Robert Taylor

Born: 1911-08-05 in Filley, Nebraska, USA

Died: 1969-06-08

Known For: Acting

Biography

Robert Taylor (born Spangler Arlington Brugh; August 5, 1911 – June 8, 1969) was an American film and television actor who was one of the most popular leading men of his time. Taylor began his career in films in 1934 when he signed with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. He won his first leading role the following year in Magnificent Obsession. His popularity increased during the late 1930s and 1940s with appearances in A Yank at Oxford (1938), Waterloo Bridge (1940), and Bataan (1943). During World War II, he served in the United States Naval Air Corps, where he worked as a flight instructor and appeared in instructional films. From 1959 to 1962, he starred in the ABC series The Detectives Starring Robert Taylor. In 1966, he took over hosting duties from his friend Ronald Reagan on the series Death Valley Days. Taylor was married to actress Barbara Stanwyck from 1939 to 1951. He married actress Ursula Thiess in 1954, and they had two children. A chain smoker, Taylor was diagnosed with lung cancer in October 1968. He died of the disease on June 8, 1969 at the age of 57.

Filmography

2021

The Real Charlie Chaplin as Self (archive footage)

1990

Yellowthread Street as Det. Peter Marenta

1976

That's Entertainment, Part II as (archive footage)

1972

Hollywood: The Dream Factory as Self (archive footage)

1969

The Extraordinary Seaman as Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
Garbo, by Joan Crawford as Self (archive footage)

1968

Where Angels Go, Trouble Follows as Mr. Farriday: The 'In' Group
The Day the Hot Line Got Hot as Anderson

1967

Hondo
Return of the Gunfighter as Ben Wyatt
Hondo and the Apaches as Gallagher
The Glass Sphinx as Prof. Karl Nichols

1966

Savage Pampas as Captain Martín
Johnny Tiger as George Dean

1964

The Night Walker as Barry Moreland
A House Is Not a Home as Frank Costigan
The Big Parade of Comedy as Raymond Dabney in 'Personal Property' (archive footage)

1963

Cattle King as Sam Brassfield
Miracle of the White Stallions as Col. Podhajsky
Recoil as Captain Matt Holbrook

1962

The Merv Griffin Show as Self

1961

The Mike Douglas Show as Self - Co-Host

1959

The Detectives as Captain Matt Holbrook
The Hangman as Mackenzie Bovard
The House of the Seven Hawks as John Nordley
Killers of Kilimanjaro as Robert Adamson

1958

The Law and Jake Wade as Jake Wade
Party Girl as Tommy Farrell
Saddle the Wind as Steve Sinclair

1957

The Thin Man
Tip on a Dead Jockey as Lloyd Tredman

1956

The Last Hunt as Charlie Gilson
D-Day the Sixth of June as Capt. Brad Parker
The Power and the Prize as Cliff Barton

1955

MGM Parade
Quentin Durward as Quentin Durward
Many Rivers to Cross as Bushrod Gentry

1954

Rogue Cop as Det. Sgt. Christopher Kelvaney
Valley of the Kings as Mark Brandon

1953

Ride, Vaquero! as Rio
Knights of the Round Table as Lancelot
All the Brothers Were Valiant as Joel Shore
Above and Beyond as Lt. Col Paul W. Tibbets
I Love Melvin as Himself, Cameo Appearance in Judy's Dream

1952

Death Valley Days as Self - Host
Ivanhoe as Wilfred of Ivanhoe
The Hoaxters as Narrator (voice)

1951

Quo Vadis as Marcus Vinicius
Westward the Women as Buck Wyatt
Rome, the Eternal City as Self

1950

What's My Line? as Self - Mystery Guest
Devil's Doorway as Lance Poole
Ambush as Ward Kinsman
Screen Actors as Self (uncredited)
The Fighting Lady's Family as Narrator (voice)

1949

The Bribe as Rigby
Conspirator as Major Michael Curragh

1948

The Ed Sullivan Show as Self
The Secret Land as Narrator

1947

High Wall as Steven Kenet
Performers Arrive in Hampshire as Self

1946

Undercurrent as Alan Garroway

1945

Primary Flight Training: Taxiing and Take-offs as Instructor
Primary Flight Training: First Flight, Part 2 as Lt. Taylor
Primary Flight Training: Landings as Lt. Taylor
Primary Flight Training: Keep It Flying, Part 1 as Instructor
Primary Flight Training: Before You Fly as Lt. Taylor
Primary Flight Training: Attitudes of Flight: Part 1 as Lt. Taylor
Primary Flight Training: Keep It Flying, Part 2 as Lt. Taylor
Primary Flight Instruction: Stearman N2-S Part 1 as Lt. Taylor

1944

Song of Russia as John Meredith
Primary Flight Training: Flight Sense as Lt. Robert Taylor
The Fighting Lady as Narrator

1943

Bataan as Sgt. Bill Dane
The Youngest Profession as Robert Taylor

1942

Stand by for Action as Lieut. Gregg Masterman
Her Cardboard Lover as Terry Trindale

1941

Billy the Kid as Billy Bonney
Johnny Eager as Johnny Eager
When Ladies Meet as Jimmy Lee

1940

Waterloo Bridge as Roy Cronin
Escape as Mark Preysing
A New Romance of Celluloid: The Miracle of Sound as Self
Hollywood: Style Center of the World as Self
Flight Command as Ens. Alan Drake
Trifles of Importance as Self (archive footage)

1939

Remember? as Jeff Holland
Stand Up and Fight as Blake Cantrell
Lucky Night as Bill Overton
Lady of the Tropics as William 'Bill' Carey
From the Ends of the Earth as Self

1938

Three Comrades as Erich Lohkamp
The Crowd Roars as 'Killer' McCoy
A Yank at Oxford as Lee Sheridan
Hollywood Goes to Town as Self

1937

Broadway Melody of 1938 as Steve Raleigh
This Is My Affair as Lt. Richard L. Perry
The Romance of Celluloid as Self (archive footage)
Personal Property as Raymond Dabney
Lest We Forget as Himself

1936

Camille as Armand Duval
Small Town Girl as Dr. Robert 'Bob' Dakin
Private Number as Richard Winfield
The Gorgeous Hussy as 'Bow' Timberlake
His Brother's Wife as Chris Claybourne

1935

Broadway Melody of 1936 as Robert Gordon
La Fiesta de Santa Barbara as Self
Murder in the Fleet as Lieutenant Tom Randolph
Times Square Lady as Steve Gordon
Magnificent Obsession as Dr. Robert Merrick
Buried Loot as Albert 'Al' Douglas (uncredited)
Society Doctor as Dr. Ellis
West Point of the Air as 'Jasky' Jaskarelli

1934

A Wicked Woman as Bill Renton
Handy Andy as Lloyd Burmeister
There's Always Tomorrow as Arthur White
The Spectacle Maker as The Duchess's Paramour