Patrick W. Moore, 91; Child Actor Appeared in Dozens of Early Films

Patrick William Moore, 91, who appeared as a child and youth actor in nearly three dozen silent pictures, including a 1923 version of “The Ten Commandments,” died Sunday in Los Angeles of natural causes.

Moore was believed to be the last surviving cast member of the epic biblical film made by Cecil B. DeMille and remade by DeMille in 1956 in the version starring Charlton Heston as Moses. In the silent film, Moore played the pharaoh’s son. It was DeMille who changed the actor’s birth surname from Sheffield to Moore.

Born in Bristol, England, the actor immigrated to California with his family, including fellow child actor Mickey Moore. Patrick Moore appeared in his first film, a western made in Santa Barbara, in 1917. He often portrayed the film’s main character in boyhood sequences, including Rudolf Valentino’s “The Young Rajah.” Moore also appeared in “The Queen of Sheba” and “The Primrose Path.”

After his acting career waned in the mid-1930s, Moore remained in show business but turned to production.

He worked for Paramount Studios for many years, first in the property and wardrobe department, then in music and sound editing and as an assistant director.