Tom Moore (actor)


Thomas J. "Tom" Moore was an Irish-American actor and director. He appeared in at least 186 motion pictures from 1908 to 1954. Frequently cast as the romantic lead, he starred in silent movies as well as in some of the first talkies.
Born in Fordstown Crossroads, County Meath, Moore, along with his brothers, Owen, Matt, and Joe, and their sister Mary, he emigrated to the United States as a steerage passenger on board the S.S. Anchoria and was inspected on Ellis Island in May 1896. Owen and Matt also had successful movie careers. Tom Moore appeared in his first silent motion picture in 1908. He also directed 17 motion pictures in 1914 and 1915, including The Secret Room.

Personal life

In 1914, he married silent star Alice Joyce, with whom he had a daughter, Alice Moore, who acted in six films with her father from 1934 to 1937. While in New York City on New Year's Eve 1920, Moore met the young French actress Renée Adorée. A whirlwind romance ensued and six weeks after their meeting, they were married, on February 12, 1921, in his home in Beverly Hills. The marriage lasted only a few years. In 1931, Moore was married a third time, to actress Eleanor Merry. His brother, Owen Moore, was also an actor, and was married to Mary Pickford.
The Great Depression saw many studios close and much consolidation as the motion picture industry went through tough times. Moore retired from the screen in the mid-1930s. Ten years later, he returned to act in minor supporting roles.
Tom Moore died of cancer at age 71 in Santa Monica, California. He has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 1640 Vine Street.

Selected filmography