40 years

[Bryan Aherne]

Its been over 40 years since Bob's passing,this month. Im wondering what the other members here did to remember Bob on this day in June. I visited his findagrave entry, and would one day like to visit the actual place where he is interred. Im wondering what future generations will do to remember the great Bob Taylor........

[Linda Alexander]

He was remembered in days/months preceding his death. It's important to remember how he kept the severity of his illness to himself for a long time--even insofar as his family was concerned. So having the press follow him began as soon as it was learned he was terminal. His obituary was on the front of the NY Times w/the headline, "Death of an Era." This is a fitting way to prove that Taylor was, literally, iconic in his time. In fact, his funeral was played on TV, yet another rarely-heard of honor for a star then.

So newspapers, magazines, radio, TV did give him attn, though we'd likely say it wasn't of the magnitude he deserved. And your comment, Birdy, that now he's "forgotten" is 100% accurate. I believe he was intentionally forgotten. "Disinformation" is a tactic used on purpose to put out a wrong impression on someone or something. Another simliar idea is to intentionally ignore someone long enough that they drop them into obscurity.

This has always been my contention, & a big reason behind why I wrote the book. Robert Taylor was systematically & intentionally ignored. I could never understand why other Golden Era actors--as popular, some not as popular--still rec'd acknowledgedment & notoriety but Taylor was almost unknown. No logic. The more I tried to sell my book on him (& I mean for years), the more certain I became that in circles where it's decided what media the general public will consume--movie production & publishing houses in particular--Robert Taylor was formally persona non grata. Under terms of The Vienna Convention, that indicates that "at any time and without having to explain its decision" major powers may "declare any member..." a "...persona non grata. A person so declared is considered unacceptable and is usually recalled...." If they aren't literally recalled by those major powers, they can still "refuse to recognize the person...."

While that's an entirely different situation--Robert Taylor wasn't involved in wordly states of affair (or at least, not by profession)--terminology best fits what I see as having purposefully been done to him. I contend that somewhere along the line, he was officially deemed "persona non grata" by major Hollywood powers who could do exactly that. The bottom line reason, basically the only reason? His politics. Hollywood was & continues to become more & more liberal. Taylor was the antithesis of the liberal in Hollywood.

Person by person, each of us here can add to positive aspects of Robert Taylor's legacy & bring him back to life in public memory. It's exactly why I wrote the book, my biggest hope, & it's a great reason behind why we're all here together now.

[Birdy]

I wonder, if there were any mentions in memory of him these days in the newspapers at all (at least in the American-ones, I would have thought). Sometimes I can't get rid of the impression, that he is forgotten - not by us who met here, but by the majority... That makes me sad. It's a question indeed, what will be left of him and the "good old times" in the future. The more that now one after another dinosaur of the golden era of Hollywood is dying... But in difference to Bob's case some others reached a remarkable age. Karl Malden was only 1 year younger than Bob and died at the age of 97. Griffith Jones, his co-star in "A Yank at Oxford", was 2 years older than Bob and died only in 2007. I so wish, Bob could have lived 40 years longer...

Some time before I have bought a Mexican magazine on ebay, which came out in June 1969. Since we have more and more Spanish speaking people here, I thought I could photograph it for you. I understand the main content of the text, because I speak a bit Italian.
Here is the link to the mag:

http://s661.photobucket.com/albums/uu333/roberttaylorfan/articles/Impacto%20Mexico%20-%20June%201969/

[Linda Alexander]

Oh, I've been thinking about him a lot, doing a lot of work . . . watched & posted on "Waterloo Bridge" -- which has to be one of THE most romantic, poignant movies of all times.

And though I actually did not plan it this way on purpose, I'm going to Hollywood in October--which will be 62 years to the month after Bob testified in front of the HUAC. I will speak in front of the Hollywood Congress of Republicans, topic: "Reluctant Witness: Robert Taylor, Hollywood & Communism . . . Blacklisting, Then & Now."

I'm hoping to work towards preserving his memory for future generations, as much as what he believed in insofar as freedom in this country.

[Dianne]

I watched "Party Girl," one of my favorites. Speaking of that film, I'd like to mention that I originally received a defective DVD from the WB Shop; I kept getting a "freeze frame" early in the picture & when I hit the "play" button it just went back to the beginning of the film. I called the WB Shop & got a free replacement, with free shipping, within 2 days. I offered to return the defective DVD but was told that was not necessary. So I think the WB Shop is great to do business with! (There were no problems with the other 2 DVDs I ordered from them.)

Dianne