ACTOR and comedian Dudley Moore has filed for divorce from his fourth wife, whom he allegedly abused a month before their wedding.

British-born Moore, 61, who has been married three times, cited ``irreconcilable differences'' for the break-up of his marriage to Nicole Rothschild, 29 years his junior.

The petition, filed in Los Angeles Superior Court, said the couple, who married on April 16, 1994, had been separated since May 27 this year.

The actor proposed to Rothschild about a week after a quarrel that put the entertainer briefly in jail on suspicion of ``spousal abuse''.

Moore was arrested March 21, 1994, after he and Rothschild argued while watching the Academy Awards presentations on TV but the charges were later dropped.

The couple had known each other for 10 years before they married. They have a year-old son, Nicholas, who lives with his mother. Moore is seeking joint custody.

Moore, who gained fame with the revue Beyond the Fringe and his partnership with Peter Cook, was nominated for a best actor Oscar for his 1981 role as a boozy millionaire in Arthur.

The end of his marriage comes as no surprise. The musician's private affairs have been marked by acrimony, and a series of divorces.

His relationship with Ms Rothschild had always seemed a little strange.

He kept a house a quarter of a mile from the #400,000 mansion he bought for her when they wed - and escaped to it when he became, in his own words, ``difficult to live with''.

What could not have helped was the constant presence of Ms Rothschild's ex-husband, Charles Cleveland. She and Cleveland, the father of two of her children, remained in close contact after divorcing.

Last month, Moore was pictured with scratch marks across his face after an alleged fight with his wife.

It was reported that Moore returned to his ``escape-hatch'' home - and found Nicole and Charles Cleveland there, preparing food. Tempers frayed and a vicious fight ensued, it was claimed.

His latest divorce petition said he and Nicole had been separated since May 27, soon after they came to blows.

Moore has a penchant for leggy women - usually blonde. His previous liaisons include actresses Julie Christie, Jane Fonda, and Vanessa Redgrave.

His first marriage was to model Suzy Kendall and his second to actress Tuesday Weld, with whom he had a son, Patrick. In 1990 his brief marriage to model Brogan Lane, 26 years his junior, also ended.

Moore may have been unlucky in love but his bumbling, amiable and very British image has made him a multi-millionaire.

He joined fellow Oxford students Peter Cook, Jonathan Miller, and Alan Bennett in the 1960s to present the ground-breaking comedy Beyond the Fringe.

With Cook, he created a cult comedy in their two-man show featuring Pete & Dud.

It was during a comedy tour with Cook in 1975 that Moore fell in love with California and decided to settle.

He hit the big time in Los Angeles soon after, becoming an instant hit in the 1979 comedy 10, opposite Bo Derek.

He now spends his time doing concert tours and TV comedy work.