Tommie Moore (December 2, 1917 – August 17, 2004) was an actress in theater, film, and television. She was born Pretty Tomiwitta Moore and shortened her name, though she was sometimes credited as Tomiwitta Moore.
Early life
Moore was a native of Pasadena, California, where she performed on the stage as a child. She was given the name "Tomiwitta" because her father had wanted a boy to name "Thomas".
Career
She traveled to New York to go to dramatic school, but instead became a page girl at the Cotton Club. One of her job duties was to escort W.C. Handy on and off the stage.
Moore toured in the starring role in a touring production of Claudia in 1946. She left Claudia for the original theatrical production of Beggar's Holiday the same year playing Tawdry Audrey. In the production, she had to run across the stage in a two-handkerchief bathing suit.
She performed as part of the chorus of three (with Eartha Kitt and Helena Hughes) in Orson Welles' production of The Blessed and the Damned in Paris in 1950. Both Beggar's Holiday and The Blessed and the Damned in Paris had music by Duke Ellington.
In her film career, she received positive notice for her role in The Green-Eyed Blonde (1957); a Variety review called her a "standout" and Ebony magazine profiled her around the time of the film's release.
She appeared on television shows The Amos 'n Andy Show and Bourbon Street Beat.
Personal life
She was engaged to postal worker George Gray and was involved with the Red Cross.
Filmography
- Mystery in Swing (1940) as Mae Carroll
- Broken Strings (1940) as Mary
- That Man of Mine (1946) as Honey Diamond
- The Green-Eyed Blonde (1957) as Trixie Budlong
- Band of Angels (1957) as Dollie
Smaller roles
- Gangsters on the Loose (1937)
- Spirit of Youth (1938) (uncredited)
- Stormy Weather (1943) (uncredited)
- Cabin in the Sky (1943) (uncredited)
References
- "Tommie Moore". Video Detective.
- "Fairy Opera Tells Story of Kindness". The Pasadena Post. 1927-12-17. p. 3. Retrieved 2020-10-02.
- ^ "Movie Features Blossoming Star: Tommie Moore gets 'gratifying' role in film story of modern correction school." Ebony. Nov 1957, Vol. 13, Issue 1, p 93-96.
- "Tommie Moore, Actress and Model, Leaves on Tour of "Claudia" for Negro Drama Gp". The New York Age. 1946-10-12. p. 10. Retrieved 2020-10-02.
- "Legitimate: Colored 'Claudia' Set For Another Tour." Variety. Vol. 164, Iss. 3, (Sep 25, 1946): pg. 57.
- "Large audience enjoys 'Claudia'". Newspapers.com. Retrieved 2020-10-11.
- "Claudia". The Pittsburgh Courier. 1946-12-07. p. 18. Retrieved 2020-10-11.
- "Tommie Moore". Playbill.
- Peterson, Bernard L. Jr (October 25, 1993). A Century of Musicals in Black and White: An Encyclopedia of Musical Stage Works By, About, or Involving African Americans: An Encyclopedia of Musical Stage Works By, About, or Involving African Americans. ABC-CLIO. ISBN 9780313064548 – via Google Books.
- Dietz, Dan (February 2, 2015). The Complete Book of 1940s Broadway Musicals. Rowman & Littlefield. ISBN 9781442245280 – via Google Books.
- "Stage Seen". The Detroit Tribune. 1947-03-01. p. 5. Retrieved 2020-10-11.
- Callow, Simon (2016-04-05). Orson Welles, Volume 3: One-Man Band. Penguin. ISBN 978-0-698-19553-0.
- Hajdu, David (1996-06-28). Lush Life: A Biography of Billy Strayhorn. Macmillan. ISBN 978-0-374-19438-3.
- "Legitimate: Plays Abroad - The Blessed and the Damned." Variety. Vol. 179, Iss. 4, (Jul 5, 1950): pg. 52.
- "The Green-Eyed Blonde." Picturegoer. Vol. 35, Iss. 1191, (Mar 1, 1958): p. 15.
- "The Green-Eyed Blonde." Variety. Vol. 209, Iss. 2, (Dec 11, 1957): pg. 6, 14.
- Company, Johnson Publishing (June 25, 1959). "Jet". Johnson Publishing Company – via Google Books.
{{cite web}}
:|last=
has generic name (help) - "Pasadena Red Cross Election". The Los Angeles Times. 1977-06-23. p. 256. Retrieved 2020-10-02.
External links
- Tommie Moore at IMDb
- Tommie Moore at the British Film Institute
- Tommie Moore at the Internet Broadway Database
- Tommie Moore at Find a Grave