ROD TAYLOR IN THE TIME MACHINE
_01.jpg)
Posted on 01/09/2015 9:32:06 AM PST by SeekAndFind
Rod Taylor, the ruggedly handsome Australian-born actor who fended off attacks from above in Alfred Hitchcock’s revered horror film “The Birds” and helped an 8,000th-century people escape a monster race in the film version of the science-fiction classic “The Time Machine,” died on Wednesday at his home in Los Angeles. He was 84.
His death was announced by his daughter, Felicia Taylor, a former correspondent and anchor for CNN and CNBC.
Mr. Taylor was only the second Australian actor, after Errol Flynn (who was born in Tasmania), to achieve major Hollywood stardom, though many moviegoers did not know his origins. He made more than 50 films but played Australians in only a handful. In his most famous roles, he played a Briton and an American. His “Time Machine” character, an inventor, was known as H. George Wells, for H. G. Wells, the British author of the classic time-travel novel on which the film was based. In “The Birds,” Mr. Taylor was a California lawyer who offers a ride to a reckless blond heiress (Tippi Hedren) and ends up fighting off gangs of the homicidal title characters.
And it was back to the British accent in his last film. The director Quentin Tarantino persuaded Mr. Taylor to make a comeback of sorts by playing Winston Churchill in his 2009 World War II film, “Inglourious Basterds.”
Rodney Sturt Taylor was born on Jan. 13, 1930, in Sydney, Australia. The only child of William Taylor, a steel-construction contractor and draftsman, and the former Mona Stewart, a children’s book author, he grew up in Lidcombe, a Sydney suburb.
At first he planned to become an artist, and as a teenager he studied at the East Sydney Technical and Fine Arts College. But through friends he became interested in acting,
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
The Birds was a great movie classic.
Had no idea he was Australian. Loved his movies.
The Time Machine was very faithful to the great Wells novel...till about half way through.
Love the Birds. The extra on my dvd has an interesting interview with Taylor. Seemed like a really nice fellow! Good actor, too. RIP, Mr. Taylor!
Bird flu finally took it’s toll?
Yes, after 51 years....
But it had a horrible ending, not according to plan. The makers had to wrap it up prematurely.
TTM is one of my all-time favorite movies. In fact I own it!
Morlocks got him.
Seriously - heck of an actor. RIP and prayers for the family.
>>I own it<<
The Machine or a copy of the movie?
Just saw Sunday in New York, a couple days ago. Mr. Taylor seemed to be a genuinely nice man.
I agree totally. Always played a man's man in the films. Lacking, these days.
This particular machine is shown as one of several visual jokes in Gremlins (1984).
Suzanne Pleshette was the teacher in the movie.
I’m so glad you posted this picture. It is how I will remember him.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.