William Desmond Taylor

William Desmond Taylor (born William Cunningham Deane-Tanner April 26, 1872 in Carlow, Ireland ? February 1, 1922 in Los Angeles) was a successful US film director and a popular figure in the growing Hollywood film colony of the 1910s and early 20s. He was the victim of a murder that remains officially unsolved.

Life and career

He came to the United States in 1890 when he was 18. A short acting career in New York City followed which he quit after marrying the daughter of a wealthy Wall Street broker who provided Taylor with funding to set up a business. He and his wife were well-known in New York society until he abruptly vanished in 1908 at the age of 36, deserting his wife and daughter.

Related Topics:
United States - New York City - Wall Street

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Changing his name to William Taylor, he moved to Hollywood and worked successfully as an actor before making his first film as director (The Awakening) in 1915. Over the next few years he directed more than fifty films, served in the Canadian Army and was President of the Motion Picture Directors Association. He directed some of the great stars of his era including Mary Pickford, Wallace Reid, Dustin Farnham and his protégée Mary Miles Minter.

Related Topics:
The Awakening - Canadian Army - Motion Picture Directors Association - Mary Pickford - Wallace Reid - Dustin Farnham - Mary Miles Minter

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