Dennis Moore (born Dennis Meadows; January 26, 1908 – March 1, 1964) was an

actor An actor or actress is a person who portrays a character in a performance. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as film, radio, and television. The analogous Greek term is (), li ...

who specialized in

Western Western may refer to: Places *Western, Nebraska, a village in the US *Western, New York, a town in the US *Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western world, countries that id ...

films and

film serial A serial film, film serial (or just serial), movie serial, or chapter play, is a motion picture form popular during the first half of the 20th century, consisting of a series of short subjects exhibited in consecutive order at one theater, gene ...

Early years

Moore was born Dennis Meadows in

Fort Worth, Texas Fort Worth is the fifth-largest city in the U.S. state of Texas and the 13th-largest city in the United States. It is the county seat of Tarrant County, covering nearly into four other counties: Denton, Johnson, Parker, and Wise. According ...

, and attended schools in El Paso. He was active in aviation and had a pilot's license. Before going into films, he worked in stock theater. A plane crash nearly ended his life. After more than a year spent in a hospital and two additional years of recovery, he could not pass the physical examination for a pilot's license, so he chose to change from aviation to acting.

Career

Moore began appearing in short subjects and low-budget feature films in the 1930s under the name Denny Meadows and enjoyed greater recognition and employment after he changed his professional name to Dennis Moore. His dark looks and solemn demeanor kept him working steadily as an all-purpose utility player, in both heroic and villainous roles. Moore became a familiar face in Westerns, but never became a major star. In 1942, he co-starred for six films in PRC's ''Lone Rider'' series, beginning with ''

The Lone Rider and the Bandit ''The Lone Rider and the Bandit'' is a 1942 American Western film directed by Sam Newfield and written by Sam Robins. The film stars George F. Houston as the Lone Rider, Al St. John as his sidekick "Fuzzy" Jones and Dennis Moore as Sheriff Smok ...

'' and ending with ''

Overland Stagecoach ''Overland Stagecoach'' is a 1942 American Western film directed by Sam Newfield and written by Fred Myton. The film stars Robert Livingston as the Lone Rider, Al St. John as his sidekick "Fuzzy" Jones, and Dennis Moore as Sheriff Smoky Moore ...

''. He also appeared on television in the syndicated ''

The Range Rider ''The Range Rider'' is an American Western television series that was first broadcast in syndication from 1951 to 1953. A single lost episode surfaced and was broadcast in 1959. ''The Range Rider'' was also broadcast on British television during ...

'', with

Jock Mahoney Jacques Joseph O'Mahoney (February 7, 1919 – December 14, 1989), known professionally as Jock Mahoney, was an American actor and stuntman. He starred in two Action/Adventure television series, ''The Range Rider'' and ''Yancy Derringer''. He ...

and Dick Jones, in the 1955

CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS, the abbreviation of its former legal name Columbia Broadcasting System, is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainm ...

series ''

Brave Eagle ''Brave Eagle'' is a 26-episode half-hour western television series which aired on CBS from September 28, 1955, to March 14, 1956, with rebroadcasts continuing until June 6. Keith Larsen, who was of Norwegian descent, starred as Brave Eagle, a peac ...

'' with

Keith Larsen Keith Larsen (born Keith Larsen Burt, June 17, 1924 – December 13, 2006) was an American actor, screenwriter, director, and producer who starred in three short-lived television series between 1955 and 1961. Background Larsen was born in Salt ...

, and in the 1956 episode "Panhandle" of the CBS series ''

Tales of the Texas Rangers ''Tales of the Texas Rangers'' is a 20th century Western old-time radio and television police procedural drama which originally aired on NBC Radio from 1950 to 1952 and later on CBS Television from 1955 to 1958. Film star Joel McCrea voiced the ...

'', with

Willard Parker Willard Parker (born Worster Van Eps; February 5, 1912 – December 4, 1996) was an American film and television actor. He was a leading man under contract to Columbia Pictures in the 1940s and starred in the TV series '' Tales of the Texas Ran ...

and

Harry Lauter Herman Arthur "Harry" Lauter (June 19, 1914 – October 30, 1990) was an American character actor. Early years Lauter was born in White Plains, New York. He worked as a model for a professional photographer and was a rodeo rider before m ...

. He was cast as Mr. Finley in "The Gold Watch" and as Jeb in "A Permanent Juliet" on the

NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an Television in the United States, American English-language Commercial broadcasting, commercial television network, broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Enterta ...

Western series '' Buckskin'', starring Tom Nolan,

Sally Brophy Sally Cullen Brophy (December 14, 1928 – September 18, 2007) was a Broadway and television actress and college theatre-arts professor. Early years Brophy was the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Frank Cullen Brophy. Her father was a rancher; Brophy ...

, and

Mike Road Mike Road (born Milton Brustin;The Boston Advertiser, June 29, 1958 March 18, 1918 – April 14, 2013) was an American voice actor and Warner Bros. television series contract player whose television career dates back to the 1950s and in f ...

. He was cast as Walker in the 1958 episode "Three Wanted Men" of the syndicated Western series ''

Frontier Doctor ''Frontier Doctor'' is an American Western television series starring Rex Allen that aired in syndication from September 26, 1958, until June 20, 1959. The series was also known as ''Unarmed'' and ''Man of the West''.TV Guide Guide to TV. Barnes ...

,'' starring

Rex Allen Rex Elvie Allen (December 31, 1920 – December 17, 1999), known as "the Arizona Cowboy", was an American film and television actor, singer and songwriter; he was also the narrator of many Disney nature and Western productions. For his contribut ...

. At this time, he also made multiple appearances on Richard Carlson's syndicated Western series ''

Mackenzie's Raiders ''Mackenzie's Raiders'' is an American Western television series starring Richard Carlson that aired thirty-nine episodes in syndication between 1958 and 1959. The series is narrated by Art Gilmore, and was produced by Ziv Television Programs. ...

''. He also guest-starred on the syndicated adventure series ''

Rescue 8 ''Rescue 8'' is a syndicated American action adventure crime drama series about Los Angeles County Fire Department Rescue Squad 8. It premiered in 1958 and originally ran for two seasons with syndicated reruns continuing for almost a decade th ...

'', starring Jim Davis and

Lang Jeffries Lang Jeffries (June 7, 1930 – February 12, 1987) was a Canadian-American television and film actor. Biography From 1958 to 1960, Jeffries starred as Skip Johnson in the adventure television series ''Rescue 8''. He starred in several American ...

, the crime drama ''

U.S. Marshal The United States Marshals Service (USMS) is a federal law enforcement agency in the United States. The USMS is a bureau within the U.S. Department of Justice, operating under the direction of the Attorney General, but serves as the enforce ...

'', starring

John Bromfield John Bromfield (born Farron Bromfield; June 11, 1922 – September 19, 2005) was an American actor and commercial fisherman. Early years Farron Bromfield was born in South Bend, Indiana. He played football and was a boxing champion at Saint Mar ...

, and the NBC Western ''

Riverboat A riverboat is a watercraft designed for inland navigation on lakes, rivers, and artificial waterways. They are generally equipped and outfitted as work boats in one of the carrying trades, for freight or people transport, including luxury un ...

'', starring

Darren McGavin Darren is a masculine given name of uncertain etymological origins. Some theories state that it originated from an Anglicisation of the Irish first name Darragh or Dáire, meaning "Oak Tree". According to other sources, it is thought to come from ...

. Moore played leads or second leads in serials, and holds the distinction of having appeared in the last serials produced by

Universal Pictures Universal Pictures (legally Universal City Studios LLC, also known as Universal Studios, or simply Universal; common metonym: Uni, and formerly named Universal Film Manufacturing Company and Universal-International Pictures Inc.) is an Ameri ...

in 1946 and

Columbia Pictures Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. is an American film production studio that is a member of the Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group, a division of Sony Pictures Entertainment, which is one of the Big Five studios and a subsidiary of the mu ...

in 1956.

Later years

Moore moved with his family from Los Angeles to Big Bear Lake, operating a gift shop there.

Death

On March 1, 1964, Moore died of rheumatic heart disease in

San Bernardino, California San Bernardino (; Spanish for "Saint Bernardino") is a city and county seat of San Bernardino County, California, United States. Located in the Inland Empire region of Southern California, the city had a population of 222,101 in the 2020 cen ...

Selected filmography

* ''

The Dawn Rider ''The Dawn Rider'' is a 1935 American Western film starring John Wayne and directed by Robert N. Bradbury. The film was later released in a colorized version on home video/DVD under the title ''Cold Vengeance''. Plot John Mason chases after ...

'' (1935) * ''

China Clipper ''China Clipper'' (NC14716) was the first of three Martin M-130 four-engine flying boats built for Pan American Airways and was used to inaugurate the first commercial transpacific airmail service from San Francisco to Manila on November 22, 193 ...

'' (1936) * ''

Desert Justice ''Desert Justice'' is a 1936 American western film directed by William Berke and starring Jack Perrin, Warren Hymer and David Sharpe.Pitts p.50 Synopsis When the police commissioner orders all police horses to be sold off, officer Jack Rankin ...

'' (1936) * ''

Fugitive in the Sky ''Fugitive in the Sky'' (aka ''Heroes of the Air'') is a 1936 American aviation drama film directed by Nick Grinde and written by George Bricker. The stars are Jean Muir, Warren Hull, Gordon Oliver, Carlyle Moore Jr., Howard Phillips, Winifred ...

'' (1936) Unbilled * '' Irish Luck'' (1939) * ''

Overland Mail Butterfield Overland Mail (officially the Overland Mail Company)Waterman L. Ormsby, edited by Lyle H. Wright and Josephine M. Bynum, "The Butterfield Overland Mail", The Huntington Library, San Marino, California, 1991. was a stagecoach service ...

'' (1939) * '' Girl from Rio'' (1939) * ''

Boys of the City ''Boys of the City'' (also known as ''The Ghost Creeps'') is a 1940 black-and-white comedy/thriller film directed by Joseph H. Lewis. It is the second East Side Kids film and the first to star Bobby Jordan, Leo Gorcey, and Ernest Morrison. Plot ...

'' (1940) as Giles *''

Fugitive from a Prison Camp ''Fugitive from a Prison Camp'' is a 1940 American thriller film directed by Lewis D. Collins and starring Jack Holt, Marian Marsh and Robert Barrat. Synopsis After an innocent man is picked up following a police raid, a sheriff tries to demonst ...

'' (1940) * ''

Flying Wild ''Flying Wild'' (aka ''The East Side Kids in Flying Wild'' and ''Air Devils'') is a 1941 film directed by William Beaudine under the pseudonym "William West" as the fifth installment of the East Side Kids series which eventually totaled 22 fi ...

'' (1941) as George * ''

Bowery Blitzkrieg ''Bowery Blitzkrieg'' is a 1941 film and the sixth installment of the East Side Kids series. The film "introduced" Huntz Hall in his first of the East Side Kids film series. It was released in the United Kingdom under the title ''Stand and Deliv ...

'' (1941) as Dorgan * ''

Spooks Run Wild ''Spooks Run Wild'' is a 1941 American horror comedy film and the seventh film in the East Side Kids series. It stars Bela Lugosi with Leo Gorcey, Bobby Jordan and Huntz Hall. It is directed by Phil Rosen, in his first and only outing in the se ...

'' (1941) as Dr. Von Grosch * ''

The Lone Rider Fights Back ''The Lone Rider Fights Back'' is a 1941 American Western film directed by Sam Newfield and written by Joseph O'Donnell. The film stars George Houston as the Lone Rider and Al St. John as his sidekick "Fuzzy" Jones, with Dorothy Short, Denni ...

'' (1941) as Al Williams * ''

Billy the Kid in Santa Fe ''Billy the Kid in Santa Fe'' is a 1941 American Western film directed by Sam Newfield. This film is the sixth in the "Billy the Kid" film series, produced by PRC from 1940 to 1946, and the last to star Bob Steele. In the next film, ''Billy th ...

'' (1941) as Silent Don Benson * ''