Dudley Moore

Dudley Moore's talent seemed almost physically improbable, packed into a small frame that became part of his comic persona. He first emerged from Oxford as a brilliantly gifted jazz pianist and composer, a foundation often overshadowed by his fame. In the 1960s, he helped ignite the British satire revolution as part of the seminal stage review 'Beyond the Fringe,' then formed a legendary partnership with Peter Cook. Their sketches, like the hilariously dim 'Derek and Clive,' defined a generation's humor. Hollywood transformed him into an unlikely leading man in films like '10' and 'Arthur,' where his Chaplinesque charm and vulnerability won an Oscar nomination and made him a box-office sensation. Behind the clowning, however, was a serious artist whose musicality informed every perfectly timed stumble and wistful glance.