Taylor Holmes

Biography

Taylor Holmes was an American actor with a five-decade career on Broadway and in film. Born in Newark, New Jersey, he debuted on Broadway in Sapho in 1900, a play briefly closed for indecency. He later appeared in stage hits such as The Commuters, The Music Master, and His Majesty Bunker Bean. Holmes had an early starring role in A Pair of Sixes (1918), and by the 1940s he concentrated on movies. He became known for film noir parts, playing a gullible mark in Nightmare Alley (1947), a shady lawyer in Kiss of Death (1947), and a disbarred attorney in Act of Violence (1948). Other notable films included Joan of Arc (1948), in which he played a bishop who denounces Pierre Cauchon, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953), and Sleeping Beauty (1959), where he voiced King Stefan. He also played Ebenezer Scrooge in a 1949 television A Christmas Carol.

81years old at death

Born May 16, 1878Newark
Died September 30, 1959Hollywood
Star sign: TaurusThe sign runs April 20 to May 20

Movie Career

Films: 15
Career span: 12 years1947 to 1959

Genres

Drama47%, 7 films
Crime40%, 6 films
Thriller33%, 5 films
Romance27%, 4 films
Western20%, 3 films

First and latest

Did you know?!

First role
Holmes made his first Broadway appearance in the controversial play Sapho in February 1900. The production was briefly shut down for indecency.
Beyond film
In 1915 Holmes made a spoken-word recording of Rudyard Kipling's poem "Boots." U.S. military SERE schools used it because of the effect it had on the mind.

Taylor Holmes movies on Netflix

Sleeping Beauty1959IMDb rating 7.2as King Stefan (voice)
Tobor the Great1954IMDb rating 5.3as Prof. Arnold Nordstrom
Gentlemen Prefer Blondes1953IMDb rating 7.1as Mr. Esmond Sr.
Beware, My Lovely1952IMDb rating 6.7as Walter Armstrong
Drums in the Deep South1951IMDb rating 5.8as Albert Monroe
Bright Leaf1950IMDb rating 6.7as Calhoun - Lawyer
Copper Canyon1950IMDb rating 6.2as Theodosius Roberts
Father of the Bride1950IMDb rating 7.1as Warner
Quicksand1950IMDb rating 6.6as Harvey
Woman in Hiding1950IMDb rating 6.9as Lucius Maury
Act of Violence1948IMDb rating 7.5as Gavery
The Plunderers1948IMDb rating 6.1as Eben Martin
Boomerang!1947IMDb rating 7.2as T.M. Wade
Kiss of Death1947IMDb rating 7.4as Earl Howser
Nightmare Alley1947IMDb rating 7.7as Ezra Grindle

Best known for

The films on Netflix they are best known for, with the part played in each.

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Sleeping Beauty1959 Animation, Family, Fantasy, Musical, Romanceas King Stefanvoice
IMDb rating 7.2173K votes
Gentlemen Prefer Blondes1953 Comedy, Crime, Musicalas Mr. Esmond Sr.
IMDb rating 7.147K votes
Nightmare Alley1947as Ezra Grindle
IMDb rating 7.715K votes
Kiss of Death1947as Earl Howser
IMDb rating 7.411K votes
Beware, My Lovely1952as Walter Armstrong
IMDb rating 6.72.6K votes
Father of the Bride1950as Warner
IMDb rating 7.114K votes
Act of Violence1948as Gavery
IMDb rating 7.56.9K votes
Boomerang!1947as T.M. Wade
IMDb rating 7.25.5K votes

Most often with

Eight actors appear in two of them each. Pick a number on the chart or a name in the list to see the films they share.

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Robert Ryan

Karl Malden

Steven Geray

James Burke

Ida Lupino

Coleen Gray

Films together

Robert Ryan2 films together, 1948 to 1952
Robert Ryan's page
- Beware, My Lovely1952IMDb rating 6.7Holmes as Walter ArmstrongRyan as Howard Wilton
- Act of Violence1948IMDb rating 7.5Holmes as GaveryRyan as Joe Parkson
Karl Malden2 films together, 1947
Karl Malden's page
- Boomerang!1947IMDb rating 7.2Holmes as T.M. WadeMalden as Det. Lt. White
- Kiss of Death1947IMDb rating 7.4Holmes as Earl HowserMalden as Sgt. William Cullen
Steven Geray2 films together, 1953 to 1954
Steven Geray's page
- Tobor the Great1954IMDb rating 5.3Holmes as Prof. Arnold NordstromGeray as The Foreign Spy-Chief
- Gentlemen Prefer Blondes1953IMDb rating 7.1Holmes as Mr. Esmond Sr.Geray as Hotel Manager
James Burke2 films together, 1947 to 1950
James Burke's page
- Copper Canyon1950IMDb rating 6.2Holmes as Theodosius RobertsBurke as Jeb Bassett
- Nightmare Alley1947IMDb rating 7.7Holmes as Ezra GrindleBurke as Rural Marshal
Ida Lupino2 films together, 1950 to 1952
Ida Lupino's page
- Beware, My Lovely1952IMDb rating 6.7Holmes as Walter ArmstrongLupino as Helen Gordon
- Woman in Hiding1950IMDb rating 6.9Holmes as Lucius MauryLupino as Deborah Chandler Clark
Coleen Gray2 films together, 1947
Coleen Gray's page
- Kiss of Death1947IMDb rating 7.4Holmes as Earl HowserGray as Nettie Cavallo
- Nightmare Alley1947IMDb rating 7.7Holmes as Ezra GrindleGray as Molly
Also two films together2 more actors
- Marietta CantyBright Leaf (1950) and Father of the Bride (1950)
- Anthony RossBoomerang! (1947) and Kiss of Death (1947)
When several people share the same number of films, the ones with the most films on Netflix are in the chart.

Awards

One award and honor.

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Taylor Holmes's awards and nominations, grouped by award
Year	Award	Film	Result
Other honors
	Star on Hollywood Walk of Fame		Honored

Online

Official profiles and reference pages.

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