# R.I.P. Dudley Moore **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 27, 2002, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/r-i-p-dudley-moore/100431 "2002-03-27T19:13:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2002, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/r-i-p-dudley-moore/100431/1 "2002-03-27T19:13:23Z")
He was 66. ---
**Author:** ![Gorgon\_Heap](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/f475e1/32.png) [@Gorgon\_Heap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gorgon_Heap)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2002, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/r-i-p-dudley-moore/100431/2 "2002-03-27T19:14:46Z")
Arthur is dead! Long live Arthur! ---
**Author:** ![scout1222](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/34f0e0/32.png) [@scout1222](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scout1222)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2002, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/r-i-p-dudley-moore/100431/3 "2002-03-27T19:17:48Z")
[CNN article](http://www.cnn.com/2002/SHOWBIZ/Movies/03/27/death.dudley/index.html) Apparently he’d been sick for a while with “supranuclear palsy”, but it was pneumonia that finally got him. ---
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2002, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/r-i-p-dudley-moore/100431/4 "2002-03-27T19:34:15Z")
Oh, dear, what a shame. Never cared much for Peter Cook, but I did like Dudley Moore. ---
**Author:** ![misshannah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3e96dc/32.png) [@misshannah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/misshannah)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2002, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/r-i-p-dudley-moore/100431/5 "2002-03-27T19:47:21Z")
My co-worker claims that his alleged spouse abuse was related to his disease. Also, everyone I’ve told thinks he was a drunk…is it only because of his performance in [Arthur](http://us.imdb.com/Title?0082031)? ---
**Author:** ![beckwall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b487fb/32.png) [@beckwall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beckwall)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2002, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/r-i-p-dudley-moore/100431/6 "2002-03-27T20:32:56Z")
As a home health nurse, I have taken care of only one patient with supranuclear palsy. It is a cruel disease. I hope Dudley is at peace now. BTW, I always loved the movie **Arthur**. “I think I will take a bath.” “I’ll alert the media, sir.” ---
**Author:** ![ElwoodCuse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/edb3f5/32.png) [@ElwoodCuse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElwoodCuse)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2002, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/r-i-p-dudley-moore/100431/7 "2002-03-27T20:59:29Z")
That’s a shame. I love his beef stew. d&r ---
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2002, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/r-i-p-dudley-moore/100431/8 "2002-03-27T21:08:56Z")
Jesus! After he died, they made him into beef stew? . . . He was so short, too, not even enough to go around . . . [Homer Simpson voice]: “Mmmmm . . . Dudley Moore stew . . .” ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2002, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/r-i-p-dudley-moore/100431/9 "2002-03-27T21:52:29Z")
[MPSIMS thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=106177) ---
**Author:** ![widdershins](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f0a364/32.png) [@widdershins](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/widdershins)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2002, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/r-i-p-dudley-moore/100431/10 "2002-03-28T00:55:28Z")
> [@](#): > > He was so short, too, not even enough to go around… “Hahahahaha! `ere, that’s terrible.” - Stanley Moon Oh, I don’t know, a lot of the ladies seemed to find him rather tasty. I’ll have to go watch \*Bedazzled \* and _Authur_ again in memory of his talent. ---
**Author:** ![partly\_warmer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/bc8723/32.png) [@partly\_warmer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/partly_warmer)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2002, 7:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/r-i-p-dudley-moore/100431/11 "2002-03-28T07:01:47Z")
I think he was a man, at heart a great humorist, who spent most of his effort trying to impress Hollywood into giving him airtime. It’s a shame that he had to spend his integrity convincing people to laugh. Peter Cook was his upper-class buddy. I think they spent most of their time disliking each other. Another waste. Eve, Peter was funny, and he was “up, coming down” and relaxed, whereas Dudley was “down, trying to prove he was not down.” The difference between humor of resignation, and humor of desperation. The pair didn’t work perfectly because there were too many disparities in British class to be reconciled over a friendly joke. But they tried. A friend and I memorized the “Frog and Peach” routine. Excerpt: Peter: Do you remember World War II? Dudley: Yes, I think we all do. Peter: Ghastly business. Dudley: Yes. Peter: Ghastly! Dudley: Yes. Peter: I was completely against it! Dudley: Yes, I think we all were. Peter: But I wrote a letter! ---
**Author:** ![Sylkyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/da6949/32.png) [@Sylkyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sylkyn)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2002, 7:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/r-i-p-dudley-moore/100431/12 "2002-03-28T07:27:21Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Gorgon Heap \* > \*\*Arthur is dead! Long live Arthur! \*\* This was so strange, **Gorgon**. The minute I found out Dudley Moore had died, I sent my best friend an email, with an E!online link. I said the exact words you said. I loved Dudley Moore. My favorite quote from “Arthur” (and for life itself): _"Not all of us drink because we’re poets. Some of us drink because we’re **not** poets_." Second favorite line from that movie: "_Do ya **hate** Perry’s wife??"_ We’ll miss the laughter and the music, Mr. Moore. And stay drunk between the moon and New York City. It’s gotta be a better ride than it was here. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![MyFootsZZZ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/myfootszzz/32/12580_2.png) [@MyFootsZZZ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MyFootsZZZ)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2002, 7:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/r-i-p-dudley-moore/100431/13 "2002-03-28T07:36:13Z")
He gave people out their like me hope… I’m just 5"5’☹ ---
**Author:** ![JillGat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9fc29f/32.png) [@JillGat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JillGat)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2002, 7:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/r-i-p-dudley-moore/100431/14 "2002-03-28T07:46:18Z")
My mother died from progressive supranuclear palsy too, last May. When the symptoms start, it does appear that the person’s been drinking. It’s tragic and humiliating. My mother finally lost the ability to swallow (she’d choke on water) and developed pneumonia at the end. I miss her and I’m sorry about Dudley, too. ---
**Author:** ![C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b2d939/32.png) [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C_K_Dexter_Haven)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2002, 1:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/r-i-p-dudley-moore/100431/15 "2002-03-28T13:34:22Z")
… going to have to go watch _Bedazzled_ , the original Peter Cook/Dudley Moore version, in memory. Partly, do you have a recording of frog-and-peach? oh, man, that was a long time ago, but still remembered fondly. ---
**Author:** ![FlyingDragonFan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c89c15/32.png) [@FlyingDragonFan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FlyingDragonFan)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2002, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/r-i-p-dudley-moore/100431/16 "2002-03-28T14:11:42Z")
**She’d have to be a real big woman!** ☹ Bye, Dudley! ---
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2002, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/r-i-p-dudley-moore/100431/17 "2002-03-28T14:35:22Z")
Dudley’s lengthy and otherwise good NY Times obit did not even MENTION “Bedazzled”—an horrific oversight! And their obit of Milton Berle repeated the story that he’d appeared in “The Perils of Pauline” and “Tillie’s Punctured Romance” as a tot, which has been pretty much discredited by film historians. I think the Times needs to refresh its obits staff . . . ---
**Author:** ![partly\_warmer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/bc8723/32.png) [@partly\_warmer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/partly_warmer)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2002, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/r-i-p-dudley-moore/100431/18 "2002-03-29T01:51:37Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by C K Dexter Haven \* > \*\*… going to have to go watch _Bedazzled_ , the original Peter Cook/Dudley Moore version, in memory. > > Partly, do you have a recording of frog-and-peach? oh, man, that was a long time ago, but still remembered fondly. \*\* I’m sure I do, but I looked and couldn’t find it. I’ll keep looking. It’s the record _Good Evening_. It can be read about here: [http://www.petercook.net/history/1970s.htm](http://www.petercook.net/history/1970s.htm) I did find the text, but not one I know, as well as other skits, and a list of books and recordings: [http://users.bestweb.net/~foosie/frog.htm](http://users.bestweb.net/~foosie/frog.htm) The original _Bedazzled_ has not been released on DVD, and the Laserdisc version in the local video place they said they would sell me for $300+. ---
**Author:** ![rowrrbazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rowrrbazzle/32/414_2.png) [@rowrrbazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rowrrbazzle)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2002, 4:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/r-i-p-dudley-moore/100431/19 "2002-03-29T04:59:29Z")
In “Beyond The Fringe” he performed “And The Same To You”, his own Beethovenian improv using on the Colonel Bogey march. He also participated in many of the sketches. I’m listening to the whole BTF. I have the Capitol CD of the Broadway production and the EMI 3-CD set of “The Complete Beyond The Fringe”. The former has the better version of ATSTY. When I’m done with that, I’ll view my video of “Not Only…But Also.” ---
**Author:** ![Largo62](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/45deac/32.png) [@Largo62](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Largo62)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2002, 6:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/r-i-p-dudley-moore/100431/20 "2002-03-31T06:27:48Z")
I’m going to watch my tape of Dudley Moore at the Hollywood Bowl. He played an all Gershwin concert, including Rhapsody in Blue and Concerto in F. That man could play piano. I’ll miss Dudley, and Wilder…but Berle was a schtoonk! [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/r-i-p-dudley-moore/100431.md?page=2)