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

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

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

1963

Cattle King as Sam Brassfield
Miracle of the White Stallions as Col. Podhajsky

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

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

1957

The Thin Man
Tip on a Dead Jockey as Lloyd Tredman

1956

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

1955

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

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

1952

Ivanhoe as Wilfred of Ivanhoe
Death Valley Days as Self - Host
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
Ambush as Ward Kinsman
Screen Actors as Self (uncredited)
Devil's Doorway as Lance Poole
The Fighting Lady's Family as Narrator (voice)

1949

Conspirator as Major Michael Curragh
The Bribe as Rigby

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

1944

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

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

Johnny Eager as Johnny Eager
Billy the Kid as Billy Bonney
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
Trifles of Importance as Self (archive footage)
Flight Command as Ens. Alan Drake

1939

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

1938

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

1937

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

1936

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

1935

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

1934

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