About Dolores Moran (JANUARY 27,1924 – FEBRUARY 5,1982)

 

About Dolores Moran 

(JANUARY 27,1924 – FEBRUARY 5,1982)

Dolores Moran was born on January 27, 1924 in Stockton, California. On February 5, 1982. She was the daughter of James G. "Jim" Moran and his wife, Mary Esther Moran. She had a sister, Marjorie.

She passed away in Woodland Hills, California, after a battle with cancer, at the age of 58.

Dolores Moran was a beautiful, very well-endowed teenager who won a bunch of teen beauty contests, such as becoming the Queen of Butte County Fair. The prize was a trip to Yosemite National Park, where she was photographed by NAtional Geographic photographers.

In 1941, Dolores was spotted by a Warner Brothers talent scout at a Sacramento Elks Lodge picnic, and signed a contracting with Warner Brothers, at the age of 17.

She was given singing and dancing lessons, and appeared twice a week doing tap routines in army camp shows. The year 1943 was a good year for Dolores. Dolores Moran had become a popular pin-up girl with soldiers and appeared on magazine covers like Yank and The Army Weekly. The Flying Tigers also claimed her as their "Tiger Girl", to remind them who they were fighting for. She was also cast in OLD ACQUAINTANCE; a film starring Bette Davis, and Miriam Hopkins.

Dolores Moran was at first offered uncredited roles, including: THE LAST RIDE; in 1944, playing Molly Stevens, in 1943's THREE CHEERS FOR THE GIRLS, as a chorus girl, and as the young blonde in the 1943 film,THE HARD WAY, and in YANKEE DOODLE DANDY;(1942) as a girl.

She chose to try to further her career by having affairs with married movers and shakers of the film industry, and had quite a bad girl reputation by the time she was 22!

In 1944, she was cast in a Bogart and Bacall film, TO HAVE AND HAVE NOT, having a supportive role as a sexy lounge singer, MME. Hellene de Bursac. Her name was listed under Humphrey Bogart, Walter Brennan and Lauren Bacall. Perhaps this change in status was because she was having an affair with film's married director, Howard Hawks. However, once cast, her role was shrunk, in favor of expanding Bacall's part.

Also, in 1944, Dolores was included in Warner Brothers' all star cast in the morale boosting, WW2 film, HOLLYWOOD CANTEEN. She played herself in a small cameo part; being the personality behind the popular pin-up girl that was so important to army soldiers and airmen a like.

In 1945, Dolores got her biggest supporting role yet, as Fran, in the film, THE HORN BLOWS AT MIDNIGHT. She got third billing, under Jack Benny and Alexis Smith. Also in 1945, she got third billing in a film, TOO YOUNG TO KNOW, playing the character, Patsey O'Brien. The film starred Joan Leslie and Robert Hutton.

In the film, CHRISTMAS EVE;(1947) was the first time Dolores Moran worked with producer Benedict Bogeaus. Dolores became the other woman with this married man, 22 years her senior. Benedict and Dolores married in 1952, after Bofeaus divorced his wife, who killed herself because of grief. Bogeaus insisted that Dolores be in only his films, which stifled her career. She also suffered with a health condition that kept her out of films, off and on.

In between doing Benedict's film projects, Dolores tried acting as a guest star on some television series: DANGEROUS ASSIGNMENT;(1952), MY HERO;(1952) and MR. AND MRS. NORTH;(1953-54).

Dolores and Benedicts marriage lasted for ten years, before they divorced in 1962. They had one son together, who grew up and became a successful business man.

Dolores Moran's notable credits include...

SILVER LODE (1954)

JOHNNY ONE-EYE (1950)

THE MAN I LOVE (1947)

TOO YOUNG TO KNOW (1945)

TO HAVE AND HAVE NOT (1944)

OLD ACQUAINTANCE (1943)