Must say I had the hots for him as a kid, especially in those form fitting cargo pants at the end of The Birds. Suspense? Hoping my mom didn't see my little tween erection at that moment.
I had a crush on Rod since George Pal's The Time Machine. I actually started speaking like Yvette Mimieux as an Eloi for weeks after seeing that!
He was wonderful in A Catered Affair with Bette Davis, Ernest Borgnine and Debbie Reynolds and in The Glass Bottom Boat with Doris Day. This hot Aussie (from Lidcombe, outside Sydney, mates) was married three times.
Handsome and rugged-looking, he was a natural for cinematic stardom. He worked as a commercial artist but, after seeing Laurence Olivier on tour in Richard III, he decided to be an actor. He'd had prior radio and stage experience.
In the 1960s spy film, The Liquidator, he had a James Bond-wannabe role opposite Jill St. John. Loved him, hated her cuz I wanted to be her. He was Doris Day's leading man in The Glass Bottom Boat (1966) and I always coveted Doris' roles as a kid too (especially opposite Rock).
Four days shy of his 85th birthday, Rod Taylor had a massive heart attack and died. I wish I had a time machine to co-star opposite him in Colossus and the Amazon Queen (1960). Though only eight years old at the time, I already had the desire for my cinematic matinee idol, may he find peace. I would have made a fierce Amazon Queen.
Two movie stars we recently lost Anita Ekberg and Rod Taylor ....how sad is that yes time marches on and both deserve praise for their contribution to the cinema..People magazine which is now glorified trash spared not even an inch for both of these legends..let's say a quarter of an inch .They gave the housewife whore who is in jail more space.....go figure..love your blog Charles.
ReplyDeletethx, tony!!!
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