One of the unexpected pleasures of the 1982 Night of 100 Stars was seeing Christopher Cross perform his Oscar-winning hit “Arthur’s Theme (Best That You Can Do)” with none other than Dudley Moore at the piano.
For many viewers, Moore’s musical ability may have come as a surprise. By then, he was internationally famous as the charming comic actor who had starred in 10 and, appropriately enough, Arthur. But long before Hollywood made him a movie star, Moore was an accomplished pianist and jazz musician who had studied music at Oxford and performed professionally with his own jazz trio.
Watching him accompany Cross therefore offered audiences something special: the star of Arthur helping bring the movie’s signature song to life while revealing a side of his talent that casual moviegoers may never have known existed. It turns the performance into more than a celebrity duet—it is a wonderful little collision of film, music and hidden talent, and a reminder that Dudley Moore was every bit as comfortable at a piano as he was delivering a punchline.
