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August 5th would have been Robert Taylor’s 105th Birthday. His career spanned 4 decades and he was one of the most loved and respected men in Hollywood. Mr. Taylor was also one of the most professional, putting up with all … Continue reading
Twinkle, Twinkle Little TV Star
But for How Long?
By Charles Denton
Los Angeles Herald-Examiner
TV Weekly
Jan.28-Feb.3 1962
An argument that has understandably preoccupied TV actors almost since the inception of the medium has to do whether or not the little lens can make a genuine, 14-karat star of the old galaxy?
Because of its strongly economic nature, the term “star” has a definition in this debate which is markedly different from the general public’s conception of the term. Among actors, it means one of their fraternity whose name on a marquee means money in the till. And on that basis, television has created a dictionary of “names,” but shockingly few real “stars.” Indeed, an impressive number of its “names” have proven in their attempts at motion picture making that they aren’t actually “stars” in the monetary definition, while only a meager few have managed to establish themselves as stars in the eyes of the bankers.
And in the opinion of a man who was one of the movies’ “super-stars” before he ever 
moved into television, Robert Taylor, very few of them ever will. More than that, Taylor is convinced that TV’s stars cannot even hope to enjoy the longevity in their own medium of the film stars of his era.
“I’m probably sticking my neck out a mile,” the boss of NBC’s Detectives series said good-naturedly, “but I honestly don’t believe there will ever be a star in television who will last as long as, say, Gable did in motion pictures. The reason is simply that people get tired of seeing the same face every week.
“It’s easier to become a working actor today because there are more jobs, thanks to television. But I strongly doubt that it’s easier to become a so-called star. There are lots of good people in TV. We’re constantly finding new ones—new to me, anyway—who are really fine. But TV simply hasn’t developed many stars of the sort who can go into motion pictures and pull customers by themselves. Dick Boone can, and James Garner has made the transition beautifully, but who else is there?”
Despite the fact that there are more acting jobs today than ever before, Taylor said, the opportunities for a young performer to develop are less than they were when he began his climb toward matinee idol status back in 1934.
“Actually,” he explained, “TV is lot like the picture business was when I started. By that I mean that in those days we were making lots of B, C and D pictures. We made them fast and we had to make them at a price to realize any profit. And they would use anyone, whether they’d heard of him or not, including me.
The difference is that even in those B, C and D pictures, there wasn’t the rush there is in television.
“And in those days you didn’t have to be a star right away, which seems to be the case in TV. It was a long-term thing. A lot of work and planning by your studio went into it. Today you’re on your own.”
Taylor conceded that if TV wears out an actor’s welcome, he could be endangering his own almost three decades of stardom by continuing on the small screen. “Sure,” I’m gambling a little bit, except that I don’t have that much life expectancy in pictures anyway. I’ve been on borrowed time for he last 20 years—well, five at least.”
Billy the Kid, 1941, is playing on Turner Classic Movies on Wednesday, July 27 at 8:15 a.m. est. Closed captioned.
Billy the Kid (1941) is an early example of the use of Technicolor. The film is visually outstanding. Cinematographers Leonard V. Skall and Leonard Smith received an Oscar nomination for their work on the film and should have won. From close-ups to panoramic views of Monument Valley, Kanab, Utah and other locations they used color, composition and especially light masterfully. Some scenes evoke the stillness of a Vermeer and others the chiaroscuro of Rembrandt. Near the end of the movie Billy is standing near the window of a tumbledown shack. The viewer is outside and can see his body fading into the shadows except for the upper part of his face, especially the intense blue eyes. There is a Caravaggio-like spotlight on the hand and gun the outlaw is pointing out the window.
Historically, there is little resemblance between the film and the actual life of Billy the Kid. The general details of his background is correct but the names have all been changed, perhaps to head off the complaints of purists. There is no Pat Garrett, but rather a Jim Sherman (Brian Donlevy), no William Tunstall but an Eric Keating (Ian Hunter). The filmmakers obviously wanted to tell a good story without regard to historical accuracy.
Robert Taylor was 30 when Billy the Kid was filmed. He’s too old for the part but not by as much as some have made out. To seem younger, Taylor plays Billy as uncouth, uneducated and probably illiterate. The outlaw is incapable of understanding the consequences of his actions. He’s always being bombarded by new ideas and new customs. There is a lighthearted scene where Billy is handed a teacup and saucer, objects obviously new to him. He picks the cup up as though it were a glass until he sees what Keating is doing. Billy holds the cup awkwardly by the handle until Keating turns away then he gulps the tea with his original hold.
This was Robert Taylor in his element. He was a superb rider and did all of his own riding in this film, even in the long shots. Taylor also had the western swagger down pat and seems very comfortable in his cowboy costumes. In private life, he often wore jeans, boots and a Stetson. In the first and last parts of the film, Billy dresses all in black. In the middle he wears a blue shirt to indicate his changed lifestyle. Robert Taylor practiced left-handed drawing and shooting for weeks before the film and used the skill again in the film Ride Vaquero in 1953.
Taylor and Donlevy are comfortable with one another, having worked together before in This Is My Affair in 1937. The easiness of their relationship makes Billy’s (temporary) transformation into an honest cowboy believable. Mary Howard has a small role as Eric Keating’s sister and makes the most of it. Ian Hunter is believable as rancher Keating.
The villains, especially Hickey (Gene Lockhart) are suitably nasty. Henry O’Neill, a leading character actor, throws himself with gusto into the role of a newspaper publisher whose press is constantly being sabotaged. Review by me for the imdb.
Waterloo Bridge, 1940, is playing on Turner Classic Movies on Thursday July 21 at 1:30 p.m. est. Closed captioned. This was both Robert Taylor’s and Vivien Leigh’s favorite film. Waterloo Bridge cost $1,164,000.00 to make and made a profit of $491,000.00.
Robert Taylor was an inspired choice for the role… Not only does he have an imposing screen presence, but he brings the perfect mix of enlightenment, humor, compassion and emotion to the part…
Opposite him, Oscar Winner Vivien Leigh, perfect in her innocent lovely look, radiantly beautiful, specially that evening in a trailing white chiffon gown… Leigh floods her role with personal emotion giving her character a charismatic life of its own… As a great star, she delivers a heartfelt performance turning her character into a woman who undergoes an emotional awakening…
In this sensitive motion picture, Mervyn LeRoy captures all the tenderness and moving qualities… He makes every small thing eloquent, concentrating the highly skilled efforts of many technicians on the telling of a very simple bittersweet love story… Vivien Leigh paints a picture that few men will be able to resist… Her performance captures the audience to the point of complete absorption… Robert Taylor (carrying sympathy all the way) quietly throws all his vitality as an ambitious actor into the task… Their film, a credit to both, is a heavily sentimental tale about the vagaries of wartime…
Love is the only thing this movie is about… The story is simple: Myra Lester (Leigh) is a frail creature, an innocent young ballet dancer and Roy Cronin (Taylor) is an aristocratic British army officer… When their eyes met it took no time at all for their hearts to feel the loving call… They meet on London’s Waterloo Bridge during an air raid, and fall deeply in love… Their romance is sublime, and they soon agree to marry…
The lover’s marriage has to be postponed when the handsome officer is suddenly called to the front… Sadly, the sweet ballerina misses her performance to see her captain off at Waterloo Station… Fired from the troupe, she is joined by her loyal friend, Virginia Field (Kitty Meredith), and the two vainly try to find work, finally sinking into poverty and the threatening fear that goes with it…
The film is replete with beautiful and poignant scenes, specially the ‘Auld Lang Syne’ waltz scene in the Candlelight Club, before Taylor leaves for France…
Seen today, Waterloo Bridge has retained all its charm and power, all its rich sentiment, and tragic evocations… Review by Righty-Sock (robertfrangie@hotmail.com) from Mexico for the IMDB.
Some behind the scenes photos:
Left to right: Vivien Leigh, Sir Victor Sassoon, Laurence Olivier; Director Mervyn LeRoy, Ms. Leigh, Mr. Taylor: Mr. Taylor, Mr. LeRoy, Ms. Leigh
Left to right: Robert Taylor, Vivien Leigh; Mr. Taylor; Ms. Leigh, Mr. LeRoy, Mr. Taylor
The Law and Jake Wade, 1958 Is Playing on Turner Classic Movies on July 13 at 1:45 a.m. est. Closed captioned. Note that films playing after midnight actually play on the following day.
Was there ever a more suitable cowboy than Robert Taylor? I think not! Again Taylor plays the man with a hidden past, as he did in Undercurrent and Conspirator. This time he is a marshal in a small town, who owes his former companion, Clint Hollister, a menacing and dangerous man on the run, played wonderfully well by Richard Widmark. He breaks him out of jail just as Widmark had done for him a year previous. The mistake is that he finds Jake and takes him and his fiancée on a torturous trip to get the money Jake hid from a bank hold-up. Patricia Owens as Peggy, is angry and confused, when she finds out about his past, even though she had told him in the beginning that anything he had done before she met him was of no interest. There is plenty of action in this western, and the scenery is glorious. Good against evil, or bad ethics on Taylor’s part. You may wonder, what was he thinking? Supporting cast is great with Henry Silva in an early role, which shows you are great actor in the making. Old standards are Robert Middleton, who made many films with Taylor, and DeForest Kelley who went on to television fame in Star Trek. Taylor plays his part with quiet reserve, as the opposite of Widmark’s hostile and outwardly evil character. If Taylor had done any- thing else with the part the story would not have seemed as credible. I don’t think that Robert Taylor ever got enough credit for being an actor who could be anyone for anybody. Every man, a common man, therefore playing good guy or bad guy, he was always believable. Watch it, you will not be disappointed. Review by mamalv for the IMDb.
Here are some wardrobe shots from The Law and Jake Wade
Robert Taylor Actor 