William Desmond Taylor(1872-1922)

Director
Actor
Producer

Born in Carlow, Ireland. Came to USA c. 1890. Worked as stage actor, engineer, antique dealer, gold miner. Entered silent film industry as actor in 1912; most noted film as actor was Captain Alvarez (1914) for Vitagraph. Directed first film for Balboa Films in 1914. Subsequently directed for American Film, Favorite Players, Pallas, Morosco, Fox, Famous Players-Lasky, Select, Realart and Paramount. Served in the British Army 1918-1919 then resumed his Hollywood career. Served as president of the Motion Picture Directors' Association for three terms. Stars he directed included Mary Pickford Dustin Farnum Wallace Reid and Mary Miles Minter . Directed Davy Crockett (1915) , Tom Sawyer (1917) , Anne of Green Gables (1919) and Huckleberry Finn (1920) among others. His unsolved murder in 1922 remains one of Hollywood's greatest mysteries.

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Photos10

Edith Storey and William Desmond Taylor in Captain Alvarez (1914)

Hazel Buckham and William Desmond Taylor in Retrogression (1913)

Francis Ford, Ann Little, and William Desmond Taylor in The Iconoclast (1913)

Mary Miles Minter and William Desmond Taylor

Jack Pickford and William Desmond Taylor in Tom Sawyer (1917)

Known for:

Happiness of Three Women

Director

1917

Davy Crockett

5.7

Director

1916

Huckleberry Finn

6.5

Director

1920

The Soul of Youth

7.0

Director

1920

Credits

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IMDbPro

Director

The Top of New York
- Director (as William D. Taylor)
- 1922
The Green Temptation
- Director
- 1922
Morals
- Director
- 1921
Beyond
- Director
- 1921
Wealth
- Director (as William D. Taylor)
- 1921
Sacred and Profane Love
- Director (as William D. Taylor)
- 1921
The Witching Hour
- Director
- 1921
The Furnace
- Director
- 1920
The Soul of Youth
- Director
- 1920
Jenny Be Good
- Director
- 1920
Nurse Marjorie
- Director
- 1920
Judy of Rogues' Harbor
- Director
- 1920
Huckleberry Finn
- Director
- 1920
Anne of Green Gables
- Director
- 1919
Captain Kidd, Jr.
- Director
- 1919

Actor

The Mission of Morrison
- Douglas Kent - Dora's Uncle (as William Taylor)
- Short
- 1915
An Eye for an Eye
- Dave Harmon
- 1915
The Last Chapter
- Undetermined Role (unconfirmed)
- 1914
The Criminal Code
- Roger Neville (as William D. Taylor)
- 1914
Captain Alvarez
- Robert W. Wainwright AKA Captain Alvarez (as William D. Taylor)
- 1914
A Little Madonna
- Paul Langrois - An Artist
- Short
- 1914
The Kiss
- George Dale - A Society Man
- Short
- 1914
The Night Riders of Petersham
- Richard
- 1914
Millions for Defence
- Arthur Berkow
- Short
- 1914
Master of the Mine
- Arthur Berkow
- Short
- 1914
Tainted Money
- Jack Forsythe
- Short
- 1914
How God Came to Sonny Boy
- Roger Vibrat, A Poor Artist
- Short
- 1914
The Love of Tokiwa
- Richard Davis
- Short
- 1914
Anne of the Golden Heart
- George Blake
- Short
- 1914
The Informer
- Short
- 1914

Producer

Personal details

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Alternative names
- Frank Marlo
Height
- 6′ (1.83 m)
Born
- April 26, 1872
- Carlow, Ireland
Died
- February 1, 1922
- Los Angeles, California, USA(homicide)
Spouse
- Ethel May HamiltonDecember 7, 1901 - 1911 (1 child)
Publicity listings

Did you know

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Trivia
Reportedly, Patricia Palmer confessed to Taylor's murder on her deathbed. She was one of dozens of actresses to make similar deathbed confessions.