DON TAYLOR BIOGRAPHY & FILMOGRAPHY:

Don Taylor was born on December 13th, 1920 in Freeport, Pennsylvania.  After high school, he initially studied law and then switched to studying speech and drama at Penn State University.  He began appearing in a number of school stage productions and decided in 1942 to embark on a career as an actor.
 
He relocated to Los Angeles, California and was signed to a contract with MGM Studio's.  Some of his early film roles were, "The Human Comedy" (1943) starring Mickey Rooney, Frank Morgan, James Craig, Marsha Hunt, Fay Bainter, Ray Collins, Van Johnson, Donna Reed, Darryl Hickman, Carl 'Alfalfa' Switzer, Barry Nelson, Henry O'Neill, Jackie 'Butch' Jenkins, Robert Mitchum and Don DeFore, "Salute to the Marines" (1943) starring Wallace Beery, Fay Bainter, Reginald Owen, Ray Collins, Marilyn Maxwell, William Lundigan, Dick Curtis, Robert Blake, Hugh Beaumont, Jim Davis, Noah Beery Sr. and Keye Luke and "Swing Shift Maisie" (1943) With Ann Sothern, James Craig, Jean Rogers, Connie Gilchrist, John Qualen and George Chandler.
 
He then too a break from acting in Hollywood to join the United States Army, however even while serving his country, he managed to perform for the Army.  Once his military service completed, Taylor returned back to pursuing a fulltime career as an actor.
 
Some of his more well known film roles included, "The Naked City" (1948) co-starring Barry Fitzgerald, Howard Duff, Walter Burke, Ted de Corsia, Frank Conroy and Dorothy Hart, "Battleground" (1949) starring Van Johnson, John Hodiak, Ricardo Montalban, James Whitmore, Leon Ames, Richard Jaeckel, James Arness, Scotty Beckett, Marshall Thompson and George Murphy, "Father of the Bride" (1950) also starring Spencer Tracy, Joan Bennett, Elizabeth Taylor, Billie Burke, and Leo G. Carroll, "Father's Little Dividend" (1951) starring Spencer Tracy, Joan Bennett, Elizabeth Taylor, Billie Burke, Russ Tamblyn, Paul Harvey and Hayden Rorke, "Flying Leathernecks" (1951) starring John Wayne, Robert Ryan, Jay C. Flippen, Janis Carter and William Harrigan, "Stalag 17" (1953) starring William Holden, Robert Strauss, Neville Brand, Harvey Lembeck, Gil Stratton, Sig Ruman, Richard Erdman, Otto Preminger and Peter Graves and "I'll Cry Tomorrow" (1955) starring Susan Hayward, Richard Conte, Eddie Albert, Margo, Virginia Gregg, Don 'Red' Barry, Ray Danton, Ralph Edwards and Jo Van Fleet.
 
In addition to film work, later in his career he appeared on a variety of television series such as, "Climax!", "Burke's Law", "The New Breed", "Telephone Time", "Checkmate", "Zane Grey Theatre", "The Best of the Post", "Crossroads", "Front Row Center", "The United States Steel Hour", "Alfred Hitchcock Presents" and "The Ford Television Theatre".
 
Along with working as an actor, he later established himself as a well known director as well.  Some of his more well known films he directed included, "Escape from the Planet of the Apes" (1971) starring Roddy McDowall, Kim Hunter, Bradford Dillman, Sal Mineo, Albert Salmi, Harry Lauter, M. Emmet Walsh, William Windom, Army Archerd, John Randolph and Ricardo Montalban, "Tom Sawyer" (1973) starring Johnny Whitaker, Jodie Foster, Warren Oates, Celeste Holm, Henry Jones, Dub Taylor and Jeff East, "Echoes of Summer" (1976) Richard Harris, Jodie Foster, Lois Nettleton, Brad Savage and Geraldine Fitzgerald, "Damien: Omen II" (1978) starring William Holden, Lee Grant, David Warner, Sylvia Sidney, Robert Foxworth, Lew Ayres, Meshach Taylor and Jonathan Scott-Taylor and "The Final Countdown" (1980) starring Kirk Douglas, Martin Sheen, James Farentino, Katharine Ross, Ron O'Neal and Charles Durning.

Don Taylor married twice throughout his lifetime, first to Phyllis Avery in 1944 and they had two children together before the marriage ended in divorce in 1956.  His second wife was Hazel Court, whom he wed in 1963 and they also had two children together and remained married until he passed away on December 29th, 1998 in Los Angeles, California after suffering from heart failure.  

 
Filmography

1969         The Five Man Army
1964         Burke's Law 
1962         The New Breed
1962         Checkmate
1961         The Savage Guns
1961         Zane Grey Theatre 
1961         The Best of the Post
1960         Alcoa Theatre 
1959         The David Niven Show 
1955-1958     Climax! 
1958         G.E. True Theater 
1954-1958     Schlitz Playhouse 
1957         Love Slaves of the Amazons
1957         Telephone Time 
1957         Alfred Hitchcock Presents 
1956         Ride the High Iron 
1955-1956     Crossroads 
1956         Cavalcade of America 
1955-1956     Lux Video Theatre 
1956         The Bold and the Brave
1956         Celebrity Playhouse 
1956         Front Row Center 
1956         Appointment with Adventure 
1956         Chevron Hall of Stars 
1955         I'll Cry Tomorrow
1955         Star Stage
1955         Stage 7
1954         The United States Steel Hour 
1954         The Men of Sherwood Forest
1954         Robert Montgomery Presents
1954         Johnny Dark
1954         The Ford Television Theatre 
1954         Medallion Theatre 
1953         Stalag 17
1953         The Girls of Pleasure Island
1953         Destination Gobi
1952         Japanese War Bride
1951         Submarine Command
1951         The Blue Veil
1951         Flying Leathernecks
1951         Father's Little Dividend
1951         Target Unknown
1950         Father of the Bride
1950         Ambush
1949         Battleground
1948         For the Love of Mary
1948         The Naked City
1947         Song of the Thin Man
1945         Time to Kill 
1944         Winged Victory
1943         Girl Crazy
1943         Thousands Cheer
1943         Swing Shift Maisie
1943         Salute to the Marines
1943         Who's Superstitious? 
1943         The Human Comedy