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The man with the perfect profile: Robert Taylor

‘Acting is the easiest job in the world, and I’m the luckiest guy’ — the words of Robert Taylor, whose star once shone as brightly as Rudolph Valentino’s. And no one was more surprised by that than Taylor...

  • Date December 2023
  • Author Stuart Husband

The man with the perfect profile: Robert Taylor

In the 1930s, the actress Luise Rainier found herself seated next to Robert Taylor, then on the cusp of matinee-idol status, at a Hollywood luncheon. Possibly stuck for small talk, she asked him to sum up his aspirations for life. Without hesitation, Taylor replied that he dreamed of owning 10 perfectly tailored suits. 

For decades afterwards, the German-born Rainier would repeat this anecdote to illustrate what she saw as the epitome of American materialism and crassness. The consensus among Taylor’s peers was that he, in turn, was illustrating the fatal sense-of-humour failure allegedly prevalent among the Teutons. But there’s a strong case for taking Taylor’s remark at face value: few Hollywood leading men, before or since, have been as aware of clothing’s power to maketh the man (and, by extension, the role), whether pressing his tailor for “a navy blue gabardine serge or sharkskin suit (medium weight)” in order to play the captain of a luxury yacht, or “two pairs of frontier pants made out of cotton twill with rivets” in service to the many westerns he made. 

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‘Breezy’ was always Taylor’s preferred M.O. He was born Spangler Arlington Brugh in 1911 — it was MGM, on signing him in the early thirties, who changed his name to something markedly less excitable. He was a teenage track and field star, and cellist in his high school orchestra, before following a beloved professor to Pomona College in California, where he joined the campus theatre company and was spotted by an MGM talent scout. He made his film debut in the 1934 Will Rogers vehicle Handy Andy , and went on to make 18 features in three years, including Broadway Melody of 1936 and the British comedy A Yank at Oxford , alongside Vivien Leigh. If his impeccable turnout wasn’t always enough to lift the material at his disposal — one wag opined that his appearance in the drawing-room comedy Her Cardboard Lover was an apposite critique of his performance — his was always a collegial presence. “He was the sweetest man to work with,” said Shelly Winters, a later co-star. “By that I mean he was cooperative and understanding, in contrast to most leading men today, who try either to elbow you out of camera range or are off in a corner somewhere practising Method acting.” 

robert taylor travel

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Robert Taylor (1911-1969)

After several moves the family settled at Beatrice, Nebraska where Taylor attended High School. He was a gifted young man and stood out at track athletics, as well as playing the cello in the school orchestra. For two years from 1929 he attended Doane College in Crete, Nebraska, where he was a member of the Doane String Quartet. He joined the dramatics group The Doane Players and his first appearance on stage was in 1929 in the play "Helena Boys".

Music was his first love and in 1931 he moved to Claremont, California and enrolled at Pomona College to study the cello. He became more and more drawn to the stage and he performed in numerous college plays such as "The Importance of Being Ernest" and "Camille". While appearing in a college production in late 1932 he was seen by an MGM talent scout and offered a screen test. When he graduated in February, 1934 he signed a seven year contract with MGM for $35.00 a week (the lowest-paid actor in record) and his name was changed to Robert Taylor. A major new Hollywood name had been created.

Movie Career

Throughout the rest of the 1930's, Taylor appeared as a leading man in a variety of films in different genres, such as the musicals 'Broadway Melody of 1936' and 'Broadway Melody of 1938', and the comedy 'A Yank at Oxford', made in England in 1938 and co-starring Vivien Leigh. In 1940, he starred again with Leigh in Mervyn LeRoy's tragic love story 'Waterloo Bridge'.

From the start of the 1940's Taylor began to change his clean cut image by appearing in more gritty roles. In 1941 he played the title role in 'Billy the Kid' and the following year he played the ruthless gangster, the eponymous hero of 'Johnny Eager' with Lana Turner. He also showed himself to have comedic skill in movies such as 'When Ladies Meet' in 1941 and 'Her Cardboard Lover' with Joan Crawford and Greer Garson the following year.

After the war he returned to MGM and continued to develop his darker image, appearing in 1946 in the noirish 'Undercurrent' with Katharine Hepburn and Robert Mitchum and 'High Wall' in 1947 as a suspected killer.

Taylor gave the names of actors Howard Da Silva and Karen Morley and screenwriter Lester Cole to the Committee. Their careers were badly affected by the hearings and Cole was sent to prison, never able to write again under his own name. All three were mambers of the Communist party and all were also named by other witnesses, but Taylor was the first witness to "name names" and it did his reputation considerable harm. There were attempts to have his films banned in France and in Hungary and Czechoslovakia his movies were actually banned.

Post war Decline

Throughout most of his career, Taylor suffered criticism that he was just a pretty face and not a genuine actor. During the 1950's he sought to extend his acting skills with more challenging roles. In 1950 he played an American Indian, complete with dark-stained skin, in 'Devil's Doorway' which contained many surprisingly thought-provoking scenes dealing with the social plight of the Native American.

Taylor gave several noteworthy performances in otherwise routine pictures during the decade including 'Westward the Women' in 1951, 'Rogue Cop' in 1954, ' The Last Hunt' in 1956 and 'Party Girl' in 1958. During the late 1950's he appeared in a number of Westerns including the comedy 'Many Rivers To Cross' with Eleanor Parker in 1955, 'The Law and Jake Wade' in 1958, 'The Hangman' in 1959, and 'Cattle King' in 1963, leading many critics to feel that this was his most favorable genre.

Later Career

His movie career continued with some average productions including the Westerns 'Cattle King' in 1963 and 'Return of the Gunfighter' in 1967. He also joined the television series 'Death Valley Days' in 1966 and when his friend, Ronald Reagan, left to pursue a political career, Taylor took over the role of narrator and remained with the series until his death in 1969.

His first wife was actress Barbara Stanwyck whom he married in 1939. The couple had been dating since appearing together in 'His Brother's Wife' in 1936. When they began living together they were persuaded to legally marry by Louis B. Mayer, in order to avoid gossip and costly bad publicity. The couple had no children and the marriage ended in divorce in 1951 after Taylor had an affair with an Italian starlet in Rome whilst filming 'Quo Vadis'. After their divorce, a very bitter Barbara Stanwyck auctioned off their home in the Bel-Air area of Los Angeles, and all its contents, and collected 15 percent of Taylor's earnings until his death.

Taylor's second wife was German-born actress Ursula Thiess whom he married in 1954. His wife gave up her career to raise a family and the couple had two children, a son and a daughter. Taylor also became stepfather to Ursula's' two children from her previous marriage.

Taylor bought a large ranch in the Brentwood area of Los Angeles, to this day known as The Robert Taylor Ranch. There the Taylors enjoyed a quiet life away from the Hollywood limelight.

Taylor had been a heavy smoker all his life, and in 1968 he was diagnosed with lung cancer. He underwent major surgery to remove his right lung in October 1968 but died on June 8, 1969 in St. John's Hospital in Santa Monica, California. He was 57 years old.

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AIR & SPACE MAGAZINE

Robert taylor’s annual people and planes reunion.

Stop for a spell in the Golden Age.

Antique Airplane Association

Even as grass strips go, this one is spartan: It’s 2,350 feet long, and the markings are minimal. The body of an old Ercoupe, painted blaze orange, rests on a swivel to serve as the wind indicator. “It’s a challenging runway for the first time to land on,” admits Rob Bach, who for many years arrived in a 1928 Travel Air. “But it has a wonderful feeling. From the north you come over trees and a gully. It creates a bit of an optical illusion as the hill comes up.”

Since 1971 this rural Blakesburg, Iowa, grass strip has been the home of the Antique Airplane Association and its annual Labor Day weekend fly-in. Last year nearly 400 aircraft—most built in the 1930s and 1940s—assembled here, on 177 acres of rolling pasture with corrugated-metal buildings that look like they were left over from the Great Depression.

“There’s no control tower and no control zone,” says pilot Ann Pellegreno. “It’s just a very free atmosphere for aviation.” Pellegreno and her husband Don, also a pilot, fly up every summer from their home in Rhome, Texas, in their 1947 Fairchild XNQ-1, one of only three built and the last remaining in the world. “You can sit in front of the hangars and watch the airplanes come in and critique the landings,” she laughs. Landings from the north often entail a bounce or two, which the peanut gallery finds hilarious.

The Antique Airplane Association was created in 1953 when founder Robert Taylor decided that people who restore and fly vintage airplanes would benefit from a community. He placed a $12 classified ad in the August issue of Flying magazine soliciting $1-a-year memberships. “We got 12 members that first month,” recalls Taylor, now 91. “We broke even.” Taylor’s office is on the second floor of one of the buildings overlooking the runway; it’s a crow’s nest, dusty and jammed with books, magazines, and memorabilia. “I save everything,” Taylor says.

Robert Taylor

He rarely needs to consult the paper he’s saved because he also apparently remembers everything to do with antique aircraft: foibles, facts, people, parts, stories. “If you’re interested in restoring old airplanes, he’s your go-to guy,” says Pellegreno, who with her husband has restored 14 airplanes. “He’s very generous with his time helping people get the information they need.”

When Rob Bach acquired a rare 1961 Bentzen Sport homebuilt a few years ago, one of his first calls was to Taylor. Not only did Taylor recall the aircraft from a 1963 fly-in, he remembered someone who was there and had seen it, and he put Bach in touch with him. “His encyclopedic memory for airplanes, people, and what airplanes and projects are where is incredible,” says Bach. “He’s very passionate about old airplanes and keeping them alive.”

Taylor started the AAA after attending an early meeting of the Experimental Aircraft Association in Milwaukee, which was founded the same year. “Their whole thrust back then was homebuilts and I thought, What the hell, there ought to also be something for old airplanes,” he says. The two organizations have gone down very different paths. Today the EAA holds the largest civil airshow in the world, in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, and has 192,000 members; the AAA has 6,000. And if not for a brief childhood friendship in Taylor’s life, the Antique Airplane Association might not be here at all.

Taylor grew up around Ottumwa, Iowa, and as a boy spent time around the Ottumwa airport, about a mile from his grandparents’ farm. It was there that he sat in his first airplane, a Curtiss Robin, and in 1936 took his first airplane ride, in a Ford Tri-motor, which cost $1. He had to borrow 50 cents.

His family moved to Englewood, Colorado, during his high school years, and there he met Jack Lowe. The two boys struck up a friendship centered on their interest in aviation. Lowe had cerebral palsy and used a wheelchair. Taylor later reflected, “You know, there are people who can’t stand being around disabled people. Those people who are disabled can tell that. I never felt that about anybody. I never knew what struck him about me.” But Jack Lowe would never forget Bobby Taylor.

Taylor left Englewood before graduating, hitchhiked to California with $12 in his pocket, and found work icing donuts. On his 18th birthday, he was hired by Lockheed and worked on the center section of P-38s. During World War II he enlisted in the Army Air Forces and was assigned as a mechanic and crew chief in the Sixth Air Force. After the war, he attended the Aeronautical University in Chicago and worked at several California aerospace companies before Iowa called him home. The Army also called: He re-enlisted for a year of service during the Korean War. When he returned to Iowa, he worked for the Ottumwa Airport Commission, and later ran the Ottumwa airport’s FBO (fixed base operation). Along the way, he restored vintage airplanes for himself and other owners.

Preview thumbnail for This story is a selection from the June-July issue of Air & Space magazine

This story is a selection from the June-July issue of Air & Space magazine

“I haven’t done anything but aviation since my 18th birthday,” Taylor says.

His fledgling Antique Airplane Association grew. In 1954 it had its first fly-in: five airplanes showed up at the Ottumwa airport. Despite the group’s progress, revenues barely covered the printing and postage for the member newsletter. To take the AAA to the next level and stabilize its finances, Taylor needed several thousand dollars, but money was tight and he had a young family. Then one night the phone rang. It was Lowe’s nurse.

“Do you remember Jack Lowe?”

“Sure I do. How is Jack?”

“Well, we got something about your Antique Airplane Association and we’d like to come visit you.”

Taylor learned that his old friend had inherited the Dayton, Ohio Lowe Brothers paint fortune (the company was later bought out by Sherwin Williams) and was eager to help the association with a check for $3,000. By 1961 the AAA had grown to 700 members, and by the early 1960s the fly-in was a major aviation happening, with over 1,000 aircraft showing up every year. When Jack Lowe died in 1968, he left $100,000 to build what became the Airpower Museum and left Taylor his Lockheed Vega, which Taylor had been restoring at the time, and all the stock in his real estate development company, worth more than $1 million. Taylor used some of the money to buy the site of the current fly-in because, in Taylor’s view, the local government was making it difficult to base the AAA and hold the fly-in at the Ottumwa airport.

The move from pavement to unmarked rolling pasture was not without its detractors, and Taylor admits the association lost a few members and encountered logistical difficulties.

Since the move, the AAA has made improvements: The Airpower Museum, now the joint sponsor of the annual fly-in, exhibits 38 aircraft. Some of them, like the 1936 Rose Parrakeet or the 1939 Brewster B-1 Fleet, have long histories with the association but are exceedingly rare. Among the museum’s prized collection is a 3,400-square-foot Library of Flight, with more than 6,000 volumes.

The association also added the primitive-looking hangars and a saloon in the small causeway between them. During the fly-in, part of one hangar becomes a “fly market,” where members can rummage through and occasionally buy old airplane parts. The market is run by Harman Dickerson, 79. Every summer he loads up his van with parts to add to the market’s mix, then drives from Columbia, Missouri, where he operates an aircraft restoration business, to Blakesburg. “There’s really no inventory taken,” says. “People bring stuff in on consignment or donate it. There has been a lot of stuff that has been donated through the years and if it doesn’t sell, it just stays over until the next year. Some of this stuff you’ll just say happy birthday to forever.”

robert taylor travel

Dickerson went to his first AAA fly-in in 1965 and still flies his own Piper P-11. “It’s like the old planes were born into me,” he says. He’s drawn to Blakesburg because “it’s more rural, with the grass strip.” He adds: “I think I live back in that time. You do feel that way when you are there. I always enjoy Robert’s company. We tell tales. We love the old airplanes. It doesn’t matter what you fly, something from World War I or an Ercoupe, he treats everyone the same. I’ve always liked him for that.”

Taylor still lives on his own, drives, and comes to the office most afternoons. He flew into his late 80s but finally quit, he says, when “my eyes got too bad.” 

“I’ve always recognized that I was no Jimmy Doolittle,” he says. “Flying is one of those things that you eventually need to give up. I’m not one of these guys who is going to keep flying until he can’t talk or walk.”

The task of keeping everything moving in harmony and on a tight budget today falls to Taylor’s son Brent, 59, a pilot and airplane-and-powerplant mechanic with an inspection authorization, who runs the organization. (Taylor’s other son, Barry, also an A&P mechanic, works with the AAA on restoration projects.) Brent likens the popularity of the AAA fly-in to a Jimmy Buffett concert: “He’s selling a feeling, a dream,” Brent says. “Everyone’s got their own little version of it when they are there. Well, if you walk down the flightline here, you will get 10 different answers as to why people come.”

One theme runs through the conversations of those assembled this past Labor Day weekend. Comparing the gathering to the EAA’s annual AirVenture mega-airshow, pilot Doug Rozendaal says: “This is the antithesis of Oshkosh in every way.” Rozendaal arrived in a replica of Benny Howard’s air racer Mr. Mulligan with the aircraft’s builder, Jim Younkin. “Clearly there is a need and a purpose for both,” he continues. “Both are fun and interesting, but this is as grassroots as it gets: landing on a piece of rolling pasture, no rubber chicken dinners, and no sport coats.” (Hawaiian shirts are the preferred attire.)

Younkin, 85, a legend in both homebuilding and vintage airplane circles, just likes the relaxed pace of “being able to sit under someone’s wing and talk to people.”

Bach recalls coming to his first AAA fly-in in 1963 with his pilot parents (his father, Richard Bach, is the author of Jonathan Livingston Seagull ) when he was two years old, and playing with model airplanes under Robert Taylor’s desk. “I grew up on that airport,” he says. “There are so many memories. It takes me two hours to walk 100 yards because I know everybody. You can be sitting under a wing talking to a stranger and pretty soon you realize that you are talking to a guy who used to work for Don Luscombe. Every other person there is somebody with an amazing story.”

John Ricciotti of Barrington, New Hampshire, owns the last Waco S3HD—distinguished by its canopy—in the United States. He bought it three years ago and has brought it to every fly-in at Blakesburg since, flying it constantly during the weekend. “This airplane really needs to come here and be with these airplanes and the people who love them,” Ricciotti says, adding that he values how easy it is to just get up and fly, as opposed to more congested and bureaucratic aircraft gatherings. “I fly more than five times a day here. I can go out and enjoy the airplane, and people can see the airplane flying, people can be in the airplane flying with me. I love it.”

Aircraft collector Greg Herrick and his friends brought three of his Fairchild PT trainers to last year’s fly-in. Herrick, who lives in Minnesota, grew up in Ottumwa and says the AAA fostered his interest in aviation. The rare aircraft in his large collection—he has also flown his Ford and Stinson Tri-motors to Blakesburg—all come from the 1920s and 1930s, one of aviation’s most innovative eras. “That’s the period of time that represented real aviation progress in this country,” he says. “Had we not had that kind of development we’d kind of be what Russia was [in World War II].”

Membership in the AAA is a requirement for attending the fly-in. (Visitors can sign up on the spot.) Almost all the people who fly to Blakesburg come in an antique—an aircraft with a type certificate dated 1935 or earlier—or a classic, a category for types certified from 1936 to 1941. A number of World War II-era and post-war “neo-classics” also show up. Modern airplanes are welcome, but their pilots can expect some gentle ribbing—and segregated parking. Of the 365 airplanes that showed up in 2015, 341 were what Brent Taylor calls “display” aircraft, the kind of vintage beauties that attract attention when they land at small airports. What makes antiques and classics popular with his organization’s membership, says Taylor, is hard to define, but it has something to do with how they’re built. Before the war, airplanes were made almost by hand; afterward, they were manufactured. “Modern airplanes, just like everything else [modern] in life, are homogenized,” he says. “They all fly about the same. You don’t get that with an old airplane. They’re more challenging to fly, and even though the physics are the same, going from a 1928 Stearman to a 1936 Rearwin to a 1939 Spartan—they’re enough different that there’s a challenge to fly them and fly them correctly.”

Older aircraft have other appeals, says Brent: “History has a lot to do with it. Nostalgia has a lot to do with it. In our organization, family history has a lot to do with it.” It goes like this, he says: “Grandpa had a 1928 Stearman or whatever and I rode it in when I was a kid, and that’s what I want.”

Taylor’s own family follows this model. When he was 16, Robert Taylor’s grandson Ben soloed in a 1941 Interstate Cadet, the same airplane his grandfather soloed in. Not the same type of airplane, the very same Cadet. It’s the airplane both Ben and his father Brent fly today.

The fly-in has always been a family affair for Harve Applegate of Queen City, Missouri. This year Applegate and his flying family brought three airplanes to the fly-in, including a 1947 Stinson 108-1 that has transported five generations of his family, including his daughter, Shalyn. Shalyn started flying when she was 18, and is embarrassed, she says, that she waited so long. At 20, she is a professional pilot with a multi-engine rating.

The Stinson looks remarkable, considering that the wings were last re-covered in 1966, the fuselage in 1979, and the door handles have the original plating. “These are the same seats my great-grandfather sat in,” Shalyn notes proudly.

The 2016 fly-in will celebrate this  continuity, which sets the AAA/APM event apart from others. According to Brent Taylor, some families have four generations attending. This year, with the theme of “Back to Blakesburg/Back to Basics,” the association has put out a call to “Antique Airfield kids,” all those who were under 18 when they attended their first fly-in at Antique Airfield, starting with the first one in 1971. “We’ve already gotten a lot of interest from people who haven’t been here in a long time,” he says. “It was one of our more brilliant ideas—of the ones we wrote down,” he laughs.

One of the AAA local chapters—there are 19 around the country—is an organization of merry pranksters in LeSueur, Minnesota, who call themselves Marginal Aviation. They have been responsible for some of the practical jokes perpetrated at the fly-in over the years: hiding airplanes, alligator sightings, Christmas carolling in September until way too late at night, “rolling” airplanes with toilet paper, and pumpkin dropping.

The Marginal gang was started by Minnesotans Forrest Lovley and Gary Hanson; Gary’s son Toby has assumed the mantle of leadership. Toby also volunteers as one of the flaggers stationed on the runways who signal pilots “okay to land” or “go around.”

Every morning Brent Taylor, standing atop a picnic table, conducts a pilot briefing to explain how the system works: “Turn the damn radio off. Bernoulli flies the airplane, not Marconi. It’s red flag, green flag. Kind of like going through Mexican customs. If the red flag is up, continue your approach, but if they wave it, add power and go around. Once the airplane ahead of you has cleared the runway, the green flag will come out and you will make your landing. Do not stop on the runway, because there is likely someone behind you. If the two of you come together it makes bad noises and there is a lot of paperwork involved. Flybys are acceptable but absolutely no smoke on takeoff. The reason should be obvious. You just made the field go IFR [instrument flying rules] and the flag guys can’t see.”

robert taylor travel

On this hot and humid Iowa morning, Brent also needs to settle an important debate. “If you have to put the airplane off airport [he means crash], obviously your first choice is a hayfield and your second is a road. But the roads around here have high [power] lines. So you are down to corn and beans, and there is some argument. This time of year with mature beans, unless you got tall skinny tires like some of the real old antiques, you want to pick the corn. The reason being is that the mature beans are going to wrap around the landing gear, and 98 percent of the time you are going on your back.”

About 100 members volunteer every year to help the Taylors “keep the antiques flying”—the slogan painted in big script on the side of one of the hangars—at the annual fly-in, and various community groups participate as well. The women of the Blakesburg Historical Society sell homemade pie and ice cream. Ann Pellegreno notes with relief that the task of feeding the masses has been outsourced to the catering department of the local supermarket; in Blakesburg’s early days, women volunteers were in charge of provisions.

Beyond the fly-in, the AAA works to address issues seen as detrimental to the viability of antique aircraft. “The knowledge gap in the FAA is one of the biggest challenges we face going forward,” says Brent Taylor. “People are coming into the FAA who have no experience with old airplanes, no knowledge of them, and in a lot of cases don’t want to.” So Brent spends a fair amount of time working with other aviation organizations to address regulations, such as recent federal laws requiring all aircraft be equipped with certain types of modern avionics, seen as detrimental to antique aircraft. The AAA supported the efforts of member Greg Herrick to gain access to the drawings and technical data supplied to the FAA for the certification of the 1936 Fairchild F-45. Herrick wanted the information to guide the restoration of his F-45, but the FAA denied him the information, citing the need to protect trade secrets. After years of litigation, Herrick asked the AAA for help. The group won a Supreme Court case arguing for the right to view the drawings, Taylor v. Sturgill , and joined Herrick and other organizations to push for access to the drawings of other vintage aircraft. Herrick worked with pilot and U.S. Representative Sam Graves (R-Mo.) to amend the 2012 Federal Aviation Administration Re-Authorization Act to require the FAA to preserve and make available for non-commercial purposes all drawings for aircraft granted type certificates between 1927 and 1939. In aviation circles, the change to the bill is known as the “Herrick amendment.”

Herrick was concerned that some drawings were being either lost or destroyed. “Those drawings are the very DNA of aircraft development,” he says. “I’m personally interested in preserving airplanes from small manufacturers who went out of business or larger manufacturers where there were only one or two of a model left.”

The AAA has become the repository of some drawings, Brent Taylor says. “We have all the drawings here on microfiche for Stinsons, we’ve got all the Howard drawings, and a good portion of the Rearwin drawings,” plus other collections.

But some drawings may be gone for good. Shortly after the Herrick amendment passed, the AAA’s Steve Black, director of the Airpower Museum, tested it by requesting drawings for a Stinson 10 from the FAA’s Chicago Aircraft Certification Office. Says Brent: “We got the copies but found all kinds of things mixed up in it, including drawings for a Ryan ST,” a 1930s sport aircraft.

Some say that without Robert Taylor and the AAA, many of the vintage airplanes flying today would have themselves been lost. “There are about 30 of them out there in that hangar,” says Herrick. “He inspired me.”

The AAA still relies on its members for documents, and in most cases it doesn’t need to ask. Every week unsolicited boxes of drawings, books, manuals, and sometimes even airplane parts are delivered to the association’s library. “Some days 10 or 12 boxes just show up. It’s overwhelming,” says Black, who manages the library as well as the museum. “And you don’t know what you’ve got until you get in the boxes, and then sometimes you find really neat overhaul manuals on really old engines.”

Some donations come in after a member has died: The heirs pack up all the airplane stuff and send it in. The duplicates are sent to the museum gift shop, where they’re put up for sale. Besides the 6,000 volumes, the library has a large collection of manuals and periodicals. The basement is jammed wall to wall with boxes of them.

The occasional rare gem has surfaced. Black shows me a 1904 Curtiss Model 24 airship engine on display on the museum’s main floor. It had been donated more than 30 years earlier, and no one had paid much attention to it until recently. “We contacted the Glenn Curtiss Museum in Hammondsport, New York,” Black says. “They don’t even have one.”

As the afternoon fades, Robert Taylor reflects again on his friend Jack Lowe, and his generous early gift. He thinks the AAA could have survived without Lowe’s help, but it would have been difficult. Taylor says, “I probably could have muddled though here or passed [the association] on to somebody else or another organization…,” but he doesn’t think the Antique Airplane Association would be what it is today. “Not without Jack,” he says. Taylor turns in his chair and looks out his crow’s nest window at the gaggle of aircraft assembling on the grass below. “How lucky can an old man get?”

Six hours later, the late evening crowd has overflowed from the Pilot’s Pub onto the grass, and is gathering around campfires in front of the hangars. The victorious Hawaiian Shirt Night contestants proudly display their trophies—decorated coconut shells. The assembled revelers break into song:

’Cause if you stop in for a while, You’re going to come out with a smile! 

The ballad is actually about a brothel, but it could equally apply to a special piece of rolling pasture in Blakesburg, Iowa, thanks to the vision of Robert Taylor. 

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Mark Huber | READ MORE

Mark Huber has written about eccentric aircraft and their fascinating owners for Air & Space since 2000.

  • Entertainment

Robert Taylor

Robert Taylor

R obert Taylor's 35-year career in film and television included starring roles alongside Greta Garbo and Elizabeth Taylor and replacing Ronald Reagan on the hit television series "Death Valley Days."

His career began in 1934, when he played the juvenile lead in "Handy Andy." Fresh from acting classes at Pomona College, he became an almost-too-handsome leading man in the Metro-Goldwyn-Meyer epics of the 1930s. In later years, as his face grew lined and his hair less wavy, he became a hero of rugged action films.

Taylor made more than 70 films. Among them were "The Magnificent Obsession" in 1935, "Camille," which he made with Garbo in 1936, and "Ivanhoe," which he made with Elizabeth Taylor in 1951. He was also a tough policeman in the 1959-62 TV series "The Detective" and in 1966 took over Reagan's role as narrator and sometimes star of segments of the "Death Valley Days" series.

Taylor was born Spangler Arlington Burgh in Filley, Neb., in 1911. He first attended Doane College in Crete, Neb., but later transferred to Pomona College.

In 1932, he was playing Captain Stanhope in a school production of "Journey's End." There was an MGM talent scout in the audience, who asked Taylor if he'd like a $35-a-week job learning about acting at the MGM drama school that offered a chance to play some parts in MGM movies.

In his early days, Taylor was usually cast as a matinee-idol type in pictures appealing to women. MGM saw the error of the typecasting and, in 1938, put him in more masculine parts.

Taylor's career boomed. In the era of big stars — Clark Gable, Spencer Tracy, Joan Crawford and Jean Harlow — Taylor was playing opposite the top actresses and earning $5,000 a week.

Taylor was under contract at MGM from 1934 until 1958, a record in Hollywood. His biggest years were those around 1940 and those around 1950.

During World War II, he was a Navy flier and a director of training films. He served almost three years as a lieutenant. After World War II, his career caught on again in 1951 when he starred in "Westward the Women" and "Quo Vadis."

It was also in 1951 that Taylor divorced his first wife, Barbara Stanwyck. In 1954, he married actress Ursula Thiess. Taylor and Thiess had two children.

He lived quietly for several years in the 1950s. He said he wasn't proud of some of the films he made after he left MGM in 1958, but he kept on working.

Taylor, a lifelong smoker, first suffered lung trouble in 1968. He died at St. John's Hospital in Santa Monica in 1969. Reagan delivered the eulogy at his funeral.

— Dial Torgerson in the Los Angeles Times June 9, 1969

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What Has Robert Taylor Been Up To Since Longmire?

Robert Taylor wears a cowboy hat

Despite premiering during an era in which A&E was moving away from scripted programming, the modern day Western series "Longmire" found itself a loyal audience. In fact, demand for more episodes of the series about the Absaroka County, Wyoming sheriff was so high, Netflix swooped in and picked up the series in 2014 when A&E canceled it after three seasons. "Longmire" went on to produce an additional three seasons for Netflix, but it officially came to an end in 2017 with Season 6. Despite the show being over for quite some time, "Longmire" fans remain a passionate bunch, and as a result, the show's actors are very much in demand.

Among those actors is Robert Taylor who played the show's titular character Sheriff Walt Longmire. As Walt, Taylor embodied the spirit of an American cowboy trying to live in the morally gray world of modern America so well many viewers never released he's actually from Australia. In the late '80s, he even starred in the popular Australian soap opera "Home and Away."

However, for most of his fans, Taylor will always be synonymous with Walt, the old-fashioned sheriff fighting for justice in a small town where the divide between those living on the local Native American Indian reservation and outside of it led to plenty of dramatic conflicts. These days, the actor seems to spend most of his time enjoying life with his friends and family back in Australia (at least if his Instagram is any indication), but Taylor's post-"Longmire" career has included some interesting projects, as well.

Taylor helped Jason Statham fight off a prehistoric shark in The Meg

In his first role after "Longmire" ended , Robert Taylor joined the cast of 2018's "The Meg." The movie stars Jason Statham as a rescue diver named Jonas on a mission to rescue a submarine crew. Unfortunately for him, there happens to be a megalodon lurking in the ocean even though the prehistoric creature is supposed to be extinct.

While Statham is the movie's undisputed star, "The Meg" has a stellar cast including Taylor, Ruby Rose, and Rainn Wilson. For his part, the "Longmire" actor takes on the role of Dr. Heller, one of the people Jonas rescues at the start of the film. At first, the doctor believes Jonas' belief that a megalodon caused the damage to the submarine is due to him suffering from induced pressure psychosis. But when he encounters the giant shark later in the film, the doctor realizes just how wrong his initial assessment of his rescuer was.

Blood Vessel featured Taylor encountering another terror at sea

Robert Taylor followed up his role in "The Meg" with two very different low-budget films in 2019. First, he played a sheriff and grieving father in the revenge thriller "Into the Ashes" starring "Yellowstone" actor Luke Grimes . The movie is a fairly standard man out for revenge after the murder of his wife film, but Taylor does add some gravitas to the proceedings as his character begs his son-in-law not to continue the cycle of violence that cost him his daughter.

Still, no movie could possibly compete with the wonderfully bonkers premise of "Blood Vessel." In the horror film, Taylor plays the captain of a ship that goes down at sea during World War II. He and a handful of survivors manage to make their way onto a lifeboat, and are eventually picked up by a ship full of Nazis. That's definitely not an ideal situation, but the survivors quickly realize things are so much worse than they imagined because the boat is also carrying bloodthirsty vampires.

The movie was actually met with mostly positive reviews — it currently has a 73% rating among critics on Rotten Tomatoes — and while it doesn't reinvent the stake when it comes to vampire storytelling, it's certainly a fun popcorn movie (and a treat for Taylor fans).

Taylor returns to Netflix for Dolly Parton's Heartstrings

Since "Longmire" ended, Robert Taylor hasn't appeared on another long-running show, but he did have a major role in one episode of Netflix's anthology series "Dolly Parton's Heartstrings." Released in 2019, the series featured eight standalone stories based on some of Parton's greatest hits. Taylor appeared in the fifth episode of the season, which focused on the heartbreaking song "Down from Dover" about a young woman who discovers she's pregnant after her soldier boyfriend is shipped off to the Vietnam War.

The "Longmire" star got to play against type as a reverend who turns his back on his daughter after discovering her pregnancy. While Taylor tends to play heroic types, there's nothing heroic about Reverend Covern or his decision to kick his daughter out. Still, it was nice to see the actor return to Netflix, even though it was in a role so different from his fan favorite "Longmire" character.

Taylor has been pretty quiet since 2019, but even though he appears to be taking a break to focus on his family and friends, the actor's post-"Longmire" career has already featured its share of twists and turns.

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5 Best Robert Taylor Movies: Captivating Characters & Memorable Roles of a Classic Screen Star

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Robert Taylor was an American film and television actor who rose to fame in the 1930s and 1940s. He was known for his handsome looks, smooth voice, and strong screen presence.

Best Robert Taylor Movies

In this article, we will explore some of the best Robert Taylor movies that showcase his talent as an actor and his contribution to the world of cinema.

1. Stand Up and Fight (1939)

“Stand Up and Fight” is a Western film that stars Robert Taylor in the lead role. The film tells the story of a young lawyer who travels to the Wild West to settle an inheritance dispute and becomes embroiled in a conflict between settlers and a powerful landowner.

Taylor delivers a strong performance as the young lawyer, showcasing his dramatic range and on-screen charisma. The film also features some impressive action sequences and a memorable supporting performance from Wallace Beery.

“Stand Up and Fight” remains a beloved classic Hollywood Western that showcases Robert Taylor’s talents as an actor.

Stand Up and Fight

  • Factory sealed DVD
  • Wallace Beery, Robert Taylor (Actor)
  • English (Publication Language)
  • Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)

2. Billy the Kid (1941)

“Billy the Kid” is a Western film that stars Robert Taylor in the lead role. The film tells the story of the legendary outlaw Billy the Kid and his adventures in the Wild West. Taylor delivers a strong performance as Billy the Kid, showcasing his on-screen charisma and dramatic range.

The film also features some impressive action sequences and a memorable supporting performance from Brian Donlevy as Pat Garrett. “Billy the Kid” remains a beloved classic Hollywood Western that showcases Robert Taylor’s talents as an actor.

Billy the Kid [DVD] [1941] [Region 1] [US Import] [NTSC]

3. Ambush (1950)

“Ambush” is a Western film that stars Robert Taylor in the lead role. The film tells the story of a cavalry officer who is sent to a remote outpost in the Wild West to investigate a series of Indian attacks.

Taylor delivers a strong performance as the tough and capable officer, showcasing his on-screen charisma and dramatic range.

The film also features some impressive action sequences and a memorable supporting performance from John Hodiak as a scout. “Ambush” remains a beloved classic Hollywood Western that showcases Robert Taylor’s talents as an actor.

Emboscada Ambush (Dvd) [2013] (Import Movie) (European Format - Zone 2)

  • Castilian (Subtitle)

4. Devil’s Doorway (1950)

“Devil’s Doorway” is a Western film that stars Robert Taylor in the lead role. The film tells the story of a Native American war veteran who returns to his home to find that his people are being oppressed by white settlers.

Taylor delivers a strong performance as the proud and determined war veteran, showcasing his dramatic range and on-screen charisma. The film also features some impressive cinematography and a powerful social message about prejudice and discrimination.

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“Devil’s Doorway” was a groundbreaking film for its time, and it remains a beloved classic Hollywood Western that showcases Robert Taylor’s talents as an actor.

Devil's Doorway [DVD] [1950] [Region 1] [US Import] [NTSC]

5. Westward the Women (1951)

“Westward the Women” is a Western drama film that stars Robert Taylor in the lead role. The film tells the story of a group of women who are recruited to travel across the country to California, where they are to be married to settlers.

Taylor delivers a strong performance as the experienced trail guide who leads the women on their journey, showcasing his on-screen charisma and dramatic range. The film also features some impressive cinematography and a powerful message about the strength and resilience of women.

“Westward the Women” remains a beloved classic Hollywood drama that showcases Robert Taylor’s talents as an actor.

Westward the Women

  • Robert Taylor, Denise Darcel, Hope Emerson, John Mc Intire (Actor)
  • William A. Wellman (Director)

3 Reasons To Watch Robert Taylor Movies

Strong performances: Robert Taylor was a talented actor who was able to bring depth and nuance to his roles. Whether he was playing a cowboy, a soldier, or a romantic lead, he always gave a strong performance that showcased his dramatic range and on-screen charisma.

Classic Hollywood nostalgia: Robert Taylor’s films offer a glimpse into the golden age of Hollywood, with their glamorous sets, stylish costumes, and unforgettable stories.

Watching his movies is a way to connect with the rich history of Hollywood cinema and to appreciate the artistry and talent of the performers of that era.

Western adventures: Robert Taylor was particularly known for his work in Western films, which remain beloved classics today.

These films offer a thrilling and exciting look at the Wild West, with their tales of cowboys, outlaws, and frontier life. If you’re a fan of Westerns, then Robert Taylor’s movies are a must-see.

Best Robert Taylor Movies – Wrap Up

In conclusion, Robert Taylor was a talented actor who left a lasting legacy in Hollywood. From his classic Westerns like “Billy the Kid” and “The Last Hunt” to his dramatic performances in films like “Devil’s Doorway” and “Return of the Gunfighter,” Taylor showcased his versatility and range as an actor.

His films continue to be popular today, and his on-screen charisma and talent have made him a favorite among audiences of all ages.

Whether you’re a fan of classic Hollywood cinema, Westerns, or just looking for some thrilling and entertaining movies, Robert Taylor’s films are sure to provide a lot of enjoyment and excitement.

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Firefighters working house fire on Taylor Street in Lynchburg

A house fire on Taylor Street in Lynchburg is under control, according to the Lynchburg Fire Department.

It caught on fire a little before 11:15 in the morning on Friday and they got it under control within about 20 minutes, according to Marques Bush, the Deputy Fire Chief of Operations with the Lynchburg Fire Department.

SEE ALSO: ABC13 breaks ground on 2024 St. Jude Dream Home

He said, there were construction workers inside the home and they evacuated quickly. He said there were no injuries.

"The house is under construction so they did have to chase it through the walls and open up some walls and get into the attic spaces and there was kind of a mess in the house from it being under construction.," Bush said.

He said when they got there smoke was coming from both sides. They don't know how it started yet but they are investigating.

When Lynchburg Fire Department and ABC 13 got on the scene, smoke was visible from the street. 

"We had visible smoke and fire from two sides of the building, once the first fire suppression apparatus arrived, they immediately put up two lines and set up a water supply," he said.

Firefighters working house fire on Taylor Street in Lynchburg

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A History of Moscow in 13 Dishes

Featured city guides.

9 Things to See in Moscow's Red Square

 Sir Francis Canker/Getty Images

In most cases, you'll be entering Red Square from the north, passing landmarks such as the Bolshoi Theatre and Duma parliament building as you make your way southward. Although you don't necessarily have to pass through the Voskresensky (or Resurrection in English) Gates in order to gain access to the square these days, they definitely provide a sense of arrival, to say nothing of the way their left arch frame's St. Basil's Cathedral if you look from just the right angle.

An interesting fact is that while a gate of some kind has stood here since the mid-16th century, the one you currently see wasn't built until 1994, having been destroyed in 1931 so that tanks could enter and exit Red Square during military parades.

St. Basil's Cathedral

TripSavvy / Christopher Larson 

Few sights are as iconic not only of Moscow and Red Square but indeed of Russia than St. Basil's Cathedral, whose colorful, onion-shaped domes are a symbol of the country around the world. Officially known as the Cathedral of Vasily the Blessed, this church has stood since 1561, which is quite miraculous when you consider all the turbulent history that has transpired since then.

Among other things, religion was severely prohibited during the Soviet period , which led some to believe that this emblem of the Russian Orthodox church might not withstand the tenure of the USSR. 

An interesting fact is that St. Basil's is the so-called "Kilometer Zero" of Russia; all of Moscow's main roads (which can take you anywhere in Russia) begin at the exits to Red Square. In this way, St. Basil's iconic status also has an extremely tangible element.

The Kremlin

TripSavvy / Christopher Larson

When you think of The Kremlin, it's unlikely that positive images enter your mind. The fact that simply saying the word "Kremlin" is too vague a descriptor (most Russian cities have their own Kremlin complexes; you should say "Moscow Kremlin") notwithstanding, this misunderstood place is incredibly beautiful, even if you don't like the policy that comes out of it.

Senate Square

In spite of its name, which refers to the role the building that rises above the square played during Imperial Russia, Senate Square is actually home to Russia's presidential administration, currently helmed by Vladimir Putin. In order to see where Russia's legislature operates from, walk just outside Red Square to the Duma parliament building.

Dormition Cathedral

Dating back to the year 1479, the gold-domed Dormition Cathedral pays homage to an Orthodox religious feast that commemorates the death of the Virgin Mary . As is the case with St. Basil's, it is curious that such a conspicuously religious structure was able to survive through the Soviet period.

Armoury Chamber

Though it takes its name from the fact that it housed Russia's royal arsenal when it was built in the 16th century, the most notable resident of the Kremlin's Armoury Chamber today is the Russian Diamond Fund.

Notable Kremlin Towers

Robert Schrader

The interior of the Moscow Kremlin is more beautiful and inviting than you'd expect, but the walls and towers that rise around it better live up to the intimidation with which the complex is associated. 

Borovitskaya Tower

Named to commemorate the dense forest that once stood atop the mount where it's built, this tower is extremely picturesque. Built in the late 15th century, it's visible from most places in the square, and also as you walk along the Moskva River.

Nikolskaya Tower

Also built in the year 1491, this tower currently suffered destruction at the hands of Napoleon's army in the 19th century. What you see now is the result of an 1816 re-design and renovation, though artillery fire during the Russian Revolution also caused superficial damage to the tower, named to honor St. Nikolas of Mozhaysk , so it's difficult to know which elements of it are original.

Spasskaya Tower

Known in English as the "Savior's Tower," this iconic, star-topped tower is perhaps the best-known of all the Kremlin's towers. Built in 1491 like the other two towers on this list, it's certainly the most photographed. As a result of its proximity to St. Basil's, it often makes its way into tourists' pictures.

Mausoleum of Lenin

Just as it's strange to learn how many religious monuments survived through the Soviet period, it's a bit odd to think that Lenin's preserved body still sits in a mausoleum just beneath the walls of the Kremlin on Red Square, given the lack of consensus about the ultimate impact of his Revolution, even in Russia.

It's not guaranteed that you'll be able to see the body (which, believe it or not, seems to be improving with age ) when you go, and if you do you will likely have to wait in line, but even strolling past the outside of the Lenin Mausoleum, flanked by stone-faced guards that almost look like statues, illuminates the gravity of his body still being here.

GUM Shopping Center

You might cringe, at least initially, when you realize that one of the most iconic stops on a tour of Red Square is a department store—until you see said department store, that is. Built in 1893 and known during Soviet times as the State Department Store, GUM  ( Glávnyj Universáľnyj Magazín​ or Main Universal Store in English) hearkens back to the grandeur of the late 19th century, both seen from the outside (especially, when lit up at night) and the interior, which might have you feeling like you're further west in Europe.

A trip inside GUM is a particularly good idea during winter, when frigid temperatures outside will have you savoring the heat, the quality of souvenirs, confections and other goods sold inside notwithstanding. Also, make sure not to confuse GUM with CDM, which sits near the Bolshoi Theatre, even though both are stunning and iconic in their own right.

State Historical Museum

The Russian State Historical Museum is located near Voskresensky Gates, though you should wait until after you've seen the first few attractions of Red Square and the Kremlin to head back there and go inside. To be sure, as you pass by its facade (whose late-19th century grandeur somewhat obscures that fact that it's currently a museum accessible to the public) you might not even think to try and gain entry.

Once inside the museum, you can plan to spend at least a couple of hours, given that artifacts here date back to the very beginning of the Russian state in the ninth century. As is the case with GUM, this will be a particularly alluring prospect if you visit in winter, when Moscow is arguably at its most beautiful, but certainly at its least tolerable. 

Minin-Pozharsky Monument

It's somewhat easy to disregard this monument, which pays homage to the two Russian princes who ended the so-called "Time of Troubles" in the mid-16th century, during which Polish-Lithuanian forces occupied Russia, among other awful things including a famine. That's because the statue currently sits just at the base of St. Basil's Cathedral, which makes it very difficult to photograph or even see without being overwhelmed by that much more famous edifice.

Though the statue originally sat at the very center of Red Square, it came to be an obstacle to the movement of tanks during the Soviet period, much like the Voskresensky Gates. As a result, authorities moved it during that time, and it's stayed where you currently find it ever since.

Kazan Cathedral

Taken by itself, the smokey-pink Kazan Cathedral is an architectural marvel; originally built in the 17th century, the church you find here today, located just north of the GUM department store, dates back only to 1993.

Unfortunately, since it sits not only in the shadow of GUM, but also in the shadow St. Basil's and the Towers of the Kremlin, it's easy to miss entirely if you aren't looking. As a result, you might wait until you've seen just about everything else in Red Square before coming here to take photos, and to appreciate the understated beauty of this oft-overlooked cathedral.

Moskva River

As you head south from St. Basil's Cathedral to exit Red Square, make sure to walk onto Bolshoy Moskvoretskiy Bridge, which crosses the Moskva River. If you look due north, you can get an excellent shot of the church framed, on the left, by the towers of the Kremlin. Directing your gaze a bit to the west allows you to see the skyscrapers of Moscow City as they rise above the Kremlin's walls.

Walking westward along the riverbank is also a worthwhile excursion, for the views it provides of Red Square and the Kremlin, as well as the fact that doing so takes you to other iconic Moscow attractions, including Gorky Park and the Pushkin Museum. The views you enjoy from the river and the bridge are particularly stunning at night, though you should make sure you bring a tripod if you want to get a clear picture, given how strong winds over and near the river can be.

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Travis Kelce dishes on his offseason travel essentials before Bahamas vacation with Taylor Swift

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Travis Kelce shared his offseason travel essentials before jetting off to the Bahamas with his girlfriend, Taylor Swift .

“‘Traveling Trav,’ that’s my f–king nickname — not because I move around a lot, but because I can’t f–king dribble a basketball,” the Kansas City Chiefs tight end quipped to his brother, Jason Kelce, in Wednesday’s episode of their “New Heights” podcast .

“It’s important to have the right credit card for you,” he added in his and the former Philadelphia Eagles center ‘s ad for Experian. “In both of our cases, a travel credit card is perfect for all these offseason ‘Traveling Trav needs.'”

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Travis, 34, recorded the episode before he and the “Out of the Woods” singer, 34, jetted off to Eleuthera.

The couple was spotted disembarking a boat and walking across a dock to the Caribbean island earlier this week.

Despite their best efforts to keep a low profile with baseball caps, eagle-eyed islanders still managed to capture a quick glimpse.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by curators of pop culture (@deuxmoi)

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Swift and Travis’ vacation comes as the two, who started dating last summer , are both on hiatus from their careers.

The pop star resumes her Eras Tour in May, while the athlete will join the NFL training camps over the summer.

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Following Swift’s string of Singapore shows earlier this month, she and Travis flew to Los Angeles for a few days to attend Madonna’s lavish Oscars party — and presumably recover.

tavis kelce, taylor swift, machine gun kelly and megan fox

Although the football player later attended Justin Timberlake’s concert sans Swift, he and the “Blank Space” singer mainly kept out of the spotlight while in the City of Angels.

“They’re focused on rest and recuperation and relaxing at home and having low-key and chill time together,” an insider told Us Weekly last week of their “nesting” plans .

“They are enjoying movie nights in her home theater, catching up on films and shows they’ve missed.”

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Celebrating its new partnership with The Spice House and the four premium spice and herb blends it developed shaped around the cruise line’s global explorations, there’s a big prize up for grabs. Among the flavor sets are a sweet and smoky Alaskan salmon rub, a Dutch smoked sea salt and a Far East fish curry. Between now and March 28, follow Holland America Line and The Spice House on Instagram, and be sure to like the giveaway post. To complete your entry, tag three friends in the comments.

Win the ultimate Good Sam road trip

Win the road trip of your dreams.

Good Sam wants to encourage next generation of road trippers to get out there and go with their “Good to Go” sweepstakes. The company helps with trip planning including things like vehicle rentals and finding a campsite and adding a reliable insurance policy. Between now and the end of August, visit GoodSam.com to enter for three chances to win the ultimate summer road trip. This includes a five-night RV rental, campground credit and one year’s Good Sam membership, roadside assistance platinum policy and TravelAssist Premier plan.

Golf weekend sweepstakes prize from BetMGM Rewards

Win a Los Angeles getaway with Blake Griffin.

Now that loyalty program members who live in eligible states can transfer BetMGM Rewards (a sports betting and iGaming operator) points to Marriott Bonvoy points , both brands are coming together to offer a big prize. One lucky sweepstakes winner will receive a weekend trip to spend time with basketball superstar Blake Griffin to Los Angeles where he lives. Enter the sweepstakes between now and April for a chance to play a round of golf with Griffin plus visits to his favorite restaurants, tickets to a comedy show, roundtrip airfare and three nights at Santa Monica Proper Hotel, a Member of Design Hotels and Marriott Bonvoy participating hotel.

Chips Ahoy! MMMproved Getaway Sweepstakes

A chic Malibu getaway weekend is up for grabs at the beach.

Celebrating a new recipe for its original chocolate chip cookie (its biggest update in the last decade), the brand has launched a getaway sweepstakes. The new cookie features uses a higher cacao content and higher concentrate of Madagascar vanilla extract in each chocolate chip. Up for grabs is an all-expenses paid weekend trip to a luxury Malibu beach house. Follow Chips Ahoy! cookies on Instagram or Facebook, and comment on the pinned post on either page for a chance to win. May 31 is the deadline to enter.

Better Your Bag Sweepstakes from Golf Galaxy

Schedule a simulator rental for a chance to win.

Score an automatic entry with any purchase between now and the end of April for a fitting, lesson or simulator rental with a ScoreCard account via any Golf Galaxy location. The grand prize of the Better Your Bag sweepstakes from Golf Galaxy ? An all-expenses paid trip for two to Scotland with two rounds of golf, including one at the historic North Berwick Golf Club.

Ramsey Qubein

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  4. ROBERT TAYLOR

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  6. Robert Taylor, who truly fit the title of "matinee idol" from roughly

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COMMENTS

  1. Robert Taylor (American actor)

    Robert Taylor (born Spangler Arlington Brugh; August 5, 1911 - June 8, 1969) was an American film and television actor and singer who was one of the most popular leading men of cinema.. Taylor began his career in films in 1934 when he signed with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.He won his first leading role the following year in Magnificent Obsession.His popularity increased during the late 1930s and ...

  2. The man with the perfect profile: Robert Taylor

    Date December 2023. Author Stuart Husband. In the 1930s, the actress Luise Rainier found herself seated next to Robert Taylor, then on the cusp of matinee-idol status, at a Hollywood luncheon. Possibly stuck for small talk, she asked him to sum up his aspirations for life. Without hesitation, Taylor replied that he dreamed of owning 10 ...

  3. Facts About Robert Taylor, The Star Who Squealed

    1. He Was Under Their Control. As a hot young actor, the Hollywood studios liked to keep Robert Taylor snuggly under their arm. MGM liked to pair their pretty boy in films with powerful older women—and then they shockingly made him marry one. Sadly, Taylor now had two puppet masters to answer to: MGM and his wife.

  4. Robert Taylor

    About. Rob Taylor is the founder of 2TravelDads, the original LGBT Family Travel blog. Focusing on ecotourism and education, 2TravelDads is designed to inspire LGBT families (and traditional ...

  5. Robert Taylor: The Man with the Perfect Charm

    With Audrey Totter also playing against type, Taylor successfully switched off his suave persona, reinventing himself as a tormented war vet who is confined inside a psychiatric hospital. In Bataan he gives a gritty portrayal as Sgt. Bill Dane. Director Tay Garnett recalled: "Bob Taylor was one of the world's great gentlemen….

  6. Robert Taylor

    Robert Taylor was born in Filley, Nebraska, on August 5, 1911, with the birth name of Spangler Arlington Brugh. His father, Spangler Andrew Brugh, was a grain farmer who, late in life, studied medicine and became a doctor, in order to treat and, eventually successfully cure his wife of a rare illness which she had had since childhood. ...

  7. Robert Taylor's Annual People and Planes Reunion

    The Antique Airplane Association was created in 1953 when founder Robert Taylor decided that people who restore and fly vintage airplanes would benefit from a community. He placed a $12 classified ...

  8. Robert Taylor

    Robert Taylor. Actor: The Bribe. Born Spangler Arlington Brugh, Robert Taylor began displaying a diversity of talents in his youth on the plains of Nebraska. At Beatrice High School, he was a standout track athlete, but also showed a talent for using his voice, winning several oratory awards. He was a musician and played the cello in the school orchestra.

  9. Robert Taylor

    Leonard. In Robert Z. Leonard: Later films. …the talents of Joan Crawford, Robert Taylor, and Greer Garson. We Were Dancing (1942), a laboured adaptation of Noël Coward's Tonight at 8:30, was notable for being one of Shearer's last pictures. Leonard made a rare foray into the war genre with Stand By for Action (1942), a patriotic World….

  10. Robert Taylor

    Robert Taylor. Actor: The Bribe. Born Spangler Arlington Brugh, Robert Taylor began displaying a diversity of talents in his youth on the plains of Nebraska. At Beatrice High School, he was a standout track athlete, but also showed a talent for using his voice, winning several oratory awards. He was a musician and played the cello in the school orchestra.

  11. Robert Taylor

    R obert Taylor's 35-year career in film and television included starring roles alongside Greta Garbo and Elizabeth Taylor and replacing Ronald Reagan on the hit television series "Death Valley Days.". His career began in 1934, when he played the juvenile lead in "Handy Andy." Fresh from acting classes at Pomona College, he became an almost-too-handsome leading man in the Metro-Goldwyn-Meyer ...

  12. The Time Machine (1960)

    The Time Machine: Directed by George Pal. With Rod Taylor, Alan Young, Yvette Mimieux, Sebastian Cabot. A man's vision for a utopian society is disillusioned when travelling forward into time reveals a dark and dangerous society.

  13. The Untold Truth Of Robert Taylor

    Netflix. By Ryan Ariano / Aug. 18, 2021 7:26 pm EST. Robert Taylor has been acting professionally for over 30 years but he's only just reached that big open sky of American stardom by playing the ...

  14. Robert Taylor: Remembering One of Hollywood's Early Emerging Stars

    Robert Taylor, born Spangler Arlington Brugh on August 5, 1911, in Filley, Nebraska, emerged as one of Hollywood's most popular leading men during his time. Signing with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer in 1934, Taylor quickly ascended to leading man status with his first major role in "Magnificent Obsession" in 1935. Renowned for his on-screen charm ...

  15. [4K] Walking Streets Moscow. Moscow-City

    Walking tour around Moscow-City.Thanks for watching!MY GEAR THAT I USEMinimalist Handheld SetupiPhone 11 128GB https://amzn.to/3zfqbboMic for Street https://...

  16. What Has Robert Taylor Been Up To Since Longmire?

    Taylor helped Jason Statham fight off a prehistoric shark in The Meg. In his first role after "Longmire" ended, Robert Taylor joined the cast of 2018's "The Meg." The movie stars Jason Statham as ...

  17. Westward the Women

    Westward the Women is a 1951 American western film directed by William A. Wellman and starring Robert Taylor, Denise Darcel and John McIntire. Plot. In 1851, Roy Whitman wants to keep the lonely men who live in Whitman's Valley from leaving, so he decides to bring respectable women from the East to California to marry them.

  18. 5 Best Robert Taylor Movies: Captivating Characters & Memorable Roles

    1. Stand Up and Fight (1939) "Stand Up and Fight" is a Western film that stars Robert Taylor in the lead role. The film tells the story of a young lawyer who travels to the Wild West to settle an inheritance dispute and becomes embroiled in a conflict between settlers and a powerful landowner. Taylor delivers a strong performance as the ...

  19. Evolution Travel

    Evolution Travel Group: A full-service agency offering a range of experiences, including Travel Incentives, Meetings and Events, Group and Leisure Trips. Your Agent: Robert Taylor 817-523-1293 Evolution Video

  20. Lt. Robert Taylor, United States Naval Reserve 1943-1945

    His three years in the Navy seemed to have changed Mr. Taylor profoundly-he went in still something of a boy and came out a man. Robert Taylor was proud to volunteer to serve his country and did so with honor and distinction. Robert Taylor was sworn into the United States Navy on February 9, 1943 and commissioned as a Lt. (j.g.).

  21. Firefighters working house fire on Taylor Street in Lynchburg

    Story by Robert Locklear • 9h. ABC13 is at the scene of a house fire on Taylor Street in Lynchburg. Officials have not yet released information about the fire, but smoke was visible from the street.

  22. MOSCOW CITY CENTRE TOUR. PART 1 /// RUSSIA TRAVEL VIDEO ...

    There are lots to see in the city centre of Moscow, so we decided to start our series of Russia travel videos by showing you around the most historical part ...

  23. Walking Tour: Central Moscow from the Arbat to the Kremlin

    There are green spaces and public parks, leafy neighborhoods, pedestrian zones, and calm bodies of water. And, of course, more history in one street corner than in many entire towns. This tour of Moscow's center takes you from one of Moscow's oldest streets to its newest park through both real and fictional history, hitting the Kremlin ...

  24. Top Things to See in Moscow's Red Square

    St. Basil's Cathedral. Few sights are as iconic not only of Moscow and Red Square but indeed of Russia than St. Basil's Cathedral, whose colorful, onion-shaped domes are a symbol of the country around the world. Officially known as the Cathedral of Vasily the Blessed, this church has stood since 1561, which is quite miraculous when you consider ...

  25. Travis Kelce shares travel essentials before Taylor Swift vacation

    Travis Kelce shared his offseason travel essentials before jetting off to the Bahamas with his girlfriend, Taylor Swift. "'Traveling Trav,' that's my f-king nickname — not because I ...

  26. 9 Travel Contests Offer Free Taylor Swift And Dave Matthews ...

    Thanks to Marriott Bonvoy, those pricey Taylor Swift tickets are easier than you think. Marriott Bonvoy Moments, the unique entertainment and travel experiences available using points, is offering ...