Dickie Moore

Dickie Moore made his acting and screen debut at the age of 18 months in the 1927 John Barrymore film The Beloved Rogue (1927) as a baby, and by the time he had turned 10 he was a popular child star and had appeared in 52 films.

One of the Little Rascals for just a year (1932-1933), his closest friend on the set was Stymie. He left the Rascals at age 8 to seek greener pastures--feature films.

Was in five Oscar Best Picture nominees: The Story of Louis Pasteur (1936), The Life of Emile Zola (1937), Sergeant York (1941), Heaven Can Wait (1943) and The Song of Bernadette (1943), with The Life of Emile Zola winning Best Picture.

He continued as a child star for many more years, and became the answer to the trivia question, "Who was the first actor to kiss Shirley Temple on screen?" when that honor was bestowed upon him in 1942's Miss Annie Rooney (1942). As with many child actors, once Dickie got older the roles began to dry up.

Co-produced and co-directed and acted in a two-reel short subject called Boy and the Eagle (1949) that earned an Oscar nomination.

In 1957 he accepted the newly designed post of public relations director of Actors Equity. In 1964 he left to form his own public relations firm, Dick Moore Associates.

Did not meet Jane Powell, his future wife, until 1981 when he was researching his book on child stars, "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star."

Author of "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star (But Don't Have Sex or Take the Car)" in which he interviewed 31 ex-child actors, more than half of whom found their adult lives beset by alcoholism, nervous breakdowns, or failed first marriages. [1984]