Vaughn Taylor (actor)

Vaughn Everett Taylor (February 22, 1911 – April 26, 1983) was an American actor.

He became known for his roles in many anthology series, including Kraft Television Theatre (1947–1957) and Robert Montgomery Presents (1950–1954).

On Broadway, Taylor appeared in Hope's the Thing (1948).

Taylor began his career in film in Up Front (1951).

He was also a regular performer on Montgomery's Summer Stock, which was a summer replacement for Robert Montgomery Presents from 1953 through 1956.

His film appearances include Jailhouse Rock (1957), Decision at Sundown (1957), Gunsmoke in Tucson (1958),Cowboy (1958), Screaming Mimi (1958), Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1958), Warlock (1959), The Gallant Hours (1960), The Plunderers (1960), Diamond Head (1963), The Wheeler Dealers (1963), The Carpetbaggers (1964), The Unsinkable Molly Brown (1964), The Russians Are Coming, the Russians Are Coming (1966), The Professionals (1966), In Cold Blood (1967), The Shakiest Gun in the West (1968), The Power (1968), The Ballad of Cable Hogue (1970).

In his many television appearances, Taylor was cast as Julian Tyler in the 1957 episode "The Chess Player" of the CBS crime drama, Richard Diamond, Private Detective, starring David Janssen.

He was also a frequent guest on CBS's Perry Mason legal drama, having appeared eight times, including Louis Boles in the premiere episode, "The Case of the Restless Redhead" in 1957.

He also appeared in films such as Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1958) and Psycho (1960).

Taylor was born in Boston, Massachusetts.

He was a graduate of Northeastern University and the Leland Powers School of Elocution, Boston.

Instead of pursuing a career in accounting, he tried summer stock theatre in Maine.

After army service in World War II, he broke into TV.

His wife Ruth Moss was a radio personality and Broadway actress.

After joining the Army as a private, Taylor became an officer via officer candidate school.

Later he joined military intelligence and produced instructional plays about aspects of military intelligence to educate students from the Army.

After his experience in summer stock, he joined a dramatic company and for several years participated in one-night productions in small towns in the Midwest.

In 1958, Taylor appeared in The Martin Poster, the first episode of Steve McQueen's CBS western series, Wanted: Dead or Alive as a doctor shot to death in the back by the brother of an outlaw whom he had treated.

In a later episode, titled "Criss-Cross" he appeared as a doctor 'Doc Adams' whose son is a thief whom Josh has brought in, only to lose the bounty because the doctor paid someone else to take the blame.

He also played Olie Ridgers in the Gunsmoke episode "Claustrophobia" (Season 3, Episode 20).

In 1959, Taylor appeared in The Untouchables Episode 2, Ma Barker and Her Boys, as Pa Barker.

Taylor guest starred as Jeremy Tolliver in the title role in the 1959 episode "The Trouble with Tolliver" of the ABC western drama The Man from Blackhawk as a roving insurance investigator.

In 1959, he played the title role, murder victim Bishop Arthur Mallory, in "The Case of the Stuttering Bishop."

In 1960 he appeared in Alfred Hitchcock's original Psycho as Mr. Lowery, Marion Crane's employer in a small real estate office.

The same year he starred in the movie about Admiral William F. Halsey, The Gallant Hours, as Commander Mike Pulaski, USN.

He was cast in 1960 again as a physician, Bryan Craig, in the episode "Strange Encounter" of the ABC/Warner Brothers western series, Colt .45.

He also guest starred in the ABC/WB detective series, Bourbon Street Beat and in the 1960 NBC summer western series, Tate, starring David McLean.

Taylor was cast as bank president Houghton in the 1961 episode "The Proxy" on another ABC western series, The Rebel, starring Nick Adams, with whom Taylor had worked three years earlier in Wanted: Dead or Alive.

Taylor was cast as Pettis in the 1961 episode "The Debt" on the NBC western series Laramie.

In 1961, he played defendant Ralph Duncan in "The Case of the Fickle Fortune."

He appeared too in several episodes of CBS's Twilight Zone, including the role of the salesman in S3 E35 (1962) "I Sing the Body Electric".

He also appeared in "Time Enough at Last", "Still Valley", "The Incredible World of Horace Ford" and "The Self-Improvement of Salvadore Ross".

In 1962 he appeared in one episode as the head college librarian opposite Gertrude Berg in her short-lived sitcom Mrs. G. Goes to College.

In 1963, he again played the murder victim and title character; this time as Martin Weston in "The Case of the Witless Witness."

Taylor was cast in two episodes of the ABC science fiction series The Outer Limits; in "Expanding Human" as Dean Flint, and "The Guests" as Mr. Latimer.

In addition, he appeared in the pilot episode of The Invaders entitled "Beachhead".

Usually involved in dramatic roles, Taylor continued to accept work in comedic productions.

He appeared in a 1964 episode of the CBS sitcom The Cara Williams Show.

Taylor's final film appearance was in another comedy, The Gumball Rally, released in 1976.

Taylor portrayed Horatio Frisby on the comedy series Johnny Jupiter.