Eva Moore (9 February 1868 – 27 April 1955) was an English actress. Her career on stage and in film spanned six decades, and she was active in the

women's suffrage Women's suffrage is the right of women to vote in elections. Beginning in the start of the 18th century, some people sought to change voting laws to allow women to vote. Liberal political parties would go on to grant women the right to vot ...

movement. In her 1923 book of reminiscences, ''Exits and Entrances'', she describes approximately ninety of her roles in plays, but she continued to act on stage until 1945. She also acted in more than two dozen films. Her daughter, Jill Esmond, was the first wife of

Laurence Olivier Laurence Kerr Olivier, Baron Olivier (; 22 May 1907 – 11 July 1989) was an English actor and director who, along with his contemporaries Ralph Richardson and John Gielgud, was one of a trio of male actors who dominated the Theatre of the U ...

Early life and career

Moore was born and educated in

Brighton Brighton () is a seaside resort and one of the two main areas of the City of Brighton and Hove in the county of East Sussex, England. It is located south of London. Archaeological evidence of settlement in the area dates back to the Bronze A ...

, Sussex, the eighth of ten children, the last of whom was the actress

Decima Moore Lilian Decima, Lady Moore-Guggisberg, CBE (11 December 1871 – 18 February 1964), better known by her stage name Decima Moore, was an English singer and actress, known for her performances in soprano roles with the D'Oyly Carte Opera Compa ...

. Her parents were the

chemist A chemist (from Greek ''chēm(ía)'' alchemy; replacing ''chymist'' from Medieval Latin ''alchemist'') is a scientist trained in the study of chemistry. Chemists study the composition of matter and its properties. Chemists carefully describe th ...

Edward Henry Moore and his wife, Emily (née Strachan) Moore. She attended Miss Pringle's school in Brighton and then studied gymnastics and dancing in

Liverpool Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the 10th largest English district by population and its metropolitan area is the fifth largest in the United Kingdom, with a popul ...

. Returning to

, she taught dancing. In 1891 she married actor/playwright

Henry V. Esmond Henry Vernon Esmond (30 November 1869 – 17 April 1922) was a British actor and playwright. Esmond was born Harry Esmond Jack in Hampton Court, Middlesex, the son of Richard George Jack, a physician and surgeon and his wife Mary Rynd. He ...

(1869–1922). They had three children: Jack (an actor), Jill (the actress Jill Esmond, first wife of

) and Lynette, who did not survive infancy. Her husband wrote more than a dozen plays in which she appeared, and they appeared together in more than a dozen plays.Joannou, Maroula
"Moore, Eva (1868–1955)"
''

Oxford Dictionary of National Biography The ''Dictionary of National Biography'' (''DNB'') is a standard work of reference on notable figures from British history, published since 1885. The updated ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'' (''ODNB'') was published on 23 September ...

'', Oxford University Press, 2004, accessed 10 February 2011 Moore made her first stage appearance at London's

Vaudeville Theatre The Vaudeville Theatre is a West End theatre on the Strand in the City of Westminster. As the name suggests, the theatre held mostly vaudeville shows and musical revues in its early days. It opened in 1870 and was rebuilt twice, although each ...

on 15 December 1887, as Varney in ''Proposals''. She next joined Toole's company and appeared at Toole's Theatre on 26 December of that year as the Spirit of Home in ''Dot''. In 1888, she was back at the Vaudeville in a play with her sisters Jessie and Decima, ''Partners'', by

Robert Williams Buchanan Robert Williams Buchanan (18 August 1841 – 10 June 1901) was a Scottish poet, novelist and dramatist. Early life and education He was the son of Robert Buchanan (1813–1866), Owenite lecturer and journalist, and was born at Caverswall, S ...

. In 1890, she created the role of the countess of Drumdurris in the

Arthur Wing Pinero Sir Arthur Wing Pinero (24 May 185523 November 1934) was an English playwright and, early in his career, actor. Pinero was drawn to the theatre from an early age, and became a professional actor at the age of 19. He gained experience as a supp ...

play ''

The Cabinet Minister ''The Cabinet Minister'' is an 1890 comedy (drama), comedy play by the British writer Arthur Wing Pinero. A cabinet minister spends well beyond his means, leading to massive debts.Booth p.106 References Bibliography * Booth, Michael R. ''Prefa ...

'' at the Court Theatre. In 1892, she appeared as Minestra in the comic opera ''

The Mountebanks ''The Mountebanks'' is a comic opera in two acts with music by Alfred Cellier and Ivan Caryll and a libretto by W. S. Gilbert. The story concerns a magic potion that causes the person to whom it is administered to become what he or she has pre ...

'' by '' W. S. Gilbert'' and ''

Alfred Cellier Alfred Cellier (1 December 184428 December 1891) was an English composer, orchestrator and conductor. In addition to conducting and music directing the original productions of several of the most famous Gilbert and Sullivan works and writing th ...

''. The next year, she created the role of Pepita in the long-running ''

Little Christopher Columbus ''Little Christopher Columbus'' is a burlesque opera in two acts, with music by Ivan Caryll and Gustave Kerker and a libretto by George R. Sims and Cecil Raleigh. It opened on 10 October 1893 at the Lyric Theatre in London and then transferred ...

''. In 1894, she joined Charles Hawtrey and Lottie Venne in

F. C. Burnand Sir Francis Cowley Burnand (29 November 1836 – 21 April 1917), usually known as F. C. Burnand, was an English comic writer and prolific playwright, best known today as the librettist of Arthur Sullivan's opera ''Cox and Box''. The son of ...

's ''A Gay Widow''. Other stage roles included Mabel Vaughn in ''The Wilderness'' (1901); Lady Ernestone in Esmond's ''My Lady Cirtue'' and Wilhelmina Marr in his ''Billy's Little Love Affair'' (both 1903); and Kathie in ''Old Heidelberg'' (1902 and 1909) with George Alexander. In 1907, she took the name part in ''Sweet Kitty Bellaire'' (1907) and played Mrs. Errol in '' Little Lord Fauntleroy'', Mrs. Crowley in ''The Explorer'' in 1908, the Hon. Mrs. Bayle in ''Best People'' and Mrs. Rivers in ''The House Opposite'' in 1909.

Later years and films

Moore was active in the suffrage movement (as was her sister Decima), attending meetings and appearing in suffragist plays and films. She was a founder of the

Actresses' Franchise League The Actresses' Franchise League was a women's suffrage organisation, mainly active in England. Founding In 1908 the Actresses' Franchise League was founded by Gertrude Elliott, Adeline Bourne, Winifred Mayo and Sime Seruya at a meeting in the ...

in 1908 but resigned from that organisation when other members objected to her acting in a sketch called "Her Vote", by her husband, in which the heroine prefers kisses to votes. Moore later managed her husband's comedy ''Eliza Comes to Stay'', which opened at the

Criterion Theatre The Criterion Theatre is a West End theatre at Piccadilly Circus in the City of Westminster, and is a Grade II* listed building. It has a seating capacity of 588. Building the theatre In 1870, the caterers Spiers and Pond began development ...

on 12 February 1913, transferring to the

on 6 July 1914, and then took the play to New York City for an unsuccessful run. After the First World War began, she continued acting at the Vaudeville in the evenings but worked as a volunteer during the day for the

Women's Emergency Corps The Women's Emergency Corps was a service organisation founded in 1914 by Evelina Haverfield, Decima Moore, and the Women's Social and Political Union to contribute to the war effort of the United Kingdom in World War I. The corps was intended t ...

, based at the

Little Theatre Little Theatre or Little Theater may refer to: Australia *Little Theatre, Adelaide, South Australia * Little Theatre, Sydney, former name of the Royal Standard Theatre, Sydney, New South Wales *Melbourne Little Theatre, an amateur theatre company ...

. She raised money for hospital and wartime causes and was honoured with the ordre de la Reine Elisabeth for her wartime activities. At the

Royalty Theatre The Royalty Theatre was a small London theatre situated at 73 Dean Street, Soho. Established by the actress Frances Maria Kelly in 1840, it opened as Miss Kelly's Theatre and Dramatic School and finally closed to the public in 1938.

, she played Mrs. Culver in the 1918 play ''The Title'', by

Arnold Bennett Enoch Arnold Bennett (27 May 1867 – 27 March 1931) was an English author, best known as a novelist. He wrote prolifically: between the 1890s and the 1930s he completed 34 novels, seven volumes of short stories, 13 plays (some in collaboratio ...

, where she also played Mrs. Etheridge in ''Caesar's Wife'' by

W. Somerset Maugham William Somerset Maugham ( ; 25 January 1874 – 16 December 1965) was an English writer, known for his plays, novels and short stories. Born in Paris, where he spent his first ten years, Maugham was schooled in England and went to a German un ...

and the title role in ''

Mumsie ''Mumsie'' is a 1927 British silent drama film directed by Herbert Wilcox and starring Pauline Frederick, Nelson Keys and Herbert Marshall. It was adapted from the 1920 play of the same title by Edward Knoblock about a favourite son of a famil ...

''. In October 1920, she and Esmond began an extensive tour of Canada with Nigel Bruce as their stage manager, who played Montague Jordan in ''Eliza Comes to Stay'', which re-opened at the Duke of York's Theatre in London on 14 June 1923. From 1920 to 1946, Moore made over two dozen films, beginning with ''The Law Divine'' (1920). Some of her best-received silent films were ''

Flames of Passion ''Flames of Passion'' (1922) was a British silent film drama directed by Graham Cutts, starred Mae Marsh and C. Aubrey Smith. The film was made by the newly formed Graham-Wilcox Productions company, a joint venture between Cutts and producer H ...

'' (1922), ''

The Great Well ''The Great Well'' is a 1924 British silent drama film directed by Henry Kolker and starring Thurston Hall, Seena Owen and Lawford Davidson. It was based on the 1923 play ''The Great Well'' by Alfred Sutro. Cast * Thurston Hall - Peter Starlin ...

'' (1924), '' Chu-Chin-Chow'' (1925) and '' Motherland'' (1927). Her most popular 'talkies' included ''

Almost a Divorce ''Almost a Divorce'' is a 1931 British comedy film directed by Jack Raymond and Arthur Varney and starring Nelson Keys, Sydney Howard and Margery Binner. It was made at British and Dominion's Elstree Studios.Wood p.71 Cast * Nelson Keys as ...

'' (1931), '' The Old Dark House'' (1932), ''

Leave It to Smith Leave may refer to: * Permission (disambiguation) ** Permitted absence from work *** Leave of absence, a period of time that one is to be away from one's primary job while maintaining the status of employee *** Annual leave, allowance of time away ...

'' (1933), ''

I Was a Spy ''I Was a Spy'' is a 1933 British thriller film directed by Victor Saville and starring Madeleine Carroll, Herbert Marshall, and Conrad Veidt. Based on the 1932 memoir ''I Was a Spy'' by Marthe Cnockaert, the film is about her experiences as a B ...

'' (1933), '' Jew Süss'' (1934), '' A Cup of Kindness'' (1934), ''

Vintage Wine ''Vintage Wine'' is a 1935 British comedy film directed by Henry Edwards and starring Seymour Hicks, Claire Luce, Eva Moore and Judy Gunn. The film was made at Julius Hagen's Twickenham Studios, but was released by Gaumont British Distributors ...

'' (1935), '' The Divorce of Lady X'' (1938, which starred her son-in-law

) and '' Of Human Bondage'' (1946).Parker, pp. 1060–62, 1628 Moore published her reminiscences, ''Exits and Entrances'', in 1923 but continued to act until 1945. In later years, she resided at Bisham,

Maidenhead Maidenhead is a market town in the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead in the county of Berkshire, England, on the southwestern bank of the River Thames. It had an estimated population of 70,374 and forms part of the border with southern Bu ...

, Berkshire, England, dying of

myocardial degeneration Cardiomyopathy is a group of diseases that affect the heart muscle. Early on there may be few or no symptoms. As the disease worsens, dyspnea, shortness of breath, feeling fatigue (medical), tired, and pedal edema, swelling of the legs may occu ...

at age 87.

Notes

References

* Parker, John (editor), ''Who's Who in the Theatre'', 10th revised edition, London (1947)

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Moore, Eva 1870 births 1955 deaths English stage actresses English film actresses English silent film actresses People from Brighton 20th-century English actresses