Happy Birthday to Dolores Moran!

Dolores Moran (27 January 1924, Stockton, California – 5 February 1982, Woodland Hills, Los Angeles)

Dolores Moran on the set of "To have and not have" with Howard Hawks, Humphrey Bogart and Walter Brennan.

Dolores Moran was checked out at an annual Elks Lodge picnic by a Warner Brothers talent scout in the early 40s and a starlet was born. Dolores was a popular pin-up item with soldiers after appearing on magazine covers. Typically utilized in small film parts from 1942 on, she appeared in Bette Davis and Miriam Hopkins' tearjerker "Old Acquaintance" (1943), she played Helene De Bursac in "To have and not have" (1944) with Bogie and Bacall, Raoul Walsh's "The Horn Blows at Midnight" (1945), "Christmas Eve" (1947) and "Silver Lode" (1954). She was married to the film producer Benedict E. Bogeaus in Salome, Arizona in 1946 and they had a son. They divorced in the early 60s and not much was heard from Dolores until newspapers reported her death at age 58 in 1982.


A video dedicated to the beautiful actress Dolores Moran featuring her scenes in "To have and not have" (1945) directed by Howard Hawks, with Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall. Songs "Leggy Blonde" by Flight of the Conchords, "Dolores" instrumental by Leo Kottke and "Wake up, Dolores" by Los Lobos.

Dolores Moran had an affair with director Howard Hawks while filming "To Have and Have Not", which Hawks undertook mainly as revenge for his rejection by Bacall in favour of Bogart. Howard Hawks had tested both actresses for the part of Marie "Slim" in 1943. Bacall was under personal contract to him, so he favored her results over Moran’s. Walter Szurovy, the actor who played Moran's husband Paul de Bursac in the film, thought Bacall had more aptitudes for the role of "Slim". Bacall recalled her "To have and not have" experience in her autobiography "By Mysel": "Halfway into the film, Howard (Hawks) ran some of our scenes cut, showed them to Bogie, and with Bogie's help had come to the conclusion that no audience would believe anyone or anything could come between Slim and Steve. So scenes were adjusted accordingly and all of mine made stronger and better".