Charles R Moore April 23 1893 Chicago Illinois July 20 1947 Los Angeles California was an AfricanAmerican actor who appeared in over 100 films in his acting career and was sometimes credited as Charles Moore or Charlie Moore Moore played small parts such as servants bootblacks elevator operators menial laborers and especially railroad porters and Red Caps Film buffs may remember him in Meet John Doe where he played the City Hall janitor trying to smoke a cigar while washing the floor on the Christmas Eve that John Doe has threatened to jump off the building Moore was part of Preston Sturges unofficial stock company of character actors appearing in six of Sturges films In Sullivans Travels Moore had a memorable moment as the chef who is propelled headfirst through the roof of the land yacht during the chase scene Moore was also a dancer but that skill was not often called for in his film appearances