day, one invariably seems to eclipse the other. The most famous example of this, of course, is when Elvis & Groucho died on the same day, and Groucho was pushed to the back of the paper as everyone focused on the passing of Elvis Presley. But the same thing, to a lesser degree, happened a few years ago when Dudley Moore and Milton Berle passed the same day. Uncle Miltie got the lion's share of the coverage, and Dudley was usually mentioned only in passing.
That's kind of sad, actually. Dudley was a very funny man, and a whiz on the piano. His work with "Beyond the Fringe" was nothing short of hilarious. My first fiance had a bit of a crush on the man (so much so that she occasionally lapsed into a British accent). He was hilarious in "Arthur" and "10" and several other films.
But here's the sad part. If you go to IMDb and look up "Dudley Moore", the first entry returned isn't even for Dudley Moore - it's for Woody Allen!
Anyway, just because I feel like it, here's two Dudley Moore clips. The first is him & Peter Cook performing the routine about the one-lggged man auditioning for the role of Tarzan. The second is a rare recording of the Dudley Moore Trio on the BBC that showcases his musical ability.
Click to view