The Gay Thing

Robert Taylor loved the ladies.  He had, in the words of Jimmy Stewart’s biographer Marc Eliot, “a reputation as an intense, real-life ladies man.” Jimmy Stewart: a Biography, Random House 2006, p. 82).  Jane Ellen Wayne, in Robert Taylor:  the Man with the Perfect Face, St. Martin’s press, 1987, p. 160), recounts that “one night [Taylor] invited the entire Copacabana chorus line for dinner.”  The list of Mr. Taylor’s relationships is  lengthy, although often unverifiable, due to his extreme discretion.  A few women, notably Ava Gardner, have come forward, although most have not.

Nonetheless, since the 1930s rumors have persisted that Mr. Taylor was gay or at least bisexual.  This was, of course, based on his sensational looks and the studio’s misguided publicity campaign for the “pretty boy.”  There is, however, not one scintilla of evidence for this.  No Taylor personal reminiscing, no photographs, no letters.  There is only gossip by people who obviously have an axe to grind.  Barbara Stanwyck  had similar problems and some say they had a “lavender” or bisexual marriage.  Again, until there is evidence–real, irrefutable evidence, this is just pointless and irrelevant speculation.

The following photos are intended to illustrate (somewhat tongue-in-cheek) Mr. Taylor’s affection for the opposite sex.

An evening with the lovely ladies of "Broadway Melody"?

An evening with the lovely ladies of “Broadway Melody”

Ladies from "Marie Antoinette"

Ladies from “Marie Antoinette”

Signing autographs or lining up dates?

Billy the Kid at round-up time.

This Is My Affair

About giraffe44

I became a Robert Taylor fan at the age of 15 when his TV show, "The Detectives" premiered. My mother wanted to watch it because she remembered Mr. Taylor from the thirties. I took one look and that was it. I spent the rest of my high school career watching Robert Taylor movies on late night TV, buying photos of him, making scrapbooks and being a typical teenager. College, marriage and career intervened. I remember being sad when Mr. Taylor died. I mailed two huge scrapbooks to Ursula Thiess. I hope she got them. Time passed, retirement, moving to Florida. Then in 2012 my husband Fred pointed that there were two Robert Taylor movies that evening on Turner Classic Movies--"Ivanhoe" and "Quentin Durward." I watched both and it happened all over again. I started this blog both for fans and for people who didn't know about Robert Taylor. As the blog passes 200,000 views I'm delighted that so many people have come by and hope it will help preserve the legacy of this fine actor and equally good man.
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8 Responses to The Gay Thing

  1. Alan says:

    Yea but the tone of this sounds like you yourself have an axe to grind. Why would “rumors” of him being gay be offensive? It ultimately doesn’t matter, because the only person that would have known is Robert Taylor and lovers that are most likely long gone by now.

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  2. If any body in the world thinks Robert Taylor was gay – I have a five story building to sell them . . good grief. If any star in the world was gay it was NOT Robert Taylor. He was a fine man, father and husband and FRIEND and good horseman.

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  3. Daniel Boyle says:

    These photos of Taylor where just an attempt to cover up the fact that he was gay. Because being gay was not accepted by the public. So they tried to cover it up! Not only with Taylor but other actors and actresses.

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  4. If we all knew each other’secrets, lovers, gay, bisexusl and adulterous affairs, there would be nothing but chaos, murder and madness. Society would collapse families would fall apart The world that we have known would evolve into something strange and dangerous. So many people went through so much time, trouble and money: lying, cheating, cheating betraying, pretending. . Always, looking over their shoulders, fearing blackmail, jail, being discovered, disowned , disinherited . Diiscrimination in housing and employment. Unfortunately, sooner or later the truth will be revealed. MrRobert
    Taylor was a very handsome, talented and successful actor and that’s all that should really matter! .

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    • giraffe44 says:

      Daniel, I couldn’t agree with you more. People should be taken as they are for the most part. The exception would be a criminal who has committed a viiolent crime. That person needs to change and it is our business to see that they do. Otherwise, discriminating against someone on the basis of someone’s race or other irrelevant factors is totally wrong.

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