Vaughn Everett Taylor (February 22, 1910 – April 26, 1983) was an American actor. He became known for his roles in many anthology series, including ''

Kraft Television Theatre ''Kraft Television Theatre'' is an American anthology drama television series running from 1947 to 1958. It began May 7, 1947 on NBC, airing at 7:30pm on Wednesday evenings until December of that year. It first promoted MacLaren's Imperial Chees ...

'' (1947–1957) and '' Robert Montgomery Presents'' (1950–1954). He also appeared in films such as ''

Cat on a Hot Tin Roof ''Cat on a Hot Tin Roof'' is a three-act play written by Tennessee Williams. An adaptation of his 1952 short story "Three Players of a Summer Game", the play was written by him between 1953 and 1955. One of Williams's more famous works and his p ...

'' (1958) and '' Psycho'' (1960).

Early years

Taylor was born in Boston, Massachusetts. He was a graduate of

Northeastern University Northeastern University (NU) is a private research university with its main campus in Boston. Established in 1898, the university offers undergraduate and graduate programs on its main campus as well as satellite campuses in Charlotte, North Ca ...

and the Leland Powers School of Elocution, Boston. Instead of pursuing a career in accounting, he tried summer stock theatre in Maine. After army service in

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

, he broke into TV. His wife Ruth Moss was a radio personality and Broadway actress.

Military service

After joining the Army as a private, Taylor became an officer via officer candidate school. Later he joined military intelligence and produced instructional plays about aspects of military intelligence to educate students from the Army.

Stage

After his experience in summer stock, he joined a dramatic company and for several years participated in one-night productions in small towns in the Midwest. On Broadway, Taylor appeared in ''Hope's the Thing'' (1948).

Film

Taylor began his career in film in '' Up Front'' (1951). His film appearances include '' Jailhouse Rock'' (1957), '' Decision at Sundown'' (1957), ''

Gunsmoke in Tucson ''Gunsmoke in Tucson'' is a 1958 American CinemaScope Western film directed by Thomas Carr and written by Paul Leslie Peil and Robert L. Joseph. The film stars Mark Stevens, Forrest Tucker, Gale Robbins, Vaughn Taylor, John Ward and Kevin H ...

'' (1958),''

Cowboy A cowboy is an animal herder who tends cattle on ranches in North America, traditionally on horseback, and often performs a multitude of other ranch-related tasks. The historic American cowboy of the late 19th century arose from the '' vaqu ...

'' (1958), '' Screaming Mimi'' (1958), ''

'' (1958), '' Warlock'' (1959), ''

The Gallant Hours ''The Gallant Hours'' is an American docudrama from 1960 about William F. Halsey, Jr. and his efforts in fighting against Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto and the Imperial Japanese Navy in the Guadalcanal campaign of World War II. This film was direct ...

'' (1960), '' The Plunderers'' (1960), '' Diamond Head'' (1963), '' The Wheeler Dealers'' (1963), '' The Carpetbaggers'' (1964), '' The Unsinkable Molly Brown'' (1964), ''

The Russians Are Coming, the Russians Are Coming ''The Russians Are Coming, the Russians Are Coming'' is a 1966 American comedy film directed and produced by Norman Jewison for the United Artists. It is based on the 1961 Nathaniel Benchley novel ''The Off-Islanders'', and was adapted for th ...

'' (1966), '' The Professionals'' (1966), ''

In Cold Blood ''In Cold Blood'' is a non-fiction novel by American author Truman Capote, first published in 1966. It details the 1959 murders of four members of the Clutter family in the small farming community of Holcomb, Kansas. Capote learned of the qu ...

'' (1967), '' The Shakiest Gun in the West'' (1968), '' The Power'' (1968), ''

The Ballad of Cable Hogue ''The Ballad of Cable Hogue'' is a 1970 American Technicolor Western comedy film directed by Sam Peckinpah and starring Jason Robards, Stella Stevens and David Warner. Set in the Arizona desert during a period when the frontier was closing, t ...

'' (1970). In 1960 he appeared in

Alfred Hitchcock Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock (13 August 1899 – 29 April 1980) was an English filmmaker. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in the history of cinema. In a career spanning six decades, he directed over 50 featur ...

's original '' Psycho'' as Mr. Lowery, Marion Crane's employer in a small real estate office. The same year he starred in the movie about Admiral

William F. Halsey William Frederick "Bull" Halsey Jr. (October 30, 1882 – August 16, 1959) was an American Navy admiral during World War II. He is one of four officers to have attained the rank of five-star fleet admiral of the United States Navy, the other ...

, ''

'', as Commander Mike Pulaski, USN. Taylor's final film appearance was in another comedy, '' The Gumball Rally'', released in 1976.

Television

Taylor portrayed Horatio Frisby on the comedy series '' Johnny Jupiter''. He was also a regular performer on ''Montgomery's Summer Stock'', which was a summer replacement for '' Robert Montgomery Presents'' from 1953 through 1956. In his many television appearances, Taylor was cast as Julian Tyler in the 1957 episode "The Chess Player" of the CBS crime drama, '' Richard Diamond, Private Detective'', starring David Janssen. He appeared too in several episodes of CBS's '' Twilight Zone'', including the role of the salesman in the episode " I Sing the Body Electric". He also appeared in " Time Enough at Last", " Still Valley", " The Incredible World of Horace Ford" and " The Self-Improvement of Salvadore Ross". In 1958, Taylor appeared in ''The Martin Poster,'' the first episode of

Steve McQueen Terrence Stephen McQueen (March 24, 1930November 7, 1980) was an American actor. His antihero persona, emphasized during the height of the counterculture of the 1960s, made him a top box-office draw for his films of the late 1950s, 1960s, and ...

's CBS western series, '' Wanted: Dead or Alive'' as a doctor shot to death in the back by the brother of an outlaw whom he had treated. In a later episode, titled "Criss-Cross" he appeared as a doctor 'Doc Adams' whose son is a thief whom Josh has brought in, only to lose the bounty because the doctor paid someone else to take the blame. He also played Olie Ridgers in the ''

Gunsmoke ''Gunsmoke'' is an American radio and television Western drama series created by director Norman Macdonnell and writer John Meston. It centers on Dodge City, Kansas, in the 1870s, during the settlement of the American West. The central chara ...

'' episode "Claustrophobia" (Season 3, Episode 20). That same year, Taylor was cast on the ABC/

Warner Brothers Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (commonly known as Warner Bros. or abbreviated as WB) is an American film and entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California, and a subsidiary of Warner Bros. D ...

western series, ''

Cheyenne The Cheyenne ( ) are an Indigenous people of the Great Plains. Their Cheyenne language belongs to the Algonquian language family. Today, the Cheyenne people are split into two federally recognized nations: the Southern Cheyenne, who are enr ...

'' as Doc Johnson, an unusual outlaw known as "The Ghost of the Cimarron", the title of the episode. In the story line, Cheyenne Bodie must ally temporarily with Johnson to clear his own name with the law, as officers think Cheyenne is part of the gang. In 1959, Taylor appeared in '' The Untouchables'' Episode 2, ''Ma Barker and Her Boys'', as Pa Barker. Taylor guest starred as Jeremy Tolliver in the title role in the 1959 episode "The Trouble with Tolliver" of the ABC western drama '' The Man from Blackhawk'' as a roving insurance investigator. He was cast in 1960 again as a physician, Bryan Craig, in the episode "Strange Encounter" of the ABC/

western series, '' Colt .45''. He also guest starred in the ABC/WB detective series, ''

Bourbon Street Beat ''Bourbon Street Beat'' is a private detective television series that aired on the ABC network from October 5, 1959, to July 4, 1960, starring Richard Long as Rex Randolph and Andrew Duggan as Cal Calhoun, with Arlene Howell as detective agen ...

'' and in the 1960 NBC summer western series, ''

Tate Tate is an institution that houses, in a network of four art galleries, the United Kingdom's national collection of British art, and international modern and contemporary art. It is not a government institution, but its main sponsor is the U ...

'', starring David McLean. Taylor appeared three times in the 1960–1961 season in the syndicated series ''

Coronado 9 ''Coronado 9'' is an American crime drama series starring Rod Cameron that aired in syndication in 1960. Synopsis Set in San Diego, California, the series follows Dan Adams (Cameron), a former United States Navy intelligence officer turned pri ...

.'' He guest starred on ABC's ''

The Real McCoys ''The Real McCoys'' is an American situation comedy starring Walter Brennan, Richard Crenna, and Kathleen Nolan. Co-produced by Danny Thomas's Marterto Productions in association with Walter Brennan and Irving Pincus's Westgate Compan ...

'' and in 1961, he played a

veterinarian A veterinarian (vet), also known as a veterinary surgeon or veterinary physician, is a medical professional who practices veterinary medicine. They manage a wide range of health conditions and injuries in non-human animals. Along with this, vet ...

in another ABC sitcom, '' The Hathaways.'' He guest starred as financier Asbury Harpending in the 1965 episode "Raid on the San Francisco Mint" on ''

Death Valley Days ''Death Valley Days'' is an American old-time radio and television anthology series featuring true accounts of the American Old West, particularly the Death Valley country of southeastern California. Created in 1930 by Ruth Woodman, the program ...

.'' Taylor also appeared in 1961 in the series of finale of the CBS drama series, '' The Investigators''. Taylor was cast as bank president Houghton in the 1961 episode "The Proxy" on another ABC western series, '' The Rebel'', starring Nick Adams, with whom Taylor had worked three years earlier in ''Wanted: Dead or Alive''. In 1962 he appeared in one episode as the head college librarian opposite Gertrude Berg in her short-lived sitcom '' Mrs. G. Goes to College.'' He was also a frequent guest on CBS's '' Perry Mason'' legal drama, having appeared eight times, including murderer Louis Boles in the premiere episode, "The Case of the Restless Redhead" in 1957. In 1959, he played the title role, murder victim Bishop Arthur Mallory, in "The Case of the Stuttering Bishop." In 1961, he played defendant Ralph Duncan in "The Case of the Fickle Fortune." In 1963, he again played the murder victim and title character; this time as Martin Weston in "The Case of the Witless Witness." Taylor was cast in two episodes of the ABC science fiction series '' The Outer Limits''; in " Expanding Human" as Dean Flint, and " The Guests" as Mr. Latimer. In addition, he appeared in the pilot episode of ''

The Invaders ''The Invaders'' is an American science-fiction television series created by Larry Cohen that aired on ABC for two seasons, from 1967 to 1968. Roy Thinnes stars as David Vincent, who after stumbling across evidence of an in-progress invas ...

'' entitled "Beachhead". Usually involved in dramatic roles, Taylor continued to accept work in comedic productions. He appeared in a 1964 episode of the CBS sitcom '' The Cara Williams Show''. In 1965, he played Professor Clemmens in the 1965 episode "Uncle Martin and the Identified Flying Object" of ''

My Favorite Martian ''My Favorite Martian'' is an American sitcom that aired on CBS from September 29, 1963, to May 1, 1966, for 107 episodes. The show stars Ray Walston as "Uncle Martin" (the Martian) and Bill Bixby as Tim O'Hara. The first two seasons, totalin ...

''. He also played in the '' Get Smart'' episode "The Diary," in 1966, in which he portrayed Herb Gaffer, a retired secret agent sought by

CONTROL Control may refer to: Basic meanings Economics and business * Control (management), an element of management * Control, an element of management accounting * Comptroller (or controller), a senior financial officer in an organization * Controlli ...

agent Maxwell Smart ( Don Adams) and by enemy spies. Taylor gets a chance in the plot to exchange humorous takes with Adams and perform some physical comedy. Another veteran of acting,

Ellen Corby Ellen Hansen Corby (June 3, 1911 – April 14, 1999) was an American actress and screenwriter. She played the role of Esther "Grandma" Walton on the CBS television series '' The Waltons'', for which she won three Emmy Awards. She was also ...

, also appears in this same '' Get Smart'' episode, which takes place in "Spy City," a retirement community for former agents. Between 1961 and 1970, Taylor guest starred in four episodes of the western TV series ''

Bonanza ''Bonanza'' is an American Western television series that ran on NBC from September 13, 1959, to January 16, 1973. Lasting 14 seasons and 432 episodes, ''Bonanza'' is NBC's longest-running western, the second-longest-running western series on ...

'', in which he portrayed the following characters: Horace Ogleby ("The Infernal Machine", 1961), C. R. Lively ("A Real Nice, Friendly Little Town", 1966), Eggers ("Judgment at Olympus", 1967) and Bert Taylor ("Is There Any Man Here?", 1970). In 1966 and 1968, Taylor made guest appearances on ''

Petticoat Junction ''Petticoat Junction'' is an American television sitcom that originally aired on CBS from September 1963 to April 1970. The series takes place at the Shady Rest Hotel, which is run by Kate Bradley; her three daughters Billie Jo, Bobbie Jo, and ...

''. In 1966, he played Mr. Foley, episode: "Better Never Than Late", and in 1968, he played Mr. Clayton, in the episode "Uncle Joe Runs the Hotel". In 1968, he also appeared in the 4th episode of the first season of '' The Ghost and Mrs. Muir''.

Death

On April 26, 1983, Taylor died at

Cedars-Sinai Medical Center Cedars-Sinai Medical Center is a nonprofit, tertiary, 886-bed teaching hospital and multi-specialty academic health science center located in Los Angeles, California. Part of the Cedars-Sinai Health System, the hospital employs a staff of over ...

of a

cerebral hemorrhage Intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH), also known as cerebral bleed, intraparenchymal bleed, and hemorrhagic stroke, or haemorrhagic stroke, is a sudden bleeding into the tissues of the brain, into its ventricles, or into both. It is one kind of bleed ...

. He was 73.

Recognition

Taylor was nominated for the Emmy Award for Best Actor in 1952 and 1953.

Filmography

*'' Picture Snatcher'' (1933) - Editor (uncredited) *'' Up Front'' (1951) - MP Maj. Lester *'' Francis Goes to the Races'' (1951) - Chief Inspector Carrington *''

Meet Danny Wilson ''Meet Danny Wilson'' is the debut album by Scottish pop group Danny Wilson. It became a significant hit in America on the strength of the summer of 1987 hit single "Mary's Prayer". Track listing All tracks composed by Gary Clark. # "Davy" ...

'' (1952) - T.W. Hatcher *'' Back at the Front'' (1952) - Maj. Lester Ormsby *''

It Should Happen to You ''It Should Happen to You'' is a 1954 American romantic comedy film starring Judy Holliday, Peter Lawford and Jack Lemmon; it was Lemmon's first major film appearance. The film was directed by George Cukor, and partly filmed on location in New Y ...

'' (1954) - Entrikin *'' This Could Be the Night'' (1957) - Ziggy Dawit - Columnist *'' Jailhouse Rock'' (1957) - Mr. Shores *'' Decision at Sundown'' (1957) - Mr. Baldwin *'' Wanted Dead or Alive'' (1957) - Dr. Glen Leach - Episode: "The Martin Poster" *''

'' (1958) - Mr. Fowler, Chicago Hotel Manager *'' The Young Lions'' (1958) - John Plowman (uncredited) *'' The Lineup'' (1958) - The Man *''

'' (1958) - Doc Johnson - Episode: "Ghost of the Cimarron" *'' Screaming Mim'' (1958) - Raoul Reynarde *''

'' (1958) - Deacon Davis *''

Party Girl A party is a gathering of people who have been invited by a host for the purposes of socializing, conversation, recreation, or as part of a festival or other commemoration or celebration of a special occasion. A party will often feature fo ...

'' (1958) - Dr. Caderman (uncredited) *''Gunsmoke in Tucson'' (1958) - Ben Bodeen *'' Andy Hardy Comes Home'' (1958) - Thomas Chandler *'' Warlock'' (1959) - Henry Richardson *'' Blue Denim'' (1959) - Professor Willard *''

'' (1960) - Cmdr. Mike Pulaski *'' Psycho'' (1960) - George Lowery *'' The Plunderers'' (1960) - Jess Walters, Gen. Store Owner *'' The Wizard of Baghdad'' (1960) - Norodeen *'' Wanted Dead or Alive'' (1960) - Doc Adams - Episode: "Criss-Cross" *'' Diamond Head'' (1962) - Judge James Blanding *'' FBI Code 98'' (1962) - Joseph Petersen *'' The Wheeler Dealers'' (1963) - Thaddeus Whipple *'' The Carpetbaggers'' (1964) - Doctor *'' The Unsinkable Molly Brown'' (1964) - Mr. Cartwright *''

Zebra in the Kitchen ''Zebra in the Kitchen'' is a 1965 American children's film produced and directed by Ivan Tors and starring Jay North in his first leading feature-film role. It also stars Martin Milner and Andy Devine, with costars Joyce Meadows and Jim Davi ...

'' (1965) - Councilman Pew *''

Dark Intruder ''Dark Intruder'' is a 1965 horror film made for TV that was released theatrically, and starring Leslie Nielsen, Mark Richman and Judi Meredith. The film is set in San Francisco in 1890 concerning playboy sleuth and occult expert Brett Kingsfor ...

'' (1965) - Dr. Burdett *''

'' (1966) - Mr. Bell *'' The Professionals'' (1966) - Banker *''

The Last Challenge ''The Last Challenge '' is a 1967 American Western in Panavision, produced and directed by Richard Thorpe (marking his final film). The film starred Glenn Ford and Angie Dickinson and centered around a town sheriff contending with his reputati ...

'' (1967) - Jim Haskell (uncredited) *''

'' (1967) - Good Samaritan *'' The Power'' (1968) - Mr. Hallson *'' Fever Heat'' (1968) - Toad Taplinger *'' The Shakiest Gun in the West'' (1968) - Rev. Longbaugh *''

'' (1970) - Powell *''

The Million Dollar Duck ''The Million Dollar Duck'' (also titled as ''$1,000,000 Duck'') is a 1971 American comedy film produced by Walt Disney Productions based on the goose that lays golden eggs scenario. It was directed by Vincent McEveety, and stars Dean Jones, S ...

'' (1971) - Bank President (uncredited) *'' The Gumball Rally'' (1976) - Andy McAllister - Mercedes Team (final film role)

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Taylor, Vaughn 1910 births 1983 deaths American male film actors American male television actors Male actors from Boston 20th-century American male actors