Don Taylor (actor)
Encyclopedia
Don Taylor was an American movie actor and director best known for his performances in 1950s classics like Stalag 17
and Father of the Bride
and the 1948 film noir
The Naked City
. He later turned to directing films such as Escape from the Planet of the Apes
(1971) and Tom Sawyer (1973).
, on December 13, 1920, Taylor studied speech and drama at Penn State University and hitchhiked to Hollywood in 1942. He was signed as a contract player at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
and appeared in small roles. Drafted into the United States Army Air Forces
(AAF) during World War II
, he appeared in the Air Forces's Winged Victory
Broadway
play and movie
(1944), credited as "Cpl. Don Taylor."
. Taylor was part of the ensemble cast in the classic WW2 infantry comedy/drama Battleground
(1949). He then appeared as the husband of Elizabeth Taylor
in the comedies Father of the Bride
(1950) and Father's Little Dividend
(1951), starring Spencer Tracy
. He also played Vern "Cowboy" Blithe in Flying Leathernecks
in 1951. In 1953, Taylor had a key role as the escaping prisoner Lt. Dunbar in Billy Wilder
's Stalag 17
. His last major film role came in I'll Cry Tomorrow
(1955).
, starring Dean Fredericks
. One of his memorable efforts, in 1973, was the musical film Tom Sawyer, which boasted a Sherman Brothers
song score. Other films that Taylor directed are Escape from the Planet of the Apes
(1971), Echoes of a Summer
(1976), The Great Scout & Cathouse Thursday
(also 1976), The Island of Dr. Moreau
(1977) starring Burt Lancaster
, Damien: Omen II
(1978) with William Holden
, and The Final Countdown (1980) with Kirk Douglas
.
Taylor occasionally performed both acting and directing roles simultaneously, as he did for episodes of the TV detective series Burke's Law
.
, of heart failure.
Stalag 17
Stalag 17 is a 1953 war film which tells the story of a group of American airmen held in a German World War II prisoner of war camp, who come to suspect that one of their number is a traitor...
and Father of the Bride
Father of the Bride (1950 film)
Father of the Bride is a 1950 American comedy film about a man trying to cope with preparations for his daughter's upcoming wedding. The movie stars Spencer Tracy in the titular role, Joan Bennett, Elizabeth Taylor, Don Taylor, Billie Burke, and Leo G. Carroll. It was adapted by Frances Goodrich...
and the 1948 film noir
Film noir
Film noir is a cinematic term used primarily to describe stylish Hollywood crime dramas, particularly those that emphasize cynical attitudes and sexual motivations. Hollywood's classic film noir period is generally regarded as extending from the early 1940s to the late 1950s...
The Naked City
The Naked City
The Naked City is a 1948 black-and-white film noir directed by Jules Dassin. The movie, shot partially in documentary style, was filmed on location on the streets of New York City, featuring landmarks such as the Williamsburg Bridge the Whitehall Building and an apartment building on West 83rd...
. He later turned to directing films such as Escape from the Planet of the Apes
Escape from the Planet of the Apes
Escape from the Planet of the Apes, directed by Don Taylor, is a 1971 science fiction film starring Roddy McDowall, Kim Hunter, Bradford Dillman and Ricardo Montalbán. It is the third of five films in the original Planet of the Apes series produced by Arthur P. Jacobs, the second being Beneath the...
(1971) and Tom Sawyer (1973).
Life and work
Born in Freeport, PennsylvaniaFreeport, Pennsylvania
Freeport is a borough in Armstrong County, Pennsylvania, United States; it is situated along the Allegheny River in the southwest corner of the county. The population was 1,962 at the 2000 Census. Freeport received its name from David Todd, who declared it to be a free-port where no man would be...
, on December 13, 1920, Taylor studied speech and drama at Penn State University and hitchhiked to Hollywood in 1942. He was signed as a contract player at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc. is an American media company, involved primarily in the production and distribution of films and television programs. MGM was founded in 1924 when the entertainment entrepreneur Marcus Loew gained control of Metro Pictures, Goldwyn Pictures Corporation and Louis B. Mayer...
and appeared in small roles. Drafted into the United States Army Air Forces
United States Army Air Forces
The United States Army Air Forces was the military aviation arm of the United States of America during and immediately after World War II, and the direct predecessor of the United States Air Force....
(AAF) during 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 appeared in the Air Forces's Winged Victory
Winged Victory (play)
Winged Victory is a play and, later, a film by Moss Hart, originally created and produced by the U.S. Army Air Forces during World War II as a morale booster and as a fundraiser for the Army Emergency Relief Fund. Upon recommendation of Lt. Col. Dudley S. Dean, who had been approached with the...
Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
play and movie
Winged Victory (film)
Winged Victory is a 1944 drama film directed by George Cukor, a joint effort of 20th Century Fox and the U.S. Army Air Forces. Based upon the successful play with the same name by Moss Hart, who also wrote the screenplay, the film only opened after the play's theatre run.-Plot:Frankie Davis , Allan...
(1944), credited as "Cpl. Don Taylor."
His acting career
After discharge from the AAF, Taylor was cast in a lead role as the young detective in The Naked City, which was notable for being filmed entirely on the streets of New YorkNew York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. Taylor was part of the ensemble cast in the classic WW2 infantry comedy/drama Battleground
Battleground
A battleground is the site of a battle. It may also refer to:-Film & Television:* Battleground , a 1949 war film about the Battle of the Bulge...
(1949). He then appeared as the husband of Elizabeth Taylor
Elizabeth Taylor
Dame Elizabeth Rosemond "Liz" Taylor, DBE was a British-American actress. From her early years as a child star with MGM, she became one of the great screen actresses of Hollywood's Golden Age...
in the comedies Father of the Bride
Father of the Bride
Father of the Bride may refer to the following:*Father of the Bride , starring Spencer Tracy, Joan Bennett, and Elizabeth Taylor*Father of the Bride , remake of the 1950 film, starring Steve Martin, Diane Keaton and Martin Short...
(1950) and Father's Little Dividend
Father's Little Dividend
Father's Little Dividend is a 1951 comedy film directed by Vincente Minnelli and starring Spencer Tracy, Joan Bennett, and Elizabeth Taylor. The movie is the sequel to Father of the Bride ....
(1951), starring Spencer Tracy
Spencer Tracy
Spencer Bonaventure Tracy was an American theatrical and film actor, who appeared in 75 films from 1930 to 1967. Tracy was one of the major stars of Hollywood's Golden Age, ranking among the top ten box office draws for almost every year from 1938 to 1951...
. He also played Vern "Cowboy" Blithe in Flying Leathernecks
Flying Leathernecks
Flying Leathernecks is a 1951 action film directed by Nicholas Ray, produced by Edmund Grainger, and starring John Wayne and Robert Ryan. The movie details the exploits and personal battles of United States Marine Corps aviators during World War II...
in 1951. In 1953, Taylor had a key role as the escaping prisoner Lt. Dunbar in Billy Wilder
Billy Wilder
Billy Wilder was an Austro-Hungarian born American filmmaker, screenwriter, producer, artist, and journalist, whose career spanned more than 50 years and 60 films. He is regarded as one of the most brilliant and versatile filmmakers of Hollywood's golden age...
's Stalag 17
Stalag 17
Stalag 17 is a 1953 war film which tells the story of a group of American airmen held in a German World War II prisoner of war camp, who come to suspect that one of their number is a traitor...
. His last major film role came in I'll Cry Tomorrow
I'll Cry Tomorrow
I'll Cry Tomorrow is a biopic which tells the story of Lillian Roth, a Broadway star who rebels against the pressure of her domineering mother and reacts to the death of her fiancé by becoming an alcoholic...
(1955).
His directorial career
From the late 1950s through the '80s, Taylor turned to directing movies and, mainly, TV shows, such as the short-lived Steve CanyonSteve Canyon
Steve Canyon was a long-running American adventure comic strip by writer-artist Milton Caniff. Launched shortly after Caniff retired from his previous strip, Terry and the Pirates, Steve Canyon ran from January 13, 1947 until June 4, 1988, shortly after Caniff's death...
, starring Dean Fredericks
Dean Fredericks
Dean Fredericks was an American actor best known for his portrayal of the comic strip character Steve Canyon in a 34-episode television series of the same name which aired from 1958-1959 on NBC. He was born Frederick Joseph Foote in Los Angeles, California...
. One of his memorable efforts, in 1973, was the musical film Tom Sawyer, which boasted a Sherman Brothers
Sherman Brothers
The Sherman Brothers are an American songwriting duo that specialize in musical films, made up of Robert B. Sherman and Richard M. Sherman ....
song score. Other films that Taylor directed are Escape from the Planet of the Apes
Escape from the Planet of the Apes
Escape from the Planet of the Apes, directed by Don Taylor, is a 1971 science fiction film starring Roddy McDowall, Kim Hunter, Bradford Dillman and Ricardo Montalbán. It is the third of five films in the original Planet of the Apes series produced by Arthur P. Jacobs, the second being Beneath the...
(1971), Echoes of a Summer
Echoes of a Summer
-Plot:The eleven-year-old Deirdre suffers from an incureable heart trouble. For two years, her parents Eugene and Ruth have consulted heart specialists - but without any success. Now they have gone to Mahone Bay, Nova Scotia to arrange for her last days as pleasant as possible...
(1976), The Great Scout & Cathouse Thursday
The Great Scout & Cathouse Thursday
The Great Scout & Cathouse Thursday is a 1976 film directed by Don Taylor starring Lee Marvin and Kay Lenz.-Cast:* Lee Marvin as Sam Longwood* Oliver Reed as Joe Knox* Robert Culp as Jack Colby* Kay Lenz as Thursday* Elizabeth Ashley as Nancy Sue...
(also 1976), The Island of Dr. Moreau
The Island of Dr. Moreau (1977 film)
The Island of Dr. Moreau is the second movie version of the H. G. Wells science fiction novel about a scientist who attempts to convert animals into people, starring Burt Lancaster, Michael York, Barbara Carrera, and Richard Basehart...
(1977) starring Burt Lancaster
Burt Lancaster
Burton Stephen "Burt" Lancaster was an American film actor noted for his athletic physique and distinctive smile...
, Damien: Omen II
Damien: Omen II
Damien: Omen II, is a 1978 American horror film directed by Don Taylor, starring William Holden, Lee Grant, and Jonathan Scott-Taylor. The film was the second installment in The Omen series, set seven years after the first film, and was followed by a third installment, Omen III: The Final Conflict,...
(1978) with William Holden
William Holden
William Holden was an American actor. Holden won the Academy Award for Best Actor in 1954 and the Emmy Award for Best Actor in 1974...
, and The Final Countdown (1980) with Kirk Douglas
Kirk Douglas
Kirk Douglas is an American stage and film actor, film producer and author. His popular films include Out of the Past , Champion , Ace in the Hole , The Bad and the Beautiful , Lust for Life , Paths of Glory , Gunfight at the O.K...
.
Taylor occasionally performed both acting and directing roles simultaneously, as he did for episodes of the TV detective series Burke's Law
Burke's Law
Burke's Law is a detective series that ran on ABC from 1963 to 1965 and was revived on CBS in the 1990s. The show starred Gene Barry as Amos Burke, millionaire captain of Los Angeles police homicide division, who was chauffeured around to solve crimes in his Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud...
.
His personal life
Taylor was married twice.- His first wife was Phyllis AveryPhyllis AveryPhyllis Avery was an American television and film actress.-Early life and career:Avery was born in New York City to Evelyn and author Stephen Morehouse Avery. Her father hailed from Webster Groves, Missouri, near St. Louis. Her first role was as Marjorie in the 1951 film Queen for a Day based on...
, whom he married in 1944; they divorced in 1955, but not before the births of their daughters Anne and Avery. - His second wife was Hazel CourtHazel CourtHazel Court was an English actress best known for her roles in horror films during the 1950s and early 1960s.-Early life:...
, whom he married in 1964 and stayed with until his death; they had a son, Jonathan, and a daughter, Courtney.
His death
Taylor died on December 29, 1998, in Los Angeles, CaliforniaLos Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
, of heart failure.
Selected filmography
- The Men of Sherwood ForestThe Men of Sherwood ForestThe Men of Sherwood Forest is a 1954 British adventure film directed by Val Guest and starring Don Taylor, Reginald Beckwith, Eileen Moore and David King-Wood. The film follows the exploits of Robin Hood and his followers...
(1954) - The Flying Leathernecks (1951)