Sam Taylor

Directing

Sam Taylor

Born — Died

1895-08-13 — 1958-03-06

Place of birth

New York City, New York

Known for

Directing

Credits

36 titles

Sam Taylor (August 13, 1895 – March 6, 1958) 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 …

Known for

Behind the camera

Safety Last! poster
7.7

When a store clerk organizes a contest to climb the outside of a tall building, circumstances force him to make the perilous climb himself.

Safety Last!

1923

Safety Last! poster
7.7

When a store clerk organizes a contest to climb the outside of a tall building, circumstances force him to make the perilous climb himself.

Safety Last!

1923

Girl Shy poster
6.9

Harold Meadows is a shy, stuttering bachelor working in a tailor shop, who is writing a guidebook, The Secret of Making Love, for other bashful young men. Fate has him meet rich girl Mary, and they fall in love. But she is about to wed an already married man, so our hero embarks upon a hair-raising daredevil ride to prevent the wedding.

Girl Shy

1924

Coquette poster
5.9

A Southern belle's flirtation with a working man leads to tragedy.

Coquette

1929

Coquette poster
5.9

A Southern belle's flirtation with a working man leads to tragedy.

Coquette

1929

The Freshman poster
7.0

An unathletic college freshman ridiculed by his peers for his mannerisms strives to become popular by making the football team.

The Freshman

1925

The Cat's-Paw poster
6.3

Naive Ezekial Cobb, brought up by his missionary father in China returns to America to seek a wife. Corrupt politicians enlist him to run for mayor as a dummy candidate with no chance of winning. Their plan backfires as he wins and embarks upon a reform crusade.

The Cat's-Paw

1934

The Cat's-Paw poster
6.3

Naive Ezekial Cobb, brought up by his missionary father in China returns to America to seek a wife. Corrupt politicians enlist him to run for mayor as a dummy candidate with no chance of winning. Their plan backfires as he wins and embarks upon a reform crusade.

The Cat's-Paw

1934

Skyline poster
8.0

Skyline is a 1931 drama film directed by Sam Taylor and starring silent film veteran Thomas Meighan. It is based on a novel, East Side, West Side by Felix Riesenberg. It was produced and released by Fox Film Corporation.

Skyline

1931

The Gamblers poster
8.0

Catherine Ames impulsively marries district attorney James Darwin after suffering Wilbur Emerson's neglect. Emerson turns to a career of high finance, but borrows unlawfully on notes to avoid disaster. Darwin prosecutes the investigation case. One of Emerson's business associates, George Cowper, gives a signed confession to Darwin. Emerson breaks into Catherine's room to obtain the confession, but is caught by Darwin, who accuses his wife of unfaithfulness.

The Gamblers

1919

Du Barry, Woman of Passion poster
6.0

Jeannette Vaubernier, an impulsive shopgirl en route to deliver a hat, dreams of luxury and position as she saunters through the woods, and attracted by a pool of water, she disrobes and plunges in. Cosse de Brissac, a handsome private in the King's Guards, comes to her rescue and they become sweethearts. Meanwhile, Jean Du Barry, a shrewd roué, takes note of her at the millinery shop and tricks her into staying at La Gourda's, where she soon becomes a favorite among the men.

Du Barry, Woman of Passion

1930

Nothing But Trouble poster
6.4

Two bumbling servants are hired by a dizzy society matron to cook and serve a meal for visiting royalty.

Nothing But Trouble

1944

Out All Night poster
7.5

A "mama's boy" falls for a spinster who takes care of children at a department store nursery.

Out All Night

1933

For Heaven's Sake poster
6.9

An irresponsible young millionaire changes his tune when he falls for the daughter of a downtown minister.

For Heaven's Sake

1926

The Taming of the Shrew poster
5.8

Adapted from Shakespeare's play: Baptista Minola, a wealthy resident of Padua, is the father of Katherine and Bianca. The younger daughter, Bianca, is charming and has many suitors. But her father will not allow Bianca to be married until her older sister, who is notoriously quarrelsome and bad-tempered, is married first. When Petruchio comes from Verona to Padua in search of a wife, he hears of this situation, and he accepts the challenge of trying to woo and marry the ill-natured Katherine.

The Taming of the Shrew

1929

The Taming of the Shrew poster
5.8

Adapted from Shakespeare's play: Baptista Minola, a wealthy resident of Padua, is the father of Katherine and Bianca. The younger daughter, Bianca, is charming and has many suitors. But her father will not allow Bianca to be married until her older sister, who is notoriously quarrelsome and bad-tempered, is married first. When Petruchio comes from Verona to Padua in search of a wife, he hears of this situation, and he accepts the challenge of trying to woo and marry the ill-natured Katherine.

The Taming of the Shrew

1929

Kiki poster
5.2

A young Frenchwoman is determined to get into and stay in show business, no matter what. Then she's determined to win a recently divorced man's heart... again, no matter what.

Kiki

1931

My Best Girl poster
7.1

Joe Merrill, son of the millionaire owner of a chain of 5 and 10 cent stores, poses as Joe Grant, and takes a job in the stockroom of one of his father's stores, to prove that he can be a success without his father's influence. There he meets stockroom girl Maggie Johnson, and they fall in love. This causes problems, because Mrs. Merrill had planned for her son to marry Millicent Rogers, a high society girl.

My Best Girl

1927

Exit Smiling poster
7.9

The travails of a third-rate traveling theatre company and its wardrobe lady / maid who dreams of stepping in as their melodramatic production's (Flaming Women) female lead.

Exit Smiling

1926

Exit Smiling poster
7.9

The travails of a third-rate traveling theatre company and its wardrobe lady / maid who dreams of stepping in as their melodramatic production's (Flaming Women) female lead.

Exit Smiling

1926

Princess Jones poster
8.0

Princess Jones, the niece of a country store keeper, dreams of being a wealthy, glamorous lady. While at an luxurious nearby resort she meets the wealthy Arthur Forbes, who falls in love with her and buys her an expensive coat. This leads her to be mistaken by the other guests as a Balkan princess and attracts the eye of a gang of kidnappers.

Princess Jones

1921

Lady of the Pavements poster
5.2

Karl, a German diplomat in Paris, discovers that his fiancée, Diane, has been unfaithful. He tells her that he would rather marry a 'girl of the streets' than her. Outraged, Diane enlists the services of a Spanish singer/dancer from a disreputable nightclub to pose as a sophisticated, convent-educated singer, and surreptitiously arranges for her to meet Karl.

Lady of the Pavements

1929

A Sailor-Made Man poster
6.4

An idle, wealthy playboy foolishly joins the Navy when the father of the girl he wants to marry tells him to get a job to prove himself worthy.

A Sailor-Made Man

1921

Vagabond Lady poster
7.2

Josephine Spiggins is thinking of marrying John Spear, the stuffed-shirt son of a department store owner. When John's free-spirit brother Tony returns from touring the South Seas in his boat, the "Vagabond Lady," Jo is attracted to him instead.

Vagabond Lady

1935

Vagabond Lady poster
7.2

Josephine Spiggins is thinking of marrying John Spear, the stuffed-shirt son of a department store owner. When John's free-spirit brother Tony returns from touring the South Seas in his boat, the "Vagabond Lady," Jo is attracted to him instead.

Vagabond Lady

1935

Dr. Jack poster
6.8

Country doctor Jack Jackson is called in to treat the Sick-Little-Well-Girl, who has been making Dr. Saulsbourg and his sanitarium very rich after years of unsuccessful treatment.

Dr. Jack

1922

Devil's Lottery poster
8.0

Intricate, soapy drama of romance, heartbreak, and murder amongst a diverse group of sweepstakes winners visiting a newspaper tycoon's estate.

Devil's Lottery

1932

The Woman Disputed poster
7.1

An adventuress in love with an Austrian agrees to become the mistress of a Russian officer in exchange for the release of Austrian hostages.

The Woman Disputed

1928

Among Those Present poster
6.0

An ambitious coat-room checker impersonates an English nobleman.

Among Those Present

1921

Why Worry? poster
6.5

A hypochondriac vacations in the tropics for the fresh air - and finds himself in the middle of a revolution instead.

Why Worry?

1923

Why Worry? poster
6.5

A hypochondriac vacations in the tropics for the fresh air - and finds himself in the middle of a revolution instead.

Why Worry?

1923

In Honor's Web poster
10.0

Wealthy businessman Frank Powell falls in love late in life with Olive Meade, the sister of Governor Carroll Carson's wife Irene. One day Frank sees Olive embracing his younger brother Bert. As he leaves dejectedly, Frank discovers Irene, whose busy elderly husband neglects her, with society idler Rodney Foster.

In Honor's Web

1919

I Do poster
6.0

Comic adventures of newlyweds and children.

I Do

1921

Tempest poster
6.2

In the final days of Czarist Russia, a peasant is raised from the ranks to Lieutenant. The other officers, aristocrats all, resent him, and make his life difficult. He falls in love with a princess, who spurns him. When he is caught in her room, he is stripped of his rank and thrown into prison. Then comes the Red Terror, and the tables are turned.

Tempest

1928

Hot Water poster
6.8

Lloyd's look at married life and the issues of the in-law. Adventures include a ride on a crowded trolley with a live turkey; A wild spin in a new auto with the in-laws in tow. Finally, a sequence in which Hubby accidentally chloroforms his mother-in-law and becomes convinced that he's killed her!

Hot Water

1924

Ambassador Bill poster
6.4

An American ambassador arrives in a small country that is being convulsed by political intrigue and civil unrest. He befriends the young boy who is to be the country's king, to ensure that the boy is prepared to take on the role and also to see that he lives long enough to assume the crown.

Ambassador Bill

1931