View source for Robert Taylor (American actor)

{{Short description|American actor (1911–1969)}}
{{About||the Australian actor|Robert Taylor (Australian actor)|other people with the same name|Robert Taylor (disambiguation){{!}}Robert Taylor}}
{{Use American English|date=October 2021}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=October 2021}}
{{Infobox person
| name               = Robert Taylor
| image              = Robert Taylor by Eric Carpenter, 1946.jpg
| caption            = Taylor in 1946
| birth_name         = Spangler Arlington Brugh
| birth_date         = {{birth date|1911|8|5|mf=y}}
| birth_place        = [[Filley, Nebraska]], U.S.
| death_date         = {{death date and age|1969|6|8|1911|8|5}}
| death_place        = [[Santa Monica, California]], U.S.
| resting_place      = [[Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Glendale)|Forest Lawn Memorial Park]], [[Glendale, California]]
| other_names        = 
| alma_mater         = [[Doane College]]<br>[[Pomona College]]
| occupation         = Actor 
| years_active       = 1934–1968
| spouse             = {{plainlist|
* {{marriage|[[Barbara Stanwyck]] |1939|1952|end=div}}
* {{marriage|[[Ursula Thiess]] |1954}}
}}
| children           = 3
}}
'''Robert Taylor''' (born '''Spangler Arlington Brugh'''; August 5, 1911&nbsp;– June 8, 1969) was an American film and television actor and singer who was one of the most popular leading men of his era.

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 (1935 film)|Magnificent Obsession]]''. His popularity increased during the late 1930s and 1940s with appearances in ''[[Camille (1936 film)|Camille]]'' (1936), ''[[A Yank at Oxford]]'' (1938), ''[[Waterloo Bridge (1940 film)|Waterloo Bridge]]'' (1940), and ''[[Bataan (film)|Bataan]]'' (1943). During World War II, he served in the United States Naval Air Forces, where he worked as a flight instructor and appeared in instructional films. From 1959 to 1962, he starred in the television series ''[[The Detectives Starring Robert Taylor]]''. In 1966, he assumed hosting duties from his friend [[Ronald Reagan]] on the series ''[[Death Valley Days]]''.

Taylor was married to actress [[Barbara Stanwyck]] from 1939 to 1952. He married actress [[Ursula Thiess]] in 1954, and they had two children. A [[chain smoker]], Taylor died of lung cancer at the age of 57.
{{TOC limit|limit=2}}

==Early life==
Taylor was born Spangler Arlington Brugh on August 5, 1911, in [[Filley, Nebraska]], the only child of Ruth Adaline (née Stanhope) and Spangler Andrew Brugh, a farmer turned doctor.<ref>Wagner, Laura. [http://www.filmsofthegoldenage.com/foga/1999/summer99/roberttaylor.shtml "Robert Taylor: Matinee Idol."] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090412111110/http://www.filmsofthegoldenage.com/foga/1999/summer99/roberttaylor.shtml |date=2009-04-12 }} ''Films of the Golden Age''. Retrieved: November 18, 2011.</ref><ref>Wayne 2005, p. 165.</ref> During his early life, the family moved several times, living in [[Muskogee, Oklahoma]]; [[Kirksville, Missouri]]; and [[Fremont, Nebraska]]. By September 1917, the Brughs had moved to [[Beatrice, Nebraska]], where they remained for 16 years.<ref name=nebraska>Kral, E. A. {{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20101218082524/http://nebraskahistory.org/publish/publicat/history/full-text/NH1994RobtTaylor.pdf "Robert Taylor of Beatrice: The Nebraska Roots of a Hollywood Star".]}} ''Nebraska History Quarterly''. Vol. 75, 1994, pp. 280–290. Retrieved: November 18, 2011.</ref>

As a teenager, Brugh was a track and field star and played the cello in his high school orchestra. Upon graduation, he enrolled at [[Doane College]] in [[Crete, Nebraska]].<ref name="torgerson">Torgerson, Dial. [http://projects.latimes.com/hollywood/star-walk/robert-taylor/ "Hollywood Star Walk: Robert Taylor."] ''Los Angeles Times'', June 9, 1969. Retrieved: January 28, 2015.</ref> While at Doane, he took cello lessons from Professor Herbert E. Gray, whom he admired and idolized. After Professor Gray announced he was accepting a new position at [[Pomona College]] in Claremont, California, Brugh moved to California and enrolled at Pomona.<ref>Wayne 2005, p. 166.</ref> He joined the campus theater company and also studied with [[Neely Dickson]] at the Hollywood Community Theater.<ref name=":0">{{Cite journal |last=Wallace |first=Irving |date=October 1940 |title=Nurseries for Newcomers |url=https://archive.org/details/Modern-Screen-1940-10-Vol-21-No-5/page/26/mode/2up?q=%22neely+dickson%22 |journal=Modern Screen |volume=21 |issue=5 |pages=26–27 |via=The Internet Archive, archive.org}}</ref> Recalled Dickson, "I couldn’t help remembering the first time he came to me, a handsome, young college graduate from Pomona. He was raw, but very sincere and wholly unaffected. He stood before me, voice a little tight from nervousness, and read a scene from his favorite play... I was impressed and did all I could for him."<ref name=":0" /> He was eventually spotted by an MGM talent scout in 1932 after a production of ''[[Journey's End]].''

==Career==
He signed a seven-year contract with [[Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer]] with an initial salary of $35 per week, which rose to $2500 by 1936.<ref>Hall 1937, p. 42.</ref> The studio changed his name to Robert Taylor.<ref>Wayne 2005, p. 167.</ref> He made his film debut in the 1934 comedy ''Handy Andy'', starring [[Will Rogers]] (on loan to [[Fox Film|Fox Studios]]). 
[[File:Robert Taylor by Russell Ball.jpg|thumb|right|Robert Taylor, 1934]]
His first leading role came by accident. In 1934, Taylor was on the MGM payroll as "the test boy," a male juvenile who would be filmed opposite various young ingenues in screen tests. In late 1934, when MGM began production of its new short-subject series ''[[Crime Does Not Pay (film and radio series)|Crime Does Not Pay]]'' with the dramatic short ''[[Buried Loot]]'', the actor who had been cast fell ill and could not appear. The director sent for the test boy to substitute for the missing actor. Taylor's dramatic performance, as an embezzler who deliberately disfigures himself to avoid detection, was so memorable that Taylor immediately was signed for feature films.

In 1935, [[Irene Dunne]] requested him for her leading man in ''[[Magnificent Obsession (1935 film)|Magnificent Obsession]]''. This was followed by ''[[Camille (1936 film)|Camille]]'' opposite [[Greta Garbo]].<ref name="popculture">Griffith, Benjamin. [http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_g1epc/is_bio/ai_2419201195 "Robert Taylor."] ''St. James Encyclopedia of Pop Culture''. 2002. Retrieved: November 18, 2011.</ref>

[[File:Robert Taylor & Jean Harlow.jpg|thumb|left|Taylor and [[Jean Harlow]], 1937]]
[[File:Lionel Barrymore 61st birthday 1939.jpg|right|thumb|Lionel Barrymore's 61st birthday in 1939, standing: [[Mickey Rooney]], [[Robert Montgomery (actor)|Robert Montgomery]], [[Clark Gable]], [[Louis B. Mayer]], [[William Powell]], Robert Taylor, seated: [[Norma Shearer]], [[Lionel Barrymore]], and [[Rosalind Russell]]]]
Throughout the late 1930s, Taylor appeared in films of varying genres including the musicals ''[[Broadway Melody of 1936]]'' and ''[[Broadway Melody of 1938]]'', and the British comedy ''[[A Yank at Oxford]]'' with [[Vivien Leigh]]. Throughout 1940 and 1941 he argued in favor of American entry into World War II, and was sharply critical of the isolationist movement. During this time he said he was "100% pro-British".{{sfn|Tranberg|2010|p=290}} In 1940, he reteamed with Leigh in [[Mervyn LeRoy]]'s drama ''[[Waterloo Bridge (1940 film)|Waterloo Bridge]]''.

After being given the nickname "The Man with the Perfect Profile", Taylor began breaking away from his perfect leading man image and began appearing in darker roles beginning in 1941. That year he played the title role in ''[[Billy the Kid (1941 film)|Billy the Kid]]'', followed by the same the next year in the film noir ''[[Johnny Eager]]'' with [[Lana Turner]]. After playing a tough sergeant in ''[[Bataan (film)|Bataan]]'' in 1943, Taylor contributed to the war effort by becoming a flying instructor in the U.S. Naval Air Corps.<ref>[https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=WwVfAAAAIBAJ&sjid=bYoDAAAAIBAJ&pg=5142,2866710 "Robert Taylor ends Navy duty"]. ''[[The Free Lance-Star]]''. Fredericksburg, Virginia. [[Associated Press]]. November 6, 1945. p. 2. Retrieved January 28, 2015.</ref> During this time, he also starred in instructional films and narrated the 1944 documentary ''[[The Fighting Lady]]''.

After the war, he appeared in a series of edgy roles, including the neo-noir ''[[Undercurrent (1946 film)|Undercurrent]]'' (1946) and drama ''[[High Wall]]'' (1947). In 1949 he co-starred with [[Elizabeth Taylor]] in the suspense ''[[Conspirator (1949 film)|Conspirator]]'', which [[Hedda Hopper]] described as "another one of Taylor's pro-British films". Taylor responded to this by saying "And it won't be the last!"{{sfn|Tranberg|2010|p=291}} However, both Hopper and Taylor were members of the anticommunist organization the [[Motion Picture Alliance for the Preservation of American Ideals]], as were Taylor's friends [[John Wayne]], [[Walt Disney]] and [[Gary Cooper]]. For this reason Hopper always spoke favorably of Taylor, despite him disagreeing with her over what she saw as his "Anglophilia" and what he saw as her "Anglophobia".{{sfn|Tranberg|2010|p=292}} In 1950, Taylor landed the role of General Marcus Vinicius in ''[[Quo Vadis (1951 film)|Quo Vadis]]'' with [[Deborah Kerr]]. The epic film was a hit, grossing US$11 million in its first run.<ref name="popculture" /> The following year, he starred in the film version of [[Walter Scott]]'s classic ''[[Ivanhoe (1952 film)|Ivanhoe]]'', followed by 1953's ''[[Knights of the Round Table (film)|Knights of the Round Table]]'' and ''[[The Adventures of Quentin Durward]]'', all filmed in England. Of the three only ''[[Ivanhoe (1952 film)|Ivanhoe]]'' was a critical and financial success. Taylor also filmed ''[[Valley of the Kings (film)|Valley of the Kings]]'' in Egypt in 1954. Robert Taylor received the 1953 World Film Favorite–Male, award at the Golden Globes (tied with Alan Ladd).{{cn|date=February 2020}}

By the mid-1950s, Taylor began to concentrate on westerns, his preferred genre. He starred in a comedy western ''[[Many Rivers to Cross (film)|Many Rivers to Cross]]'' in 1955 co-starring [[Eleanor Parker]]. Taylor shared the lead with [[Richard Widmark]] in the edgy [[John Sturges]] western ''[[The Law and Jake Wade]]'' (1958). Taylor's long tenure at MGM ended in 1959; he was the last remaining major star under contract from the studio's heyday. The studio still held an option for Taylor's services, which it exercised for the western ''[[Cattle King]]'', released in 1963.

Taylor formed his own company, Robert Taylor Productions, starring in the television series ''[[The Detectives Starring Robert Taylor]]'' (1959–1962). Following the end of the series in 1962, Taylor continued to appear in films and television shows, including ''[[A House Is Not a Home (film)|A House Is Not a Home]]'', and two episodes of ''[[Hondo (TV series)|Hondo]]''.

In 1964, Taylor co-starred with his former wife [[Barbara Stanwyck]] in [[William Castle]]'s psychological horror film ''[[The Night Walker (film)|The Night Walker]]''. In 1965, after filming ''Johnny Tiger'' in Florida, Taylor took over the role of narrator in the television series ''[[Death Valley Days]]'' when [[Ronald Reagan]] left to pursue a career in politics.<ref>Witbeck, Charles (April 7, 1967). [https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=yQwxAAAAIBAJ&sjid=SuEFAAAAIBAJ&pg=2772,1839821 "Taylor sparks 'Death Valley Days'"]. ''[[The Modesto Bee]]''. Retrieved January 23, 2013.</ref> Taylor would remain with the series until his death in 1969.

Taylor traveled to Europe to film ''[[Savage Pampas (1966 film)|Savage Pampas]]'' (1966), ''[[The Glass Sphinx]]'' (1967), and ''[[Hot Line (film)|The Day the Hot Line Got Hot]]'' (1968).

==Personal life==
===Marriages and children===
After dating her for three years, Taylor married [[Barbara Stanwyck]] on May 14, 1939, in San Diego, California. [[Zeppo Marx]]'s wife, Marion, was Stanwyck's matron of honor. Stanwyck's surrogate father—he was her sister Millie's husband—and personal assistant, vaudevillian Buck Mack, was Taylor's best man.<ref>[https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=O5FRAAAAIBAJ&sjid=3GkDAAAAIBAJ&pg=2318,3451837 "Barbara Stanwyck weds Robert Taylor on coast"]. ''[[Pittsburgh Post-Gazette]]''. [[United Press International|United Press]]. May 15, 1939. p. 1. Retrieved January 28, 2015.</ref> Stanwyck divorced Taylor in February 1951.<ref>[https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=_RlQAAAAIBAJ&sjid=wgsEAAAAIBAJ&pg=1744,2626516 "Calm Barbara Stanwyck divorces Robert Taylor"]. ''[[Eugene Register-Guard]]''. United Press. February 21, 1951. p. 1. Retrieved January 28, 2015.</ref> During the marriage, Stanwyck's adopted son from her previous marriage to [[Frank Fay (American actor)|Frank Fay]], Anthony "Tony" Dion, lived with them. After the divorce, Stanwyck retained custody of the child.

Taylor met German actress [[Ursula Thiess]] in 1952. They married in [[Jackson Hole, Wyoming]], on May 23, 1954.<ref>[https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=NiYsAAAAIBAJ&sjid=hp4FAAAAIBAJ&pg=2287,5542018 "Robert Taylor, Ursula Thiess wed"]. ''[[TimesDaily]]''. Florence, Ala. May 24, 1954. p. 4. Retrieved August 27, 2022.</ref> They had two children, a son, Terrance, (1955) and a daughter, Tessa, (1959). Taylor was stepfather to Thiess' two children from her previous marriage, Manuela and Michael Thiess.<ref>[https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=z-YhAAAAIBAJ&sjid=32QEAAAAIBAJ&pg=2838,3638460 "Boy is born to German actress, Robert Taylor"]. ''[[Sarasota Herald-Tribune]]''. June 19, 1955. p. 14. Retrieved January 28, 2015.</ref><ref>[https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=r1pYAAAAIBAJ&sjid=LfoDAAAAIBAJ&pg=2500,2483051 title="Robert Taylor father of girl"]. ''[[Lakeland Ledger]]''. Associated Press. August 17, 1959. p. 6. Retrieved August 27, 2022.</ref> On May 26, 1969, shortly before Taylor's death from lung cancer, Ursula Thiess found the body of her son, Michael, in a West Los Angeles motel room.<ref>[https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1243&dat=19690528&id=hgFYAAAAIBAJ&sjid=IPcDAAAAIBAJ&pg=3768,718091 "Robert Taylor's stepson dead."] ''The Bulletin''. Bend, Oregon. Associated Press. May 28, 1969. p. 7B. Retrieved January 28, 2015.</ref> He had died from a drug overdose. One month before his death, Michael had been released from a mental hospital. In 1964, he spent a year in a reformatory for attempting to poison his biological father with insecticide.<ref>[https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=zfBUAAAAIBAJ&sjid=sDwNAAAAIBAJ&pg=4313,5432611 "Actress discovers son dead"]. ''[[Regina Leader Post|The LeaderPost]]''. Regina, Sask. Associated Press. May 28, 1969. p. 6. Retrieved August 27, 2022.</ref><ref>Wayne 2005, p. 192.</ref>

=== Politics ===
[[File:Robert Taylor.jpg|thumb|right|Robert Taylor in 1957]]
In February 1944, Taylor helped found the [[Motion Picture Alliance for the Preservation of American Ideals]].<ref>Ross 2002, p. 197.</ref> In October 1947, Taylor was called to testify before the [[House Committee on Un-American Activities]] regarding [[Communism]] in Hollywood.<ref>Imwold et al. 2005, pp. 188–189.</ref><ref>[https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=Br4tAAAAIBAJ&sjid=g5gFAAAAIBAJ&pg=3647,4342707 "Reds are blasted by Robert Taylor."] ''[[Montreal Gazette]]''. October 23, 1947. p. 2. Retrieved January 28, 2015.</ref> He did this reluctantly, regarding the hearings as a "circus" and refusing to appear unless subpoenaed.<ref>Alexander 2008, pp. 193–235.</ref> In his testimony concerning the [[Screen Actors Guild]] (SAG), delivered on October 22, 1947, Taylor stated: "It seems to me that at meetings, especially meetings of the general membership of the Guild, there was always a certain group of actors and actresses whose every action would indicate to me that, if they are not Communists, they are working awfully hard to be Communists."<ref>Slide 1999, p. 1.</ref> Two people already under investigation by the FBI, [[Karen Morley]] and [[Howard Da Silva]], were mentioned as troublemakers at SAG meetings. Taylor alleged that at meetings of the SAG, Da Silva "always had something to say at the wrong time." Da Silva was blacklisted on Broadway and New York radio,<ref>Balio 1985, p. 499</ref> and Morley never worked again after her name surfaced at the hearings.<ref>[https://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/fl-xpm-2003-04-21-0304200205-story.html "Karen Morley, 93, blacklisted actress"]. ''Sun-Sentinel'' Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. April 21, 2003. Retrieved August 27, 2022.{{subscription required}}</ref> Taylor went on to declare that he would refuse to work with anyone who was suspected of being a Communist: "I'm afraid it would have to be him or me because life is too short to be around people who annoy me as much as these fellow-travelers and Communists do".<ref>Madsen 2001, p. 250.</ref> Taylor also labeled screenwriter [[Lester Cole]] "reputedly a Communist", adding "I would not know personally".<ref>Humphries 2008, p. 83.</ref> After the hearings, Taylor's films were banned in Communist [[Hungary]] and in [[Czechoslovakia]], and Communists called for a boycott of his films in [[France]].<ref>Mayhew 2005, p. 90.</ref> 

In 1951, Taylor remarked "I speak out against communism now for the same reason I spoke out against Nazism a decade ago, because I am pro-freedom and pro-decency."{{sfn|Tranberg|2010|p=291}} He helped narrate the 1952 anticommunist public service documentary ''[[The Hoaxters]],'' which compared the threat of international communism in the 1950s to the threat of Nazism in the 1930s and 1940s.<ref>"CNN Cold War": 1998 Turner Original Productions, Inc. The Hoaxters © 1952 Turner Entertainment Co. Castro: In His Own Words © 1998 CNN Productions. Package Design © 2012 Cable News Network, Inc. and Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. </ref>

Taylor supported [[Barry Goldwater]] in the [[1964 United States presidential election]] and [[Ronald Reagan]] in the [[1966 California gubernatorial election]].<ref>{{cite book| url=https://books.google.com/books?id=QfHXAAAAQBAJ&q=robert%20taylor| title=When Hollywood Was Right: How Movie Stars, Studio Moguls, and Big Business Remade American Politics| isbn=978-1-1076-5028-2| last1=Critchlow| first1=Donald T.| date=2013| page=191| publisher=Cambridge University Press}}</ref>

===Flying===
In 1952, Taylor starred in the film ''[[Above and Beyond (1952 film)|Above and Beyond]]'', a biopic of [[Enola Gay]] pilot [[Paul Tibbets]].<ref>[https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/1568086/Brig-Gen-Paul-Tibbets.html "Brig-Gen Paul Tibbets"]. ''[[The Daily Telegraph]]''. London. November 2, 2007. Retrieved January 28, 2015.</ref> The two men met and found that they had much in common. Both had considered studying medicine, and were avid [[Skeet shooting|skeet-shooters]] and fliers. Taylor learned to fly in the mid-1930s, and served as a United States Navy flying instructor during World War II. His private aircraft was a [[Beechcraft Model 18|Twin Beech]] called "Missy" (his then-wife Stanwyck's nickname) which he used on hunting and fishing trips and to fly to locations for filming.

===Ranch===
Taylor owned a 34-room house situated on {{convert|112|acre|km2}} located in [[Mandeville Canyon]] in the Brentwood section of Los Angeles. Dubbed the [[Robert Taylor Ranch]], the property was sold to [[KROQ-FM]] owner [[Ken Roberts (announcer)|Ken Roberts]] in the 1970s. Roberts remodeled the home and put it back on the market in 1990 for $45 million. He later reduced the price to $35 million, but the ranch failed to attract a buyer. In 2010, the ranch was seized by New Stream Capital, a [[hedge fund]], after Roberts failed to repay a high interest loan he had taken from them.<ref name="groves">Groves, Martha (November 12, 2012). [https://www.latimes.com/local/la-xpm-2012-nov-12-la-me-robert-taylor-ranch-20121112-story.html "Actor Robert Taylor's former ranch is set to go on auction block"]. ''[[Los Angeles Times]]''. Retrieved January 28, 2015.</ref>

In November 2012, the Robert Taylor Ranch was put up for auction by the trust that owned it. It was purchased for $12 million by a Chicago buyer in December 2012.<ref name="ranch">Groves, Martha (December 3, 2012). [http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2012/12/robert-taylor-ranch-sells-12-million.html "Robert Taylor ranch sells for $12 million to Chicago buyer"]. ''Los Angeles Times''. Retrieved January 28, 2015.</ref>

==Death==
In October 1968, Taylor underwent surgery to remove a portion of his right lung after doctors suspected that he had contracted [[coccidioidomycosis]] (known as "valley fever"). During the surgery, doctors discovered that he had [[lung cancer]].<ref>[https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=Dj4sAAAAIBAJ&sjid=4MwEAAAAIBAJ&pg=6722,798343 "Taylor has cancer"]. ''[[Spartanburg Herald-Journal]]''. December 4, 1968, p. 24. Retrieved January 28, 2015.</ref> Taylor, who had smoked three packs of [[Cigarette|cigarettes]] a day since he was a boy, quit [[smoking]] shortly before undergoing surgery. During the final months of his life, he was hospitalized seven times due to infections and complications related to the disease. He died of lung cancer on June 8, 1969, at [[Saint John's Health Center]] in Santa Monica, California.<ref name="edmonton">[https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=1CBlAAAAIBAJ&sjid=F4gNAAAAIBAJ&pg=2349,1859090 "Lung cancer claims life of actor Robert Taylor"]. ''[[Edmonton Journal]]''. June 9, 1969, p.J 9. Retrieved January 28, 2015.</ref><ref>Wayne 2005, p. 191.</ref>

Taylor's funeral was held at [[Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Glendale)|Forest Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery]], in Glendale, California. Long-time friend [[Ronald Reagan]] (who was then the governor of California) eulogized Taylor. Among the mourners were [[Robert Stack]], [[Van Heflin]], [[Eva Marie Saint]], [[Walter Pidgeon]], [[Keenan Wynn]], [[Mickey Rooney]], [[George Murphy]], [[Audrey Totter]] and Taylor's former wife [[Barbara Stanwyck]].<ref>[https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=OTpWAAAAIBAJ&sjid=ZukDAAAAIBAJ&pg=2579,3835962 "Gov. Reagan hails Taylor at funeral"]. ''[[The Spokesman-Review]]''. Spokane, Washington. June 11, 1969. Associated Press. p. 25. Retrieved August 27, 2022.</ref>

For his contribution to the motion picture industry, Robert Taylor has a star on the [[Hollywood Walk of Fame]] at 1500 [[Vine Street]].<ref name="torgerson" />

==Filmography==
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|+ Film
|-
! Year
! Title
! Role
! class="unsortable" | Notes
|-
| 1934
| ''[[Handy Andy (1934 film)|Handy Andy]]''
| Lloyd Burmeister
|
|-
| 1934
| ''[[The Spectacle Maker]]''
| The Duchess's Paramour
| Short subject<br>Uncredited
|-
| 1934
| ''[[There's Always Tomorrow (1934 film)|There's Always Tomorrow]]''
| Arthur White
| Alternative title: ''Too Late for Love''
|-
| 1934
| ''[[A Wicked Woman]]''
| Bill Renton—Rosanne's Love
|
|-
| 1934
| [[Buried Loot|''Crime Does Not Pay #1: Buried Loot'']]
| Al Douglas
| Short subject<br>Uncredited
|-
| 1935
| ''[[Society Doctor]]''
| Dr. Ellis
|
|-
| 1935
| ''[[Times Square Lady]]''
| Steven J. "Steve" Gordon
|
|-
| 1935
| ''[[West Point of the Air]]''
| "Jasky" Jaskarelli
|
|-
| 1935
| ''[[Murder in the Fleet]]''
| Lt. Randolph
|
|-
| 1935
| ''[[Broadway Melody of 1936]]''
| Robert Gordon
|
|-
| 1935
| ''[[La Fiesta de Santa Barbara]]''
| Himself
| Short subject
|-
| 1935
| ''[[Magnificent Obsession (1935 film)|Magnificent Obsession]]''
| Dr. Robert Merrick
|
|-
| 1936
| ''[[Small Town Girl (1936 film)|Small Town Girl]]''
| Dr. Robert "Bob" Dakin
| Alternative title: ''One Horse Town''
|-
| 1936
| ''[[Private Number (1936 film)|Private Number]]''
| Richard Winfield
|
|-
| 1936
| ''[[His Brother's Wife]]''
| Chris Claybourne
|
|-
| 1936
| ''{{sortname|The|Gorgeous Hussy}}''
| "Bow" Timberlake
|
|-
| 1936
| ''[[Camille (1936 film)|Camille]]''
| Armand Duval
|
|-
| 1937
| ''[[Personal Property (film)|Personal Property]]''
| Raymond Dabney aka Ferguson
| Alternative title: ''The Man in Possession''
|-
| 1937
| ''[[This Is My Affair]]''
| Lt. Richard L. Perry
|
|-
| 1937
| ''Lest We Forget''
| Himself
| Short subject
|-
| 1937
| ''[[Broadway Melody of 1938]]''
| Stephan "Steve" Raleigh
|
|-
| 1938
| ''{{sortname|A|Yank at Oxford}}''
| Lee Sheridan
|
|-
| 1938
| ''[[Three Comrades (1938 film)|Three Comrades]]''
| Erich Lohkamp
|
|-
| 1938
| ''{{sortname|The|Crowd Roars|The Crowd Roars (1938 film)}}''
| Tommy "Killer" McCoy
|
|-
| 1939
| ''[[Stand Up and Fight (film)|Stand Up and Fight]]''
| Blake Cantrell
|
|-
| 1939
| ''[[Lucky Night]]''
| Bill Overton
|
|-
| 1939
| ''[[Lady of the Tropics]]''
| William "Bill" Carey
|
|-
| 1939
| ''[[Remember? (1939 film)|Remember?]]''
| Jeffrey "Jeff" Holland
|
|-
| 1940
| ''[[Waterloo Bridge (1940 film)|Waterloo Bridge]]''
| Roy Cronin
|
|-
| 1940
| ''[[Escape (1940 film)|Escape]]''
| Mark Preysing
| Alternative title: ''When the Door Opened''
|-
| 1940
| ''[[Flight Command]]''
| Ensign Alan Drake
|
|-
| 1941
| ''[[Billy the Kid (1941 film)|Billy the Kid]]''
| [[Billy the Kid|Billy Bonney]]
|
|-
| 1941
| ''[[When Ladies Meet (1941 film)|When Ladies Meet]]''
| Jimmy Lee
|
|-
| 1942
| ''[[Johnny Eager]]''
| John "Johnny" Eager
|
|-
| 1942
| ''[[Her Cardboard Lover]]''
| Terry Trindale
|
|-
| 1942
| ''[[Stand By for Action]]''
| Lieutenant Gregg Masterman
| Alternative title: ''Cargo of Innocents''
|-
| 1943
| ''[[Bataan (film)|Bataan]]''
| Sergeant Bill Dane
|
|-
| 1943
| ''{{sortname|The|Youngest Profession}}''
| Cameo
|
|-
| 1944
| ''[[Song of Russia]]''
| John Meredith
|
|-
| 1944
| ''[[The Fighting Lady]]''
| Narrator
| Credited as Lieut Robert Taylor USNR
|-
| 1946
| ''[[Undercurrent (1946 film)|Undercurrent]]''
| Alan Garroway
|
|-
| 1947
| ''[[High Wall]]''
| Steven Kenet
|
|-
| 1949
| ''{{sortname|The|Bribe}}''
| Rigby
|
|-
| 1949
| ''[[Conspirator (1949 film)|Conspirator]]''
| Major Michael Curragh
|
|-
| 1950
| ''[[Ambush (1950 film)|Ambush]]''
| Ward Kinsman
|
|-
| 1950
| ''[[Devil's Doorway]]''
| Lance Poole
|
|-
| 1951
| ''Challenge the Wilderness''
| Himself
| Short subject
|-
| 1951
| ''[[Quo Vadis (1951 film)|Quo Vadis]]''
| Marcus Vinicius
|
|-
| 1951
| ''[[Westward the Women]]''
| Buck Wyatt
|
|-
| 1952
| ''[[Ivanhoe (1952 film)|Ivanhoe]]''
| Sir Wilfred of Ivanhoe
|
|-
| 1952
| ''[[Above and Beyond (1952 film)|Above and Beyond]]''
| [[Paul Tibbets|Lieutenant Colonel Paul W. Tibbets]]
|
|-
| 1952
| ''[[The Hoaxters]]''
| Narrator
|
|-
| 1953
| ''[[I Love Melvin]]''
| Himself
|
|-
| 1953
| ''[[Ride, Vaquero!]]''
| Rio
|
|-
| 1953
| ''[[All the Brothers Were Valiant (1953 film)|All the Brothers Were Valiant]]''
| Joel Shore
|
|-
| 1953
| ''[[Knights of the Round Table (film)|Knights of the Round Table]]''
| [[Lancelot]]
|
|-
| 1954
| ''[[Valley of the Kings (film)|Valley of the Kings]]''
| Mark Brandon
|
|-
| 1954
| ''[[Rogue Cop]]''
| Det. Sgt. Christopher Kelvaney
|
|-
| 1955
| ''[[Many Rivers to Cross (film)|Many Rivers to Cross]]''
| Bushrod Gentry
|
|-
| 1955
| ''{{sortname|The|Adventures of Quentin Durward}}''
| Quentin Durward
|
|-
| 1956
| ''{{sortname|The|Last Hunt}}''
| Charlie Gilson
|
|-
| 1956
| ''[[D-Day the Sixth of June]]''
| Captain Brad Parker
|
|-
| 1956
| ''[[The Power and the Prize]]''
| Cliff Barton
|
|-
| 1957
| ''[[Tip on a Dead Jockey]]''
| Lloyd Tredman
|
|-
| 1958
| ''{{sortname|The|Law and Jake Wade}}''
| Jake Wade
|
|-
| 1958
| ''[[Saddle the Wind]]''
| Steve Sinclair
|
|-
| 1958
| ''[[Party Girl (1958 film)|Party Girl]]''
| Thomas "Tommy" Farrell
|
|-
| 1959
| ''[[The Hangman (1959 film)|The Hangman]]''
| Mackenzie Bovard
|
|-
| 1959
| ''{{sortname|The|House of the Seven Hawks}}''
| Nordley
|
|-
| 1960
| ''[[Killers of Kilimanjaro]]''
| Robert Adamson
|
|-
| 1963
| ''[[Miracle of the White Stallions]]''
| Colonel Podhajsky
| Alternative title: ''The Flight of the White Stallions''
|-
| 1963
| ''[[Cattle King]]''
| Sam Brassfield
| Alternative title: ''Cattle King of Wyoming''
|-
| 1964
| ''{{sortname|A|House Is Not a Home|A House Is Not a Home (film)}}''
| Frank Costigan
|
|-
| 1964
| ''[[The Night Walker (film)|The Night Walker]]''
| Barry Morland
|
|-
| 1966
| ''[[Johnny Tiger]]''
| George Dean
|
|-
| 1966
| ''[[Savage Pampas (1966 film)|Savage Pampas]]''
| Captain Martin
|
|-
| 1967
| ''[[The Glass Sphinx]]''
| Prof. Karl Nichols
|
|-
|1967
| ''[[Return of the Gunfighter]]''
| Ben Wyatt
|
|-
| 1968
| ''[[Where Angels Go, Trouble Follows]]''
| Mr. Farriday – The 'In' Group
|-
| 1968
| ''[[Hot Line (film)|The Day the Hot Line Got Hot]]''
| Anderson
| Alternative title: ''Hot Line''
|}

{| class="wikitable sortable"
|+ Television
|-
! Year
! Title
! Role
! class="unsortable" | Notes
|-
| 1958
| ''[[The Thin Man (TV series)|The Thin Man]]''
| Himself
| Episode: "The Scene Stealer"
|-
| 1959–1962
| ''[[The Detectives (1959 TV series)|The Detectives Starring Robert Taylor]]''
| Det. Capt. Matt Holbrook
| 97 episodes
|-
| 1963
| ''[[The Dick Powell Show]]''
| Guest host
| Episode: "Colossus"
|-
| 1966–1969
| ''[[Death Valley Days]]''
| Host
| 77 episodes
|-
| 1967
| ''[[Hondo (TV series)|Hondo]]''
| Gallagher
| 2 episodes
|}

===Box-office ranking===

{{See also|Top Ten Money Making Stars Poll}}

*1936 - 4th (US)
*1937 - 3rd (US), 8th (UK)
*1938 - 6th (US), 7th (UK)
*1939 - 14th (US), 4th (UK)
*1941 - 21st (US)

==Radio appearances==
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Year !! Program !! Episode/source
|-
| 1942|| ''[[The Screen Guild Theater]]'' || ''My Favorite Wife''
|-
| 1943|| ''[[Lux Radio Theatre]]'' || ''The Philadelphia Story''
|-
| 1945|| ''[[Suspense (radio drama)|Suspense]]'' || ''The Argyle Album''
|-
| 1946|| ''[[The Screen Guild Theater]]'' || ''[[Waterloo Bridge (1940 film)|Waterloo Bridge]]''
|-
| 1946|| ''Suspense'' || ''[[The House in Cypress Canyon]]''<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TntXOypPMd4 "Suspense-- 'The house in Cypress Canyon'(12-5-46)."] ''YouTube''. Retrieved November 18, 2015.</ref>
|-
| 1952|| ''[[Lux Radio Theatre]]'' || ''[[Westward the Women]]''<ref>Kirby, Walter (December 28, 1952). [https://www.newspapers.com/clip/2560026/the_decatur_daily_review/ "Better radio programs for the week"]. ''The Decatur Daily Review''. p. 36; via ''[[Newspapers.com]]''. Retrieved June 5, 2015.</ref>
|-
| 1953|| ''Theater of Stars'' || ''Mail Order''<ref>Kirby, Walter (March 8, 1953). [https://www.newspapers.com/clip/2675786/the_decatur_daily_review/ "Better radio programs for the week"]. ''The Decatur Daily Review''. p. 46; via ''Newspapers.com''. Retrieved June 23, 2015.</ref>
|}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

===Bibliography===
{{Refbegin}}
* Alexander, Linda J. ''Reluctant Witness: Robert Taylor, Hollywood and Communism''. Twentynine Palms, California: Tease Publishing, 2008. {{ISBN|978-1-934678-64-0}}.
* Balio, Tino. ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=OBpDf_uUp30C&q=The+American+Film+Industry The American Film Industry]''. Madison: University of Wisconsin Press, 1985. {{ISBN|978-0-2990-9873-5}}.
* Hall, Gladys. ''Robert Taylor's True Life Story''. New York: Dell Publishing Co., 1937.
* Humphries, Reynold. ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=OeSqBgAAQBAJ&q=Hollywood%27s+Blacklists:+A+Political+and+Cultural+History Hollywood's Blacklists: A Political and Cultural History]''. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, 2008. {{ISBN|978-0-7486-3052-3}}.
* Imwold, Denise, Andrew Brettell, Heather von Rohr and Warren Hsu Leonard.''Cut!: Hollywood Murders, Accidents, and Other Tragedies''. Hauppauge, New York: Barrons Educational Series, 2005. {{ISBN|978-0-7641-5858-2}}.
* Madsen, Axel. ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=KXHkBgAAQBAJ&q=stanwyck Stanwyck: A Biography]''. Lincoln, Nebraska: iUniverse, 2015. {{ISBN|978-0-5951-9398-1}}.
* Mayhew, Robert. ''Ayn Rand and Song of Russia: Communism and Anti-Communism in 1940s Hollywood''. Lanham Maryland: Scarecrow Press, 2005. {{ISBN|978-0-8108-5276-1}}.
* Quirk, Lawrence J. ''The Films of Robert Taylor.'' New York: Lyle Stuart, 1979. {{ISBN|978-0-8065-0495-7}}.
* Ross, Steven J. ''Movies and American Society'' (Blackwell Readers in American Social and Cultural History). Chichester, West Sussex, UK: Wiley-Blackwell, 2002. {{ISBN|978-0-6312-1959-0}}.
* Slide, Anthony. ''Actors on Red Alert: Career Interviews with Five Actors and Actresses Affected by the Blacklist''. Lanham Maryland: Scarecrow Press, 1999. {{ISBN|978-0-8108-3649-5}}.
* Tibbets, Paul W. ''Mission: Hiroshima.'' New York: Stein & Day, 1985. {{ISBN|978-0-8128-8169-1}}
* {{cite book |last1=Tranberg |first1=Charles |title=Robert Taylor: A Biography |date=November 2010 |publisher=BearManor Media |location=Albany, Georgia |isbn=978-1-59393-615-0}}
* Wayne, Jane Ellen. ''The Leading Men of MGM''. New York: Carroll & Graf, 2005. {{ISBN|978-0-7867-1475-9}}.
* Wayne, Jane Ellen. ''The Life of Robert Taylor''. New York: Warner Paperback Library, 1973. {{ISBN|978-0-446-76103-1}}.
{{Refend}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Robert Taylor}}

* {{AFI person | 132730-Robert-Taylor }}
* {{IMDb name}}
* {{Tcmdb name}}
* {{usurped|1=[https://archive.today/20130113033416/http://www.nebraskahistory.org/lib-arch/research/manuscripts/family/robert-taylor.htm Robert Taylor collection]}} at the [[Nebraska State Historical Society]]
* [http://film.virtual-history.com/person.php?personid=1060 Photographs of Robert Taylor]
* {{Find a Grave}}
* [http://roberttayloractor.wordpress.com Robert Taylor Actor]
* [https://www.archives.gov/st-louis/military-personnel/public/persons-of-prominence.html#S Persons of Exceptional Prominence List (Official Military Personnel Files) ] at the [https://www.archives.gov/st-louis/military-personnel/public National Archives at St. Louis] https://www.archives.gov/st-louis/military-personnel/public

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Taylor, Robert}}
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