Sam Taylor (director)


Sam Taylor was an American film director, screenwriter, and producer, most active in the silent film era. Taylor is best known for his comedic directorial work with Harold Lloyd and Mary Pickford, and also later worked with Laurel and Hardy. He was born in New York City.
A notorious cinematic legend over the decades has suggested that Taylor's 1929 adaptation of Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew had the screen credit "additional dialogue by Sam Taylor". However, no extant prints of the film contain this credit, and there is no documentary evidence that it ever existed.
Taylor directed eight feature films with Lloyd as star, with a number of them being co-directed with Fred C. Newmeyer. Taylor also directed Pickford in her first "talkie" feature with Coquette, which garnered the latter an Academy Award.
Taylor died at the age of 62 in Santa Monica, California.

Partial filmography

Over the Garden Wall In Honor's Web Human Collateral Now or Never Never Weaken Princess Jones The Mohican's Daughter Dr. Jack Safety Last! Why Worry? Girl Shy Hot Water The Freshman For Heaven's Sake Exit Smiling My Best Girl Tempest The Woman Disputed Lady of the Pavements The Taming of the Shrew Coquette Du Barry, Woman of Passion Skyline Ambassador Bill Kiki Devil's Lottery Out All Night The Cat's-Paw Vagabond Lady