How Robert Taylor, the Man with the Perfect Profile, Died of Lung Cancer

May 2024 · 3 minute read

Robert Taylor was one of the most popular and successful leading men of Hollywood’s Golden Age. He was admired for his handsome looks and his reputation for being a reliable, clean-cut actor. He starred in many memorable films, such as Camille, Waterloo Bridge, and Bataan. He was also a singer and a television host. But behind his illustrious career, Taylor’s life was full of struggles and adversity. He died of lung cancer at the age of 57, after a long and painful battle with the disease.

Early Life and Career

Taylor was born Spangler Arlington Brugh in Filley, Nebraska on August 5, 1911. His father was a farmer who later became a doctor to treat his wife’s rare illness. Taylor was an intelligent and athletic young man who played the cello and joined the theater group in college. He moved to California in 1931 to pursue his musical dreams, but he was discovered by an MGM talent scout in 1932 and signed a seven-year contract with the studio. The studio changed his name to Robert Taylor and gave him his first leading role in Magnificent Obsession in 1935.

Marriages and Controversies

Taylor married actress Barbara Stanwyck in 1939, after a brief courtship. The marriage was arranged by MGM to boost their careers and to hide Stanwyck’s previous divorce. The couple had no children and divorced in 1952. Taylor then married actress Ursula Thiess in 1954 and had two children with her.

Taylor was also involved in some controversies during his career. He served in the United States Naval Air Forces during World War II, but he was accused of being a draft dodger by some critics. He also testified before the House Un-American Activities Committee in 1947 and named some of his colleagues as communists or sympathizers. He later regretted his involvement in the anti-communist witch hunt and apologized to some of the people he named.

Lung Cancer Diagnosis and Death

Taylor was a heavy smoker since he was a child. He smoked three packs of cigarettes a day until he quit shortly before undergoing surgery in October 1968. He had been diagnosed with a fungal infection called Valley fever, but during the operation, doctors discovered that he had lung cancer. He had to have part of his right lung removed and underwent chemotherapy and radiation treatments.

Taylor’s health deteriorated rapidly after the surgery. He was hospitalized several times due to infections and complications related to his cancer. He continued to work on his television show Death Valley Days until he was too weak to do so. He died at St. John’s Hospital in Santa Monica, California on June 8, 1969. He was 57 years old.

His funeral was held at Forest Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery in Glendale, California. His friend Ronald Reagan, who was then the governor of California, gave his eulogy. Many other stars attended his service, including his ex-wife Barbara Stanwyck.

Robert Taylor was a talented and versatile actor who left behind a legacy of films and television shows that are still enjoyed by many fans today. He was also a man who faced many challenges and hardships in his life, both personal and professional. He died of lung cancer, a disease that could have been prevented if he had quit smoking earlier or never started at all.

According to Wikipedia, Facts Verse, and Desert Sun.

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