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.
Robert Taylor Actor 
One thing I will never come to understand is the judgment of so many people (press included) that he couldn’t act (or be taken seriously) just because he was so good looking. That’s nonsense! Oh yes, he was breathtakingly handsome but, boy, that is NOT the way one should rate how good (or bad) an actor is. Unfortunately, RT flourished at a time when the not-too-good-looking leading men were the norm in movies—Bogart, Cagney, Cooper, Gable, Tracy, Garfield… I don’t think the next generation of handsome men, such as Tony Curtis, Warren Beatty, Robert Redford or Alain Delon faced the same trouble. Or did them?
Nice screenshots! Keep them coming!
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Hi, Susana, I’ve always thought it was so unfair that his looks were held against him. I do think there was an element of jealousy. Someone wrote that all the critics were 5’5″ tall, wore glasses and were overweight and bald. Maybe so. I’m really glad you like the blog. Having a hip replacement tomorrow. So no new posts right away. All the best.
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Oh yes, I agree about the critics and would have loved to see how skilled they were in front of a camera… Hey, lots of luck with your hip replacement. Get well soon and keep us posted! All the best to you!
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I’m obsessed with your blog! Thank you so much for taking the time and giving us all this RT info. I used to have a youtube channel (twomenofmgm) where I uploaded all his films but it got taken down; I know how much work it is. Keep it coming!
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Thanks. I love doing it. I think I looked at some of your things on You Tube. Too bad they took them down.
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Oh man I sooo wish you would upload them again, I am furious with Youtube for taking them down. Also my channel (Alexandra S) is chalk full of Robert Taylor if ya ever wanna check it out! 😀
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Oh my word. Judith. I MUST SEE THIS FILM. Nowhere online, so I asked for the DVD for my birthday. OH MY GOSH. Those screen shots. What a stud muffin. He was sooo so sososo sososososso attractive. I cannot even handle it. Oh my gosh. I have to go cool down. Nice article.
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You will love this. Mr. Taylor has never looked so edible!
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Ahh Haha:) Your comment made me laugh out loud. I am so happy about your wonderful blog, keep up your fine work. Very tasteful. pun intended.
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Thanks a lot.
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Clark Gable is generally cited as the film icon by which all actors are measured. The truth is, most contemporary leading men
are far more representative of the all-American regular guy portrayed by Robert Taylor, which I believe is intentional.
Consider, for example, Robert Redford, Tom Cruise, Brad Pitt, George Clooney, Alec Baldwin, the young Warren Beatty, James
Garner, Tom Selleck, Rob Lowe. Gable– or Taylor?
And certainly Gregory Peck, Rock Hudson,
John Gavin, Rick Jason, William Holden,
Paul Newman, Robert Wagner, Tab Hunter,
Troy Donahue, and Gardner McKay were all in that mold.
Too far back for today’s generation, you say.
Don’t believe it! They All see the classic films and are familiar with Hollywood’s golden era.
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I hadn’t thought of Mr. Taylor’s legacy exactly that way, but I think you’re right. He always remained the boy from Nebraska with the values of the rural Midwest and people saw that and wanted it in later actors. I’ve been thinking about something very contradictory–I believe Robert Taylor fully invested himself in the characters he played but at the same time each character shared in the essential all-American Taylor. I don’t think I can make more sense of it. Please keep on sharing your insights. Judith
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