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Pauline Moore

1914 - 2001

Pauline Moore is one of my favorite B film actresses, and her career was too brief. She made about two dozen films from the late 1930s until the early 1940s, mostly at 20th Century Fox where she was under contract. After being released by Fox, she signed with Republic Pictures and her work there included four Roy Rogers westerns and the KING OF THE TEXAS RANGERS (Republic, 1941) serial which starred football great Sammy Baugh. Of her two dozen films, Les Adams has Moore identified in eleven westerns and one chapterplay.

She possessed a sparkling voice, and my favorite role is her portrayal of lovely psychic Eve Cairo in CHARLIE CHAN AT TREASURE ISLAND (20th Century Fox, 1939), with Cesar Romero unmasked at the end as the evil Dr. Zodiac. Moore did two other Chan mysteries: she was paired with Allan Lane in CHARLIE CHAN AT THE OLYMPICS (20th Century Fox, 1937); and Pauline was the wife of Kane Richmond in CHARLIE CHAN IN RENO (20th Century Fox, 1939).

Moore was born in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, and her early career included several Broadway plays and work as a model. She went to Hollywood in the early 1930s, and one of her first screen appearances was portraying a bridesmaid in Universal's FRANKENSTEIN (Universal, 1931). Various other roles followed including HEIDI (20th Century Fox, 1937) with Shirley Temple and playing 'Ann Rutledge' opposite Henry Fonda in YOUNG MR. LINCOLN (20th Century Fox, 1939).

She retired in the early 1940s and reared three children. Moore was married and widowed twice. Her first marriage was to well known illustrator Jefferson Machamer (1901-1960).

She did a few films and TV appearances in the 1950s, including a bit in SPOILERS OF THE FOREST (Republic, 1957), a lumberjack yarn starring Rod Cameron and Vera Ralston.

Pauline Moore passed away from ALS (Lou Gehrig's disease) on December 7, 2001 at a nursing home in Sequim, Washington.

The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, and Associated Press had obituaries on Pauline Moore:
https://www.seattlepi.com/local/article/Actress-Pauline-Moore-dies-at-87-1074101.php
https://www.nytimes.com/2001/12/15/arts/pauline-moore-87-acted-with-roy-rogers.html
https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2001-dec-10-me-13406-story.html

  Although some of the data is incomplete or inaccurate, the Internet Movie Database (IMDb) has information on Pauline Moore: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0601733/

For those interested in learning more about Pauline's early years, there's a lengthy biography on her in the June, 1939 Hollywood Screen Life magazine at the Internet Archive website: https://archive.org/details/hollywood28fawc/page/n389/mode/2up?view=theater




(Courtesy of Les Adams)

Above is the title lobby card from Chapter 6 of KING OF THE TEXAS RANGERS. Directed by John "Jack" English and William Witney, this serial was released in October, 1941, a couple months prior to the attack on Pearl Harbor. Note the gal next to Sammy Baugh - certainly doesn't resemble leading lady Pauline Moore. Wonder who she is.



Above - Pauline Moore and football great 'Slinging' Sammy Baugh at Republic Pictures in the chapterplay, KING OF THE TEXAS RANGERS (Republic, 1941).



(Courtesy of Les Adams)

Above - a pressbook ad of Moore and Kane Richmond in DOUBLE CROSS for Producers Releasing Corporation (PRC) in 1941. The moustached John Miljan is shown in the upper right.



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