ANSWERED: Al Taylor (1) never drove a steam shovel
And that llttle bit of incorrect Trivia on the site page for Al Taylor (I)-----http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0851928/reference----is as wrong as is every line regarding his birthdate, date of death, where born, where died and anything in that section of his site page:
Al Taylor appeared in 200+ features and serials and most often portrayed a henchman, cowhand, rider, etc. and his film career spanned from 1920s silents through the late 1940s.
Early movie appearances include Buddy Roosevelt, Wally Wales and Buffalo Bill, Jr. silent westerns for Action Pictures in the mid 1920s.
In the 1930s, he's in a half dozen cliffhangers at Nat Levine's Mascot serial factory; at Universal in chapterplays with Buck Jones and Tim McCoy; many 1930s oaters with McCoy, Buck Jones and Ken Maynard; and a few westerns with Tom Keene at RKO and John Wayne at Warners.
He got a lot of work (and paydays) from Republic Pictures which was formed in the mid 1930s. Republic kept him busy in mostly unbilled roles in scores of features and cliffhangers scattered over the years 1935-1948. There, he shows up most often with Gene Autry (in 20 films), Roy Rogers (13), Don Barry (11), about two dozen Three Mesquiteers adventures, and over twenty serials.
Al Taylor biography on the Internet Movie Database (IMDb).
The Internet Movie Database (IMDb) biography on Al Taylor has him as Albert Clark Taylor (1887-1951). In the late 1940's, he became a steam locomotive engineer for a motion picture studio and that was his occupation on his death certificate. He passed away in 1951 at the VA hospital in West Los Angeles.
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His filmography is correct and the photos are correct but any personal-life and times info on the page, not connected to his film work, is totally incorrect.
Dale Crawford, whose forte and published material dealt with bio material on the lesser-knowns of 20th-Century film heritage (usually collected from grave stones and markers in grave yards around the US), was the source of this incorrect info, although he may not have been the contributor, was a film historian who who was very, very good when he was correct(about 95% of the time) and very, very bad when he wasn't (about 05% of the time.) This is yet another one of the many that came from his writings and published material that IMDb contributors (such as luvstoresearch/Lila ) have corrected over the years. But, I fear Lila has retired as an IMDb contributor, and she was the one who knew how to handle bio contributions.
I don't.
Here are the facts regarding the actor, Al Taylor (I), beginning with a letter from a grand-nephew, Rob Leavitt, who keeps the family records:
"My Great Uncle was Al Taylor. Alva Lee Taylor was born December 16, 1898 in Sparks, Lincoln County, Oklahoma to William and Luda Taylor. He grew up in North Powder Oregon and was the second child of six. He went to California in the early 1920s and while there, he married Rose Wurth. He played in movies for about 22 years. After his movie days, Al and Rose moved back to North Powder, Oregon, and then to Baker City, Oregon. Al died on July 31, 1958 in Ontario, Malheur County, Oregon."
Here are the sources that back up his letter:
1900 census summary and census takers worksheet - renting in Adams Township, Gage County, Nebraska are 33 year old William H. Taylor (born Illinois; occupation Farmer), his 22 year old wife Luda J. (born Missouri), 4 year old daughter Marie C. (born Oklahoma) and 1 year old son Alva L. (born Oklahoma): https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M3B9-VX9
1910 census summary and census takers worksheet - renting in Pleasant Precinct, Jefferson County, Missouri are 41 year old William Taylor (born Illinois), his 31 year old wife Luda (born Missouri), 14 year old daughter Maria (born Oklahoma), 11 year old son Alva (born Oklahoma), 9 year old son Isham (born Oklahoma), 5 year old son Cecil (born Oklahoma), and newborn son Neil (born Nebraska). Father William's occupation is "Photographer - Gallery": https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:ML4V-MMY
World War I draft registration - 19 year old Alva Lee Taylor was born December 16, 1898 and his occupation is Farming. He lives in North Powder, Union County, Oregon and nearest relative is father William Henry Taylor, also living in North Powder, Oregon: https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K6ZG-P2T
1920 census summary and the family is on two consecutive census takers worksheets - renting in North Powder, Union County, Oregon are 52 year old William H. Taylor (born Illinois; occupation Farmer), his 41 year old wife with unreadable name (born Missouri), 21 year old son Alva Q. Taylor (born Oklahoma), 18 year old son Isom W. (born Oklahoma), 15 year old son Cecil C. (born Oklahoma), 10 year old son Neal E. (born Nebraska) and 6 year old daughter Elsie M. (born Nebraska): https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M48G-974
October 2, 1929 Los Angeles marriage license of 29 year old Alva Lee Taylor (born Oklahoma) and 26 year old Rose Veronica Wurth (born Missouri). He was single; parents were William Taylor (born Illinois) and Luda Holland (born Missouri); and his occupation was "Actor - Motion Picture Studio". Rose was divorced and this was her second marriage; her occupation is "Actress - Motion Picture Studio":
https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-L93H-HY57?i=2307&cc=1804002
https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QSQ-G93H-H9SB-5?i=2308&cc=1804002
1930 census summary and census takers worksheet - 31 year old Albert Taylor (born Oklahoma), his 27 year old wife Rose V. (born Missouri), 7 year old son William J. (born California), and 22 year old sister-in-law Mabel C. Wurth (born Missouri) are renting at 3272 Craig Drive, Los Angeles. His occupation is "Actor - Motion Pictures" and he was a World War I veteran. Occupation of sister-in-law Mabel C. Wurth is "Actress - Motion Pictures": https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XCJ1-56X
1940 census summary and census takers worksheet - 41 year old Alva Taylor (born Oklahoma), 36 year old wife Rose (born Missouri), and 17 year old stepson William Portman (born California) own their home at 12820 Milbank in Los Angeles. Alva reports his occupation as "Actor - Motion Picture Production", and in 1939, he worked 26 weeks and earned $1800.00: https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1942-27797-2064-9?cc=2000219&wc=M9Q8-Y65:n1367180595
Oregon death index for Alva L. Taylor - he passed away July 31, 1958 in Malheur, Oregon and his wife was Rose Taylor: https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VZHY-DVL
Jim Tipton's Find A Grave website has a photo of the grave marker for Alva L.Taylor (1898-1958) who is interred at North Powder Cemetery, North Powder, Union County, Oregon: http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=61438737
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Any contributor from this board want to take a shot at submitting the correct info for Al Taylor (I)? I'd screw it up.
I'm not the source...I'm just a messenger. But, over the years, I've noticed that the US Census and state of Oregon death certificates have a higher overall accuracy number then Dale Crawford. Who,as I said was very,very good 95% of the time.
This is one of the times Dale wasn't correct.
Les