Rod Taylor (actor)
Encyclopedia
Rodney Sturt "Rod" Taylor (born 11 January 1930) is an Australian-American
actor of film and television.
, a suburb of Sydney, Taylor was the only child of William Sturt Taylor, a steel construction contractor and commercial artist, and the former Mona Thompson, a writer of more than a hundred short stories as well as children's books. His middle name comes from his great-great grand uncle, Captain Charles Sturt
, a famous British explorer of outback Australia in the 19th century.
Taylor attended Parramatta High School
and later studied at the East Sydney Technical and Fine Arts College
. For a time he worked as a commercial artist before deciding to become an actor upon seeing Laurence Olivier
in an Old Vic
touring production in Australia.
and as Tarzan
though early in his career he had to support himself by also working at Sydney's Mark Foys
department store designing and painting window and other displays during the day. In 1951 he took part in a re-enactment of Charles Sturt's voyage down the Murrumbidgee and Murray Rivers, playing Sturt's offsider, George McLeay
. A short documentary was made of this, Inland with Sturt
(1951). He also appeared in a number of theatre productions for Australia's Mercury Theatre
.
Taylor made his feature film debut in the Australian Lee Robinson
film King of the Coral Sea
(1954), playing an American. He later played Israel Hands
in a Hollywood-financed movie shot in Sydney, Long John Silver
(1954), an unofficial sequel to Treasure Island
. Following these two films, Taylor was awarded the 1954 The Rola Show Australian radio actor of the year award that included a ticket to London via Los Angeles.
and films such as Hell on Frisco Bay
(1955) and Giant (1956). In 1955, he guest-starred in the third episode entitled "The Argonauts" of the first hour-long western
television series, Cheyenne
, an ABC
program starring Clint Walker
. Taylor and Edward Andrews
played gold seekers Clancy and Duncan, respectively, who are best of friends until they strike it rich, only to see Native Americans release their gold dust to the wind. The episode was a remake of the film Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948). Taylor was considered for one of the leads in Warner Bros. Television
's Maverick
.
Towards the end of 1955, Taylor unsuccessfully screen test
ed to play boxer Rocky Graziano
in MGM's Somebody Up There Likes Me
but his use of a Brooklyn accent and physical prowess in the test impressed the studio enough to sign him to a long-term contract. At MGM he played a series of support roles in The Catered Affair
., Raintree County
(1957) and Ask Any Girl
(1959). He also made a strong impression guest starring in a classic episode of The Twilight Zone
, And When the Sky Was Opened
.
's adaptation of H. G. Wells
science-fiction classic The Time Machine
(1960)
In the 1960–61 television season, Taylor starred as foreign correspondent Glenn Evans in the ABC dramatic series Hong Kong
. His principal co-star was Lloyd Bochner
. The program faced stiff competition on Wednesday evenings from NBC's Wagon Train
and only lasted one season, but helped establish Taylor in Hollywood as a leading man.
In 1961, voiced Pongo the Dalmatian in Disney's animated One Hundred and One Dalmatians
(1961), and also guest-starred on Marilyn Maxwell
's short-lived ABC series Bus Stop
. In 1962, he starred in an episode of The DuPont Show of the Week (NBC) entitled The Ordeal of Dr. Shannon
, an adaptation of A. J. Cronin
's novel, Shannon's Way
.
In 1963, Taylor starred in Alfred Hitchcock
's horror/thriller The Birds
alongside Jessica Tandy
and Tippi Hedren
.
During the mid-60s, Taylor worked mostly for MGM where his credits included Sunday in New York
, Fate Is the Hunter
, 36 Hours
, Young Cassidy
, The Glass Bottom Boat
and The Liquidator
. He began to change his image towards the end of the decade to more tough guy roles such as Chuka
(which he also produced), Dark of the Sun
, Nobody Runs Forever
and Darker than Amber
.
He was also reportedly up for the role of Caucasian martial artist Roper in the Bruce Lee
vehicle Enter the Dragon
. The 1973 film was directed by Robert Clouse
, who had also directed Taylor in the 1970 film, Darker than Amber
. However, Taylor was supposedly deemed too tall for the part, and the role, instead went to John Saxon
.
on NBC in 1976. In 1983 he has a regular role in the short-lived spy drama series Masquerade
, and in 1986 he played one of the leads in the equally short-lived series Outlaws
. From 1988 to 1990, Taylor appeared in the CBS drama series Falcon Crest
as Frank Agretti, playing opposite Jane Wyman
. In the mid 1990s, he appeared in several episodes of Murder, She Wrote
and Walker, Texas Ranger
.
In 1993, he hosted the documentary Time Machine: The Journey Back
. At the end of the special came a mini-sequel, written by David Duncan, the original writer of the George Pal
classic. Taylor recreated his role as George, reuniting him with Filby (Alan Young
).
Taylor returned to Australia several times over the years to make films, playing a 1920s traveling showman in The Picture Show Man
(1977), and a paid killer in On the Run
(1983). In 1997, he played the foul-mouthed redneck “Daddy-O” in the black comedy Welcome to Woop Woop.
In 2009, Taylor played Winston Churchill
in Quentin Tarantino
's Inglourious Basterds.
financial reporter Felicia Taylor
(born 1964), from his acrimonious second marriage to model Mary Hilem (1963–69). His first wife was model Peggy Williams (1951–54).
Australian American
An Australian American is a citizen of the United States who identifies with an Australian national background. This can include people of European, Asian, African or Pacific Islander backgrounds.-History:...
actor of film and television.
Early life
Born on 11 January 1930 in LidcombeLidcombe, New South Wales
Lidcombe is a suburb in western Sydney, in the state of New South Wales Australia. Lidcombe is located 14 kilometres west of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of Auburn Council....
, a suburb of Sydney, Taylor was the only child of William Sturt Taylor, a steel construction contractor and commercial artist, and the former Mona Thompson, a writer of more than a hundred short stories as well as children's books. His middle name comes from his great-great grand uncle, Captain Charles Sturt
Charles Sturt
Captain Charles Napier Sturt was an English explorer of Australia, and part of the European Exploration of Australia. He led several expeditions into the interior of the continent, starting from both Sydney and later from Adelaide. His expeditions traced several of the westward-flowing rivers,...
, a famous British explorer of outback Australia in the 19th century.
Taylor attended Parramatta High School
Parramatta High School
Parramatta High School is a public, co-educational high school located in Parramatta, a western suburb of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.Established in 1913, Parramatta High School was the first co-educational school in the Sydney Metropolitan area...
and later studied at the East Sydney Technical and Fine Arts College
College of Fine Arts
The College of Fine Arts is the creative arts faculty of the University of New South Wales and is located on Oxford Street, Paddington, Sydney, Australia.- History :...
. For a time he worked as a commercial artist before deciding to become an actor upon seeing Laurence Olivier
Laurence Olivier
Laurence Kerr Olivier, Baron Olivier, OM was an English actor, director, and producer. He was one of the most famous and revered actors of the 20th century. He married three times, to fellow actors Jill Esmond, Vivien Leigh, and Joan Plowright...
in an Old Vic
Old Vic
The Old Vic is a theatre located just south-east of Waterloo Station in London on the corner of The Cut and Waterloo Road. Established in 1818 as the Royal Coburg Theatre, it was taken over by Emma Cons in 1880 when it was known formally as the Royal Victoria Hall. In 1898, a niece of Cons, Lilian...
touring production in Australia.
Australia
Taylor acquired extensive radio and stage experience in Australia where his radio work included a stint on Blue HillsBlue Hills (radio serial)
.Blue Hills, written by Gwen Meredith, was an Australian radio serial about the lives of families in a typical Australian country town called Tanimbla. "Blue Hills" itself was the residence of the town’s doctor....
and as Tarzan
Tarzan
Tarzan is a fictional character, an archetypal feral child raised in the African jungles by the Mangani "great apes"; he later experiences civilization only to largely reject it and return to the wild as a heroic adventurer...
though early in his career he had to support himself by also working at Sydney's Mark Foys
Mark Foys
Mark Foys was a department store in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, founded by Francis Foy and his brother Mark Foy and named after their father Mark Foy ....
department store designing and painting window and other displays during the day. In 1951 he took part in a re-enactment of Charles Sturt's voyage down the Murrumbidgee and Murray Rivers, playing Sturt's offsider, George McLeay
George McLeay
George McLeay was an Australian politician and senior minister in the Menzies Liberal government.McLeay was born in Port Clinton, South Australia and educated at Port Clinton Public School until 1906 when he was sent to Adelaide where he continued his education at Unley Public School...
. A short documentary was made of this, Inland with Sturt
Inland with Sturt
Inland with Sturt is a 1951 short from Film Australia about the 1950-51 re-enactment of Captain Charles Sturt's 1829-30 expedition down the Murrumbidgee and Murray Rivers...
(1951). He also appeared in a number of theatre productions for Australia's Mercury Theatre
Mercury Theatre (Australia)
The Mercury Theatre was an Australian theatre company that was co-founded by Peter Finch and existed from 1946-1954. It was named after the famous Orson Welles theatre company of the same name....
.
Taylor made his feature film debut in the Australian Lee Robinson
Lee Robinson (director)
Lee Robinson was an Australian producer, director and screenwriter.-Biography:A short story writer prior to the war, Robinson first entered film as a member of the Australian Army History Unit where he filmed Australian troops in Rabaul and East Timor.After the war he joined the Australian...
film King of the Coral Sea
King of the Coral Sea
King of the Coral Sea is a 1954 film starring Chips Rafferty and Charles Tingwell, directed by Lee Robinson and shot on location in Thursday Island.-Synopsis:...
(1954), playing an American. He later played Israel Hands
Israel Hands
Israel Hands was an 18th century pirate, also known as Basilica Hands. Hands is best known for being second in command to Edward Teach, better known as Blackbeard...
in a Hollywood-financed movie shot in Sydney, Long John Silver
Long John Silver (film)
Long John Silver is a 1954 Australian film about the eponymous pirate from Treasure Island, starring Robert Newton as Silver and Rod Taylor as Israel Hands....
(1954), an unofficial sequel to Treasure Island
Treasure Island
Treasure Island is an adventure novel by Scottish author Robert Louis Stevenson, narrating a tale of "pirates and buried gold". First published as a book on May 23, 1883, it was originally serialized in the children's magazine Young Folks between 1881–82 under the title Treasure Island; or, the...
. Following these two films, Taylor was awarded the 1954 The Rola Show Australian radio actor of the year award that included a ticket to London via Los Angeles.
Hollywood
Taylor never made it to London — he stayed in Los Angeles and soon got roles in television shows such as Studio 57Studio 57
Studio 57 was the name of an American television series that was broadcast on the now-defunct DuMont Television Network.The program was a filmed anthology television series sponsored by Heinz 57 and produced by Revue Studios...
and films such as Hell on Frisco Bay
Hell on Frisco Bay
Hell on Frisco Bay is a 1955 film starring Alan Ladd and Edward G. Robinson. Directed by Frank Tuttle, The supporting cast includes Joanne Dru, William Demarest, and Fay Wray. It was made for Ladd's own production company, Jaguar....
(1955) and Giant (1956). In 1955, he guest-starred in the third episode entitled "The Argonauts" of the first hour-long western
Western (genre)
The Western is a genre of various visual arts, such as film, television, radio, literature, painting and others. Westerns are devoted to telling stories set primarily in the latter half of the 19th century in the American Old West, hence the name. Some Westerns are set as early as the Battle of...
television series, Cheyenne
Cheyenne (TV series)
Cheyenne is a western television series of 108 black-and-white episodes broadcast on ABC from 1955 to 1963. The show was the first hour-long western, and in fact the first hour-long dramatic series of any kind, with continuing characters, to last more than one season...
, an 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...
program starring Clint Walker
Clint Walker
Norman Eugene Walker, known as Clint Walker , is an American actor best known for his cowboy role as "Cheyenne Bodie" in the TV Western series, Cheyenne.-Life and career:...
. Taylor and Edward Andrews
Edward Andrews
Edward Andrews was an American actor, one of the most recognizable character actors on television and films between the 1950s and the 1980s...
played gold seekers Clancy and Duncan, respectively, who are best of friends until they strike it rich, only to see Native Americans release their gold dust to the wind. The episode was a remake of the film Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948). Taylor was considered for one of the leads in Warner Bros. Television
Warner Bros. Television
Warner Bros. Television is the television production arm of Warner Bros. Entertainment, itself part of Time Warner. Alongside CBS Television Studios, it serves as a television production arm of The CW Television Network , though it also produces shows for other networks, such as Shameless on...
's Maverick
Maverick (TV series)
Maverick is a western television series with comedic overtones created by Roy Huggins. The show ran from September 22, 1957 to July 8, 1962 on ABC and stars James Garner as Bret Maverick, a cagey, articulate cardsharp. Eight episodes into the first season, he was joined by Jack Kelly as his brother...
.
Towards the end of 1955, Taylor unsuccessfully screen test
Screen test
A screen test is a method of determining the suitability of an actor or actress for performing on film and/or in a particular role. The performer is generally given a scene, or selected lines and actions, and instructed to perform in front of a camera to see if they are suitable...
ed to play boxer Rocky Graziano
Rocky Graziano
Rocky Graziano, born Thomas Rocco Barbella in New York City , was an Italian American boxer. Graziano was considered one of the greatest knockout artists in boxing history, often displaying the capacity to take his opponent out with a single punch...
in MGM's Somebody Up There Likes Me
Somebody Up There Likes Me (film)
Somebody Up There Likes Me is a 1956 American drama film based on the life of middleweight boxing legend Rocky Graziano. Joseph Ruttenberg was awarded a 1956 Oscar in the category of Best Cinematography . The film also won the Oscar for Best Art Direction Somebody Up There Likes Me is a 1956...
but his use of a Brooklyn accent and physical prowess in the test impressed the studio enough to sign him to a long-term contract. At MGM he played a series of support roles in The Catered Affair
The Catered Affair
The Catered Affair , also known as Wedding Party, is a family drama film made by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. It was directed by Richard Brooks and produced by Sam Zimbalist from a screenplay by Gore Vidal, based on a television play by Paddy Chayefsky...
., Raintree County
Raintree County (film)
Raintree County is a 1957 Technicolor film drama about the American Civil War. It was directed by Edward Dmytryk. The film stars Montgomery Clift, Elizabeth Taylor, Eva Marie Saint, and Lee Marvin....
(1957) and Ask Any Girl
Ask Any Girl (film)
Ask Any Girl is a 1959 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer romantic comedy film starring David Niven, Shirley MacLaine and Gig Young.-Plot:A wide-eyed Meg Wheeler comes to New York City and takes a job in market research for a large firm...
(1959). He also made a strong impression guest starring in a classic episode of The Twilight Zone
The Twilight Zone
The Twilight Zone is an American television anthology series created by Rod Serling. Each episode is a mixture of self-contained drama, psychological thriller, fantasy, science fiction, suspense, or horror, often concluding with a macabre or unexpected twist...
, And When the Sky Was Opened
And When the Sky Was Opened
"And When the Sky Was Opened" is an episode of the American television anthology series The Twilight Zone. It was first aired on December 11, 1959.-Synopsis:...
.
Stardom
Taylor's first leading role in a feature film was George PalGeorge Pál
George Pal , born György Pál Marczincsak, was a Hungarian-born American animator and film producer, principally associated with the science fiction genre...
's adaptation of H. G. Wells
H. G. Wells
Herbert George Wells was an English author, now best known for his work in the science fiction genre. He was also a prolific writer in many other genres, including contemporary novels, history, politics and social commentary, even writing text books and rules for war games...
science-fiction classic The Time Machine
The Time Machine (1960 film)
The Time Machine is a 1960 American science fiction film based on the 1895 novel of the same name by H. G. Wells in which a man in Victorian England constructs a time-travelling machine which he uses to travel to the future...
(1960)
In the 1960–61 television season, Taylor starred as foreign correspondent Glenn Evans in the ABC dramatic series Hong Kong
Hong Kong (TV series)
Hong Kong is a 26-episode adventure/drama series which aired on ABC television during the 1960–1961 season and helped to catapult Australian actor Rod Taylor into a major film star, primarily in the 1960s, beginning with his role in Alfred Hitchcock's The Birds...
. His principal co-star was Lloyd Bochner
Lloyd Bochner
Lloyd Wolfe Bochner was a Canadian actor, usually playing the role of suave, rich leading men.- Career :...
. The program faced stiff competition on Wednesday evenings from NBC's Wagon Train
Wagon Train
Wagon Train is an American Western series that ran on NBC from 1957–62 and then on ABC from 1962–65...
and only lasted one season, but helped establish Taylor in Hollywood as a leading man.
In 1961, voiced Pongo the Dalmatian in Disney's animated One Hundred and One Dalmatians
One Hundred and One Dalmatians
One Hundred and One Dalmatians, often abbreviated as 101 Dalmatians, is a 1961 American animated film produced by Walt Disney and based on the novel The Hundred and One Dalmatians by Dodie Smith...
(1961), and also guest-starred on Marilyn Maxwell
Marilyn Maxwell
Marilyn Maxwell , born Marvel Marilyn Maxwell, was an American actress and entertainer.Noted for her blonde hair and sexually alluring persona, she appeared in several films and radio programs, and entertained the troops during World War II and the Korean War on USO tours with Bob Hope.-Career:She...
's short-lived ABC series Bus Stop
Bus Stop (TV series)
Bus Stop is a 26-episode drama which aired on ABC from October 1, 1961, until March 25, 1962, starring Marilyn Maxwell as Grace Sherwood, the owner of a bus station and diner in the fictitious town of Sunrise in the Colorado Rockies...
. In 1962, he starred in an episode of The DuPont Show of the Week (NBC) entitled The Ordeal of Dr. Shannon
The Ordeal of Dr. Shannon
The Ordeal of Dr. Shannon is a 1962 American television adaption from A. J. Cronin's novel, Shannon's Way, which was originally published in 1948. The dramatization was written by Robert Stewart, directed by Joan Kemp-Welch, and produced by Lewis Freedman...
, an adaptation of A. J. Cronin
A. J. Cronin
Archibald Joseph Cronin was a Scottish physician and novelist. His best-known works are Hatter's Castle, The Stars Look Down, The Citadel, The Keys of the Kingdom and The Green Years, all of which were adapted to film. He also created the Dr...
's novel, Shannon's Way
Shannon's Way
Shannon's Way is a 1948 novel by Scots author, A. J. Cronin. It continues the story of Robert Shannon from Cronin's previous novel, The Green Years .-Plot summary:...
.
In 1963, Taylor starred in Alfred Hitchcock
Alfred Hitchcock
Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock, KBE was a British film director and producer. He pioneered many techniques in the suspense and psychological thriller genres. After a successful career in British cinema in both silent films and early talkies, Hitchcock moved to Hollywood...
's horror/thriller The Birds
The Birds (film)
The Birds is a 1963 horror film directed by Alfred Hitchcock based on the 1952 short story "The Birds" by Daphne du Maurier. It depicts Bodega Bay, California which is, suddenly and for unexplained reasons, the subject of a series of widespread and violent bird attacks over the course of a few...
alongside Jessica Tandy
Jessica Tandy
Jessie Alice "Jessica" Tandy was an English-American stage and film actress.She first appeared on the London stage in 1926 at the age of 16, playing, among others, Katherine opposite Laurence Olivier's Henry V, and Cordelia opposite John Gielgud's King Lear. She also worked in British films...
and Tippi Hedren
Tippi Hedren
Nathalie Kay "Tippi" Hedren is an American actress and former fashion model with a career spanning six decades. She is primarily known for her roles in two Alfred Hitchcock films, The Birds and Marnie, and her extensive efforts in animal rescue at Shambala Preserve, an wildlife habitat which she...
.
During the mid-60s, Taylor worked mostly for MGM where his credits included Sunday in New York
Sunday in New York
Sunday in New York, filmed in Metrocolor, is a 1963 American comedy film directed by Peter Tewksbury and starring Jane Fonda, Cliff Robertson, and Rod Taylor. It was one of Fonda's earliest films, and she was called "the loveliest and most gifted of all our new young actresses" by Newsday...
, Fate Is the Hunter
Fate Is the Hunter (film)
Fate Is the Hunter is a 1964 film about the crash of an airliner and the subsequent investigation released by 20th Century Fox. It was nominally based on the bestselling 1961 book of the same name by Ernest K. Gann, but the author was so disappointed with the result that he asked to have his name...
, 36 Hours
36 Hours
36 Hours is a 1965 American suspense film, based on the short story "Beware of the Dog" by Roald Dahl, starring James Garner, Eva Marie Saint, and Rod Taylor, and directed by George Seaton...
, Young Cassidy
Young Cassidy
Young Cassidy is a 1965 film directed by Jack Cardiff and John Ford, and starring Rod Taylor. The film is a biographical drama based upon the life of the playwright Sean O'Casey.-Plot:...
, The Glass Bottom Boat
The Glass Bottom Boat
The Glass Bottom Boat is an 1966 American romantic comedy movie directed by Frank Tashlin; it is also considered by some people to be musical entertainment. This movie features Doris Day and Rod Taylor as the main entertainers, with assistance from actors Arthur Godfrey and Paul Lynde...
and The Liquidator
The Liquidator (film)
The Liquidator is a 1965 MGM film starring Rod Taylor as Brian "Boysie" Oakes, Trevor Howard as his Intelligence Chief Mostyn and Jill St. John as Mostyn's secretary Iris MacIntosh. It was based on the first of a series of Boysie Oakes novels by John Gardner, The Liquidator.-Plot:The film follows...
. He began to change his image towards the end of the decade to more tough guy roles such as Chuka
Chuka (film)
Chuka is a 1967 American western film starring Rod Taylor who also produced and worked on the screenplay. The film began a series of tough guy roles for Taylor. A story of honor, debt, and personal redemption, it was directed by Gordon Douglas and is based on 1961 novel by Richard Jessup, who...
(which he also produced), Dark of the Sun
Dark of the Sun
Dark of the Sun is a 1968 adventure-war film starring Rod Taylor, Yvette Mimieux, Jim Brown, and Peter Carsten...
, Nobody Runs Forever
Nobody Runs Forever
Nobody Runs Forever also called The High Commissioner is a 1968 film directed by Ralph Thomas based on Jon Cleary's 1966 novel The High Commissioner. It stars Rod Taylor as Australian policeman Scobie Malone and Christopher Plummer as the Australian High Commissioner in England caught up in...
and Darker than Amber
Darker than Amber (film)
Darker than Amber is a 1970 film adaptation of the John D. MacDonald novel Darker than Amber. It was directed by Robert Clouse from a screenplay by MacDonald and Ed Waters. It starred Rod Taylor as the main series character: Travis McGee. Darker than Amber remains the only McGee novel adapted to...
.
He was also reportedly up for the role of Caucasian martial artist Roper in the Bruce Lee
Bruce Lee
Bruce Lee was a Chinese American, Hong Kong actor, martial arts instructor, philosopher, film director, film producer, screenwriter, and founder of the Jeet Kune Do martial arts movement...
vehicle Enter the Dragon
Enter the Dragon
Enter the Dragon is a 1973 Hong Kong martial arts co-production with Golden Harvest and Warner Bros. studios, directed by Robert Clouse; starring Bruce Lee, Jim Kelly and John Saxon. This is Bruce Lee's final film appearance before his death on July 20, 1973...
. The 1973 film was directed by Robert Clouse
Robert Clouse
Robert Clouse was an American film director and producer, known primarily for his work in the action/adventure and martial arts genres. He died on February 4, 1997 in Oregon of kidney failure....
, who had also directed Taylor in the 1970 film, Darker than Amber
Darker than Amber
Darker than Amber is the seventh novel in the Travis McGee series by John D. MacDonald. The plot begins with McGee and his close friend Meyer are fishing underneath a bridge and a young woman, bound and weighted, is thrown over the bridge. It was also adapted in to a 1970 film of the same name....
. However, Taylor was supposedly deemed too tall for the part, and the role, instead went to John Saxon
John Saxon (actor)
John Saxon is an American actor who has worked on over 200 projects during the span of sixty years. Saxon is most known for his work in horror films such as A Nightmare on Elm Street and Black Christmas, both of which feature Saxon as a policeman in search of the killer...
.
Later Career
In the 1970s, Taylor turned again to television. He starred in 1971's Bearcats! on CBS and in The Oregon TrailThe Oregon Trail (TV series)
The Oregon Trail is a 14-episode NBC western television series starring Rod Taylor as the widower Evan Thorpe, who leaves his Illinois farm in 1842 to take the Oregon Trail to the Pacific Northwest. The show also starred Andrew Stevens, Tony Becker, and Gina Marie Smika as Thorpe's children...
on NBC in 1976. In 1983 he has a regular role in the short-lived spy drama series Masquerade
Masquerade (TV series)
Masquerade is an American espionage television series that aired for a few months on ABC in the spring of 1983.-Synopsis:Considered an amalgam of Mission: Impossible and The Love Boat, the tongue-in-cheek series starred Rod Taylor as Mr...
, and in 1986 he played one of the leads in the equally short-lived series Outlaws
Outlaws (1986 TV series)
Outlaws is a short-lived action-adventure American television series which aired Saturday nights on CBS. The original series began as a 2-hour pilot movie, and was followed by eleven one-hour episodes.- Origins :...
. From 1988 to 1990, Taylor appeared in the CBS drama series Falcon Crest
Falcon Crest
Falcon Crest is an American primetime television soap opera which aired on the CBS network for nine seasons, from December 4, 1981 to May 17, 1990. A total of 227 episodes were produced....
as Frank Agretti, playing opposite Jane Wyman
Jane Wyman
Jane Wyman was an American singer, dancer, and character actress of film and television. She began her film career in the 1930s, and was a prolific performer for two decades...
. In the mid 1990s, he appeared in several episodes of Murder, She Wrote
Murder, She Wrote
Murder, She Wrote is an American television mystery series starring Angela Lansbury as mystery writer and amateur detective Jessica Fletcher. The series aired for 12 seasons from 1984 to 1996 on the CBS network, with 264 episodes transmitted. It was followed by four TV films and a spin-off series,...
and Walker, Texas Ranger
Walker, Texas Ranger
Walker, Texas Ranger is an American television action crime drama series created by Leslie Greif and Paul Haggis, and starring Chuck Norris as a member of the Texas Ranger Division. The show aired on CBS in the spring of 1993, with the first season consisting of three pilot episodes. Eight full...
.
In 1993, he hosted the documentary Time Machine: The Journey Back
Time Machine: The Journey Back
Time Machine: The Journey Back is a documentary film, produced in 1993 for airing on PBS stations. It was hosted by Rod Taylor and produced and directed by Clyde Lucas. The film was made about the Time Machine prop, not the movie, but during filming, Bob Burns surprised director Clyde Lucas by...
. At the end of the special came a mini-sequel, written by David Duncan, the original writer of the George Pal
George Pál
George Pal , born György Pál Marczincsak, was a Hungarian-born American animator and film producer, principally associated with the science fiction genre...
classic. Taylor recreated his role as George, reuniting him with Filby (Alan Young
Alan Young
Alan Young is an English-Canadian actor and voice actor, best known for his role as Wilbur Post in the television series Mister Ed and as the voice of Scrooge McDuck in Disney films, TV series and video games...
).
Taylor returned to Australia several times over the years to make films, playing a 1920s traveling showman in The Picture Show Man
The Picture Show Man
The Picture Show Man is a 1977 Australian film about a travelling film exhibitor in the 1920s. He has to deal with the rebelliousness of his son and a rival American exhibitor ....
(1977), and a paid killer in On the Run
On the Run (1982 film)
On the Run is a 1982 Australian film about a small boy who is orphaned and sent to live with his uncle , who is a hitman...
(1983). In 1997, he played the foul-mouthed redneck “Daddy-O” in the black comedy Welcome to Woop Woop.
In 2009, Taylor played Winston Churchill
Winston Churchill
Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, was a predominantly Conservative British politician and statesman known for his leadership of the United Kingdom during the Second World War. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest wartime leaders of the century and served as Prime Minister twice...
in Quentin Tarantino
Quentin Tarantino
Quentin Jerome Tarantino is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, cinematographer and actor. In the early 1990s, he began his career as an independent filmmaker with films employing nonlinear storylines and the aestheticization of violence...
's Inglourious Basterds.
Personal life
Married to third wife Carol Kikumura since 1980, Taylor is the father of CNNCNN
Cable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
financial reporter Felicia Taylor
Felicia Taylor
Felicia Taylor is currently an anchor-correspondent for CNN International's "World Business Today" having previously been contributing to the Business Updates unit for CNN; She was previously the co-host of Retirement Living TV's Daily Cafe till November 2009.Previously, Taylor was a business...
(born 1964), from his acrimonious second marriage to model Mary Hilem (1963–69). His first wife was model Peggy Williams (1951–54).
Filmography
- King of the Coral SeaKing of the Coral SeaKing of the Coral Sea is a 1954 film starring Chips Rafferty and Charles Tingwell, directed by Lee Robinson and shot on location in Thursday Island.-Synopsis:...
(1954) (film debut) - Long John SilverLong John Silver (film)Long John Silver is a 1954 Australian film about the eponymous pirate from Treasure Island, starring Robert Newton as Silver and Rod Taylor as Israel Hands....
(1954) - The Virgin QueenThe Virgin Queen (film)The Virgin Queen is a 1955 historical drama film starring Bette Davis, Richard Todd, Joan Collins, Herbert Marshall and Dan O'Herlihy. It focuses on the relationship between Elizabeth I of England and Sir Walter Raleigh....
(1955) - Hell on Frisco BayHell on Frisco BayHell on Frisco Bay is a 1955 film starring Alan Ladd and Edward G. Robinson. Directed by Frank Tuttle, The supporting cast includes Joanne Dru, William Demarest, and Fay Wray. It was made for Ladd's own production company, Jaguar....
(1955) - Top GunTop Gun (1955 film)Top Gun is a 1955 Western about an ex-gunslinger who arrives in a small town warning of an impending attack by his old gang...
(1955) - World Without End (1956)
- The Catered AffairThe Catered AffairThe Catered Affair , also known as Wedding Party, is a family drama film made by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. It was directed by Richard Brooks and produced by Sam Zimbalist from a screenplay by Gore Vidal, based on a television play by Paddy Chayefsky...
(1956) - Giant (1956)
- Raintree CountyRaintree County (film)Raintree County is a 1957 Technicolor film drama about the American Civil War. It was directed by Edward Dmytryk. The film stars Montgomery Clift, Elizabeth Taylor, Eva Marie Saint, and Lee Marvin....
(1957) - Separate TablesSeparate Tables (film)Separate Tables is a 1958 American drama film based on two one-act plays by Terence Rattigan that were collectively known by this name. It was directed by Delbert Mann, and adapted by Rattigan, John Gay and an uncredited John Michael Hayes. Mary Grant designed the film's costumes.The film took the...
(1958) - Step Down to TerrorStep Down to TerrorStep Down to Terror is a 1958 American film direced by Harry Keller. It is a remake of the 1943 Alfred Hitchcock film Shadow of a Doubt....
(1958) - Ask Any GirlAsk Any Girl (film)Ask Any Girl is a 1959 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer romantic comedy film starring David Niven, Shirley MacLaine and Gig Young.-Plot:A wide-eyed Meg Wheeler comes to New York City and takes a job in market research for a large firm...
(1959) - The Time MachineThe Time Machine (1960 film)The Time Machine is a 1960 American science fiction film based on the 1895 novel of the same name by H. G. Wells in which a man in Victorian England constructs a time-travelling machine which he uses to travel to the future...
(1960) - Colossus and the Amazon QueenColossus and the Amazon QueenColossus and the Amazon Queen is a 1960 Italian film directed by Vittorio Sala.The film is also known as Colossus and the Amazons - Production :...
(1960) - One Hundred and One DalmatiansOne Hundred and One DalmatiansOne Hundred and One Dalmatians, often abbreviated as 101 Dalmatians, is a 1961 American animated film produced by Walt Disney and based on the novel The Hundred and One Dalmatians by Dodie Smith...
(1961) (voice) - Seven Seas to CalaisSeven Seas to CalaisSeven Seas to Calais is a 1962 Italian adventure film directed by Rudolph Maté, Primo Zeglio and starring Rod Taylor, Keith Michell and Edy Vessel. The film depicts the career of Sir Francis Drake.-Production:Filming took place in and around Rome...
(1962) - The BirdsThe Birds (film)The Birds is a 1963 horror film directed by Alfred Hitchcock based on the 1952 short story "The Birds" by Daphne du Maurier. It depicts Bodega Bay, California which is, suddenly and for unexplained reasons, the subject of a series of widespread and violent bird attacks over the course of a few...
(1963) - A Gathering of EaglesA Gathering of EaglesA Gathering of Eagles is a 1963 film about the U.S. Air Force during the Cold War and the pressures of command. The plot is patterned after the World War II film Twelve O'Clock High, which producer-screenwriter Sy Bartlett also wrote, with elements also mirroring Above and Beyond and Toward the...
(1963) - The V.I.P.sThe V.I.P.sThe V.I.P.s, also known as Hotel International, is a 1963 British drama film. It was directed by Anthony Asquith, produced by Anatole de Grunwald and distributed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer...
(1963) - Sunday in New YorkSunday in New YorkSunday in New York, filmed in Metrocolor, is a 1963 American comedy film directed by Peter Tewksbury and starring Jane Fonda, Cliff Robertson, and Rod Taylor. It was one of Fonda's earliest films, and she was called "the loveliest and most gifted of all our new young actresses" by Newsday...
(1963) - Fate Is the HunterFate Is the Hunter (film)Fate Is the Hunter is a 1964 film about the crash of an airliner and the subsequent investigation released by 20th Century Fox. It was nominally based on the bestselling 1961 book of the same name by Ernest K. Gann, but the author was so disappointed with the result that he asked to have his name...
(1964) - 36 Hours36 Hours36 Hours is a 1965 American suspense film, based on the short story "Beware of the Dog" by Roald Dahl, starring James Garner, Eva Marie Saint, and Rod Taylor, and directed by George Seaton...
(1965) - Young CassidyYoung CassidyYoung Cassidy is a 1965 film directed by Jack Cardiff and John Ford, and starring Rod Taylor. The film is a biographical drama based upon the life of the playwright Sean O'Casey.-Plot:...
(1965) - The LiquidatorThe Liquidator (film)The Liquidator is a 1965 MGM film starring Rod Taylor as Brian "Boysie" Oakes, Trevor Howard as his Intelligence Chief Mostyn and Jill St. John as Mostyn's secretary Iris MacIntosh. It was based on the first of a series of Boysie Oakes novels by John Gardner, The Liquidator.-Plot:The film follows...
(1965) - Do Not DisturbDo Not Disturb (1965 film)Do Not Disturb is a 1965 romantic comedy film directed by Ralph Levy, starring Doris Day and Rod Taylor as Janet and Mike Harper, a married couple who relocate to England when Mike is transferred by the company for whom he works....
(1965) - The Glass Bottom BoatThe Glass Bottom BoatThe Glass Bottom Boat is an 1966 American romantic comedy movie directed by Frank Tashlin; it is also considered by some people to be musical entertainment. This movie features Doris Day and Rod Taylor as the main entertainers, with assistance from actors Arthur Godfrey and Paul Lynde...
(1966) - Hotel (1967)
- ChukaChuka (film)Chuka is a 1967 American western film starring Rod Taylor who also produced and worked on the screenplay. The film began a series of tough guy roles for Taylor. A story of honor, debt, and personal redemption, it was directed by Gordon Douglas and is based on 1961 novel by Richard Jessup, who...
(1967) - Dark of the SunDark of the SunDark of the Sun is a 1968 adventure-war film starring Rod Taylor, Yvette Mimieux, Jim Brown, and Peter Carsten...
(1968) - Nobody Runs ForeverNobody Runs ForeverNobody Runs Forever also called The High Commissioner is a 1968 film directed by Ralph Thomas based on Jon Cleary's 1966 novel The High Commissioner. It stars Rod Taylor as Australian policeman Scobie Malone and Christopher Plummer as the Australian High Commissioner in England caught up in...
(1968) (aka The High Commissioner)
- The Hell with HeroesThe Hell with HeroesThe Hell with Heroes is a 1968 film directed by Joseph Sargent set in Africa immediately after World War II. Although by this stage Rod Taylor was a reasonably big film star, the producers could get him cheap for this movie under an old multi-picture contract he had signed with Universal in...
(1968) - Zabriskie PointZabriskie Point (film)Zabriskie Point is a 1970 film by Italian director Michelangelo Antonioni, widely noted at the time for its setting in the late 1960s counterculture of the United States...
(1970) - Darker than AmberDarker than Amber (film)Darker than Amber is a 1970 film adaptation of the John D. MacDonald novel Darker than Amber. It was directed by Robert Clouse from a screenplay by MacDonald and Ed Waters. It starred Rod Taylor as the main series character: Travis McGee. Darker than Amber remains the only McGee novel adapted to...
(1970) - The Man Who Had Power Over WomenThe Man Who Had Power Over WomenThe Man Who Had Power Over Women is a 1970 British comedy film directed by John Krish and starring Rod Taylor, Carol White and James Booth. A successful Australian talent agent grows disenchanted with his life, which includes includes a failing marriage and having to represent a troublesome rock...
(1970) - Powderkeg (1971) (TV)
- Family FlightFamily FlightFamily Flight is a television movie starring Rod Taylor about a family whose plane crash-lands in the Baja California peninsula. It was first broadcast on October 25, 1972.The family were taking a holiday to patch up a variety of differences...
(1972) (TV) - The Train RobbersThe Train RobbersThe Train Robbers is a 1973 Western film starring John Wayne, Ann-Margret, Rod Taylor, and Ben Johnson. The movie was written and directed by Burt Kennedy....
(1973) - Gli eroi (1973) (aka The Heroes)
- Trader HornTrader Horn (1973 film)Trader Horn is a 1973 film starring Rod Taylor as the African adventurer Trader Horn, whose life had been previously dramatised in a 1931 film.The was short on the MGM backlot in Los Angeles, using stock footage from King Solomon's Mines ....
(1973) - The Deadly TrackersThe Deadly TrackersThe Deadly Trackers is a 1973 American western film directed by Barry Shear and starring Richard Harris, Rod Taylor and Al Lettieri. It is based on the novel Riata by Samuel Fuller.-Plot:...
(1973) - Hell RiverHell RiverHell River, also known as Partizani and The Last Guerilla is a 1974 Yugoslavian partisan film starring Rod Taylor as a Yugoslav raised in America who returns home to fight the Nazis as a partisan in World War Two. Adam West plays a Nazi officer....
(1974) (aka Partizani) - BlondieBlondie (film)Blondie is a 1938 movie directed by Frank Strayer, based on the comic strip of the same name. The screenplay was written by Chic Young and Richard Flournoy....
(1975) - A Matter of Wife... And DeathA Matter of Wife... And DeathA Matter of Wife... and Death was a television movie that first aired April 10, 1976 on NBC. It was a sequel to the 1973 film Shamus, and was intended as a pilot for a series. The teleplay was written by Don Ingalls and the film directed by Marvin Chomsky, with Robert Weitman as the producer...
(1976) (TV) - The Oregon TrailThe Oregon Trail (TV series)The Oregon Trail is a 14-episode NBC western television series starring Rod Taylor as the widower Evan Thorpe, who leaves his Illinois farm in 1842 to take the Oregon Trail to the Pacific Northwest. The show also starred Andrew Stevens, Tony Becker, and Gina Marie Smika as Thorpe's children...
(1976) (TV) - The Picture Show ManThe Picture Show ManThe Picture Show Man is a 1977 Australian film about a travelling film exhibitor in the 1920s. He has to deal with the rebelliousness of his son and a rival American exhibitor ....
(1977) - The Treasure SeekersThe Treasure Seekers (1979 film)The Treasure Seekers is a 1979 British-American action film directed by Henry Levin and starring Rod Taylor, Stuart Whitman and Elke Sommer. Two former Second World War comrades re-unite to search for the lost treasures of the Seventeenth century pirate Henry Morgan...
(1979) - Cry of the InnocentCry of the InnocentCry of the Innocent is a 1980 American-Irish television film directed by Michael O'Herlihy and starring Rod Taylor, Joanna Pettet and Nigel Davenport. It was based on a story by Frederick Forsyth.-Plot:...
(1980) (TV) - A Time to Die (1983)
- On the RunOn the Run (1982 film)On the Run is a 1982 Australian film about a small boy who is orphaned and sent to live with his uncle , who is a hitman...
(1983) - Terror in the AislesTerror in the AislesTerror in the Aisles is a 1984 documentary film about horror films featuring clips from Friday the 13th I and/or II, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, Halloween I and II, Jaws 1 and 2, Alien, John Carpenter's The Thing, The Shining and Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho and The Birds. The film is hosted by...
(1984) - Mask of MurderMask of MurderMask of Murder is a 1985 Swedish-American film directed by Arne Mattsson, about a serial killer in a small Canadian town. The movie was shot in Sweden....
(1985) - Half NelsonHalf NelsonHalf Nelson may refer to:* "Half-Nelson" a composition by Miles Davis* Half Nelson , a 2006 film starring Ryan Gosling and Shareeka Epps* Halfnelson , an American rock band formed by brothers Ron and Russell Mael, later renamed to Sparks...
(1985) (TV) - Marbella, un golpe de cinco estrellasMarbella (film)Marbella is a 1985 Spanish caper film set in the town of Marbella starring Rod Taylor and Britt Ekland.-External Links:* at IMDB* at the Rod Taylor Site...
(1985) - Danielle Steele's 'Palomino' (1991) (TV)
- Grass RootsGrass Roots (film)Grass Roots is an upcoming clay animated film based on the Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers underground comic strip created by Gilbert Shelton.-Plot:...
(1992) (TV) - Point of BetrayalPoint of BetrayalPoint of Betrayal is a 1995 movie about a man trying to drive his mother insane to get her money....
(1995) - Open SeasonOpen Season (film)Open Season is a 2006 computer-animated comedy film, written by Steve Bencich and Ron J. Friedman and directed by Jill Culton, Roger Allers, and Anthony Stacchi, and production designed by Michael Humphries...
(1996) - Welcome to Woop WoopWelcome to Woop WoopWelcome to Woop Woop is a 1997 Australian-British comedy film, directed by Stephan Elliott starring Johnathon Schaech and Rod Taylor. The film was based on the novel The Dead Heart by Douglas Kennedy...
(1998) - Warlord: Battle for the GalaxyThe Warlord: Battle for the GalaxyThe Warlord: Battle for the Galaxy was a science fiction film which aired on January 27, 1998 on television. The film was written by screenwriter Caleb Carr, who wrote the novel The Alienist, and directed by Joe Dante. It was intended to be the pilot for a series called The Osiris Chronicles that...
(1998) (TV) - KAWKAWKAW is a Sci Fi Pictures original film that premiered April 7, 2007 on the Sci Fi Channel. It is similar in plot to The Birds , and can be considered a modernization of the film.- Synopsis :...
(2007) (TV) - Inglourious Basterds (2009)
as Regular
Taylor has had several lead roles in television, from the early 1960s to the early first decade of the 21st century. Among his TV shows as a regular are:- Hong KongHong Kong (TV series)Hong Kong is a 26-episode adventure/drama series which aired on ABC television during the 1960–1961 season and helped to catapult Australian actor Rod Taylor into a major film star, primarily in the 1960s, beginning with his role in Alfred Hitchcock's The Birds...
with co-star Lloyd BochnerLloyd BochnerLloyd Wolfe Bochner was a Canadian actor, usually playing the role of suave, rich leading men.- Career :...
(1960, ABC) - Bearcats! (1971, CBS)
- The Oregon TrailThe Oregon Trail (TV series)The Oregon Trail is a 14-episode NBC western television series starring Rod Taylor as the widower Evan Thorpe, who leaves his Illinois farm in 1842 to take the Oregon Trail to the Pacific Northwest. The show also starred Andrew Stevens, Tony Becker, and Gina Marie Smika as Thorpe's children...
as Evan Thorpe, a widower taking his three children from their IllinoisIllinoisIllinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
farm to the Pacific NorthwestPacific NorthwestThe Pacific Northwest is a region in northwestern North America, bounded by the Pacific Ocean to the west and, loosely, by the Rocky Mountains on the east. Definitions of the region vary and there is no commonly agreed upon boundary, even among Pacific Northwesterners. A common concept of the...
by way of the Oregon TrailOregon TrailThe Oregon Trail is a historic east-west wagon route that connected the Missouri River to valleys in Oregon and locations in between.After 1840 steam-powered riverboats and steamboats traversing up and down the Ohio, Mississippi and Missouri rivers sped settlement and development in the flat...
(1977, NBC) - MasqueradeMasquerade (TV series)Masquerade is an American espionage television series that aired for a few months on ABC in the spring of 1983.-Synopsis:Considered an amalgam of Mission: Impossible and The Love Boat, the tongue-in-cheek series starred Rod Taylor as Mr...
(1983) - OutlawsOutlaws (1986 TV series)Outlaws is a short-lived action-adventure American television series which aired Saturday nights on CBS. The original series began as a 2-hour pilot movie, and was followed by eleven one-hour episodes.- Origins :...
(1986)
Guest Appearances
- Studio 57Studio 57Studio 57 was the name of an American television series that was broadcast on the now-defunct DuMont Television Network.The program was a filmed anthology television series sponsored by Heinz 57 and produced by Revue Studios...
(1955) – "The Last Day on Earth", "The Black Sheep's Daughter" - Lux Video TheatreLux Video TheatreLux Video Theatre, is a weekly television anthology series that was produced from 1950 until 1959. The series presented both comedy and drama in original teleplays, as well as abridged adaptations of films and plays....
(1955) - "Dark Tribute", "The Browning Version" - CheyenneCheyenne (TV series)Cheyenne is a western television series of 108 black-and-white episodes broadcast on ABC from 1955 to 1963. The show was the first hour-long western, and in fact the first hour-long dramatic series of any kind, with continuing characters, to last more than one season...
(1955) - "The Argonauts" - SuspicionSuspicion (TV series)Suspicion is the title of an American television mystery drama series which aired on the NBC from 1957 through 1959. The executive producer of Suspicion was film director Alfred Hitchcock.-Overview:...
(1957) - "The Story of Marjorie Reardon" - Schlitz Playhouse of StarsSchlitz Playhouse of StarsSchlitz Playhouse of Stars, is a weekly CBS anthology television series, was telecast on Friday nights from 1951 until 1959. Offering both comedies and drama, the series was sponsored by Schlitz beer...
(1958) - "A Thing to Fight For" - Studio OneStudio One (TV series)Studio One is a long-running American radio–television anthology series, created in 1947 by the 26-year-old Canadian director Fletcher Markle, who came to CBS from the CBC.-Radio:...
(1958) – "Image of Fear" - Lux Playhouse (1958) - "The Best House in the Valley"
- Playhouse 90Playhouse 90Playhouse 90 is an American television anthology series that was telecast on CBS from 1956 to 1960 for a total of 133 episodes. It originated from CBS Television City in Los Angeles, California...
(1958-59) - "Verdict of Three", "The Great GatsbyThe Great GatsbyThe Great Gatsby is a novel by the American author F. Scott Fitzgerald. First published in1925, it is set on Long Island's North Shore and in New York City from spring to autumn of 1922....
", "The Long March", "The Raider", "MisallianceMisallianceMisalliance is a play written in 1909–1910 by George Bernard Shaw.Misalliance takes place entirely on a single Saturday afternoon in the conservatory of a large country house in Hindhead, Surrey in Edwardian era England. It is a continuation of some of the ideas on marriage that he expressed in...
" - The Twilight ZoneThe Twilight Zone (1959 TV series)The Twilight Zone is an American anthology television series created by Rod Serling, which ran for five seasons on CBS from 1959 to 1964. The series consisted of unrelated episodes depicting paranormal, futuristic, dystopian, or simply disturbing events; each show typically featured a surprising...
(1959) - "And When the Sky Was OpenedAnd When the Sky Was Opened"And When the Sky Was Opened" is an episode of the American television anthology series The Twilight Zone. It was first aired on December 11, 1959.-Synopsis:...
" - Zane Grey Theater (1960) - "Picture of Sal"
- Goodyear TheatreGoodyear TheatreGoodyear Theatre is a 30-minute dramatic television anthology series telecast on NBC from 1957 to 1960 for a total of 55 episodes. The live show was derected by Don Taylor, Arthur Hiller and James Sheldon...
(1960) - "Capital Gains" - General Electric TheaterGeneral Electric TheaterGeneral Electric Theater is an American anthology series hosted by Ronald W. Reagan that was broadcast on CBS radio and television. The series was sponsored by General Electric's Department of Public Relations.-Radio:...
(1960) - "Early to Die", "The Young Years" - Westinghouse Desilu PlayhouseWestinghouse Desilu PlayhouseWestinghouse Desilu Playhouse is an American television anthology series produced by Desilu Productions. The show ran on CBS television between 1958 and 1960...
(1960) - "Thunder in the Night" - Bus StopBus Stop (TV series)Bus Stop is a 26-episode drama which aired on ABC from October 1, 1961, until March 25, 1962, starring Marilyn Maxwell as Grace Sherwood, the owner of a bus station and diner in the fictitious town of Sunrise in the Colorado Rockies...
(1961) - "Portrait of a Hero" - The DuPont Show of the Week (1962) - "The Ordeal of Dr. ShannonThe Ordeal of Dr. ShannonThe Ordeal of Dr. Shannon is a 1962 American television adaption from A. J. Cronin's novel, Shannon's Way, which was originally published in 1948. The dramatization was written by Robert Stewart, directed by Joan Kemp-Welch, and produced by Lewis Freedman...
" - Walker, Texas RangerWalker, Texas RangerWalker, Texas Ranger is an American television action crime drama series created by Leslie Greif and Paul Haggis, and starring Chuck Norris as a member of the Texas Ranger Division. The show aired on CBS in the spring of 1993, with the first season consisting of three pilot episodes. Eight full...
- Murder, She WroteMurder, She WroteMurder, She Wrote is an American television mystery series starring Angela Lansbury as mystery writer and amateur detective Jessica Fletcher. The series aired for 12 seasons from 1984 to 1996 on the CBS network, with 264 episodes transmitted. It was followed by four TV films and a spin-off series,...
- Falcon CrestFalcon CrestFalcon Crest is an American primetime television soap opera which aired on the CBS network for nine seasons, from December 4, 1981 to May 17, 1990. A total of 227 episodes were produced....
Documentaries
- Inland with SturtInland with SturtInland with Sturt is a 1951 short from Film Australia about the 1950-51 re-enactment of Captain Charles Sturt's 1829-30 expedition down the Murrumbidgee and Murray Rivers...
(1951) - The Fantasy Film Worlds of George PalThe Fantasy Film Worlds of George PalThe Fantasy Film Worlds of George Pal is a documentary film about Academy Award winning producer/director George Pal. It was written, directed, and produced by Arnold Leibovit and released in 1985....
(1985) - Time Machine: The Journey BackTime Machine: The Journey BackTime Machine: The Journey Back is a documentary film, produced in 1993 for airing on PBS stations. It was hosted by Rod Taylor and produced and directed by Clyde Lucas. The film was made about the Time Machine prop, not the movie, but during filming, Bob Burns surprised director Clyde Lucas by...
(1993) - All About 'The Birds' (2000)
- Not Quite HollywoodNot Quite HollywoodNot Quite Hollywood: The Wild, Untold Story of Ozploitation! is a 2008 Australian documentary film about the Australian New Wave of 1970s and '80s low-budget cinema...
(2008)
External links
- http://paracinema.net/back-issues-subscriptions/issue-6/May/June/July/August,2009. Feature article: Rod Taylor - Hollywood Time Traveler
- Rod Taylor Australian theatre credits at AusstageAusstageAusStage is an online database which records information about live performances in Australia. It provides records of productions from the beginnings of theatre in Australia up to today...
- Rod Taylor at National Film and Sound ArchiveNational Film and Sound ArchiveThe National Film and Sound Archive is Australia’s audiovisual archive, responsible for developing, preserving, maintaining, promoting and providing access to a national collection of audiovisual materials and related items...