Forrest Taylor

(Courtesy of Jack Tillmany)

Above, a young Forrest Taylor - 1920s.

Forrest Taylor's screen career began in silents. During the 1930s, he became entrenched as a supporting player in B westerns, and quite often played the boss baddie/brains heavy. As he grew older and grayer, he migrated to nice guy roles, such as the father of the heroine, a lawman, etc. Les Adams has Taylor identified in about 325 sound era films and of those, 201 are westerns and 36 are chapterplays. His credits at Republic Pictures number about 75 for the period 1937-1953 (most all of these are B westerns and serials).

As the westerns and serial faded, Taylor migrated to TV work, and he can be seen in THE CISCO KID and other shows of the period. He also had an ongoing role as "Grandpa Fisher" in the early 1950s religious/inspirational TVer, THIS IS THE LIFE (not THIS IS YOUR LIFE with Ralph Edwards).

My favorite Taylor role is in the early John Wayne oater, RIDERS OF DESTINY (Lone Star/Monogram, 1933), in which the young Wayne portrays undercover lawman "Singing Sandy". Can you remember this film ... and Forrest Taylor? Greasy Earl Dwire was Taylor's gunslingin' henchman, and in the street shootout near the end of the film, Wayne plugs Dwire through both wrists. Taylor, who has been foiled by Wayne at every turn, is nervously munching and mouthing a cigar through the entire six reels. And during the climatic chase, Taylor and his mount (Yak Canutt doubling for him) go over a cliff and he drowns in the river (with bubbles rising to the surface of the water).

Rick Albright checked the 1930 online census database and found the following info on Forrest Taylor:

April 1930, 4226 Hawk St., San Diego, CA; Enumeration District 87.
Forrest E. TAYLOR, age 47, married at age 42, born Illinois, parents born New Jersey and Louisiana, actor/theatre.
Anne H. TAYLOR, wife, age 29, married at age 24, born England, parents born England, actress/theatre.
Jack F. TAYLOR, son, age 3, single, born California, parents born Illinois and England.
One female servant.

You may want to go to the In Search Of ... page on the Old Corral and check the California Death Records database. There you will find a record for: Edwin F. Taylor, born 12/29/1883 in Illinois, Mother's maiden name of Smith, and he passed away on 2/19/1965. There is a corresponding record (for Edwin Taylor) in the Social Security Death Index (SSDI).

Note the first and middle name variations in the Census info (Forrest E. Taylor) vs. the California Death Records (Edwin F. Taylor) and SSDI (Edwin Taylor).

Although some of the data is incomplete or inaccurate, the Internet Movie Database (IMDB) has information on Forrest Taylor. Click HERE.

Above from L-to-R are Fred Parker, Forrest Taylor, Johnny Mack Brown (all 'duded' up) and Hal Price in a lobby card from DESERT PHANTOM (A. W. Hackel/Supreme, 1936).

(Courtesy of Ed Phillips)

Above from L-to-R are William Malcolm 'Bill' Hazlett (Chief Many Treaties), Bob Baker and Forrest Taylor in a scene from Baker's OUTLAW EXPRESS (Universal, 1938).

Above, from L-to-R are: Julie Sheldon, Forrest Taylor and Tim McCoy in STRAIGHT SHOOTER (Victory, 1939).

Above, from L-to-R are Ernie Adams, Forrest Taylor, star Bob Baker, and Reed Howes with the drop on Baker. From THE PHANTOM STAGE (Universal, 1939), Baker's twelth western film and his last starring role before becoming the helper to Johnny Mack Brown at Universal Pictures.

(Courtesy of Les Adams)

Above from L-to-R are Doris Weston, Forrest Taylor and Johnny Mack Brown in CHIP OF THE FLYING U (Universal, 1939).

(Courtesy of Minard Coons)

Above from L-to-R are Forrest Taylor, Hoot Gibson, former Universal hero Bob Baker (wearing the badge), Betty Miles, Kenneth Harlan (at the desk), Ken Maynard and I. Stanford Jolley in WILD HORSE STAMPEDE (Monogram, 1943), the initial entry in the Trail Blazers series.