Leading Men Robert Taylor
Quo Vadis/ Marcus Vinicuis
Ivanhoe/ Ivanhoe
Valley Of The Kings/ Mark Brandon
The Law And Jake Wade/ Jake Wade
Per Quinlan's Film Stars:
Tall, dark and in his twenties, idyllically handsome American star who grew a moustache to escape the "pretty buy" image and stayed at or near the top for 25 years. Although his features hardened quickly after return from war service, his career was prolonged by several first class slices of historical adventure in the early fifties.
He was born Spangler Arlington Brugh at Filley, NE in 1911.
Taylor began his career in films in 1934 when he signed with M G M. He won his first leading role the following year in Magnificent Obsession. His film debut was also in 1934 in the film Handy Andy.
His popularity increased during the late 1930's and 1940's.
Taylor served his country in World War Two in the U. S. Naval Air Corps where he was a flight instructor and also took part in instructional films.
The film roles of Robert Taylor were:
Handy Andy (1934) as Lloyd Burmeister
There's Always Tomorrow (1934) as Arthur White
A Wicked Woman (1934) as Bill Renton
Society Doctor (1935) as Dr. Ellis
Times Square Lady (1935) as Steve Gordon
West Point Of The Air (1935) as Jackarelli
Murder In The Fleet (1935) as Lt. Tom Randolph
Broadway Melody Of 1936 ( 1936) as Bob Girdon
Magnificent Obsession (1935) as Robert Merrick
Small Town Girl (1936) as Dr. Bob Dakin
Private Number (1936) as Richard Winfield
His Brother's Wife (1936) as Chris Claybourne
The Gorgeous Hussy (1936) as Bow Timberlake
Camille (1936) as Armand Duval
Personal Property (1937) as Raymond Dabney aka Ferguson
This Is My Affair (1937) as Lt. Richard Perry
Broadway Melody Of 1938 (1937) as Steve Randolph
A Yank At Oxford (1938) as Lee Sheridan
Three Comrades (1938) as Erich Lonkamp
The Crowd Roars (1938) as Killer McCoy
Stand Up And Fight (1939) as Blake Cantrell
Lucky Night (1939) as Bill Overton
Lady Of The Tropics (1939) as Bill Carey
Remember? (1939) as Jeff Holland
Waterloo Bridge (1940) as Roy Cronin
Escape (1940) as Mark Preysing
Flight Command (1940) as Ensign Alan Drake
Billy The Kid (1941) as Billy Bonney
When Ladies Meet (1941) as Jimmy Lee
Johnny Eager (1941) as Johnny Eager
Her Cardboard Lover (1942) as Terry Trindale
Stand By For Action (1942) as Lt. Gregg Masterman
The Youngest Profession (1943) as Robert Taylor
Bataan (1943) as Sgt. Bill Dane
Song Of Russia (1944) as John Meredith
Undercurrent (1946) as Alan Garroway
High Wall (1947) as Steven Kenet
The Bribe (1949) as Rigby
Conspirator (1049) as Major Michael Currah
Ambush (1950) as Ward Kinsman
Devil's Doorway (1950) as Lance Poole
Quo Vadis (1951) as Marcus Vinicius
Westward The Women (1951) as Buck Wyatt
Ivanhoe (1951) as Ivanhoe
Above And Beyond (1952) as Lt Col. Paul W. Tibbets
Ride Vaquero! (1953) as Rio
All The Brothers Were Gallant (1953) as Joel Shore
Knights Of The Round Table (1953) as Lancelot
Valley Of The Kings (1954) as Mark Brandon
Rogue Cop (1954) as Detective Sgt. Christopher Kelvaney
Many Rivers To Cross (1955) as Bushrod Gentry
Quentin Durward (1955) as Quentin Dirrward
The Last Hunt (1955) as Charlie Gilson
D Day The Sixth Of June (1956) as Colonel Brad Parker
The Power And The Prize (1956) as Cliff Barton
Tip On A Dead Jockey (1957) as Lloyd Tredman
Saddle The Wind (1958) as Steve Sinclair
The Law And Jake Wade (1958) as Jake Wade
Party Girl (1958) as Thomas Farrell
The Hangman (1959) as Mackenzie Bovard
Killers Of Kilimanjaro (1959) as Robert Adamson
The House Of Seven Hawks (1959) as John Nordley
Miracle Of The White Stallions (1963) as Colonel Podhajsky
Cattle King (1963) as Sam Brassfield
A House Is Not A Home (1964) as Frank Costigan
The Night Walker (1964) as Barry Morlan
Johnny Tiger (1966) as George Dean
Savage Pampas (1966) as Captain Martin
Return Of The Gunfighter (1967) as Ben Wyatt
The Glass Sphinx (1967) as Prof. Karl Nichols
Hondo And The Apaches (1967-TV) as Gallagher
Where Angels Go Trouble Follows! (1968) as Mr. Farrelly
The Day The Hot Line Got Hot (1968) as Anderson
Taylor starred with his ex wife Barbara Stanwyck in the psychological thriller The Night Walker in 1964.
Mr. Taylor moved also into the area of television starring in the TV series The Detectives as Detective Captain Matt Holbrook for three seasons from 1959 to 1962.
He also filmed four episodes of the Robert Taylor Show as Christopher Logan in 1963. Dealing with cases involving the Department of Health, Education and Welfare, these episodes were never shown and the series was dropped due to lack of coordination with the HEW Department.
In 1966 he took over hosting duties from his friend Ronald Reagan on the series Death Valley Days.
He received the 1953 World Film Favorite - Male at the Golden Globes Awards.
Taylor helped found the Motion Picture Alliance for the Preservation of American Ideals.
Taylor was a pilot and learned to fly in the mid 1930's. He was a Naval flight instructor during World War Two. He owned a Twin Beechcraft called Missy. He used the plane for hunting and fishing trips as well as to get to film shooting locations.
Robert Taylor was married twice. His first wife was Barbara Stanwyck and the marriage lasted from 1939 to 1951 at which time the couple divorced.
His second wife was Ursula Thiess and the marriage lasted from 1954 until his death and the marriage produced two children.
In October 1968 Taylor underwent surgery to remove a portion of his right lung after doctors suspected that he had contacted "valley fever". It was found out at that time that he had lung cancer.
A chain smoker, Robert Taylor passed away in June 1969 at age 57 from lung cancer.
I always enjoyed Mr. Taylor's films especially Quo Vadis, Ivanhoe, Bataan, Ride Vacquero, Cattle King, Valley Of The Kings, The Law And Jake Wade, The Last Hunt, Above And Beyond, Ambush, All The Brothers Were Gallant and D Day The Sixth Of June.
Louis The Movie Buff