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American Morning

Dudley Moore Remembered By Co-stars, Friends

Aired March 28, 2002 - 09:52   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: The world has lost a pair of -- a little bit redundant -- but two very funny men, nearly at the same time. Earlier, we looked back at the long career of Milton Berle, Mr. Television, dead at 93 following a very long illness, and Dudley Moore too, dead at 66 from the effects of a very rare brain disorder.

And CNN's Charles Feldman has this look back.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CHARLES FELDMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Dudley Moore was perhaps the most unlikely movie star. Standing only five feet, two inches, it was Moore's comedic timing, combined with his ability to endear himself to audiences, despite playing characters who were cads or drunks, that earned him his Hollywood star.

Moore appeared in films as early as the 1966 comedy, "The Wrong Box," and the 1967 movie, "Bedazzled." But, it was the film "10" that made Moore an international star. He played a musician out to wed the perfect woman whom he found in actress Bo Derek.

Born in England, son of an electrician, Dudley Moore was a classically trained musician, perhaps helping him perfect an ear for comedic timing. He teamed with Peter Cook, who would remain Moore's stage partner for many years. In 1981, Moore was teamed with Liza Minnelli. He played a drunken but lovable millionaire named "Arthur."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Would you care to wait in the library?

DUDLEY MOORE, ACTOR: Yes, I would. The bathroom is out of the question.

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LIZA MINNELLI, ACTRESS: When we were doing "Arthur," we would do a take, and I would start to laugh because he would do something outrageous, you know, or I would do something and he'd howl. We'd have to stop. So, we would do it again, and then one of the crew would laugh, so we'd do it again, and the prop man would laugh. We did, like, 20 takes.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) MINNELLI: Would you stop smiling me like that? You look like one of Santa's helpers.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MINNELLI: I spoke to him four days ago, and he said, "I love you." I'm so glad that he is not in pain anymore. That's the important thing, you know?

FELDMAN: Moore was married and divorced four times. He never wed actress Susan Anton, but, as they say in the gossip columns, they once were an item.

SUSAN ANTON, ACTRESS: Dudley truly wanted to know who you were, how you were, and he really cared about what was best for you. It never about him, you know. And the fact that he had all of that, and he could make you laugh -- you know, there's not a woman who won't fall for that.

FELDMAN: In 1999, Moore revealed that he had Supranuclear Palsy, a rare disease of the brain. The progressive ailment took its toll on Moore. He told Barbara Walters he thought of suicide because he felt trapped in his own body.

On Wednesday, Moore got the release from his pain that he so craved, dying of pneumonia at age 66. And with that, the world lost a true clown.

Charles Feldman, CNN, Los Angeles.

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