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Whether he was the star or a supporting character, Rod's role always seemed to be the most genuine, the most engaging, the most memorable. From the late 1950s through the mid-1960s, Taylor put together an impressive string of performances, being cast in high-quality films and associating with the giants of the silver screen. Think of the other actors and actresses of that era, and Rod Taylor was right there, starring alongside the likes of Elizabeth Taylor, Rock Hudson, Doris Day, James Garner and Jane Fonda. At the center, of course, are "The Birds" and "The Time Machine". The two films are enduring classics, hailed for achievements in special effects and their imaginative story lines. But Rod Taylor is at the heart of both films. In his first starring role, Taylor pulled off a performance that made time travel believable. We watch the scenes unfold through his eyes, his wonderment. He's a scientist with warmth and idealism. He's an intellectual man, but he has the physical strength to fight off the fearsome Morlocks. In his next major role, it's swarms of birds he fights off, helping the "Master of Suspense" convey the right sense of fear and danger. I used to think the point of "The Birds" was to figure out why the birds were attacking. But watch some more, and the story centers on the human relationships in the movie - and it hinges Rod Taylor's performance. I'll admit the first thing that grabbed me about Rod was his looks. Ruggedly handsome, nicely muscled, he's a striking figure. But beyond that, he's watchable for so many reasons. His physical stature is a counterpoint to the sensitivity, warmth and humor he brings to so many roles. In discovering and rediscovering Rod's films of the '50s and '60s, I felt I wanted to spread the word. So I started a Web site, aptly titled (I hope) "The Complete Rod Taylor". I want to remind the world that here's a fine actor who shouldn't be forgotten. Excerpt from The Complete Rod Taylor website I didn't get the part; Paul Newman did. But the Brooklyn accent I put on so convinced Schary I was from new York that he cast me as a Bronx boy in "The Catered Affair." He didn't know I was just 18 months out of Australia until the movie was half finished. - TV Guide, Oct. 23, 1971 The screen test also persuaded MGM to put Taylor under contract (at $450 a week). He subsequently had several supporting roles with top-flight casts - including "Giant" and "Separate Tables" - before hitting stardom full stride in 1960. In that year, he became a big-screen leading man, in "The Time Machine," and also hit the big time on the small screen with "Hong Kong" (at $3,750 per episode, he was the highest-paid actor in a one-hour show). From there, Taylor reeled off a string of successes, first and foremost as the stalwart leading man in Alfred Hitchcock's classic thriller, "The Birds." He deftly carried off romantic comedy in "Sunday in New York" and a pair of Doris Day pictures. He played complicated characters in imaginative films such as "Fate is the Hunter" and "36 Hours." He captured the tough, tender nature of a poet with the soul of a revolutionary in "Young Cassidy." And he epitomized the rugged man of action in "The Mercenaries." * * * Want more? Click here to visit The Complete Rod Taylor website. About the author: Diane Tomasik is an editor by trade who loves football, baseball, sunshine, running, reading and exploring the Internet. She also wonders why "The Liquidator," "Young Cassidy" and "Fate Is the Hunter" aren't available on video and why "Hong Kong" can't be re-run on TV once in a while. And she'd love to hear from fellow Rod Taylor fans! Write her at tomasik@earthlink.net. * * * Take-5 cover |
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