Jan. 29, 2012

Professional illustrator Rob Kelly has a great style -- bold colors and striking text used in a way that is both modern and retro. His work captured my attention when I discovered this image during a Google images search. I knew I had to have it for my very own!

Because the links that offered it as a T-shirt or mug no longer worked, I e-mailed Mr. Kelly and asked if it was still available. He promptly replied and kindly added it to his poster offerings on Etsy. You can get one too:

Here's the link to the poster on Etsy. Mine arrived within a few days, autographed by the artist. The poster fits an 11x17 frame and will soon have a place of honor in my home.

The poster is a companion piece to a clever Morlocks one that accompanies a TCM Movie Morlocks interview: Eat a balanced diet with plenty of Eloi!

Here are some more links with further information about the artist:

Rob Kelly's home page, Namtab.com (that's Batman spelled backwards!) and his most recent work.

An array of movie and WPA-style posters, including The Time Machine.

Jan. 22, 2012

Turner Classic Movies is saluting Jack Cardiff this month in the U.S., and the films he directed starring Rod Taylor will be featured Jan. 26-27 (TCM schedule).  It's rare enough that these movies will be aired -- to have them all on during one overnight is spectacular!

Below is the U.S. Eastern Time schedule. (Check your local listings.):

Young Cassidy: 11:30 p.m., Thursday Jan. 26

The Liquidator: 1:30 a.m. Friday, Jan. 27

Dark of the Sun: 3:30 a.m., Friday, Jan. 27

Jan. 11, 2012

Happy 82nd birthday, Rod!

If you would like to leave a greeting for Rod, please use the Guestbook. I will gather the messages in a few days and send them along to him.

SIGN GUESTBOOK ~ VIEW GUESTBOOK

December 6, 2011

A writer at the Movieline movie and TV site marked Walt Disney's 110th birthday by celebrating "his most underrated moment in film."

The writer has selected "One Hundred and One Dalmatians" for the honor. One of the top reasons why it's so fabulous: "Rod Taylor ranks among the most underrated ’60s heartthrobs, and his voice work as the valiant, but humble Pongo is perfect."

Movieline also noted a project called "The Girl," which will star Sienna Miller as Tippi Hedren and Toby Jones as Alfred Hitchcock. The film will air on BBC2 in the UK and HBO in the U.S. and will focus on the tumultuous relationship between Hitchcock and Hedren as well as Hitchcock's obsession with the actress.

Here's the press release from BBC2.

August 15, 2011

A truly excellent retrospective on Rod Taylor was posted in the MovieFanFare section of the MoviesUnlimited site. It's done with great affection and accuracy. Read it here!

August 4, 2011

"A Catered Affair" is the latest Rod Taylor film in the made-to-order DVD collection from the Warner Archive. Click here for info and ordering.

June 2, 2011

Warner Archive is taking orders for a made-to-order DVD edition of "Dark of the Sun."

It's a real good news/bad news situation: Good that the movie will be available on DVD, but bad in that there will be nothing special about the release. It's not even being re-mastered. We can only hope that time and demand will bring about a "real" DVD release, with all those deleted scenes and commentary tracks we've all dreamed of some day!

April 24, 2011

I just returned home from vacation to the news that "Fate is the Hunter" will soon have a limited release on DVD.

Specialty DVD label Twilight Time has partnered with 20th Century Fox to release limited edition versions of many films, similar to what the Warner Archive has done with such movies as "Sunday in New York" and "Hotel."

Twilight Time will be taking films from Fox archives and pressing a run of 3,000 DVDs from a restored transfer. According to reports, the releases are to include an eight-page booklet with an essay, stills and poster art.

Here is the link to order "Fate is the Hunter," which is scheduled to be released on May 10, 2011.

April 11, 2011

Enjoy an update to the Body Beautiful page: Rod in blue shorts. :)

Feb. 9, 2011

"Sunday in New York" is now available on DVD!

A friend of this Web site e-mailed the news today. Like the recent release of "Hotel" (see the Jan. 5 update below), "Sunday in New York" is being made available from the Warner Archives. Even better, however, is that the Warner Bros. site indicates that the DVD has been newly remastered!

Feb. 4, 2011

I have been condensing this update page today, filing tidbits of info away on their proper pages and generally condensing entries earlier than 2010. Furthermore, I decided to edit the Jan. 25 entry, below, because I felt I devoted too much space to the matter and spent too much energy being angry.

So, to soothe and console... Today, I bring you a picture from a fairly recent eBay spree: Rod as Travis McGee on The Busted Flush, from "Darker than Amber." What a wonderful place that would be!

Jan. 25, 2011

(Re-edited Feb. 4)

Cinema Retro arrived in the mail today -- the edition that contains a feature about Rod Taylor. The magazine itself is beautiful! It's bright and glossy and the article, titled "Rod Taylor: Everyman Hero," spans six full pages.

The article provides a breezy, well-meaning tribute to Rod, with a bit of biography, commentary about several of his films from the '60s, and a wrap-up with speculation on why Rod's popularity waned so quickly.

However, I feel that the good intentions of the article are undermined by glaring errors about Rod's biggest film, "The Birds." Mitch Brenner, the San Francisco attorney who spends weekends with this mother and sister in Bodega Bay, is called Mitch Brennan, a New York executive who lives with his mother in upstate New York.  

A magazine that bills itself as "The Essential Guide to Movies of the '60s and '70s" should never contain such errors -- especially when discussing a cinema classic.

The writer, Steve Saragossi, has apologized for the mistakes: "I unreservedly apologise for any slight or misleading inference this may have caused."

The editor, Lee Pfeiffer, says he has received much positive response about the article. Indeed, it's a rare and exciting thing to see a lengthy feature about Rod Taylor. But, on the whole, I feel it lacks the care and attention to detail that is exhibited in other work in the magazine and by the writer in the past. I wish it didn't feel like such a missed opportunity. 

Jan. 8, 2011

This year brings us two important milestones on Jan. 11: Not only is it Rod's birthday (he'll be 81 this year), but it is also the 10th anniversary of this Web site!

On Jan. 11, 2001, I launched this site as a tribute to an actor who captured my imagination, curiosity and interest more than any other. I couldn't resist learning more about him, viewing all his performances and sharing all of it with the world.

The effort has been rewarded countless times over, with new friendships and resources. Thanks go to everyone who has ever shared information, pictures, encouraging words and their stories of their favorite Rod Taylor movie or why they think he's such a great actor.

The site has always been a labor of love, and hope it has brought enjoyment and enrichment to every visitor.

As always, I am encouraging everyone to pass along birthday greetings to Rod, via the guestbook. I will gather the messages and send them along to him. Happy birthday, Rod!

SIGN GUESTBOOK ~ VIEW GUESTBOOK

Jan. 5, 2011

"Hotel" is now available on DVD through the Warner Archive Collection. Check it out! The Warner site warns, however, that the movie hasn't  been remastered or restored specifically for the DVD release. This means that the picture quality won't be DVD-sharp, and there also won't be any "extras." However, the DVD-on-demand makes the movie more readily available -- definitely a good thing for people wanting to own this slice of '60s cinema with a fine central performance by Rod Taylor.

One more caveat: Warner says it ships to U.S. destinations only. Amazon.com or other outlets may provide options for international buyers.

At CinemaRetro.com, editor Lee Pfeiffer reviews the movie and specifically applauds Rod's performance: "What I found most enjoyable about the film is the performance of Rod Taylor, whose self-imposed retirement robbed the screen of one of its most impressive and charismatic leading men. ... Taylor is the glue that holds the fragmented story together and he evokes the qualities of what strong leading men used to be about."

I applaud Mr. Pfeiffer in return for these comments about Our Hero! And it whets the appetite even more for special Rod Taylor feature in the upcoming print edition of Cinema Retro.

Dec. 10, 2010

The upcoming issue of Cinema Retro magazine will contain an article about Rod Taylor! See ordering information here.

Issue 19 contains "an in-depth look at the career of an under-rated leading man of '60s and '70s cinema: Rod Taylor."

I have ordered my copy and anxiously await its arrival!

-=-=-

Book update: I finished "Rod Taylor: An Aussie in Hollywood" book by Stephen Vagg quite awhile ago, but have not yet had a chance to create a Web page for it. I think I'll have to re-read and take notes this time to do a summation proper justice.

My overall impression, however: I'm impressed by Stephen's research and so very thankful he stuck to this project, which he began so many years ago. He is fair in his evaluation of Rod's career, landing very much on the positive side. I know there were some trouble spots in Rod's life, and he doesn't shy away from discussing them. Intellectually, I know the book should include them. Emotionally, I choose to ignore them!

Sept. 14, 2010

You may have heard about cache of "Golden Age" teleplays recently discovered at the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C.

A Rod Taylor gem from 1963, "The Ordeal of Dr. Shannon," is among the treasure trove.

News reports say that the Library of Congress and the New York-based public TV station WNET have agreed to allow the British Film Institute in London to showcase the highlights in November in an event called "Missing Believed Wiped."

The teleplays were originally broadcast by the BBC and the independent television companies Granada and Associated-Rediffusion between 1957 and 1970. After airing in the UK, the tapes likely were sent to WNET for broadcast and later stored in the TV station's collection at the Library of Congress. They languished there until recently, when they were discovered and catalogued with British assistance.

Here is a source with links to further reports and a listing of the programs: Kaleidoscope.

-=-=-

Book update: I'm about 150 pages in to the Rod Taylor biography by Stephen Vagg. I'll create a Web page and a summation when I'm through!

August 2010

A comprehensive book about Rod's career is now available! [Amazon.com]

Screenwriter and playwright Stephen Vagg (IMDb // Australian Script Centre) has written "Rod Taylor: An Aussie in Hollywood."

Stephen started working on the book as student project -- it was to have been his dissertation. Over the years, it grew into something greater. Now after painstaking research, countless interviews and infinite patience, it has been released.

Here is some information from the bookseller's site:

Before Sam Worthington and Hugh Jackman, before Russell Crowe and Mel Gibson... there was Rod Taylor.

For over 20 years Rod Taylor was the biggest Australian movie name in Hollywood. ... At a time when Australians could rarely see or hear themselves on screen, Rod Taylor helped keep his country in the public eye, and paved the way for the Aussie actors who followed him.

"Rod Taylor: An Aussie in Hollywood" is the first full-length biography of this pioneering Australian film star. It's the thrilling story of a working-class Sydney boy who went to Hollywood, took on the Americans at their own game on their own turf in one of the toughest industries there is - and won.

August 9, 2010

Here's an update for another lucky region -- taking in a much larger population and featuring an even rarer opportunity than presented in my last update.

"Dark of the Sun" (The Mercenaries) will be screened as part of the "William Lustig Presents" series at the Anthology Film Archives in New York City.

The screenings are at 6:45 p.m. Aug, 15 and 9:30 p.m. Aug 19. The Anthology Film Archives are located at 32 Second Avenue (at 2nd St.) in New York City.

In choosing the movies to show during the series, Lustig explained:

"Number one: I wanted to pick films that had been languishing since their theatrical release. These are movies that—some of them have seen the light [of day] on VHS, none of them DVD. So for all intents and purposes, for the last 10 or 15 years [these films] have been unavailable. My second criterion is to try to showcase directors and actors who I feel have been forgotten or neglected."

Lustig is an enthusiast of genre cinema of the ’60s and ’70s and is the founder of Blue Underground, a DVD distributor of cult films.

July 2, 2010

This is an update that affects a fairly small geographic area -- but it's an area that includes your very excited Web mistress:

The Lyric Theatre in Stuart, Florida, will be showing "The Birds" as part of its summer movie series at 2 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 8. (Click for Lyric Theatre site)

It's a free show, but tickets must be obtained. Tickets are available at The Lyric box office 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Saturday and are limited to four per person. Seating is first come, first served.

I'm pretty certain I'll be first! This will be the first time I will see Rod's biggest movie on the Big Screen.

June 21, 2010

I created separate pages for all of Rod's appearances in anthology series in the early part of his career. I found some new info on many of these old shows and fleshed out some of the info:

May 29, 2010

Enjoy the latest addition to the "Body Beautiful" collection:

Rod lifts weights (circa 1960?)

April 29, 2010

A great friend of and contributor to this Web site has been featured in an article in British Columbia. John Boyle owns a Stutz Bearcat like the one Rod Taylor drives in "Bearcats!" and regularly takes it to car shows. This one was extra special...

  • You can read the article about John and the Bearcat here: Classic Dream Comes True.
  • You can see the pictures and write-ups that John provided here: On the Bearcats! pag e.
  • You can see John's latest contribution to the site here: A picture of Rod given to John by Douglas Heyes Jr., son of the creator of "Bearcats!"

March 12, 2010

Fantastic DVD news! "The Oregon Trail" will be released on DVD on April 13!

The DVD box set will include digitally remastered versions of ALL the episodes, including the pilot and the ones the were not aired on NBC.

View the news here // Amazon link

-=-=-=-

As a personal aside: My apologies to people who have written e-mail notes to me within the past few weeks and months. I treasure you all, but I am a terrible correspondent! I will try to keep up better -- Diane

Jan. 28, 2010

Among the winners at the 16th annual Screen Actors Guild Awards on Jan. 23 were the cast of "Inglourious Basterds" -- including Rod Taylor!

The "Basterds" won the SAG Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture, beating competitors "Nine," "Precious," "An Education" and "The Hurt Locker."

Here's the winning ensemble cast and the characters they played:

DANIEL BRÜHL / Fredrick Zoller
AUGUST DIEHL / Major Hellstrom
JULIE DREYFUS / Francesca Mondino
MICHAEL FASSBENDER / Lt. Archie Hicox
SYLVESTER GROTH / Joseph Goebbels
JACKY IDO / Marcel
DIANE KRUGER / Bridget Von Hammersmark
MÉLANIE LAURENT / Shosanna
DENIS MENOCHET / Perrier LaPedite
MIKE MYERS / General Ed French
BRAD PITT / Lt. Aldo Raine
ELI ROTH / Sgt. Donny Donowitz
TIL SCHWEIGER / Sgt. Hugo Stiglitz
ROD TAYLOR / Winston Churchill
CHRISTOPH WALTZ / Col. Hans Landa
MARTIN WUTTKE / Hitler

Story link and list of other winners

Jan. 13, 2010

Rod sends his love and gratitude for the recent birthday greetings posted in the guestbook.

As for me, I am amazed at the range of notes -- so many "favorites" cited, so many places represented. There are longtime fans and brand-new ones; people who were introduced to his work years ago and some only this week.

Thanks for taking the time and effort to bring happiness to Rod... and his Web-keeper!

Jan. 1, 2010

Happy New Year, Rod Taylor fans! Another momentous occasion will occur within the next couple of weeks: Rod's 80th birthday on Jan. 11.

To celebrate, Turner Classic Movies is running a daylong Rod Taylor marathon. Here is a link to the schedule for US Eastern time. Check your areas listings. It's a great lineup: Seven Seas To Calais, The Time Machine, Sunday In New York, 36 Hours, Young Cassidy, Glass Bottom Boat, Dark Of The Sun.

-=-=-=-

The conversations with Rod on the DVD package for "Inglourious Basterds" are wonderful -- funny and heartwarming. See for yourselves:

Video clip of the two interviews (.wmv)

It is a treat to hear Rod talking about his enjoyment of Quentin Tarantino's movies and the respect he was shown by the director and crew. His joy at making a top-quality film with a masterful director is abundantly clear in his discussion as well as the behind-the-scenes clips included in the conversations. Enjoy!

Nov. 29, 2009

On Dec. 15, 2009, "Inglourious Basterds" will be released in three different formats: A one-disc DVD package, a two-disc DVD package and a Blu-ray edition.

Rod Taylor fans will want to get the two-disc DVD or the Blu-ray package. Both will include all of the above plus a conversation with Rod Taylor and a featurette called "Rod Taylor on Victoria Bitters – the Australian Beer." Other items include a gag reel; a poster gallery; a roundtable discussion with Quentin Tarantino, Brad Pitt and film historian/critic Elvis Mitchell; and featurettes "Making of Nation’s Pride," "The Original Inglorious Bastards," and "Quentin Tarantino’s Camera Angel."

Rod's scene could be among the extended and alternate scenes because upon seeing the movie, Rod lamented, "What ever happened to all of Winnie's dialogue? (Show biz!!)"

-=-=-=-

Also check out the page for "Zabriskie Point," which contains some new photos (from screen captures) and information from a candid, raucous interview with Rod from CinemaX magazine, circal 1969-70.

Aug. 23, 2009

Here's are a couple of links to a terrific article about Rod Taylor, originally written for the Aug. 21 edition of the Palm Beach Post, and published in the Aug. 23 edition of the Miami Herald:

The article is by Scott Eyman, the books editor of the Palm Beach Post and the author of many acclaimed film-related biographies. Notably for Rod Taylor fans, Eyman penned a bio of John Ford that included many comments by and about Rod from his role in "Young Cassidy."

This article, of course, focuses on the No. 1 box office hit this week, "Inglourious Basterds," written and directed by that crazy genius, Quentin Tarantino. Eyman characterizes Rod as "a joyous, high-energy raconteur, full of life," and his interview with Rod is full of terrific information. Some examples:

To prepare for the part as Winston Churchill, Rod "watched dozens of DVDs to get Churchill's voice, complete with lisp, and the hunched body language."

One day on the set, Rod said he noticed Tarantino looking at him closely. "What's the matter?" Rod asked. Tarantino replied: "I've got Rod Taylor on my set." Rod said that Tarantino "was so overjoyed. He lies down at the feet of the people he likes."

Rod also noticed that the members of the German crew all seemed to know about his movies. "It turns out that Quentin had run all my movies and made people stay after work to look at them," Rod said. "They had seen Dark of the Sun; they had seen Young Cassidy."

Indeed, in an interview with FFWD, fellow "Basterds" actor Eli Roth mentions the screening of "Dark of the Sun" for the crew. Roth says that "The ending [of Inglourious Basterds], in the theater, is very much from Dark of the Sun, and I think [Tarantino] takes two or three other cues from it. It was a really, really brutal, incredible film."

A story on MSNBC also lists "Dark of the Sun" as part of a "primer for non-movie geeks" to the many references and homages included in "Inglourious Basterds."

Aug. 14, 2009

Here's the best view of Rod so far in promos for "Inglourious Basterds":

This is a screen capture from a "behind the scenes" video about the new Quentin Tarantino film. A brief clip of Rod is shown as actor Mike Myers is talking about jumping at the chance to be in the movie:  "[Tarantino said] would you like to play a British General in a World War II movie? Rod Taylor's playing Winston Churchill. In a Tarantino film. Doesn't get much better."

Aug. 12, 2009

Rod Taylor received a wonderful mention in The Australian when "Inglourious Basterds" had its premiere in Melbourne last week. Here's a couple of key paragraphs in an article titled For once, Quentin Tarantino's not an inglourious basterd from the Aug. 3 edition of the newspaper:

The film includes an unlikely cameo by Australian screen legend Rod Taylor as Winston Churchill. "He's a real hero of mine so it was really great to work with him," [Director Quentin] Tarantino said. "He hasn't been working that much in the last six years, so what was really cool is he's still Rod Taylor and still the great guy he is.

"We'd finish our day shooting in Germany and I'd go into his dressing room with a couple of VBs [Victoria Bitter] and we'd drink them and have a good time."

Another movie that's being released this month is drawing some attention to Rod. "The Time Traveler's Wife," starring Eric Bana and Rachel McAdams, is prompting many writers to reminisce about time-travel movies. Of course, Rod's "The Time Machine" is mentioned frequently and with great fondness.

Here's the best example, from an writer in Edinburgh in an article titled A dance through time:

A good place to start a loosely chronological survey of the best of [the time travel movies] is the 1960 adaptation of HG Wells’ The Time Machine (and not the underwhelming 2002 version made by the author’s great-grandson, Simon). Rod Taylor’s trip to the end of history, in that great Victorian throne, remains the genre classic by which all new entries are tested.

July 5, 2009

There's a new trailer for "Inglourious Basterds" on YouTube, which includes a very brief glimpse of Rod Taylor in the background of a scene:

View the trailer here.

May 20, 2009

"Inglourious Basterds" premiered at the Cannes Film Festival today, and here's part of one review that mentioned Rod's scene:

There's a fab sequence involving the Brits with Michael Fassbender as a frightfully proper English officer (who in peace time was a film critic) who meets with Mike Myers as a top British general and Rod Taylor as Winston Churchill. They're frightfully upper class and Tarantino has a lot of laughs setting this scene up.

-- from the Daily Mail, London

May 13, 2009

Empire Online is showing off some new pictures from "Inglourious Basterds," as the film gathers buzz at the Cannes Film Festival.

Of note to Rod Taylor fans is the figure in the background of this photo. Here's actor Michael Fassbender as British intel officer Archie Hicox... with Rod Taylor as Winston Churchill seated on the piano bench.

Jan. 1, 2009

Via Google, Life magazine has opened up a vast archive of its photographs. These include a lot of pictures from a photo shoot for the Feb. 12, 1965, issue of Life that featured a spread on "Young Cassidy." Click here for an array of Rod pictures -- most of which were not used in the magazine.

 

Site update highlights from 2005-08

Nov. 2, 2008

A remake of "The Birds" has been brewing for a couple of years, and a new report says George Clooney may play Rod Taylor's original role as Mitch Brenner.

Even better, the report has a reaction from Rod!

Rod Taylor said that he was a little sceptical of a remake of the film, but all his fears ended when he came to know that Clooney is the favourite to take the lead role.

He said that the ‘Ocean’s Eleven’ actor might play lawyer Mitch Brenner in the remake of the classic horror film.

He also expressed his belief that Clooney would turn out to be the best man to do the job.

"I often cringe when I hear mention of remakes, but I’ll hold judgement, especially since I’ve been told Clooney’s the favourite,” Contactmusic quoted him as saying.

Previous casting news has Naomi Watts filling Tippi Hedren's role as Melanie. Both Naomi and George would be excellent casting choices, if they insist on making a remake!

July 31, 2008

Rod Taylor roles have received some recognition in recent "best-of" lists around the Internet:

January 14, 2008

The audiobook that Rod Taylor recorded in 2005 has been re-named "Rock Star Rising." The author, Paul Kyriazi, announced the change last month, saying that the title and cover is higher class and the actors' names are easier to read and Rod's name is larger on top of the title. The audiobook originally was titled "Hard Rock Lovers." The new title definitely reflects the story much better! Thanks and good luck to Mr. Kyriazi.

May 17, 2007

This tour of Rod's home is brought to you courtesy of some recent eBay acquisitions: (1) A set of photos from the 1970s and (2) a Hello! magazine article from 1998 (PDF).

This first batch of photos features Rod and wife Carol in various rooms of their Beverly Hills home (where Rod has lived since the early 1960s). The artwork on the walls, much of the wood carving and the painted window over the chess set were all done by Rod himself. 

Chess // Kitchen // Dining room // Billiards

This second batch of photos again features Rod and Carol, but a couple of decades later. 

Outside // Staircase // Kitchen table

I have sat at that kitchen table! Rod made it himself (as well as the pottery plates that hang above it). The carving on the table reads: "Chicken, mash, tatties and pease and goode wine our tummies to please."

Aug. 11, 2006

A couple of weeks ago, I was thrilled to find that Rod Taylor was included in a book published in 2005 called "Australian Legends," by Richard Simpkin. The "author" had started out by photographing legendary Australians for a photo exhibition, and the project turned into a book. 

I found the photo he took of Rod (click here and scroll down) and was charmed by Simpkin's account of meeting him. I managed to get a copy of the book and was excited when it arrived in the mail today.

I am now somewhere between flattered and outraged. Let me just say, if you want to read Simpkin's piece about Rod Taylor, save your money and just visit the biography pages of this Web site. 

The book does have a nice full-page version of Simpkin's photograph of Rod. But the page of biography that accompanies it is merely a summary (some of it word-for-word) from this Web site. The quotes from Rod are not from interviews he conducted, but from the items included here. And, unlike the book, my source materials are fully attributed and referenced. 

Oct. 10, 2005

During a vacation in California last week, I finally had the good fortune to meet Our Hero!

On Oct. 5, Rod graciously invited my husband and I to his house and then out for a wonderful lunch. It was a private visit, so I'll simply pass along that Rod was as charming and full of good humor as you can imagine. He appreciates his true fans and is glad to know people have enjoyed his work. 

May 26, 2005

The June 2005 issue of the British GQ magazine just arrived (thanks, eBay)! It has a package about "Old Hollywood" male movie stars that includes two photos of Rod:

There's a full-page b/w picture of Rod and 
one of him with Robert Wagner and Tab Hunter. 

The idea behind the 18-page photo feature (by photographer Peter Lindbergh) is to capture the "style, grace and gravitas of Hollywood itself." Other subjects include Kirk Douglas, Tony Curtis, Christopher Lee, Omar Sharif and Mickey Rooney. 

The brief article that accompanies the photos indicates that Rod's photos were taken on the lot at Universal Studios in Los Angeles.