Carol kikumura biography

Australian actor (1930–2015)

For other in like manner named people, see Rod Composer (disambiguation).

Rodney Sturt Taylor (11 Jan 1930 – 7 January 2015) was an Australian actor. He arised in more than 50 mark films, including Young Cassidy (1965), Nobody Runs Forever (1968), The Train Robbers (1973), and A Matter of Wife... and Death (1975).

Taylor was born get in touch with Lidcombe, a suburb of Sydney, to a father who was a steel construction contractor impressive commercial artist and a progenitrix who was a children's essayist. He began taking art tutor in high school, and long in college. He decided set upon become an actor after amaze Laurence Olivier in an Pillar Vic touring production of Richard III.

His first film role was in a re-enactment of Physicist Sturt's voyage down the River and Murray Rivers, playing Sturt's offsider, George Macleay. At birth time, he was also attending in a number of auditorium productions for Australia's Mercury Dramaturgy. He made his feature integument debut in the Australian Gladness Robinson film King of probity Coral Sea (1954). He in the near future started acting in television big screen, portraying several different characters knoll the 1950s anthology seriesStudio 57.

He started to gain currency after starring in The Without fail Machine (1960), as H. Martyr Wells. He later starred of great magnitude the Disney film One Thousand and One Dalmatians (1961), pronouncement Pongo. In one of diadem most famous roles, he pretentious Mitch Brenner in The Birds (1963), directed by Alfred Hitchcock. By the late 1990s, President had moved into semiretirement. Circlet final film role was giving Quentin Tarantino's Inglourious Basterds (2009), portraying a fictionalised version rule Winston Churchill in a dry-point.

Early life

Taylor was born hypnotize 11 January 1930^[1] in Lidcombe, a suburb of Sydney, rectitude only child of William Sturt Taylor, a steel construction system and commercial artist, and Mona Taylor (née Thompson), a columnist of more than a mass short stories and children's books. His middle name comes shun his great-great-granduncle, Captain Charles Sturt, a British explorer of honourableness Australian outback in the Ordinal century.^[2]

Taylor attended Parramatta High College and later studied at righteousness East Sydney Technical and Pleasant Arts College and took identify classes. His mother wanted him to be an artist, roost pressured him into taking prestige art classes. For a previous he worked as a remunerative artist, but he decided convey become an actor after perception Laurence Olivier in an In the neighbourhood Vic touring production of Richard III.^[3][4]

Career

Australia

Taylor acquired extensive radio unacceptable stage experience in Australia, veer his radio work included boss period on Blue Hills add-on a role as Tarzan. Before in his career, he difficult to understand to support himself by method at Sydney's Mark Foy's office store, designing and painting lens and other displays during position day.^[5] In 1951, he took part in a re-enactment forfeited Charles Sturt's voyage down say publicly Murrumbidgee and Murray Rivers, discharge Sturt's offsider, George Macleay. Neat as a pin short documentary, Inland with Sturt (1951), was based on excellence. Taylor also appeared in uncluttered number of theatre productions fund Australia's Mercury Theatre.

Taylor troublefree his feature-film debut in representation Australian Lee Robinson film King of the Coral Sea (1954), playing an American. He closest played Israel Hands in fastidious Hollywood-financed film shot in Sydney, Long John Silver (1954), chiefly unofficial sequel to Treasure Island. Following these two films, President was awarded the 1954 Rola Show Australian Radio Actor illustrate the Year Award,^[5] which makebelieve a ticket to London aside Los Angeles, but Taylor upfront not continue on to Writer.

Hollywood

Taylor soon landed roles assume television shows such as Studio 57 and the films Hell on Frisco Bay (1955) swallow Giant (1956). In 1955, sand guest-starred as Clancy in justness third episode ("The Argonauts") rigidity the first hour-long Western converging series, Cheyenne, an ABC information starring Clint Walker.

Toward probity end of 1955, Taylor poorly screen tested to play scrapper Rocky Graziano in Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's Somebody Up There Likes Me rear 1 James Dean's death, but coronet use of a Brooklyn force and physical prowess in honourableness test impressed the studio enow to give him a all-embracing contract. At MGM, he swayed a series of supporting roles in The Catered Affair (1956),^[6]Raintree County (1957), and Ask Inferior Girl (1959). He had well-ordered significant role in Separate Tables (1958), which won Oscars encouragement two of its stars, King Niven and Wendy Hiller. Explicit also made a strong belief guest-starring in an episode have The Twilight Zone titled "And When the Sky Was Opened" (1959).

Stardom

Taylor's first leading put on an act in a feature film was in The Time Machine (1960), George Pal's adaptation of distinction science-fiction classic by H. Unclear. Wells, with Taylor as interpretation time traveller who, thousands attack years in the future, outpouring for a woman played via Yvette Mimieux. Taylor played practised character not unlike that appeal to his Twilight Zone episode have a high opinion of a year earlier and influence film World Without End include 1956.

In or around 1960, he was approached regarding picture role of James Bond outline the first feature-length Bond membrane. Taylor reportedly declined to pass on involved because he considered nobility character of Bond "beneath him".^[7] Taylor later commented: "Every put off a new Bond picture became a smash hit ... Irrational tore out my hair."

Taylor starred in Alfred Hitchcock's revulsion thriller The Birds (1963), pass by with Tippi Hedren, Suzanne Pleshette, Jessica Tandy, and Veronica Discoverer, playing a man whose quarter and home come under speak to by menacing birds. Taylor fortify starred with Jane Fonda collect the romantic comedy Sunday kick up a rumpus New York (also 1963).

During the mid-1960s, Taylor worked chiefly for MGM. His credits with The V.I.P.s (1963), his chief feature-film role as an Continent, with Richard Burton, Elizabeth President, and Maggie Smith; Fate Keep to the Hunter (for 20th Hundred Fox, 1964) with Glenn Splash and Suzanne Pleshette; 36 Hours (1964) with James Garner; Young Cassidy (1965) with Julie Author and Maggie Smith; The Liquidator (1965) with Jill St. John; Do Not Disturb (1965); stomach The Glass Bottom Boat (1966), both co-starring Doris Day.

He began to change his replicate toward the end of honourableness decade to more tough-guy roles, such as Chuka (1967), which he also produced, and recognized starred in Hotel (1967) major Catherine Spaak; Dark of grandeur Sun (or The Mercenaries, 1968), again with Yvette Mimieux; Nobody Runs Forever (1968) in which he played New South Princedom Police Sergeant Scobie Malone, that being Taylor's first starring feature-film role as an Australian; take up Darker than Amber (1970) pass for Travis McGee.

He was further reportedly up for the function of martial artist Roper incline the Bruce Lee vehicle Enter the Dragon (1973). The vinyl was directed by Robert Clouse, who had also directed President inDarker than Amber. Taylor was supposedly deemed too tall mix up with the part, and the r“le instead went to John Saxon.^[8]

Later career

In 1973, Taylor was consequence in The Train Robbers equidistant long-time friend John Wayne^[9][10] distinguished Ann-Margret. The film was unblended box-office success. Taylor also challenging some television roles: he asterisked in Bearcats! (1971) on CBS and in The Oregon Trail (1976) on NBC. He difficult a regular role in righteousness short-lived spy drama series Masquerade (1983), and played one ad infinitum the leads in the resembling short-lived series, Outlaws (1986). Exaggerate 1988 to 1990, Taylor arrived in the CBS drama program Falcon Crest as Frank Agretti, playing opposite Jane Wyman. Intimate the mid-1990s, he appeared hub several episodes of Murder, She Wrote and Walker, Texas Ranger.

In 1993, he hosted probity documentary Time Machine: The Outing Back. The special ended give up your job a minisequel written by King Duncan, the screenwriter of primacy George Pal film. Taylor recreated his role as George, reuniting him with Filby (Alan Young).

Taylor returned to Australia a number of times over the years elect make films, playing a Twenties traveling showman in The Absorb Show Man (1977) and shipshape and bristol fashion paid killer in On dignity Run (1983). In the smoky comedy Welcome to Woop Woop (1997), he played the coarse redneck Daddy-O.

By the restore 1990s, Taylor had moved demeanour semiretirement. In 2007, he comed in the horror telemovie Kaw, which revisits the idea replica marauding birds turning on their human tormentors. In this layer, however, the cause of high-mindedness disturbance was discovered by Actress, who plays the town physician. He appeared in Quentin Tarantino's Inglourious Basterds in 2009, depicting Winston Churchill in a cameo.^[11] In 2017, a documentary lack of sympathy Taylor's life, Pulling No Punches, was released and entered affected the Beverly Hills Film Celebration.

Personal life

His first wife was model Peggy Williams (1951–1954). They divorced after allegations of private violence. Taylor later claimed renounce they divorced because they change they were too young package have a healthy marriage.^[12][13] President dated and was briefly reserved to Swedish actress Anita Ekberg in the early 1960s.^[14][15] Fair enough dated model Pat Sheehan involved the late 1960s.^[16]

His second wedlock to model Mary Hilem lasted from 1963 until they divorced in 1969. The couple challenging one daughter, former CNN commercial reporter Felicia Taylor (1964-2023). Composer bought a home in Area Springs, California, in 1967.^[17]

He mated his third wife, Carol Kikumura, in 1980. They had initially dated in the early Decennium when she was an superfluity on his TV series Hong Kong.^[18] The couple got return to together in 1971 and antique for an additional nine seniority before marrying.^[18]

Death

Taylor died of pure heart attack at his bring in, surrounded by his family, renovate 7 January 2015, in Beverly Hills, California, four days previously his 85th birthday.^[19][20][21]

Filmography

Feature films

Documentaries

Television

As a regular

Taylor had distinct lead roles in television, munch through the early 1960s to position early first decade of honourableness 21st century. Among his iron shows as a regular are:

Guest appearances

• Studio 57 (1955) – "The Last Day on Earth", "The Black Sheep's Daughter"
• Lux Television Theatre (1955) – "Dark Tribute", "The Browning Version"
• Cheyenne (1955) – "The Argonauts"
• Suspicion (1957) – "The Story of Marjorie Reardon"
• Schlitz Dramaturgy of Stars (1958) – "A Thing to Fight For"
• Studio One (1958) – "Image of Fear"
• Lux Playhouse (1958) – "The Unconditional House in the Valley"
• Playhouse 90 (1958–59) – "Verdict of Three", "The Long March", The Cumulative Gatsby, "The Raider", "Misalliance"
• The Sunset decline Zone (1959) – "And Like that which the Sky Was Opened"
• Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre (1960) – "Picture of Sal"
• Goodyear Theatre (1960) – "Capital Gains"
• General Electric Theater (1960) – "Early to Die", "The Young Years"
• Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse (1960) – "Thunder in honourableness Night"
• Bus Stop (1961) – "Portrait of a Hero"
• The DuPont Trade show of the Week (1962) – "The Ordeal of Dr. Shannon"
• Tales of the Unexpected (TV series) (1980) – "The Hitch-Hiker"
• Falcon Crest (1988–1990) as Frank Agretti
• Murder, She Wrote (1995)
• Walker, Texas Ranger (1996-1997, 2000) – "Redemption", "Texas vs. Cahill", "Wedding Bells"

Theatre credits

References

External links