Dan Tyler Moore (author)
Dan Tyler Moore Jr. | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1908 Washington, D.C., U.S. |
| Died | 1998-02-11 Cleveland Heights, Ohio, U.S. |
| Occupation(s) | Intelligence operative, regional commissioner for the SEC, entrepreneur, public orator, writer |
| Known for | The Terrible Game (1957 novel) |
Dan Tyler Moore Jr. (1908–1998) was an American intelligence operative, regional commissioner for the SEC, entrepreneur, public orator, and writer. He gained recognition primarily for his 1957 pulp fiction novel The Terrible Game, which served as the basis for the 1985 cult classic film Gymkata.
Early life and education
Moore was born in Washington, D.C., to Dan Tyler Moore Sr., a military attaché and confidant of President Theodore Roosevelt, and Luvean Jones Moore. His education included attendance at St. Albans School and Salisbury School, culminating in a physics degree from Yale University in 1932. That same year, he wed Elizabeth Oakes, a sculptor and heiress.
Early career
Initially pursuing a career in investment banking in New York City, Moore later joined the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission during Joseph P. Kennedy’s tenure. By 1937, he was appointed regional administrator for SEC "zone 4," responsible for Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, and Kentucky. In this capacity, he drafted Ohio’s state securities legislation.
OSS
During World War II, Moore became part of the newly formed OSS under the leadership of William J. Donovan. Stationed in Cairo, he acted as Deputy to James M. Landis, head of the Middle East Economic Mission, while covertly serving as a regional OSS chief overseeing North Africa. His contributions included disrupting German diamond supply chains, preventing an assassination attempt on King George II of Greece, and inventing a device used to airlift agents.
Post-War career
Following the war, Moore engaged in hotel development ventures in Turkey. Upon returning to the United States, he established residence in Cleveland, Ohio, where he co-founded a trading company with fellow local Eliot Ness. Throughout the 1950s, Moore gained prominence as a fraud prevention lecturer and served as chairman of the International Platform Association during the 1960s.
Writing career
Moore received a "story by" credit for the 1949 film noir Illegal Entry. By the 1950s, he had become a prolific writer with a syndicated column on fraud and contributed short stories to the Saturday Evening Post. His April 14, 1956 story The Terrible Game was later expanded into a bestselling adventure novel published in 1957 and subsequently adapted into the 1985 movie Gymkata. His nonfiction works include Cloak & Cipher (1962, co-authored with Martha Waller), Wolves, Widows, and Orphans (1967), and Lecturing for Profit (1967).
Death
Moore passed away on February 11, 1998, in Cleveland Heights, Ohio and was interred at Lake View Cemetery.
Short fiction
- The Terrible Game (Saturday Evening Post, April 14, 1956)
- The Scent of Danger (Collier's, May 11, 1956)
- The Girl Who Gambled (Saturday Evening Post, February 6, 1960)
Novels
- The Terrible Game (1957)
Nonfiction
- Cloak & Cipher (1962, with Martha Waller)
- Wolves, Widows, and Orphans (1967)
- Lecturing for Profit (1967)