Those who know me well will have no problem in guessing what it is about Terry Moore that has me the most captivated. True, she has a very interesting personal tale of how she had been secretly married to philanthropist, aviator, and all around intriguing guy Howard Hughes. Although documents detailing the supposed 1949 marriage never materialized, the Hughes estate awarded her a settlement. But this isn’t the reason that I’m interested in Terry Moore.
Also true is that she was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role in Come Back Little Sheba in 1957 and also starred in some well-known movies like Peyton Place and Mighty Joe Young. This might captivate me as well – had I actually seen any of them.
And of course, I had that Playboy fetish…er, collection…back in the 90’s and was interested in the lives and autographs of the Playmates. But although I have never seen the pictorial, I find it unconvincing that Terry Moore’s pictorial at age 55 would have done much for me.
Still attractive enough to make the cover of Playboy in 1984, at age 55
So what is it that this actress, model, and Mrs. Hughes did to interest me so much? Way back in 1942 when she was still going by the name Judy Ford (also a stage name), she starred with my pals Laurel and Hardy in their worst feature film A-Haunting We Will Go. Actually, she never appeared on screen with them, but did share a scene with Dante the Magician as one of the kids whom Dante is entertaining with his magic act.
Terry is the tall girl in the back. Next to her is Buz Buckley, whom I would communicate with one time in 2008, but was uninterested in embracing his former ‘fame’
I felt even more of a kinship with her having appeared in this film and scene since the name of my L&H Appreciation Society chapter was A-Haunting We Will Go (due to the city of Dayton being referenced in the film) and the name of my quarterly newsletter was Dante’s Info. Based on a brief recorded interview that Terry Moore did with my friend Bob Satterfield, I even published a brief article about her in one of the issues in 2003. Bob had obtained the above Playboy shot at an earlier show and during the interview time, had her sign the AHWWG shot that I had made up on my computer. Notice how she addressed it “To Brad & A-Haunting We Will Go Tent”
I finally got my own chance to meet Terry Moore at the Chicago collectors show on March 21, 2009. She was pleasant when I approached her for a picture, explaining that I had already obtained her autograph at a Hollywood show. She brightened up and thanked me when I mentioned that I had had the photos with Dante made up. She said it was nice to see me again, thinking that I had presented them to her in person. I didn’t bother to correct her. As she also wrote on my photo Dante, a phrase which served as Dante’s version of “Abracadabra”…Sim Sala Bim.
Celebrity encounters at the Chicago collector show will conclude…
Do you really believe “A-Haunting We Will Go” is the worst feature film the boys ever made? I think it has some pretty good one-liners and a couple of good sight gags. My favorite is when Stan says, “Together, we can do the work of one!”…..or something to that effect. The title is the worst thing about this film. It never gets near A-Haunting.
Dave Chasteen
June 13th, 2009
Traditionally, most fans point to this film as the worst one that they made. I happen to think that “Great Guns” is equally as weak.
Of course, the weakest of Laurel and Hardy films is still better than almost anything else…but in a group of 106 films, ONE of them has to be the worst!
Brad
June 14th, 2009
You are correct about the worst L&H film being much better than almost anything else. One does have to be the worst of the lot, doesn’t it?!
“The Big Noise” and “Nothing But Trouble” get my votes. I can forgive these films as being part of the war-effort, though.
Dave Chasteen
June 15th, 2009
If we’re taking a poll, I’ve got to go with “Atoll K” as the worst, but I probably don’t know their oeuvre as well as you two.
Peter
June 15th, 2009
I give “Atoll K” a pass because it is the boys’ final film and the only prints available are just plain terrible in quality. With that said, it hovers near the bottom of my list too!
Dave Chasteen
June 15th, 2009
Fair enough Dave. For my part, I can suffer through a bad print if it’s a good movie. “Atoll K” is just not a good movie in my opinion – no matter where it falls in the chronology of their career.
Peter
June 15th, 2009
I’m a Laurel & Hardy fan, but perhaps not in the same class as other commenters. I’d never even heard of Atoll K before. Went and found it on YouTube and am now in the middle of it. If it’s not quite up to their usual standards, it might have to do partly with the fact that so many of the other actors are speaking a foreign language. The boys are pros, but surely that must throw off timing and reactions. Back to the film….
Swisstoons
October 15th, 2016
By the way, if you want to see a strange movie, check out “Shack Out On 101” starring Terry Moore. You’ll wonder how the actress could’ve been nominated for an Oscar three years earlier. She sure appears to have aged well, though.
Swisstoons
October 15th, 2016
L&H fans might find this interesting; a review of the book, “The Final Film of Laurel and Hardy – A Study of the Chaotic Making and Marketing of Atoll K.”
http://worldcinemaparadise.com/2014/02/20/book-review-the-final-film-of-laurel-and-hardy-a-study-of-the-chaotic-making-and-marketing-of-atoll-k/
Swisstoons
October 15th, 2016