Jackie Moran (January 26, 1923 â€" September 20, 1990) was an American
movie actor who, between 1936 and 1946, appeared in over thirty films,
primarily in teenage roles.A native of Mattoon, Illinois, John E.
Moran first sung in a church choir. He was discovered by Mary Pickford
who convinced his mother to take him to Hollywood for a screen test in
1935. Renamed Jackie Moran, he was subsequently cast in a number of
substantial supporting roles. He became well-known with the 1938
release of David O. Selznick's production The Adventures of Tom
Sawyer. The 93-minute big-budget Technicolor film presented Moran as
Huckleberry Finn to Tommy Kelly's Tom Sawyer. Jackie Moran received
critical praise for his natural acting style.Jackie Moran went on to
star in several youth-oriented films for low-budget and poverty-row
studios, such as Republic and Monogram. His most frequent co-star was
the one-year-younger Marcia Mae Jones, who appeared with him in eleven
films, also including Tom Sawyer, where Jones had the relatively minor
part of Tom Sawyer's cousin Mary. They also played supporting roles in
the Deanna Durbin vehicle Mad About Music. They subsequently played in
four Monogram tributes to life in idealized pre-World War II rural
America, 1938's Barefoot Boy and, in 1940, Tomboy, Haunted House and
The Old Swimmin' Hole. The trio of 1940 films were directed by Robert
F. McGowan, the former director of Our Gang in his final directorial
assignment. Most of Jackie and Marcia Mae's remaining five films cast
them in major supporting roles. Their final entry, after a two-year
break, was the 1943 Republic musical Nobody's Darling, one of the
first films helmed by Anthony Mann.Moran appeared in a cameo in Gone
with the Wind (1939) where he played the son of Dr. Meade, furious
about his brother's death as a soldier, and wanting to join the
Confederate Army himself so he can "kill all those Yankees." Jackie
also had a co-starring role with Buster Crabbe in Universal's
well-known 12-chapter serial Buck Rogers in which he was third-billed
as Buck's young friend, Buddy Wade. Jackie's next 1939 release was the
Hardy Family-like Everybody's Hobby, while the last, Spirit of Culver,
a remake of 1932's military-school film Tom Brown of Culver, teamed
him with two former top child stars Jackie Cooper and Freddie
Bartholomew. Jackie Moran did not serve in the military during the
war[why?] and continued to act in movies, including one final
appearance in a top quality film, Selznick's Since You Went Away
(1944) where he played a grocer's son who exchanges bashful glances
with Shirley Temple. The movie was one of five Oscar nominees for Best
Picture (it eventually lost to Going My Way).
movie actor who, between 1936 and 1946, appeared in over thirty films,
primarily in teenage roles.A native of Mattoon, Illinois, John E.
Moran first sung in a church choir. He was discovered by Mary Pickford
who convinced his mother to take him to Hollywood for a screen test in
1935. Renamed Jackie Moran, he was subsequently cast in a number of
substantial supporting roles. He became well-known with the 1938
release of David O. Selznick's production The Adventures of Tom
Sawyer. The 93-minute big-budget Technicolor film presented Moran as
Huckleberry Finn to Tommy Kelly's Tom Sawyer. Jackie Moran received
critical praise for his natural acting style.Jackie Moran went on to
star in several youth-oriented films for low-budget and poverty-row
studios, such as Republic and Monogram. His most frequent co-star was
the one-year-younger Marcia Mae Jones, who appeared with him in eleven
films, also including Tom Sawyer, where Jones had the relatively minor
part of Tom Sawyer's cousin Mary. They also played supporting roles in
the Deanna Durbin vehicle Mad About Music. They subsequently played in
four Monogram tributes to life in idealized pre-World War II rural
America, 1938's Barefoot Boy and, in 1940, Tomboy, Haunted House and
The Old Swimmin' Hole. The trio of 1940 films were directed by Robert
F. McGowan, the former director of Our Gang in his final directorial
assignment. Most of Jackie and Marcia Mae's remaining five films cast
them in major supporting roles. Their final entry, after a two-year
break, was the 1943 Republic musical Nobody's Darling, one of the
first films helmed by Anthony Mann.Moran appeared in a cameo in Gone
with the Wind (1939) where he played the son of Dr. Meade, furious
about his brother's death as a soldier, and wanting to join the
Confederate Army himself so he can "kill all those Yankees." Jackie
also had a co-starring role with Buster Crabbe in Universal's
well-known 12-chapter serial Buck Rogers in which he was third-billed
as Buck's young friend, Buddy Wade. Jackie's next 1939 release was the
Hardy Family-like Everybody's Hobby, while the last, Spirit of Culver,
a remake of 1932's military-school film Tom Brown of Culver, teamed
him with two former top child stars Jackie Cooper and Freddie
Bartholomew. Jackie Moran did not serve in the military during the
war[why?] and continued to act in movies, including one final
appearance in a top quality film, Selznick's Since You Went Away
(1944) where he played a grocer's son who exchanges bashful glances
with Shirley Temple. The movie was one of five Oscar nominees for Best
Picture (it eventually lost to Going My Way).
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