BEST ROD TAYLOR MOVIES
“Giant” (1956) Billed as “Rodney Taylor,” the actor had one of his first significant parts in director George Stevens’ Oscar-winning version of the Edna Ferber novel about wealth, romance and rivalry in Texas.
“Raintree County” (1957) This bid for another “Gone With the Wind” put Taylor in the company of Elizabeth Taylor again in another story of Civil War lives and loves.
“The Time Machine” (1960) The H.G. Wells tale gave Taylor one of his most popular hits, thanks also to the touch of fantasy-producing staple George Pal.
“The Birds” (1963) Taylor makes a solid hero going up against flocks of feathered non-friends in Alfred Hitchcock’s classic, ever-unsettling thriller. “The V.I.P.s” (1963) As part of a hugely entertaining all-star cast, Taylor plays a tractor magnate in need of a financing infusion while waiting for a flight from London’s fogged-in Heathrow airport. “Sunday in New York” (1964) Norman Krasna’s adaptation of his stage play gave Taylor one of his most popular roles as a man whose chance encounter with a Big Apple visitor (Jane Fonda) sets the stage for a new romance.
“Fate Is the Hunter” (1964) Taylor broke from his usual sort of role as a pilot suspected of having been responsible for a crash that killed most aboard his plane ... including himself.
“36 Hours” (1964) Included in Turner Classic Movies’ daytime birthday tribute to Taylor on Monday, Jan. 11, this very clever melodrama features him as a German officer posing as an American to convince a U.S. soldier (James Garner) that World War II is over .. and to get him to give up still-timely information. “Young Cassidy” (1965) Inspired by the life of playwright Sean O’Casey, this drama – started by legendary director John Ford – reunited Taylor with his leading lady from “The V.I.P.s,” Maggie Smith. “The Liquidator” (1966) Taylor’s entry in the secret-agent craze of the time finds him playing an accidental military hero enlisted by British Security to eliminate potential troublemakers. (A bonus: Shirley Bassey belting out the title song a la “Goldfinger.”) “The Glass Bottom Boat” (1966) In his second teaming with Doris Day, Taylor turns up the charm as an aerospace executive who comes to worry that his new employee (Day) might be a spy.
“Hotel” (1967) Taylor is ideally cast in this saga based on Arthur Hailey’s novel, playing the manager of a New Orleans hotel targeted for a takeover while various dramas unfold among the staff and guests. “Dark of the Sun” (1968) At his brawniest here, Taylor plays a mercenary facing peril from all sides in the Congo while planning a theft of uncut diamonds.
“The High Commissioner” (1968) Representing his homeland, Taylor plays an Australian police detective sent to England to extradite a murderaccused diplomat (Christopher Plummer). “Darker Than Amber” (1970) Rarely seen now, this impressively gritty mystery stars a very tough Taylor as novelist John D, MacDonald’s private eye Travis McGee.
“Inglourious Basterds” (2009) Writer-director Quentin Tarantino enlisted Taylor for what turned out to be the actor’s final role, as British statesman Winston Churchill.