Judson Taylor (February 25, 1932August 6, 2008) was an American actor, television director, and television producer.

Early years

Born in New York City, Taylor graduated from the

University of California, Berkeley The University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley, Berkeley, Cal, or California) is a public land-grant research university in Berkeley, California. Established in 1868 as the University of California, it is the state's first land-grant un ...

Career

Taylor is perhaps best known for his directorial work on 1960s television shows such as ''

Star Trek ''Star Trek'' is an American science fiction media franchise created by Gene Roddenberry, which began with the eponymous 1960s television series and quickly became a worldwide pop-culture phenomenon. The franchise has expanded into vari ...

'', '' Dr. Kildare'', and ''

The Man from U.N.C.L.E. ''The Man from U.N.C.L.E.'' is an American spy fiction television series produced by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Television and first broadcast on NBC. The series follows secret agents, played by Robert Vaughn and David McCallum, who work for a secret ...

''. In the early 2000s, he directed several episodes of '' Law and Order: Special Victims Unit''. Taylor also directed more than 40 made-for-TV movies, including the award-winning ''

Tail Gunner Joe ''Tail Gunner Joe'' is a 1977 television movie dramatizing the life of U.S. Senator Joseph R. McCarthy, a Wisconsin Republican who claimed knowledge of communist infiltration of the U.S. government during the 1950s. The film was broadcast on ...

'' and ''

Foxfire Foxfire, also called fairy fire and chimpanzee fire, is the bioluminescence created by some species of fungi present in decaying wood. The bluish-green glow is attributed to a luciferase, an oxidative enzyme, which emits light as it reacts with ...

'', and the final film appearances of both

Susan Hayward Susan Hayward (born Edythe Marrenner; June 30, 1917 – March 14, 1975) was an American film actress, best known for her film portrayals of women that were based on true stories. After working as a fashion model for the Walter Thornton Model A ...

in ''

Say Goodbye, Maggie Cole ''Say Goodbye, Maggie Cole'' is a 1972 American made-for-television drama film directed by Jud Taylor and starring Susan Hayward, Darren McGavin, Michael Constantine, Michele Nichols, Dane Clark, Beverly Garland and Jeanette Nolan. Plot A widowed ...

'' (1972)) and David Janssen in '' City in Fear'' (1980)). In the late 1950s and early 1960s, before becoming an established director, Taylor worked as an actor. He had a recurring role on '' Dr. Kildare'' as "Dr. Gerson". He appeared in several episodes of '' The Fugitive'' and '' Twelve O'Clock High'' playing different characters. Other TV programs in which he had small roles included ''

Gunsmoke ''Gunsmoke'' is an American radio and television Western drama series created by director Norman Macdonnell and writer John Meston. It centers on Dodge City, Kansas, in the 1870s, during the settlement of the American West. The central chara ...

'', ''

Men of Annapolis A man is an adult male human. Prior to adulthood, a male human is referred to as a boy (a male child or adolescent). Like most other male mammals, a man's genome usually inherits an X chromosome from the mother and a Y chromos ...

'', and ''

Wagon Train ''Wagon Train'' is an American Western series that aired 8 seasons: first on the NBC television network (1957–1962), and then on ABC (1962–1965). ''Wagon Train'' debuted on September 18, 1957, and became number one in the Nielsen ratings ...

''. He also played the part of Goff, one of three Americans, in the feature film '' The Great Escape'' and subsequently directed a made-for-TV sequel to the film titled '' The Great Escape II: The Untold Story'' (1988) starring

Christopher Reeve Christopher D'Olier Reeve (September 25, 1952 – October 10, 2004) was an American actor, best known for playing the title character in the film '' Superman'' (1978) and three sequels. Born in New York City and raised in Princeton, New Jersey ...

. Two years later, he directed a television miniseries based on

Ernest Hemingway Ernest Miller Hemingway (July 21, 1899 – July 2, 1961) was an American novelist, short-story writer, and journalist. His economical and understated style—which he termed the iceberg theory—had a strong influence on 20th-century f ...

's ''

The Old Man and the Sea ''The Old Man and the Sea'' is a novella written by the American author Ernest Hemingway in 1951 in Cayo Blanco (Cuba), and published in 1952. It was the last major work of fiction written by Hemingway that was published during his lifetime. O ...

'' (1990 miniseries) starring

Anthony Quinn Manuel Antonio Rodolfo Quinn Oaxaca (April 21, 1915 – June 3, 2001), known professionally as Anthony Quinn, was a Mexican-American actor. He was known for his portrayal of earthy, passionate characters "marked by a brutal and elemental v ...

in the role originally portrayed by

Spencer Tracy Spencer Bonaventure Tracy (April 5, 1900 – June 10, 1967) was an American actor. He was known for his natural performing style and versatility. One of the major stars of Hollywood's Golden Age, Tracy was the first actor to win two cons ...

in the earlier theatrical version. Taylor was vice president of the

Directors Guild of America The Directors Guild of America (DGA) is an entertainment guild that represents the interests of film director, film and television director, television directors in the United States motion picture industry and abroad. Founded as the Screen Dire ...

from 1977 to 1981 and president from 1981 to 1983. He died in New York City in 2008, following a long illness.Jud Taylor Obituary
New York Times, Aug. 7, 2008.

Selected filmography

Actor

* '' Attack!'' (1956 World War II film) – Pvt. Jacob R. Abramowitz - radioman * ''

General Electric Theater ''General Electric Theater'' was an American anthology series hosted by Ronald Reagan that was broadcast on CBS radio and television. The series was sponsored by General Electric's Department of Public Relations. Radio After an audition show ...

'' (1 episode, 1957) – Bellboy * ''

The Garment Jungle ''The Garment Jungle'' is a 1957 American film noir crime film directed by Vincent Sherman and starring Lee J. Cobb, Kerwin Mathews, Gia Scala, Richard Boone and Valerie French. Plot Alan Mitchell is a returning Korean War veteran who joins hi ...

'' (1957) – Latzo (uncredited) * ''

'' (1 episode, 1957) – Ed Thorpe * '' Harbormaster'' (1 episode, 1957) – Pete * ''

'' (2 episodes, 1957-1958) – Red Magruder / Weaver * ''

The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin ''The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin'' is an American children's television series in the Western genre that aired from October 1954 to May 1959 on the ABC television network. In all, 164 episodes aired. The show starred Lee Aaker as Rusty, a boy o ...

'' (1 episode, 1959) – Charlie Buffalo * '' Follow the Sun'' (1 episode, 1961) – Peter * ''

'' (1 episode, 1961) – Arthur * '' Dr. Kildare'' (16 episodes, 1961–1965) – Dr. Thomas Gerson * '' The Interns'' (1962) – Dr. Van Wyck (uncredited) * '' The Great Escape'' (1963) – 2nd Lieutenant Goff * '' The Fugitive'' (5 episodes, 1963–1965) – Sergeant Rainey / Toby Weems / Joey / Floyd (final television appearance) * ''

12 O'Clock High ''Twelve O'Clock High'' is a 1949 American war film about aircrews in the United States Army's Eighth Air Force, who flew daylight bombing missions against Germany and Occupied France during the early days of American involvement in World War ...

'' (3 episodes, 1964–1965) – Lieutenant Morgan / Sergeant Loren / Lieutenant Harold Zimmerman

Director

TV series

* '' Dr. Kildare'' (10 episodes, 1965) * ''

'' (1 episode, 1965) * ''

A Man Called Shenandoah ''A Man Called Shenandoah'' is an American western series that aired Monday evenings on ABC-TV from September 13, 1965 to May 16, 1966. It was produced by MGM Television. Some of the location work for the 34 half-hour black and white episodes we ...

'' (6 episodes, 1965–1966) * ''

Ben Casey ''Ben Casey'' is an American medical drama series that aired on ABC from 1961 to 1966. The show was known for its opening titles, which consisted of a hand drawing the symbols "♂, ♀, ✳, †, ∞" on a chalkboard, as cast member Sam Jaff ...

'' (1 episode, 1966) * ''

Shane Shane may refer to: People * Shane (actress) (born 1969), American pornographic actress * Shane (New Zealand singer) (born 1946) * iamnotshane (born 1995), formerly known as Shane, American singer * Shane (name), a masculine given name and a su ...

'' (1 episode, 1966) * ''

The Girl from U.N.C.L.E. ''The Girl from U.N.C.L.E.'' is an American spy fiction TV series starring Stefanie Powers that aired on NBC for one season from September 16, 1966, to April 11, 1967. The series was a spin-off from '' The Man from U.N.C.L.E.'' and used the sam ...

'' (1 episode, 1966) * ''

Felony Squad ''The Felony Squad'' is a half-hour television crime drama originally broadcast on the ABC network from September 12, 1966, to January 31, 1969, a span encompassing seventy-three episodes. Overview The program starred Howard Duff (as Sergeant ...

'' (1 episode, 1966) * '' The Fugitive'' (1 episode, 1966) * ''

Captain Nice ''Captain Nice'' is an American comedy TV series that ran from 9 January 1967 to 28 August 1967, Monday nights at 8:30 pm EST on NBC, opposite ABC's ''The Rat Patrol'' and CBS's '' The Lucy Show''. The show was an unsuccessful attempt to cash ...

'' (1 episode, 1967) * ''

T.H.E. Cat ''T.H.E. Cat'' is an American action drama that aired on NBC Fridays from 9:30 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. during the 1966–1967 television season.Brooks, Tim and Marsh, Earl, ''The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows ...

'' (1 episode, 1967) * '' The Second Hundred Years'' (1 episode, 1967) * ''

The Guns of Will Sonnett ''The Guns of Will Sonnett'' is a Western television series set in the 1870s that was broadcast in color on the ABC television network from 1967 to 1969. The series, which began with the working title, "Two Rode West", was the first production c ...

'' (1 episode, 1968) * '' Judd, for the Defense'' (1 episode, 1968) * ''

'' (5 episodes, 1968–1969) * ''

Then Came Bronson ''Then Came Bronson'' is an American adventure/drama television series starring Michael Parks that aired on NBC. It was created by Denne Bart Petitclerc, and produced by MGM Television. ''Then Came Bronson'' began with a television film pilot ...

'' (8 episodes, 1969–1970) * '' The Bold Ones: The New Doctors'' (Unknown episodes, 1969) * ''

Love, American Style ''Love, American Style'' is an anthology comedy television series that aired on ABC from 1969 to 1974. The series was produced by Paramount Television. During the 1971–72 and 1972–73 seasons, it was a part of ABC's Friday primetime lineup ...

'' (2 episodes, 1969) * '' The Young Lawyers'' (Unknown episodes, 1970) * '' The Interns'' (1 episode, 1971) * '' Longstreet'' (1 episode, 1971) * ''

Mannix ''Mannix'' is an American detective television series that ran from 1967 to 1975 on CBS. It was created by Richard Levinson and William Link, and developed by executive producer Bruce Geller. The title character, Joe Mannix, is a private in ...

'' (1 episode, 1971) * ''

The Rookies ''The Rookies'' is an American police procedural series that aired on ABC from 1972 until 1976. It follows the exploits of three rookie police officers working in an unidentified city for the fictitious Southern California Police Department (SC ...

'' (1 episode, 1972) * '' Hawkins'' (4 episodes, 1973–1974) * ''

Sara Sara may refer to: Arts, media and entertainment Film and television * ''Sara'' (1992 film), 1992 Iranian film by Dariush Merhjui * ''Sara'' (1997 film), 1997 Polish film starring Bogusław Linda * ''Sara'' (2010 film), 2010 Sri Lankan Sinhal ...

'' (1 episode, 1976) * ''

Lou Grant Lou Grant is a fictional character played by Ed Asner in two television series produced by MTM Enterprises for CBS. The first was ''The Mary Tyler Moore Show'' (1970–1977), a half-hour light-hearted situation comedy in which the character ...

'' (1 episode, 1977) * '' Kung Fu: The Legend Continues'' (1 episode, 1993) * '' Law & Order: Special Victims Unit'' (5 episodes, 2000–2004)

TV movies

* '' Fade In'' (1968) (as Alan Smithee) * '' Weekend of Terror'' (1970) * '' Suddenly Single'' (1970) * ''

Revenge! ''Revenge!'' is a 1971 American made-for-television horror-thriller film directed by Jud Taylor and starring Shelley Winters, Bradford Dillman and Stuart Whitman. The film premiered as the ''ABC Movie of the Week ABC are the first three lette ...

'' (1971 American TV movie) * ''

'' (1972) (last film appearance of

) * ''Egan'' (1973) * ''

Winter Kill ''Winter Kill'' is a 1974 American made-for-television mystery-thriller film directed by Jud Taylor and written by John Michael Hayes and David Karp. It stars Andy Griffith as Sam McNeill, the police chief in a small resort town in the mountai ...

'' (1974) * ''

The Disappearance of Flight 412 ''The Disappearance of Flight 412'' is a 1974 made-for-television science fiction drama film starring Glenn Ford, Bradford Dillman, David Soul and Guy Stockwell. The film was shown as an NBC World Premiere Movie in 1974. Plot U.S. Air Force Colon ...

'' (1974) * ''

Search for the Gods ''Search for the Gods'' is a 1975 made-for-television drama film directed by Jud Taylor. It stars Kurt Russell and Stephen McHattie. It was intended to be the pilot episode of a TV series that never made it into production. Plot Two young adventur ...

'' (1975) * '' Return to Earth'' (1976) * '' Woman of the Year'' (1976 TV movie) * '' Mary White'' (1977) * ''

'' (1977) * '' Christmas Miracle in Caufield, U.S.A.'' (1977) (aka ''The Christmas Coal Mine Miracle'') * '' The Last Tenant'' (1978) * '' Lovey: A Circle of Children, Part II'' (1978) * ''Flesh and Blood'' (1979) * '' City in Fear'' (1980) (as Alan Smithee) (last film appearance of David Janssen) * '' Act of Love'' (1980) * '' Incident at Crestridge'' (1981) * '' A Question of Honor'' (1982) * '' Packin' It In'' (1983) * '' License to Kill'' (1984) * '' Out of the Darkness'' (1985) * '' Broken Vows'' (1987) * ''

'' (1987) * '' Doubletake'' (1988) * '' The Great Escape II: The Untold Story'' (1988) * ''

'' (1990) * '' Murder Times Seven'' (1990) * ''

Kaleidoscope A kaleidoscope () is an optical instrument with two or more reflecting surfaces (or mirrors) tilted to each other at an angle, so that one or more (parts of) objects on one end of these mirrors are shown as a regular symmetrical pattern when v ...

'' (1990) * '' In My Daughter's Name'' (1992) * '' Prophet of Evil: The Ervil LeBaron Story'' (1993) * ''

Guinevere Guinevere ( ; cy, Gwenhwyfar ; br, Gwenivar, kw, Gwynnever), also often written in Modern English as Guenevere or Guenever, was, according to Arthurian legend, an early-medieval queen of Great Britain and the wife of King Arthur. First me ...

'' (1994) * '' Secrets'' (1995) * ''

A Holiday to Remember ''A Holiday to Remember'' is a 1995 American made-for-television Christmas romantic-drama film starring Connie Sellecca and Randy Travis. It premiered on CBS on December 12, 1995. As of 2009, it was shown in the 25 Days of Christmas programmi ...

'' (1995) * ''

Clover Clover or trefoil are common names for plants of the genus ''Trifolium'' (from Latin ''tres'' 'three' + ''folium'' 'leaf'), consisting of about 300 species of flowering plants in the legume or pea family Fabaceae originating in Europe. The genus ...

'' (1997)

Producer

* ''Return to Earth'' (1976) * ''Woman of the Year'' (1976) * ''Incident at Crestridge'' (1981)

Writer

* ''

Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre ''Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre'' is an American anthology series, sponsored by Chrysler Corporation, which ran on NBC from 1963 through 1967. The show was hosted by Bob Hope, but it had a variety of formats, including musical, dramatic ...

'' (1 episode, 1965)

Awards and nominations

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Taylor, Jud 1932 births 2008 deaths Presidents of the Directors Guild of America American television directors Television producers from New York City American television writers American male television writers American male television actors American male film actors Male actors from New York City Film directors from New York City Screenwriters from New York (state) 20th-century American male actors 20th-century American screenwriters 20th-century American male writers