Robert Taylor (actor)
Encyclopedia
Robert Taylor was an American film and television actor.
Stanhope) and Spangler Andrew Brugh, who was a farmer turned doctor. During his early life, the family moved several times, living in Muskogee, Oklahoma
; Kirksville, Missouri
; and Fremont, Nebraska
. By September 1917, the Brughs had moved to Beatrice, Nebraska
, where they remained for 16 years.
As a teenager, he was a track
star and played the cello
in his high school orchestra. Upon graduation, he enrolled at Doane College
in Crete, Nebraska
to study music.
While at Doane, he took cello lessons from Professor E. Gray, a man whom he admired and idolized. After Professor Gray announced he was accepting a new position at Pomona College
in Los Angeles, Brugh moved to California and enrolled at Pomona. He joined the campus theatre group and was eventually spotted by an MGM talent scout in 1932 after production of Journey's End
.
for $35 a week, his name was changed to Robert Taylor. He made his film debut in the 1934 comedy, Handy Andy, opposite Will Rogers
(on a loan-out to 20th Century Fox
). After appearing in a few small roles, he appeared in one of his first leading roles in Magnificent Obsession
, with Irene Dunne
. This was followed by Camille
, opposite Greta Garbo
.
Throughout the late 1930s, Taylor appeared in films of varying genres including the musicals
Broadway Melody of 1936
and Broadway Melody of 1938
, and the British comedy A Yank at Oxford
with Vivien Leigh
. In 1940, he reteamed with Leigh in Mervyn LeRoy
's drama Waterloo Bridge
. Taylor would say that Waterloo Bridge was his favorite film.
After being given the nickname "The Man with the Perfect Profile", Taylor began breaking away from his perfect leading man image and began appearing in darker roles beginning in 1941. That year he portrayed Billy Bonney
(better known as Billy the Kid) in Billy the Kid
. The next year, he played the title role in the film noir
Johnny Eager
opposite Lana Turner
. After playing a tough sergeant in Bataan in 1943, Taylor contributed to the war effort
by becoming a flying instructor in U.S. Naval Air Corps. During this time, he also starred in instructional films and narrated the 1944 documentary The Fighting Lady
. Robert Taylor first appeared with actress Elizabeth Taylor
in the 1949 movie Conspirator
. Thirty-eight year old Taylor was somewhat uncomfortable with Elizabeth Taylor being 16 years old and his love interest. The age difference was mentioned in the film, when they made Elizabeth state her age as 18 years old to Robert's age of 31 years of age.
In 1950, Taylor landed the role of General Marcus Vinicius in Quo Vadis
, opposite Deborah Kerr
. The film was a hit, grossing US$11 million. The following year, he starred opposite Elizabeth Taylor in the film version of Walter Scott
's classic Ivanhoe
, followed by 1953's Knights of the Round Table
and The Adventures of Quentin Durward
, all filmed in England.
By the mid-1950s, Taylor's career began to wane. He starred in a comedy western in 1955 co-starring Eleanor Parker
called Many Rivers To Cross. In 1958 he shared lead with Richard Widmark
in the edgy John Sturges
western, The Law and Jake Wade
. In 1958, he formed his own production company, Robert Taylor Productions, and the following year, he starred in the ABC
hit television series The Detectives Starring Robert Taylor
(1959–1962). Following the end of the series in 1962, Taylor continued to appear in films and television including A House Is Not a Home
and two episodes of Hondo
. In 1964, he co-starred with his former wife, Barbara Stanwyck
, in William Castle
's psychological horror film The Night Walker
. In 1965, after filming Johnny Tiger in Florida, Taylor took over the role of narrator in the television series Death Valley Days
, when Ronald Reagan
left to pursue a career in politics. Taylor would remain with the series until 1969 when he became too ill to continue working.
. In 1947, he testified before the House Un-American Activities Committee
regarding fellow actors whom he believed to be Communists
.
in the 1937 film This Is My Affair, the two were married in 1939. The marriage had its ups and downs and eventually ended in 1951. In 1954, Taylor married German-born
actress, Ursula Thiess
, with whom he had two children. Terry was born in 1955 and Tessa in 1959.
, a biopic
of Enola Gay
pilot Paul Tibbets
. The two men met and found that they had much in common. Both had considered studying medicine, and were avid skeet-shooters
and fliers. Taylor learned to fly in the mid-1930s, and served as a United States Navy
flying instructor during World War II
. His private aircraft was a Twin Beech
called "Missy" (wife Stanwyck's nickname) which he used on hunting
and fishing
trips. She complained that he spent all his time polishing his gun
s and aircraft, but when airborne could "do anything a bird could do, except sit on a barbed wire
fence".
at the age of 57 and was interred in Forest Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery, in Glendale, California
.
For his contribution to the motion picture industry, Robert Taylor has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
at 1500 Vine Street
.
Early life
Born Spangler Arlington Brugh in Filley, Nebraska, he was the son of Ruth Adaline (néeMarried and maiden names
A married name is the family name adopted by a person upon marriage. When a person assumes the family name of her spouse, the new name replaces the maiden name....
Stanhope) and Spangler Andrew Brugh, who was a farmer turned doctor. During his early life, the family moved several times, living in Muskogee, Oklahoma
Muskogee, Oklahoma
Muskogee is a city in Muskogee County, Oklahoma, United States. It is the county seat of Muskogee County, and home to Bacone College. The population was 38,310 at the 2000 census, making it the eleventh-largest city in Oklahoma....
; Kirksville, Missouri
Kirksville, Missouri
Kirksville is the county seat of Adair County, Missouri, United States. It is located in Benton Township. The population was 17,505 at the 2010 census. Kirksville also anchors a micropolitan area that comprises Adair and Schuyler counties. The city is perhaps best known as the location of Truman...
; and Fremont, Nebraska
Fremont, Nebraska
Fremont is a city in and the county seat of Dodge County, Nebraska, United States, near Omaha in the eastern part of the state. The population was 26,397 at the 2010 census....
. By September 1917, the Brughs had moved to Beatrice, Nebraska
Beatrice, Nebraska
Beatrice is a city in and the county seat of Gage County, Nebraska.Beatrice is located south of Lincoln on the Big Blue River. It is surrounded by agricultural country. The population was 12,459 at the 2010 census.-History:...
, where they remained for 16 years.
As a teenager, he was a track
Track and field
Track and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
star and played the cello
Cello
The cello is a bowed string instrument with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is a member of the violin family of musical instruments, which also includes the violin, viola, and double bass. Old forms of the instrument in the Baroque era are baryton and viol .A person who plays a cello is...
in his high school orchestra. Upon graduation, he enrolled at Doane College
Doane College
Doane College is a private liberal arts college in Crete, Nebraska, United States, with additional campuses located in Lincoln and Grand Island.-History:...
in Crete, Nebraska
Crete, Nebraska
Crete is a city in Saline County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 6,960 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Crete is located at .According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all of it land....
to study music.
While at Doane, he took cello lessons from Professor E. Gray, a man whom he admired and idolized. After Professor Gray announced he was accepting a new position at Pomona College
Pomona College
Pomona College is a private, residential, liberal arts college in Claremont, California. Founded in 1887 in Pomona, California by a group of Congregationalists, the college moved to Claremont in 1889 to the site of a hotel, retaining its name. The school enrolls 1,548 students.The founding member...
in Los Angeles, Brugh moved to California and enrolled at Pomona. He joined the campus theatre group and was eventually spotted by an MGM talent scout in 1932 after production of Journey's End
Journey's End
Journey's End is a 1928 drama, the seventh of English playwright R. C. Sherriff. It was first performed at the Apollo Theatre in London by the Incorporated Stage Society on 9 December 1928, starring a young Laurence Olivier, and soon moved to other West End theatres for a two-year run...
.
Career
After Brugh signed a seven-year contract with Metro-Goldwyn-MayerMetro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc. is an American media company, involved primarily in the production and distribution of films and television programs. MGM was founded in 1924 when the entertainment entrepreneur Marcus Loew gained control of Metro Pictures, Goldwyn Pictures Corporation and Louis B. Mayer...
for $35 a week, his name was changed to Robert Taylor. He made his film debut in the 1934 comedy, Handy Andy, opposite Will Rogers
Will Rogers
William "Will" Penn Adair Rogers was an American cowboy, comedian, humorist, social commentator, vaudeville performer, film actor, and one of the world's best-known celebrities in the 1920s and 1930s....
(on a loan-out to 20th Century Fox
20th Century Fox
Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation — also known as 20th Century Fox, or simply 20th or Fox — is one of the six major American film studios...
). After appearing in a few small roles, he appeared in one of his first leading roles in Magnificent Obsession
Magnificent Obsession (1935 film)
Magnificent Obsession is a 1935 drama film based on a book of the same name by Lloyd C. Douglas. It was adapted by Sarah Y. Mason, Victor Heerman, and George O'Neil, and directed by John M. Stahl...
, with Irene Dunne
Irene Dunne
Irene Dunne was an American film actress and singer of the 1930s, 1940s and early 1950s. Dunne was nominated five times for the Academy Award for Best Actress, for her performances in Cimarron , Theodora Goes Wild , The Awful Truth , Love Affair and I Remember Mama...
. This was followed by Camille
Camille (1936 film)
Camille is an American romantic drama film directed by George Cukor and produced by Irving Thalberg and Bernard H. Hyman, from a screenplay by James Hilton, Zoe Akins and Frances Marion. The picture is based on the 1852 novel and play La Dame aux Camélias by Alexandre Dumas, fils...
, opposite Greta Garbo
Greta Garbo
Greta Garbo , born Greta Lovisa Gustafsson, was a Swedish film actress. Garbo was an international star and icon during Hollywood's silent and classic periods. Many of Garbo's films were sensational hits, and all but three were profitable...
.
Throughout the late 1930s, Taylor appeared in films of varying genres including the musicals
Musical film
The musical film is a film genre in which songs sung by the characters are interwoven into the narrative, sometimes accompanied by dancing. The songs usually advance the plot or develop the film's characters, though in some cases they serve merely as breaks in the storyline, often as elaborate...
Broadway Melody of 1936
Broadway Melody of 1936
Broadway Melody of 1936 is a musical released by MGM in 1935. It was a follow up of sorts to the successful The Broadway Melody, which had been released in 1929, although, beyond the title and some music, there is no story connection with the earlier film.The film was written by Harry W. Conn, Moss...
and Broadway Melody of 1938
Broadway Melody of 1938
Broadway Melody of 1938 is a 1937 musical film, produced by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and directed by Roy Del Ruth. The film is essentially a backstage musical revue, featuring high-budget sets and cinematography in the MGM musical tradition...
, and the British comedy A Yank at Oxford
A Yank at Oxford
A Yank at Oxford is a 1938 British film, directed by Jack Conway from a screenplay by John Monk Saunders and Leon Gordon. It was produced by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer British Studios...
with Vivien Leigh
Vivien Leigh
Vivien Leigh, Lady Olivier was an English actress. She won the Best Actress Academy Award for her portrayal of Blanche DuBois in A Streetcar Named Desire , a role she also played on stage in London's West End, as well as for her portrayal of the southern belle Scarlett O'Hara, alongside Clark...
. In 1940, he reteamed with Leigh in Mervyn LeRoy
Mervyn LeRoy
Mervyn LeRoy was an American film director, producer and sometime actor.-Early life:Born to Jewish parents in San Francisco, California, his family was financially ruined by the 1906 earthquake...
's drama Waterloo Bridge
Waterloo Bridge (1940 film)
Waterloo Bridge is a 1940 remake of the 1931 film of the same title, adapted from the 1930 play of the same title.The film was made by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, directed by Mervyn LeRoy and produced by Sidney Franklin and Mervyn LeRoy. The screenplay is by S. N. Behrman, Hans Rameau and George...
. Taylor would say that Waterloo Bridge was his favorite film.
After being given the nickname "The Man with the Perfect Profile", Taylor began breaking away from his perfect leading man image and began appearing in darker roles beginning in 1941. That year he portrayed Billy Bonney
Billy the Kid
William H. Bonney William H. Bonney William H. Bonney (born William Henry McCarty, Jr. est. November 23, 1859 – c. July 14, 1881, better known as Billy the Kid but also known as Henry Antrim, was a 19th-century American gunman who participated in the Lincoln County War and became a frontier...
(better known as Billy the Kid) in Billy the Kid
Billy the Kid (1941 film)
Billy the Kid is a 1941 American color remake of the 1930 film of the same name. The film features Robert Taylor as Billy and Brian Donlevy as a fictionalized version of Pat Garrett renamed "Jim Sherwood" in the film. Directed by David Miller and based on the book by Walter Noble Burns, the cast...
. The next year, he played the title role in the film noir
Film noir
Film noir is a cinematic term used primarily to describe stylish Hollywood crime dramas, particularly those that emphasize cynical attitudes and sexual motivations. Hollywood's classic film noir period is generally regarded as extending from the early 1940s to the late 1950s...
Johnny Eager
Johnny Eager
Johnny Eager is a 1941 film noir starring Robert Taylor and Lana Turner. Van Heflin won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor.The film is featured in the comedy spoof Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid .-Plot:...
opposite Lana Turner
Lana Turner
Lana Turner was an American actress.Discovered and signed to a film contract by MGM at the age of sixteen, Turner first attracted attention in They Won't Forget . She played featured roles, often as the ingenue, in such films as Love Finds Andy Hardy...
. After playing a tough sergeant in Bataan in 1943, Taylor contributed to the war effort
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
by becoming a flying instructor in U.S. Naval Air Corps. During this time, he also starred in instructional films and narrated the 1944 documentary The Fighting Lady
The Fighting Lady
The Fighting Lady is a documentary/propaganda film produced by the U.S. Navy.The plot of the film revolves around the life of seamen on board an anonymous aircraft carrier. Because of war time restrictions, the name of the aircraft carrier was disguised as "the Fighting Lady"; afterwards the...
. Robert Taylor first appeared with actress Elizabeth Taylor
Elizabeth Taylor
Dame Elizabeth Rosemond "Liz" Taylor, DBE was a British-American actress. From her early years as a child star with MGM, she became one of the great screen actresses of Hollywood's Golden Age...
in the 1949 movie Conspirator
Conspirator (1949 film)
Conspirator is a 1949 British thriller film directed by Victor Saville and starring Elizabeth Taylor, Robert Taylor and Robert Flemyng. A British guards officer who is a spy for the Soviet Union is ordered by his KGB handlers to murder his young American wife when she discovers his true...
. Thirty-eight year old Taylor was somewhat uncomfortable with Elizabeth Taylor being 16 years old and his love interest. The age difference was mentioned in the film, when they made Elizabeth state her age as 18 years old to Robert's age of 31 years of age.
In 1950, Taylor landed the role of General Marcus Vinicius in Quo Vadis
Quo Vadis (1951 film)
Quo Vadis is a 1951 epic film made by MGM. It was directed by Mervyn LeRoy and produced by Sam Zimbalist, from a screenplay by John Lee Mahin, S. N. Behrman and Sonya Levien, adapted from Henryk Sienkiewicz's classic 1896 novel Quo Vadis. The music score was by Miklós Rózsa and the cinematography...
, opposite Deborah Kerr
Deborah Kerr
Deborah Kerr, CBE was a Scottish film and television actress from Glasgow. She won the Sarah Siddons Award for her Chicago performance as Laura Reynolds in Tea and Sympathy, a role which she originated on Broadway, a Golden Globe Award for the motion picture The King and I, and was a three-time...
. The film was a hit, grossing US$11 million. The following year, he starred opposite Elizabeth Taylor in the film version of Walter Scott
Walter Scott
Sir Walter Scott, 1st Baronet was a Scottish historical novelist, playwright, and poet, popular throughout much of the world during his time....
's classic Ivanhoe
Ivanhoe (1952 film)
Ivanhoe is a 1952 historical film made by MGM. It was directed by Richard Thorpe and produced by Pandro S. Berman. The cast featured Robert Taylor, Elizabeth Taylor, Joan Fontaine, George Sanders, Emlyn Williams, Finlay Currie and Felix Aylmer...
, followed by 1953's Knights of the Round Table
Knights of the Round Table (film)
Knights of the Round Table is a 1953 Technicolor Cinemascope historical film made by MGM. Directed by Richard Thorpe and produced by Pandro S. Berman, it was the first film in Cinemascope made by that studio...
and The Adventures of Quentin Durward
The Adventures of Quentin Durward
The Adventures of Quentin Durward, known also as Quentin Durward, is a 1955 historical film released by MGM. It was directed by Richard Thorpe and produced by Pandro S. Berman...
, all filmed in England.
By the mid-1950s, Taylor's career began to wane. He starred in a comedy western in 1955 co-starring Eleanor Parker
Eleanor Parker
Eleanor Jean Parker is an American screen actress. Her versatility led to her being dubbed Woman of a Thousand Faces, the title of her biography by Doug McClelland.- Early life :...
called Many Rivers To Cross. In 1958 he shared lead with Richard Widmark
Richard Widmark
Richard Weedt Widmark was an American film, stage and television actor.He was nominated for an Academy Award for his role as the villainous Tommy Udo in his debut film, Kiss of Death...
in the edgy John Sturges
John Sturges
John Eliot Sturges was an American film director. His movies include Bad Day at Black Rock , Gunfight at the O.K. Corral , The Magnificent Seven , The Great Escape and Ice Station Zebra .-Career:He started his career in Hollywood as an editor in 1932...
western, The Law and Jake Wade
The Law and Jake Wade
The Law and Jake Wade is a 1958 western released by MGM, based on the 1956 novel by Marvin H. Albert and directed by the legendary John Sturges. The title name, Jake Wade is a now reformed town sheriff marshal with a past that will soon catch up with him...
. In 1958, he formed his own production company, Robert Taylor Productions, and the following year, he starred in the ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
hit television series The Detectives Starring Robert Taylor
The Detectives Starring Robert Taylor
The Detectives Starring Robert Taylor is an American crime drama series which ran on ABC during its first two seasons, and on NBC during its third and final season...
(1959–1962). Following the end of the series in 1962, Taylor continued to appear in films and television including A House Is Not a Home
A House Is Not a Home (film)
A House Is Not a Home is a 1964 drama film loosely based on the 1953 autobiography by madam Polly Adler. The film stars Shelley Winters, Robert Taylor, Cesar Romero, and Kaye Ballard.Raquel Welch made her film debut in a small role as a prostitute.-Plot:...
and two episodes of Hondo
Hondo (TV series)
Hondo is a Western television series starring Ralph Taeger, that aired in the United States on ABC during the 1967 fall season.-Overview:Hondo was based on the film of the same name starring John Wayne, which was in turn based on an early Louis L'Amour novel...
. In 1964, he co-starred with his former wife, Barbara Stanwyck
Barbara Stanwyck
Barbara Stanwyck was an American actress. She was a film and television star, known during her 60-year career as a consummate and versatile professional with a strong screen presence, and a favorite of directors including Cecil B. DeMille, Fritz Lang and Frank Capra...
, in William Castle
William Castle
William Castle was an American film director, producer, screenwriter, and actor. Castle was known for directing films with many gimmicks which were ambitiously promoted, despite being reasonably low budget B-movies....
's psychological horror film The Night Walker
The Night Walker
The Night Walker, or The Little Thief is an early seventeenth-century stage play, a comedy written by John Fletcher and later revised by his younger contemporary James Shirley. It was first published in 1640.-Authorship:...
. In 1965, after filming Johnny Tiger in Florida, Taylor took over the role of narrator in the television series Death Valley Days
Death Valley Days
Death Valley Days is an American radio and television anthology series featuring true stories of the old American West, particularly the Death Valley area. Created in 1930 by Ruth Woodman, the program was broadcast on radio until 1945. It continued from 1952 to 1975 as a syndicated television series...
, when Ronald Reagan
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
left to pursue a career in politics. Taylor would remain with the series until 1969 when he became too ill to continue working.
Politics
In February 1944, Taylor helped found the Motion Picture Alliance for the Preservation of American IdealsMotion Picture Alliance for the Preservation of American Ideals
The Motion Picture Alliance for the Preservation of American Ideals was an American organization of high-profile, politically conservative members of the Hollywood film industry...
. In 1947, he testified before the House Un-American Activities Committee
House Un-American Activities Committee
The House Committee on Un-American Activities or House Un-American Activities Committee was an investigative committee of the United States House of Representatives. In 1969, the House changed the committee's name to "House Committee on Internal Security"...
regarding fellow actors whom he believed to be Communists
Communism
Communism is a social, political and economic ideology that aims at the establishment of a classless, moneyless, revolutionary and stateless socialist society structured upon common ownership of the means of production...
.
Marriages
After Taylor appeared with actress Barbara StanwyckBarbara Stanwyck
Barbara Stanwyck was an American actress. She was a film and television star, known during her 60-year career as a consummate and versatile professional with a strong screen presence, and a favorite of directors including Cecil B. DeMille, Fritz Lang and Frank Capra...
in the 1937 film This Is My Affair, the two were married in 1939. The marriage had its ups and downs and eventually ended in 1951. In 1954, Taylor married German-born
Germans
The Germans are a Germanic ethnic group native to Central Europe. The English term Germans has referred to the German-speaking population of the Holy Roman Empire since the Late Middle Ages....
actress, Ursula Thiess
Ursula Thiess
Ursula Thiess was a German film actress who had a brief Hollywood career in the 1950sThiess began her career on the stage in her native Germany and by dubbing female voices in American films as Ursula Schmidt...
, with whom he had two children. Terry was born in 1955 and Tessa in 1959.
Flying
In 1951, Taylor starred in the film Above and BeyondAbove and Beyond (film)
Above and Beyond is a 1952 film about Paul Tibbets, the pilot of the first aircraft to drop an atomic bomb. It starred Robert Taylor as Tibbets and Eleanor Parker as his wife. James Whitmore played security officer Major Bill Uanna.-Cast:...
, a biopic
Biographical film
A biographical film, or biopic , is a film that dramatizes the life of an actual person or people. They differ from films “based on a true story” or “historical films” in that they attempt to comprehensively tell a person’s life story or at least the most historically important years of their...
of Enola Gay
Enola Gay
Enola Gay is a Boeing B-29 Superfortress bomber, named after Enola Gay Tibbets, mother of the pilot, then-Colonel Paul Tibbets. On August 6, 1945, during the final stages of World War II, it became the first aircraft to drop an atomic bomb as a weapon of war...
pilot Paul Tibbets
Paul Tibbets
Paul Warfield Tibbets, Jr. was a brigadier general in the United States Air Force, best known for being the pilot of the Enola Gay, the first aircraft to drop an atomic bomb in the history of warfare. The bomb, code-named Little Boy, was dropped on the Japanese city of Hiroshima...
. The two men met and found that they had much in common. Both had considered studying medicine, and were avid skeet-shooters
Skeet shooting
Skeet shooting is one of the three major types of competitive shotgun target shooting sports . There are several types of skeet, including one with Olympic status , and many with only national recognition.- General principles :Skeet is a recreational and competitive activity where...
and fliers. Taylor learned to fly in the mid-1930s, and served as a United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
flying instructor during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. His private aircraft was a Twin Beech
Beechcraft Model 18
The Beechcraft Model 18, or "Twin Beech", as it is better known, is a 6-11 seat, twin-engine, low-wing, conventional-gear aircraft that was manufactured by the Beech Aircraft Corporation of Wichita, Kansas...
called "Missy" (wife Stanwyck's nickname) which he used on hunting
Hunting
Hunting is the practice of pursuing any living thing, usually wildlife, for food, recreation, or trade. In present-day use, the term refers to lawful hunting, as distinguished from poaching, which is the killing, trapping or capture of the hunted species contrary to applicable law...
and fishing
Fishing
Fishing is the activity of trying to catch wild fish. Fish are normally caught in the wild. Techniques for catching fish include hand gathering, spearing, netting, angling and trapping....
trips. She complained that he spent all his time polishing his gun
Gun
A gun is a muzzle or breech-loaded projectile-firing weapon. There are various definitions depending on the nation and branch of service. A "gun" may be distinguished from other firearms in being a crew-served weapon such as a howitzer or mortar, as opposed to a small arm like a rifle or pistol,...
s and aircraft, but when airborne could "do anything a bird could do, except sit on a barbed wire
Barbed wire
Barbed wire, also known as barb wire , is a type of fencing wire constructed with sharp edges or points arranged at intervals along the strand. It is used to construct inexpensive fences and is used atop walls surrounding secured property...
fence".
Ranch
Taylor's large home and ranch, located at 3099 Mandeville Canyon Road in the Brentwood section of Los Angeles, became a notable piece of property in the Los Angeles area due to its acreage, location and home size. When it went up for sale in 2010, it was listed at $56,000,000, now $38,000,000.Death
On June 8, 1969, Taylor died of lung cancerLung cancer
Lung cancer is a disease characterized by uncontrolled cell growth in tissues of the lung. If left untreated, this growth can spread beyond the lung in a process called metastasis into nearby tissue and, eventually, into other parts of the body. Most cancers that start in lung, known as primary...
at the age of 57 and was interred in Forest Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery, in Glendale, California
Glendale, California
Glendale is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. As of the 2010 Census, the city population is 191,719, down from 194,973 at the 2000 census. making it the third largest city in Los Angeles County and the 22nd largest city in the state of California...
.
For his contribution to the motion picture industry, Robert Taylor has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
Hollywood Walk of Fame
The Hollywood Walk of Fame consists of more than 2,400 five-pointed terrazzo and brass stars embedded in the sidewalks along fifteen blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of Vine Street in Hollywood, California...
at 1500 Vine Street
Vine Street
Vine is a street in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California that runs north-south from Melrose Avenue up past Hollywood Boulevard. The intersection of Hollywood and Vine was once a symbol of Hollywood itself...
.
Selected filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1935 | West Point of the Air West Point of the Air West Point of the Air is a 1935 film starring Wallace Beery about pilot training in the U.S. Army Air Corps in the early 1930's. The supporting cast includes Robert Young, Lewis Stone, Maureen O'Sullivan, Rosalind Russell, and Robert Taylor. The movie was directed by Richard Rosson... |
"Jasky" Jaskarelli | |
| 1935 | Broadway Melody of 1936 Broadway Melody of 1936 Broadway Melody of 1936 is a musical released by MGM in 1935. It was a follow up of sorts to the successful The Broadway Melody, which had been released in 1929, although, beyond the title and some music, there is no story connection with the earlier film.The film was written by Harry W. Conn, Moss... |
Robert Gordon | |
| 1935 | Magnificent Obsession Magnificent Obsession (1935 film) Magnificent Obsession is a 1935 drama film based on a book of the same name by Lloyd C. Douglas. It was adapted by Sarah Y. Mason, Victor Heerman, and George O'Neil, and directed by John M. Stahl... |
Dr. Robert Merrick | |
| 1936 | Small Town Girl Small Town Girl (1936 film) Small Town Girl is a film starring Janet Gaynor, Robert Taylor, and James Stewart. The romantic comedy was directed by William A. Wellman.Based on a novel by Ben Ames Williams, the film went through many changes before it reached the screen... |
Dr. Robert "Bob" Dakin | Alternative title: One Horse Town |
| 1936 | "Bow" Timberlake | ||
| 1936 | Camille Camille (1936 film) Camille is an American romantic drama film directed by George Cukor and produced by Irving Thalberg and Bernard H. Hyman, from a screenplay by James Hilton, Zoe Akins and Frances Marion. The picture is based on the 1852 novel and play La Dame aux Camélias by Alexandre Dumas, fils... |
Armand Duval | |
| 1937 | Personal Property Personal Property (film) Personal Property is a 1937 American romantic comedy film starring Jean Harlow and Robert Taylor and directed by W.S. Van Dyke. It is based on the play The Man In Possession by H.M. Harwood.-Synopsis:... |
Raymond Dabney aka Ferguson | Alternative title: The Man in Possession |
| 1937 | This Is My Affair This Is My Affair This Is My Affair is a 1937 crime film starring Robert Taylor, Barbara Stanwyck, Victor McLaglen, and Brian Donlevy.A U.S. Navy officer goes undercover to nab a gang of bank robbers and falls in love with the stepsister of one of the ringleaders.-Cast:... |
Lt. Richard L. Perry | |
| 1937 | Broadway Melody of 1938 Broadway Melody of 1938 Broadway Melody of 1938 is a 1937 musical film, produced by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and directed by Roy Del Ruth. The film is essentially a backstage musical revue, featuring high-budget sets and cinematography in the MGM musical tradition... |
Stephan "Steve" Raleigh | |
| 1938 | Lee Sheridan | ||
| 1938 | Three Comrades Three Comrades (film) Three Comrades 1938 is a drama film directed by Frank Borzage and produced by Joseph L. Mankiewicz for MGM. The screenplay is by F. Scott Fitzgerald and Edward E. Paramore Jr., and was adapted from the novel Three Comrades by Erich Maria Remarque... |
Erich Lohkamp | |
| 1938 | Tommy "Killer" McCoy | ||
| 1939 | Stand Up and Fight Stand Up and Fight Stand Up and Fight is a 1939 film starring Wallace Beery and Robert Taylor. The supporting cast includes Florence Rice, Helen Broderick, Charles Bickford, Barton MacLane, Charley Grapewin, and John Qualen, and the movie was directed by W.S. Van Dyke... |
Blake Cantrell | |
| 1939 | Remember? Remember? (1939 film) Remember? is a 1939 film directed by Norman Z. McLeod. The movie, that stars Robert Taylor and Greer Garson, was rushed into production by MGM studio chief Louis B. Mayer, because of the quickly rising popularity of the then beginning actress Greer Garson.... |
Jeffrey "Jeff" Holland | |
| 1939 | Lucky Night | William "Bill" Overton | |
| 1940 | Waterloo Bridge Waterloo Bridge (1940 film) Waterloo Bridge is a 1940 remake of the 1931 film of the same title, adapted from the 1930 play of the same title.The film was made by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, directed by Mervyn LeRoy and produced by Sidney Franklin and Mervyn LeRoy. The screenplay is by S. N. Behrman, Hans Rameau and George... |
Roy Cronin | |
| 1940 | Escape Escape (1940 film) Escape is a 1940 drama film about an American in pre-World War II Nazi Germany who discovers his mother is in a concentration camp and tries desperately to free her. It starred Norma Shearer, Robert Taylor, Conrad Veidt and Alla Nazimova... |
Mark Preysing | Alternative title: When the Door Opened |
| 1940 | Flight Command Flight Command Flight Command is a 1940 film about a cocky U.S. Navy pilot who has problems with his new squadron and falls for the wife of his commander... |
Ensign Alan Drake | |
| 1941 | Billy the Kid Billy the Kid (1941 film) Billy the Kid is a 1941 American color remake of the 1930 film of the same name. The film features Robert Taylor as Billy and Brian Donlevy as a fictionalized version of Pat Garrett renamed "Jim Sherwood" in the film. Directed by David Miller and based on the book by Walter Noble Burns, the cast... |
Billy Bonney | |
| 1941 | When Ladies Meet When Ladies Meet (1941 film) When Ladies Meet is a Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer feature film starring Joan Crawford, Robert Taylor, Greer Garson, Herbert Marshall, and Spring Byington in a story about a novelist in love with her publisher. The screenplay by S.K. Lauren and Anita Loos was based upon a 1932 play by Rachel Crothers. The... |
Jimmy Lee | |
| 1942 | Johnny Eager Johnny Eager Johnny Eager is a 1941 film noir starring Robert Taylor and Lana Turner. Van Heflin won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor.The film is featured in the comedy spoof Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid .-Plot:... |
John "Johnny" Eager | |
| 1942 | Her Cardboard Lover Her Cardboard Lover Her Cardboard Lover is a 1942 American comedy film directed by George Cukor. The screenplay by Jacques Deval, John Collier, Anthony Veiller, and William H. Wright is based on the English translation of Deval's play Dans sa candeur naïve by Valerie Wyngate and P.G. Wodehouse... |
Terry Trindale | |
| 1942 | Stand by for Action Stand by for Action Stand by for Action is a 1942 war film directed by Robert Z. Leonard, starring Robert Taylor, Brian Donlevy and Charles Laughton and featuring Walter Brennan. Suggested by a story by Laurence Kirk, and with an original story by Captain Harvey Haislip and R. C. Sherriff, the film's screenplay was... |
Lieutenant Gregg Masterman | Alternative title: Cargo of Innocents |
| 1943 | Cameo | ||
| 1943 | Bataan | Sergeant Bill Dane | |
| 1944 | Song of Russia Song of Russia Song of Russia is a 1944 American war film made and distributed by MGM Studios. The picture was credited as being directed by Gregory Ratoff, though Ratoff collapsed near the end of the five-month production, and was replaced by László Benedek, who completed principal photography; the credited... |
John Meredith | |
| 1946 | Undercurrent | Alan Garroway | |
| 1947 | High Wall High Wall High Wall is a film noir, starring Robert Taylor, Audrey Totter and Herbert Marshall. It was directed by Curtis Bernhardt from a screenplay by Sydney Boehm and Lester Cole, based on a play by Alan R... |
Steven Kenet | |
| 1949 | Rigby | ||
| 1949 | Conspirator Conspirator (1949 film) Conspirator is a 1949 British thriller film directed by Victor Saville and starring Elizabeth Taylor, Robert Taylor and Robert Flemyng. A British guards officer who is a spy for the Soviet Union is ordered by his KGB handlers to murder his young American wife when she discovers his true... |
Major Michael Curragh | |
| 1950 | Ambush Ambush (1950 film) Ambush is a 1950 western film directed by Sam Wood and starring Robert Taylor, John Hodiak and Arlene Dahl. This was the last film directed by Sam Wood.-Plot synopsis:... |
Ward Kinsman | |
| 1950 | Devil's Doorway Devil's Doorway Devil's Doorway is a 1950 western film directed by Anthony Mann and starring Robert Taylor as an Indian who returns home from the American Civil War a hero awarded the Medal of Honor. However, his hopes for a peaceful life are shattered by bigotry and greed.-Plot:The Civil War may be over back... |
Lance Poole | |
| 1951 | Quo Vadis Quo Vadis (1951 film) Quo Vadis is a 1951 epic film made by MGM. It was directed by Mervyn LeRoy and produced by Sam Zimbalist, from a screenplay by John Lee Mahin, S. N. Behrman and Sonya Levien, adapted from Henryk Sienkiewicz's classic 1896 novel Quo Vadis. The music score was by Miklós Rózsa and the cinematography... |
Marcus Vinicius | |
| 1951 | Westward the Women Westward the Women Westward the Women is a 1951 western film directed by William A. Wellman and starring Robert Taylor, Denise Darcel and John McIntire.-Plot:... |
Buck Wyatt | |
| 1952 | Ivanhoe Ivanhoe (1952 film) Ivanhoe is a 1952 historical film made by MGM. It was directed by Richard Thorpe and produced by Pandro S. Berman. The cast featured Robert Taylor, Elizabeth Taylor, Joan Fontaine, George Sanders, Emlyn Williams, Finlay Currie and Felix Aylmer... |
Sir Wilfred of Ivanhoe | |
| 1952 | Above and Beyond Above and Beyond (film) Above and Beyond is a 1952 film about Paul Tibbets, the pilot of the first aircraft to drop an atomic bomb. It starred Robert Taylor as Tibbets and Eleanor Parker as his wife. James Whitmore played security officer Major Bill Uanna.-Cast:... |
Lieutenant Colonel Paul W. Tibbets | |
| 1953 | Ride, Vaquero! Ride, Vaquero! Ride, Vaquero! is a 1953 western film made by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer . It was directed by John Farrow and produced by Stephen Ames from a screenplay by Frank Fenton and John Farrow. The music score was by Bronislau Kaper and the cinematography by Robert Surtees.The film stars Robert Taylor, Ava... |
Rio | |
| 1953 | All the Brothers Were Valiant All the Brothers Were Valiant All the Brothers Were Valiant is a 1953 adventure drama film made by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer , based on the 1919 novel All the Brothers Were Valiant by Ben Ames Williams... |
Joel Shore | |
| 1953 | Knights of the Round Table Knights of the Round Table (film) Knights of the Round Table is a 1953 Technicolor Cinemascope historical film made by MGM. Directed by Richard Thorpe and produced by Pandro S. Berman, it was the first film in Cinemascope made by that studio... |
Lancelot | |
| 1954 | Valley of the Kings Valley of the Kings (film) Valley of the Kings is a 1954 Eastmancolor adventure film made by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. It was written and directed by Robert Pirosh from a screenplay by Robert Pirosh and Karl Tunberg, "suggested by historical data" in the book Gods, Graves, and Scholars by C. W. Ceram... |
Mark Brandon | |
| 1954 | Rogue Cop Rogue Cop Rogue Cop is a film noir directed by Roy Rowland, based on the novel by William P. McGivern , and starring Robert Taylor, Janet Leigh, and George Raft.-Plot:... |
Det. Sgt. Christopher Kelvaney | |
| 1955 | Many Rivers to Cross | Bushrod Gentry | |
| 1955 | Quentin Durward | ||
| 1956 | Charlie Gilson | ||
| 1956 | D-Day the Sixth of June D-Day the Sixth of June D-Day the Sixth of June is a 1956 romantic war film made by 20th Century Fox. It was directed by Henry Koster and produced by Charles Brackett from a screenplay by Ivan Moffat and Harry Brown, based on the novel, The Sixth of June by Lionel Shapiro.... |
Captain Brad Parker | |
| 1956 | The Power and the Prize The Power and the Prize The Power and the Prize is a 1956 drama film directed by Henry Koster. It was nominated for an Academy Award in 1957.... |
Cliff Barton | |
| 1958 | Jake Wade | ||
| 1958 | Saddle the Wind | Steve Sinclair | |
| 1958 | Party Girl Party Girl (1958 film) Party Girl is a film noir filmed in Metrocolor and CinemaScope. The film was directed by Nicholas Ray and starred Robert Taylor, Cyd Charisse, and Lee J. Cobb. Charisse performs two dance routines in the gangster film... |
Thomas "Tommy" Farrell | |
| 1959 | Nordley | ||
| 1959–1962 | Captain Matt Holbrook | TV series, 97 episodes | |
| 1960 | Killers of Kilimanjaro Killers of Kilimanjaro Killers of Kilimanjaro is a 1959 British CinemaScope adventure film directed by Richard Thorpe and starring Robert Taylor, Anthony Newley, Anne Aubrey and Donald Pleasence for Warwick Films. The story was inspired by actual incidents of the Tsavo maneaters recounted in the book African Bush... |
Robert Adamson | |
| 1963 | Miracle of the White Stallions Miracle of the White Stallions Miracle of the White Stallions is a 1963 film released by Walt Disney starring Robert Taylor , Lilli Palmer, and Eddie Albert. It is the story of the evacuation of the Lipizzaner horses from the Spanish Riding School in Vienna during World War II.Major parts of the movie were shot in the... |
Colonel Podhajsky | Alternative title: The Flight of the White Stallions |
| 1963 | Cattle King Cattle King Cattle King is a 1963 film directed by Tay Garnett. It stars Robert Taylor and Robert Loggia.-Cast:*Robert Taylor as Samm Brassfield*Robert Loggia as Johnny Quatro*Joan Caulfield as Sharleen Travers*Robert Middleton as Clay Mathews... |
Sam Brassfield | |
| 1964 | Frank Costigan | ||
| 1966 | Savage Pampas | Captain Martin | |
| 1966–1969 | Death Valley Days Death Valley Days Death Valley Days is an American radio and television anthology series featuring true stories of the old American West, particularly the Death Valley area. Created in 1930 by Ruth Woodman, the program was broadcast on radio until 1945. It continued from 1952 to 1975 as a syndicated television series... |
Host | TV series, 77 episodes |
| 1967 | Return of the Gunfighter | Ben Wyatt | |
| 1967 | Hondo Hondo (TV series) Hondo is a Western television series starring Ralph Taeger, that aired in the United States on ABC during the 1967 fall season.-Overview:Hondo was based on the film of the same name starring John Wayne, which was in turn based on an early Louis L'Amour novel... |
Gallagher | TV series, 2 episodes |
| 1968 | Where Angels Go, Trouble Follows Where Angels Go, Trouble Follows Where Angels Go, Trouble Follows is a movie comedy starring Rosalind Russell and Stella Stevens. The film is a sequel to The Trouble with Angels and was written by Blanche Hanalis from a story by Jane Trahey, and directed by James Neilson.... |
Mr. Farriday – The 'In' Group |
External links
- Robert Taylor collection at the Nebraska State Historical SocietyNebraska State Historical SocietyThe Nebraska State Historical Society is a Nebraska state agency, founded in 1878 to "encourage historical research and inquiry, spread historical information .....
- Photographs of Robert Taylor