Robert Taylor

Robert Taylor was born in Filley, Nebraska, on 5th August, 1911. He was signed by MGM while still at high school, he spent most of his career with the company. Taylor became immensely popular after his performance in Magnificent Obsession (1935). Other significant early films included Billy the Kid (1941), Johnny Eager (1941), Song of Russia (1943), Undercurrent (1946) and High Wall (1947).

In 1947 the House of Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) began an investigation into the Hollywood Motion Picture Industry. The HUAC interviewed 41 people who were working in Hollywood. These people attended voluntarily and became known as "friendly witnesses". Taylor appeared and claimed that he appeared in the film Song of Russia against his better judgment. He claimed that the script by Richard Collins and Paul Jarrico and a song in the movie written by Yip Harburg, were pro-Communist.

Taylor also provided evidence against Howard Da Silva. When interviewed he claimed: "I can name a few who seem to sort of disrupt things once in a while. Whether or not they are Communists I don't know. One chap we have currently, I think is Howard Da Silva. He always seems to have something to say at the wrong time."

Taylor continued to play a series of leading roles in Hollywood movies including Conspirator (1949), Ambush (1950), Quo Vadis (1951), Ivanhoe (1952), Knights to the Round Table (1953), D-Day the Sixth of June (1956), Saddle the Wind (1958), Killers of Kilimanjaro (1959), The Night Walker (1964) and Return of the Gunfighter (1966).

Robert Taylor died of lung cancer at Santa Monica, California, on 8th June 1969.