Tonight's Movie: Rod Taylor: Pulling No Punches (2016)

Charming, handsome Rod Taylor is someone I've come to very much appreciate in the last several years...although, as it turns out, I've actually loved him since I was a child. That, of course, is because he voiced Pongo in Disney's ONE HUNDRED AND ONE DALMATIANS (1961)...or as Taylor refers to him, "this English doggy."

Taylor's fascinating career, transitioning from being a commercial artist in his native Australia to an actor who worked with Disney, Hitchcock, Ford, George Pal, and many more is captured in the very entertaining documentary ROD TAYLOR: PULLING NO PUNCHES (2016).

A lengthy 2012 interview with the man himself is the centerpiece of the documentary. Taylor, who passed away in 2015, is jolly and self-deprecating, looking back with appreciation on a great career. (Although his take on DALMATIANS is a bit startling...he wasn't happy about it and felt it was akin to "a two-bit radio show.")

It's hard to believe at first that the man who looks like he'd be anyone's favorite granddad is the actor with the killer good looks, but then he grins and the eyes twinkle and yep, the Rod Taylor magic is still there.

Interviews with a number of Taylor's colleagues are also featured, including Maggie Smith, Angela Lansbury, Tippi Hedren, and Veronica Cartwright. Many of the films in Taylor's terrific filmography are discussed, including THE TIME MACHINE (1960), SUNDAY IN NEW YORK (1963), and THE BIRDS (1963), to name just a handful.

The documentary left me wanting to see THE V.I.P.s (1963) which Taylor fondly describes as "a movie...a big, old-fashioned movie." Taylor names his favorite film as YOUNG CASSIDY (1965) and his most impressive film as DARK OF THE SUN (1968). I especially enjoyed hearing about his deep affection for John Wayne, with whom he appeared in THE TRAIN ROBBERS (1973).

Taylor also discusses the one that got away, ruefully laughing that his reaction to the idea of a James Bond film was the biggest mistake of his life. ("Cubby, it will never work!") He thought the idea was more appropriate for a TV series.

The presentation of the documentary is one of the best I've ever seen, with beautifully designed retro graphics and terrific editing. As the attractive title cards of Taylor's various movies passed by, I kept thinking "I need to watch more of these!" The pace of the 80-minute documentary is sprightly, springboarding from topic to topic, yet I felt it managed a strong overview of his life and career without being strictly chronological or completely comprehensive.

The documentary left me especially wanting to see his season-long TV series HONG KONG (1960-61), which was a key factor in his rise to stardom along with THE TIME MACHINE. (Incidentally, reviewing his IMDb credits, how on earth did I forget that Taylor was in my favorite nighttime soap, FALCON CREST?!)

ROD TAYLOR: PULLING NO PUNCHES was directed by Robert de Young, with a script by de Young and Stephan Wellink.

Several other bloggers have reviewed this documentary. For more on the film please visit posts by Jessica at Comet Over Hollywood, Raquel at Out of the Past, KC at A Classic Movie Blog, and Andy at Journeys in Darkness and Light. Jessica also interviewed the producer and director, a very interesting read.

Special thanks to Raquel for connecting me with the documentary; seeing it was a real treat.

Hopefully this engaging film will be available on DVD and Blu-ray at a future point so that other movie fans can learn more about the life and career of Rod Taylor. For those new to Taylor's work, it's a great introduction, and those who already love him will find it delightful spending time in his company.

Thanks to Inkwell Films for providing access to an online screener of this film for review.