Abstract
The Bill Moore Professional Papers are comprised of documents, designs, and promotional materials of show producer Bill Moore from 1950 to 2010. From the 1960s until the late 2000s, Moore and his partner George Arnold produced a variety of stage shows, from musicals and revues to his famous "on ice" productions like Nudes on Ice and Playgirls on Ice. Materials include three-dimensional set designs, photographic prints, financial records, promotional posters, and audio and video recordings of shows at casinos in Las Vegas, Laughlin, and Reno, Nevada, and Atlantic City, New Jersey.
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Scope and Contents Note
The Bill Moore Professional Papers are comprised of documents, designs, and promotional materials of show producer Bill Moore from 1950 to 2009. Materials include photographic prints, slides and negatives, audio and video recordings of performances, hand-drawn designs, three-dimensional set designs, promotional materials such as posters and fliers, advertisements, financial documents, contracts, newspapers, reviews, and articles. The collection also includes photographs of Judy Bayley, the Hacienda Hotel, and charity events organized by Doc and Judy Bayley, as well as born-digital use copies of selected video recordings.
Access Note
Collection is open for research, with the exception of materials that are restricted to protect personally identifiable information. Restrictions are noted at the file level of this inventory and will be open for research use January 1, 2075. Where use copies do not exist, production of use copies is required before access will be granted; this may delay research requests. Advance notice is required. Arrangements must be made in advance in order to access digital files; please contact UNLV Special Collections and Archives for additional information.
Publication Rights
Materials in this collection may be protected by copyrights and other rights. See Reproductions and Use on the UNLV Special Collections and Archives website for more information about reproductions and permissions to publish.
Arrangement
These records are organized into two series:
Series I. Show production materials, 1950-2010;
Series II. Audiovisual materials, 1960-2010.
Biographical / Historical Note
Show producer and designer Bill Moore was born in Gateshead, England in 1926. He moved to Las Vegas, Nevada in the 1950s to make theatrical productions. Moore, who was trained as a dancer, worked with George Arnold and produced shows in Las Vegas, Reno, and Laughlin, Nevada, and in Atlantic City, New Jersey. The duo became known for flashy costumes and extravagant ice shows.
With George Arnold, a former professional ice-dancer, Moore's first show Rhythm on Ice premiered at the El Cortez Hotel and Casino in 1960. The success of the show earned Moore and Arnold respect and opened the door for subsequent productions on the Las Vegas Strip. Moore and Arnold produced shows together for 35 years, including a series of "...on Ice" productions like Nudes on Ice, Spice on Ice, Fantasy on Ice, and Playgirls on Ice. Moore also produced revues and variety acts like Razzle Dazzle and City Lites at the Flamingo Hilton and the first stage production at Caesar's Palace, Rome Swings, in 1966.
During his career, Moore became close friends with the owners of the Hacienda Hotel, Doc and Judy Bayley. After Doc's death, Moore helped Judy Bayley pull the Hacienda out of debt. His acclaimed Spice on Ice debuted at the Hacienda and ran for several years.
Arnold died in 1997, but Moore continued to produce shows until his death in January 19, 2012.
Sources:
"Veteran Las Vegas showman Moore dies."
Hill, Roland L.,
Preferred Citation
Bill Moore Professional Papers, 1950-2010. MS-00597. Special Collections and Archives, University Libraries, University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Las Vegas, Nevada.
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Acquisition Note
Materials were donated by Sheila Hood (estate of Bill Moore) in 2012; accession number 2012-020.
Processing Note
Materials were minimally processed by Su Kim Chung in 2012. In 2014, Lindsay Oden processed the collection and wrote the collection description in compliance with current professional standards. Subsequently Lindsay Oden entered the data into ArchivesSpace. In 2019, Karla Irwin processed the digital materials stored on optical discs and created access copies. Later in 2019, Christina Lamoureux and Melise Leech rehoused the collection and revised the collection description.