Biography for
Don Taylor (I) More at IMDbPro »

Date of Birth

13 December 1920, Freeport, Pennsylvania, USA

Date of Death

29 December 1998, Los Angeles, California, USA (heart failure)

Mini Biography

Born in Freeport, Pennsylvania, Don Taylor studied law, then speech and drama at Penn State University, where as a freshman he began taking part in college stage productions. Hitchhiking to Hollywood in 1942, the youthful Taylor screen-tested at Warner Brothers but was rejected because of his draft status. MGM, not as fussy, signed him to a contract and immediately put him to work, assigning him the minuscule role of a soldier in director Clarence Brown's sentimental slice of Americana, The Human Comedy (1943). More minor roles followed before Taylor enlisted in the army, but even there he continued to act: Playwright/screenwriter Moss Hart chose him to play one of the leads in the Army-Air Force production of Hart's play, "Winged Victory." Returning to civilian life, Taylor resumed his work in pictures with a top role in the trend-setting crime drama The Naked City (1948). In later years Taylor became a film and TV director, being nominated for an Emmy for his direction of an episode of "Night Gallery" (1970). Taylor met his wife Hazel Court when he directed her in a 1958 episode of "Alfred Hitchcock Presents" (1955).

IMDb Mini Biography By: Tom Weaver

Spouse

Hazel Court	(1964 - 29 December 1998) (his death) 2 children
Phyllis Avery	(1944 - 1955) (divorced) 2 daughters

Trivia

Has two children with Hazel Court: Courtney Taylor and Jonathan Taylor.

Stepfather of Sally Walsh.

Personal Quotes

I love seeing some of those movies that I was in, but I would have died not directing. I broke into it when it wasn't easy. When I decided I wanted to direct, I couldn't even get to first base; to get a half-hour show I practically had to kiss Dick Powell in the middle of Santa Monica Boulevard! But at least I helped to break that barrier down in a way. It is a director's medium.

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