Introduction
Joyce Taylor (born Joyce Crowder, September 4, 1932) is an American actress. She starred in movies and TV series mostly in the 1950s and 1960s. (Another source gives her date of birth as September 14, 1937.)
Early years
Born in Taylorville, Illinois, she based her stage name on her hometown. A coal miner's daughter, she attended public schools in Taylorville and was the top baton twirler at Taylorville High School. Her performance in a school talent show led to a recording contract.
Career
Taylor sang in amateur shows at age 10 and turned professional at 15, signing with Mercury Records (billed as Joyce Bradley). When she was 16, she was singing at Chez Paree nightclub in Chicago and other similar venues.
She was under contract to Howard Hughes-owned RKO Pictures in the 1950s but he only allowed her to act in one movie (a small part in Beyond a Reasonable Doubt in 1956). When her seven-year contract ended, she became a regular on the science-fiction adventure TV series Men Into Space (1959–60) and acted in many other TV shows, as well as several feature films.
Personal life
Taylor married a stockbroker, Edward Bellison.
Filmography
Film
- 1956: Beyond a Reasonable Doubt
- 1959: The FBI Story
- 1961: Atlantis, the Lost Continent
- 1961: Ring of Fire
- 1962: Beauty and the Beast
- 1963: 13 Frightened Girls
- 1963: Twice-Told Tales
- 1971: The Windsplitter
Television
- 1958: The Real McCoys
- 1958: 77 Sunset Strip
- 1959: Steve Canyon
- 1959: Sea Hunt
- 1959: Lawman
- 1959: Lock-Up
- 1959: The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet
- 1959: The Gale Storm Show
- 1959–1960: Men Into Space
- 1960: Bat Masterson (S2E21: “Cattle and Canes” as Rancher Jane Taylor)
- 1960: The Untouchables
- 1960–1962: Tales of Wells Fargo
- 1962: Bonanza (Episode: "The War Comes to Washoe" as Morvath Terry)
- 1962: Wagon Train
- 1964: The Man from U.N.C.L.E.
- 1964–1965: The Littlest Hobo