Born in Clinton, Iowa, Moran starred in a number of B movies like The Mummy's Hand (1940), Slightly Tempted (1940), Treat 'Em Rough (1942) with Eddie Albert and William Frawley, and King of the Cowboys (1943) with Roy Rogers and Smiley Burnette, and played smaller parts in A pictures, such as the "first cigarette girl" in Ninotchka (1939), which starred Greta Garbo. After marrying director Henry Koster in 1942, Moran was featured in every picture her husband directed.
With Koster, Moran had two sons. After Koster retired in 1966, the couple traveled extensively until his death in 1988. On October 24, 2002, only one day after her 84th birthday, Moran died of complications from injuries she had suffered in a car accident on August 26, 2002. She was cremated and her ashes were scattered at sea.
Filmography
Actress
1943
Stage Door Canteen as
Peggy Moran
1943
King of the Cowboys as
Judy Mason
1942
Seven Sweethearts as
Albert 'Al' Van Maaster
1942
There's One Born Every Minute as
Helen Barbara Twine
1942
Drums of the Congo as
Enid Waldron
1942
Treat 'Em Rough as
Betty Newman
1941
Flying Cadets as
Kitty Randall
1941
Hello, Sucker as
Rosalie Watson
1941
Horror Island as
Wendy Creighton
1941
Double Date as
Penelope 'Penny' Kirkland
1940
Trail of the Vigilantes as
Barbara Thornton
1940
One Night in the Tropics as
Mickey Fitzgerald
1940
Slightly Tempted as
Judy Ross
1940
Spring Parade as
Archduchess Irene
1940
The Mummy's Hand as
Marta Solvani
1940
Argentine Nights as
Peggy
1940
I Can't Give You Anything But Love, Baby as
Linda Carroll
1940
Hot Steel as
Babe Morrison
1940
Alias the Deacon as
Phyllis
1940
Danger on Wheels as
Pat O'Shea
1940
West of Carson City as
Millie Harkins
1940
Oh, Johnny, How You Can Love! as
Carol Ann 'Kelly' Archer
1939
The Big Guy as
Joan Lawson
1939
Ninotchka as
First Cigarette Girl (uncredited)
1939
First Love as
Girl at School (uncredited)
1939
Little Accident as
Tall Girl (uncredited)
1939
Winter Carnival as
Viola (uncredited)
1939
Zenobia as
Party Guest (uncredited)
1938
Rhythm of the Saddle as
Maurine McClune
1938
The Sisters as
Minor Role (uncredited)
1938
Girls' School as
Myra
1938
Campus Cinderella (Short) as
Co-Ed (uncredited)
1938
Secrets of an Actress as
Actress Waiting to See Carstairs (uncredited)
1938
Boy Meets Girl as
New York Operator (uncredited)
1938
Gold Diggers in Paris as
Golddigger
Soundtrack
1940
One Night in the Tropics (performer: "Remind Me")
1940
Oh, Johnny, How You Can Love! (performer: "Maybe I Like What You Like", "Bring Back My Bonnie" (aka "My Bonnie Lies over the Ocean"))
