William Desmond Taylor

February 1, 2012 will be the 90th anniversary of the unsolved murder of William Desmond Taylor.   Interest in the Taylor case has spawned several books (or varying quality) and Bruce Long's excellent and incredibly thorough and informative site (http://www.taylorology.com/).  Bruce has also authored William Desmond Taylor: A Dossier.

There is a new (to me) website/blog for the forthcoming documentary/docu-drama.  Here's the poop from the website:

Who Killed Bill?’, a drama-documentary on the life and murder of Hollywood Silent Era director, William Desmond Taylor, will air on Newstalk on Saturday May 12 & 13, 2012.

Born William Cunningham Deane-Tanner in Carlow, Ireland, Taylor had an extraordinary life prior to his arrival in a burgeoning Hollywood. Taylor went on to become Head of Production at Players-Lasky (Paramount) Studios and direct over 60 movies before he was murdered under mysterious circumstances at the age of 49. His unsolved murder would have cataclysmic repercussions for the industry.

‘Who Killed Bill?’, written & directed by Marc-Ivan O’Gorman, dramatises the events that occurred immediately after the discovery of his body in his home in Los Angeles. It also features interviews from Hollywood history experts such as, Marc Wannamaker and Kevin Brownlow.

Having recently seen one of Taylor's rare extant silents, it's a real pity his demise and the mystery surrounding it have overshadowed a man who was quite a fine director. 

Happily, if you're in Ireland in May 2012, there will be Taylorfest to look forward to.

William Desmond Taylor was an immensely successful Hollywood actor & director of the Silent Era. He acted in 27 movies, directed over 60, and, at the time of his death, was the head of production at Paramount Studios.

2012 is the 140^th anniversary of his birth and to celebrate the occasion, Taylorfest (May 18-20) presents, in his hometown of Carlow, a selection of his classic films, performances of scenes from his extraordinary life, talks from world experts, celebrity appearances and much more.

For updates on Taylorfest join our Facebook page by clicking HERE or Follow Taylorfest on Twitter by clicking HERE