Moomba, King, Portrait, Robert Morley, 1967
Summary
Framed black-and-white portrait of 1967 Moomba King, Robert Morley.
Robert Morley (1908–82) was crowned the first Moomba King, in 1967. Trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, London, he was successful West End stage actor who later joined Hollywood’s screen stars. As well as acting, Morley co-wrote for and directed in theatre. He received an Oscar nomination for his performance as King Louis XVI in the 1938 film Marie Antoinette, and his Hollywood credits include African Queen (1951), Outcast of the Islands (1951) and The Final Test (1953). Morley was performing a one-man stage show, The Sound of Morley, in Melbourne when he was invited to become king. He travelled in the parade in a red convertible Rolls Royce, with that year's queen, Patsy Earp, alongside him.
Newspaper reports of the time point out that he had previously been dismissive of the town of Melbourne, but he was nevertheless happy to take up the title of Moomba King.
