Samuel W. Taylor
Encyclopedia
Samuel Woolley Taylor was an American
novelist, scriptwriter and historian.
to Janet "Nettie" Maria Woolley and John W. Taylor, the son of John Taylor, the late president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). Samuel's father was a former member of the church's Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, having left in 1905 in protest over the church's recent abandonment
of polygamy. Despite his father's ecclesiastical history and excommunication in 1911, Samuel was raised in the LDS Church. He later wrote a biography of his father called Family Kingdom, and one of his grandfather titled The Kingdom or Nothing.
In the late 1920s Taylor attended Brigham Young University
(BYU) studying journalism. He became editor of the student newspaper Y News, in which he also wrote a weekly column called "Taylored Topics." After writing covering a story about bootleggers
on campus, Taylor was questioned by school administration to divulge his sources, but he refused. After a temporary suspension, he returned to his previous position with the paper, and returned to upsetting administration with his writing. After six suspensions, he later recalled that he could "take a hint" and dropped out of BYU. By then he had already published five articles in nationally distributed magazines. He decided to "escape" Utah and followed Gay Dimick, a fellow BYU student, back to her native California. They married there in 1934 and established their longtime home in Redwood City
.
In World War II
, he served as an officer in the Army Air Force public relations office in the European theater
of war.
He was awarded an honorary lifetime membership by the Association for Mormon Letters
in 1994.
, the first film based on one of Taylor's stories, The Man Who Returned to Life, was released. This was later followed in 1951
by The Man with My Face
based on his novel of the same name.
His first foray into screenwriting began with Bait in 1954.
In contrast to the serious nature of these films, Taylor was also the author of the short stories on which the Disney
movies The Absent-Minded Professor
, Flubber, and Son of Flubber
were based.
He is sometimes incorrectly credited as the writer of Hitchcock
's 1958 film Vertigo
, though that screenplay was actually written by Samuel A. Taylor
.
in essays such as "Peculiar People,
Positive Thinkers and the Prospects of Mormon Literature" (Dialogue
, 1967) and "Little Did She Realize: Writing for the Mormon Market" (Dialogue, 1969), wherein he decried the current state of the literature and called for greater artistry and realism.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
novelist, scriptwriter and historian.
Biography
Taylor was born in Provo, UtahProvo, Utah
Provo is the third largest city in the U.S. state of Utah, located about south of Salt Lake City along the Wasatch Front. Provo is the county seat of Utah County and lies between the cities of Orem to the north and Springville to the south...
to Janet "Nettie" Maria Woolley and John W. Taylor, the son of John Taylor, the late president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). Samuel's father was a former member of the church's Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, having left in 1905 in protest over the church's recent abandonment
Second Manifesto
The "Second Manifesto" was a 1904 declaration made by Joseph F. Smith, the president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , in which Smith stated the church was no longer sanctioning marriages that violated the laws of the land and set down the principle that those entering into or...
of polygamy. Despite his father's ecclesiastical history and excommunication in 1911, Samuel was raised in the LDS Church. He later wrote a biography of his father called Family Kingdom, and one of his grandfather titled The Kingdom or Nothing.
In the late 1920s Taylor attended Brigham Young University
Brigham Young University
Brigham Young University is a private university located in Provo, Utah. It is owned and operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , and is the United States' largest religious university and third-largest private university.Approximately 98% of the university's 34,000 students...
(BYU) studying journalism. He became editor of the student newspaper Y News, in which he also wrote a weekly column called "Taylored Topics." After writing covering a story about bootleggers
Rum-running
Rum-running, also known as bootlegging, is the illegal business of transporting alcoholic beverages where such transportation is forbidden by law...
on campus, Taylor was questioned by school administration to divulge his sources, but he refused. After a temporary suspension, he returned to his previous position with the paper, and returned to upsetting administration with his writing. After six suspensions, he later recalled that he could "take a hint" and dropped out of BYU. By then he had already published five articles in nationally distributed magazines. He decided to "escape" Utah and followed Gay Dimick, a fellow BYU student, back to her native California. They married there in 1934 and established their longtime home in Redwood City
Redwood City, California
Redwood City is a California charter city located on the San Francisco Peninsula in Northern California, approximately 27 miles south of San Francisco, and 24 miles north of San Jose. Redwood City's history spans from its earliest inhabitation by the Ohlone people, to its tradition as a port for...
.
In 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...
, he served as an officer in the Army Air Force public relations office in the European theater
European Theatre of World War II
The European Theatre of World War II was a huge area of heavy fighting across Europe from Germany's invasion of Poland on September 1, 1939 until the end of the war with the German unconditional surrender on May 8, 1945...
of war.
He was awarded an honorary lifetime membership by the Association for Mormon Letters
Association for Mormon Letters
The Association for Mormon Letters is a nonprofit founded in 1976 to promote quality writing "by, for, and about Mormons." The broadness of this definition of Mormon literature has led the AML to focus on a wide variety of work that has sometimes been neglected in the Mormon community...
in 1994.
Film scripts and adaptations
In 19421942 in film
The year 1942 in film involved some significant events, in particular the release of a film consistently rated as one of the greatest of all time, Casablanca.-Events:...
, the first film based on one of Taylor's stories, The Man Who Returned to Life, was released. This was later followed in 1951
1951 in film
The year 1951 in film involved some significant events.-Events:* Sweden - May Britt is scouted by Italian film-makers Carlo Ponti and Mario Soldati-Top grossing films : After theatrical re-issue- Awards :Academy Awards:...
by The Man with My Face
The Man with My Face
The Man with My Face is a 1948 mystery novel by Samuel W. Taylor, which was the basis for the 1951 film of the same title. Taylor wrote the screenplay for the film as well....
based on his novel of the same name.
His first foray into screenwriting began with Bait in 1954.
In contrast to the serious nature of these films, Taylor was also the author of the short stories on which the Disney
The Walt Disney Company
The Walt Disney Company is the largest media conglomerate in the world in terms of revenue. Founded on October 16, 1923, by Walt and Roy Disney as the Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio, Walt Disney Productions established itself as a leader in the American animation industry before diversifying into...
movies The Absent-Minded Professor
The Absent-Minded Professor
The Absent-Minded Professor is a 1961 black-and-white Walt Disney Productions film based on the short story A Situation of Gravity, by Samuel W. Taylor....
, Flubber, and Son of Flubber
Son of Flubber
Son of Flubber is the 1963 black-and-white sequel to the Walt Disney children's movie comedy The Absent-Minded Professor , also starring Fred MacMurray as a scientist who has perfected a high-bouncing substance, Flubber that can levitate an automobile and cause athletes to bounce into the sky...
were based.
He is sometimes incorrectly credited as the writer of 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 1958 film Vertigo
Vertigo (film)
Vertigo is a 1958 psychological thriller film directed by Alfred Hitchcock and starring James Stewart, Kim Novak, and Barbara Bel Geddes. The screenplay was written by Alec Coppel and Samuel A...
, though that screenplay was actually written by Samuel A. Taylor
Samuel A. Taylor
Samuel A. Taylor was an American playwright and screenwriter.Born Samuel Albert Tanenbaum, in a Jewish family, in Chicago, Illinois, Taylor made his Broadway debut as author of the play The Happy Time in 1950. He wrote the play Sabrina Fair in 1953 and co-wrote its film adaptation the following year...
.
General novels
Those novels not dealing specifically with Mormonism:- The Grinning Gismo, A. a. Wyn Inc, 1951.
- The Man with My FaceThe Man with My FaceThe Man with My Face is a 1948 mystery novel by Samuel W. Taylor, which was the basis for the 1951 film of the same title. Taylor wrote the screenplay for the film as well....
, 1948 - Take My Advice, Mr. President, Taylor Trust, 1996, ISBN 1-56684-344-8.
- Uranium Fever, With Raymond Taylor, Macmillan Company, 1970
Biography and history
- Family Kingdom, ISBN 0-914740-14-8.
- The John Taylor Papers (2 vols), Taylor Trust, 1984.
- The Kingdom or Nothing (republished as The Last Pioneer, Signature Books, 1999, ISBN 1-56085-115-5)
- I Have Six Wives (based on the life of Rulon C. AllredRulon C. AllredRulon Clark Allred was a homeopathic physician and chiropractor in Salt Lake City and the leader of what is now the Apostolic United Brethren, a breakaway sect of polygamous Mormon fundamentalists in Utah, Colorado, and Arizona, United States...
) - Nightfall at Nauvoo, ISBN 0-380-00247-7.
- Taylor-made Tales, Aspen Books, Murray, UT, 1994, ISBN 156236216X (autobiography)
- Rocky Mountain Empire
Humorous fiction
- Heaven Knows Why!, Thousand Oaks, CA: Millennial Productions, 1979.
Mormon comedyLDS fictionLDS fiction is an American niche market of fiction novels featuring themes related to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints...
set in UtahUtahUtah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
. It was originally published serially in Collier'sCollier's WeeklyCollier's Weekly was an American magazine founded by Peter Fenelon Collier and published from 1888 to 1957. With the passage of decades, the title was shortened to Collier's....
magazine in 1948 as "The Mysterious Way", and is considered by some to be the funniest piece of fiction written on Mormon culture.
Criticism
Taylor was an early proponent of a Mormon literatureMormon literature
Mormon literature is generally considered to begin a few years before the March 1830 publication of the Book of Mormon. Since this time Mormon literature has grown to include more scripture, histories, fiction, biographies, poetry, hymns, drama and other forms.-See also:* A Motley Vision*...
in essays such as "Peculiar People,
Positive Thinkers and the Prospects of Mormon Literature" (Dialogue
Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought
Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought is an independent quarterly journal of "Mormon thought" that addresses a wide range of issues on Mormonism and the Latter Day Saint Movement....
, 1967) and "Little Did She Realize: Writing for the Mormon Market" (Dialogue, 1969), wherein he decried the current state of the literature and called for greater artistry and realism.
External links
- Raymond and Samuel Taylor Correspondence in the Special Collections & Archives of Utah State UniversityUtah State UniversityUtah State University is a public university located in Logan, Utah. It is a land-grant and space-grant institution and is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities....
- The John Taylor Family Papers in the Marriott Library Special Collections of the University of UtahUniversity of UtahThe University of Utah, also known as the U or the U of U, is a public, coeducational research university in Salt Lake City, Utah, United States. The university was established in 1850 as the University of Deseret by the General Assembly of the provisional State of Deseret, making it Utah's oldest...
- Gravesite from Find-A-Grave