Dub Taylor
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Walter Clarence Taylor Jr. (February 26, 1907 – October 3, 1994), known as Dub Taylor, was an American character actor who from the 1940s into the 1990s worked extensively in films and on television, often in Westerns but also in comedies. He was the father of actor Buck Taylor, who played the character Newly O'Brien on Gunsmoke.
Walter C. Taylor Jr. was born in 1907 in Richmond, Virginia, the middle child of five children of Minnie and Walter C. Taylor, Sr. According to the federal census of 1920, young Walter had two older sisters, Minnie Marg[aret] and Maud, a younger brother named George, and a little sister, Edna Fay. The family moved to Augusta, Georgia around 1912 when Walter was five years old, and the Taylors lived in this city until he was 13. The census of 1920 also documents that Dub's mother was a native of Pennsylvania and his father was a native of North Carolina, who worked in Augusta at that time as a "Cotton Broker". While living in Georgia as a boy, Walter, Jr., got his lifelong nickname when his friends began calling him "W" (double-u) and then shortened his nickname even farther, to just "Dub". It was in Georgia, too, where Taylor befriended Ty Cobb, Jr., the son of the legendary professional baseball player.
A vaudeville performer, Dub Taylor was a member of the 1937 Alabama Crimson Tide football team that played in the 1938 Rose Bowl. He stayed behind to establish a career in films, making his film debut in 1938 as the cheerful ex-football captain Ed Carmichael in Frank Capra's You Can't Take It with You. Taylor secured the part because the role required an actor who could also play the xylophone. Later, during the 1950s and early 1960s, he demonstrated his considerable talent for playing the xylophone on several television shows, including an episode on the syndicated series Ranch Party hosted by Tex Ritter.
In 1939, he appeared in the film Taming of the West, in which he originated the character of Cannonball, a role he continued to play for the next ten years, in over 50 films. Cannonball was a comic sidekick to Wild Bill Saunders (played by Bill Elliott), a pairing that continued through 13 features, during which Elliott’s character became Wild Bill Hickok.
Despite his extensive career as a character actor in a wide range of roles, Dub Taylor continued to find his niche in Westerns, a genre in which he performed in literally dozens of more films and in episodes of many television series. Taylor often appeared in the guise of talkative hotel or postal clerks, court bailiffs, cooks, or dissolute doctors. He portrayed, for example, an ill-tempered chuckwagon cook in the 1969 film The Undefeated, starring John Wayne and Rock Hudson. He appeared as well in the 1971 movie Support Your Local Gunfighter as the drunken Doc Shultz. Taylor played Houston Lamb over the course of four episodes of Little House On The Prairie in seasons six and seven (1979 to 1981). Taylor made at least two film cameos in the early 1990s. In Back to the Future Part III, he appeared with veteran Western actors Pat Buttram and Harry Carey Jr.. His last appearance was in the film Maverick as a hotel room clerk.
Dub Taylor died of a heart attack on October 3, 1994 in Los Angeles. In addition to being father to Buck Taylor, Dub had a daughter, Faydean Taylor Tharp. CLR
Acted in
Maverick
1994
as Room Clerk
Falling from Grace
1992
as Grandpa Parks
Conagher
1991
My Heroes Have Always Been Cowboys
1991
as Gimme Cap
Back to the Future Part III
1990
as Saloon Old Timer
Once Upon a Texas Train
1988
as Charlie Lee
Designing Women
1986
The Best of Times
1986
as Mac
The Cosby Show
1984
as Slim Claxton
The Outlaws
1984
as L.D. Sloane
Cannonball Run II
1984
as Police Officer
Bret Maverick
1981
Soggy Bottom, U.S.A.
1981
as Cottonmouth Gorch
Used Cars
1980
as Tucker
1941
1979
as Mr. Malcomb
They Went That-A-Way & That-A-Way
1978
as Gunner
The Great Smokey Roadblock
1978
as Harley Davidson
Beartooth
1978
The Rescuers
1977
as Digger (voice)
Moonshine County Express
1977
as Uncle Bill
Great Day
1977
as Doc
How the West Was Won
1977
as Moss
Kit Carson and the Mountain Men
1977
as Stableman
Pony Express Rider
1976
as Boomer Riley
Burnt Offerings
1976
as Walker
Gator
1976
as Mayor T.L. Caffery
Treasure of Matecumbe
1976
as Sheriff Forbes
The Winds of Autumn
1976
as Rattler S. Gravley
Meanwhile, Back at the Ranch
1976
as (archive footage)
Creature from Black Lake
1976
as Grandpaw Bridges
Hearts of the West
1975
as Nevada Ticket Agent
Poor Pretty Eddie
1975
as Justice of the Peace Floyd
Flash and the Firecat
1975
as Sheriff C.W. Thurston
The Fortune
1975
as Rattlesnake Tom
The Daughters of Joshua Cabe Return
1975
as Bitteroot
Little House on the Prairie
1974
Run, Joe, Run
1974
Thunderbolt and Lightfoot
1974
as Station Attendant
Movin' On
1974
Honky Tonk
1974
Chopper One
1974
as Rudy
Shootout in a One-Dog Town
1974
as Halsey
This Is a Hijack
1973
as Sheriff Gordon
Pat Garrett & Billy the Kid
1973
as Josh
Tom Sawyer
1973
as Clayton
Brock's Last Case
1973
as Judge Robbins
Country Blue
1973
as J.J. 'Jumpy' Belk
The Getaway
1972
as Laughlin
The Brian Keith Show
1972
Junior Bonner
1972
as Del
The Delphi Bureau
1972
as Old Timer
Wild in the Sky
1972
as Officer Roddenberry
Emergency!
1972
as Old Man
Emergency!
1972
as George
Evel Knievel
1971
as Turquoise Smith
Man and Boy
1971
as Atkins
Support Your Local Gunfighter
1971
as Doc Schultz
Who Killed the Mysterious Mr. Foster?
1971
as Reed, the Lawyer
Alias Smith and Jones
1971
The Wild Country
1970
as Phil
The Odd Couple
1970
as Slim
A Man Called Horse
1970
as Joe
The Liberation of L.B. Jones
1970
as Mayor
Menace on the Mountain
1970
as Cicero Everhart
Tick... Tick... Tick...
1970
as Junior
The Reivers
1969
as Dr. Peabody
The Undefeated
1969
as McCartney
Love, American Style
1969
Love, American Style
1969
as Pa
Love, American Style
1969
as Grover
The Learning Tree
1969
as Spikey
The Wild Bunch
1969
as Reverend Wainscoat
Death of a Gunfighter
1969
as Doc Adams
Ride a Northbound Horse
1969
as Purse
Something for a Lonely Man
1968
as Sheriff
The Mod Squad
1968
Lancer
1968
Hawaii Five-O
1968
as Ray Tobias
The Shakiest Gun in the West
1968
as Pop Cushings
Bandolero!
1968
as Attendant
The Money Jungle
1967
as Pete Jensen
The High Chaparral
1967
as Oscar Hipple
The High Chaparral
1967
as Fargo Smith
The Guns of Will Sonnett
1967
The Guns of Will Sonnett
1967
as Henry Jackson
Cimarron Strip
1967
Custer
1967
Bonnie and Clyde
1967
as Ivan Moss
Johnny Banco
1967
Don't Make Waves
1967
as Electrician
The Adventures of Bullwhip Griffin
1967
as Timekeeper
Mr. Terrific
1967
as Preacher
The Monkees
1966
That Girl
1966
The Monroes
1966
The Cincinnati Kid
1965
as Dealer
The Loner
1965
as Jim
The Wild Wild West
1965
as Guard
Laredo
1965
The Big Valley
1965
as Doc Tully
Please Don't Eat the Daisies
1965
as Ed Hewley
The Hallelujah Trail
1965
as Clayton Howell
The Decorator
1965
as Taxi Driver
Major Dundee
1965
as Priam
The Man from U.N.C.L.E.
1964
as Preacher
Burke's Law
1963
as Garnet
Spencer's Mountain
1963
as Percy Cook
The Losers
1963
as Gregory
Mooncussers
1962
as Fire Tender
How the West Was Won
1962
as Man (uncredited)
Period of Adjustment
1962
as Drunk (uncredited)
Ensign O'Toole
1962
as Clerk
The Virginian
1962
as Walt Cooper
The Virginian
1962
as Runty Bojohn
The Lloyd Bridges Show
1962
as Freddy
Black Gold
1962
as Doc
Sweet Bird of Youth
1962
as Dan Hatcher
The Beachcomber
1962
as Pete Dibley
Pocketful of Miracles
1961
as Man (uncredited)
Hazel
1961
Hazel
1961
as Mitch Brady
Parrish
1961
as Teet Howie
Surfside 6
1960
The Andy Griffith Show
1960
as Billy Ray Talbot
The Andy Griffith Show
1960
as Preacher
The Andy Griffith Show
1960
as Ben Beecham
The Westerner
1960
as Walt Smith
The Barbara Stanwyck Show
1960
as George B. Glines
Home from the Hill
1960
as Bob Skaggs (uncredited)
Dennis the Menace
1959
as Opie
The Twilight Zone
1959
as Peters
Wichita Town
1959
A Hole in the Head
1959
as Fred
Bonanza
1959
as Simon
Bonanza
1959
as Otto
Bonanza
1959
as Luke Calhoun
Bonanza
1959
as Barlow
Auntie Mame
1958
as County Veterinarian (uncredited)
77 Sunset Strip
1958
77 Sunset Strip
1958
as Man Tourist
Lawman
1958
Lawman
1958
as Chef's Assistant (uncredited)
Hot Rod Gang
1958
as Landlord
No Time for Sergeants
1958
as Mr. McKinney
26 Men
1957
Casey Jones
1957
as Wallie Sims
Perry Mason
1957
as Stroller
You Can't Run Away from It
1956
as Joe
Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre
1956
as Yancie
Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre
1956
as Harper - Auctioneer
The Fastest Gun Alive
1956
as Nolan Brown (uncredited)
I Died a Thousand Times
1955
as Ed (uncredited)
Cheyenne
1955
as Hoyt
Gunsmoke
1955
as Sonny Starr
Gunsmoke
1955
as Cook
Gunsmoke
1955
as Bartender
Gunsmoke
1955
as Farnum
Gunsmoke
1955
as Noah Riker
Gunsmoke
1955
as Rev. Finney Cox
The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp
1955
as Hogan
Tall Man Riding
1955
as Townsman (uncredited)
The Wonderful World of Disney
1954
as Purse
The Wonderful World of Disney
1954
as Fire Tender
A Star Is Born
1954
as Norman's Driver (uncredited)
The Bounty Hunter
1954
as Eli Danvers
Dragnet
1954
as Miller Starkie
Them!
1954
as Railroad Yard Watchman
Crime Wave
1953
as Gus Snider
Death Valley Days
1952
as Rupert
I Love Lucy
1951
as Rattlesnake Jones
Life with Buster Keaton
1951
The Marshall of Trail City
1950
as Cannonball
Riding High
1950
as Joe
Lawless Code
1949
as Cannonball Taylor
Roaring Westward
1949
as Cannonball
Brand of Fear
1949
as Cannonball
Across The Rio Grande
1949
as Cannonball Taylor
Gun Law Justice
1949
as Cannonball
Gun Runner
1949
as Cannonball Taylor (as 'Cannonball' Taylor)
Courtin' Trouble
1948
as Cannonball
Outlaw Brand
1948
as Cannonball
Silver Trails
1948
as Cannonball
Cowboy Cavalier
1948
as Cannonball
Range Renegades
1948
as Cannonball
Partners of the Sunset
1948
as Cannonball
The Rangers Ride
1948
as Cannonball Taylor
Oklahoma Blues
1948
as Cannonball Taylor
Song of the Drifter
1948
as Cannonball
Ridin' Down the Trail
1947
as Cannonball
Frontier Gunlaw
1946
as Cannonball
Texas Panhandle
1945
as Cannonball Taylor
Lawless Empire
1945
as Cannonball
Outlaws of the Rockies
1945
as Cannonball
Blazing the Western Trail
1945
as Cannonball
Rustlers of the Badlands
1945
as Cannonball
Both Barrels Blazing
1945
as Cannonball
Rough Ridin' Justice
1945
as Cannonball
Sagebrush Heroes
1945
as Cannonball
Saddle Leather Law
1944
as Cannonball
Cyclone Prairie Rangers
1944
as Cannonball
Cowboy from Lonesome River
1944
as Cannonball
The Last Horseman
1944
as Cannonball
Wyoming Hurricane
1944
as Doc 'Canonball' Jones
Sundown Valley
1944
as Cannonball Boggs
Cowboy Canteen
1944
as Cannonball
Cowboy in the Clouds
1943
as Cannonball
The Vigilantes Ride
1943
as Cannonball Taylor
Minesweeper
1943
as Seaman Stubby Gordon
Silver City Raiders
1943
as Cannonball
Saddles and Sagebrush
1943
as Cannonball
Riders of the Northwest Mounted
1943
as Cannonball
A Tornado in the Saddle
1942
as Cannonball
The Lone Prairie
1942
as Cannonball
Tanks a Million
1941
as Malloy
King of Dodge City
1941
as Cannonball Taylor
The Son of Davy Crockett
1941
as Cannonball
Hands Across the Rockies
1941
as Cannonball Taylor
The Return of Daniel Boone
1941
as Cannonball
North from the Lone Star
1941
as Cannonball
Across the Sierras
1941
as Cannonball
The Wildcat of Tucson
1940
as Cannonball
Beyond the Sacramento
1940
as Cannonball
Prairie Schooners
1940
as Cannonball
One Man's Law
1940
as Nevady
The Return of Wild Bill
1940
as Cannonball
The Man from Tumbleweeds
1940
as Cannonball
Pioneers of the Frontier
1940
as Cannonball Simms
The Taming of the West
1939
as Cannonball
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington
1939
as Reporter (uncredited)
Carefree
1938
as Bit Part (uncredited)
You Can't Take It with You
1938
as Ed Carmichael