Stanner Edward Varley Taylor, a remarkable figure in the world of cinema, was born in 1874 and passed away in 1948. Taylor's journey in the film industry began when he borrowed a typewriter from the New York Herald to write plays, often working through the night while the city slept. His exceptional writing skills soon caught the attention of the owner of the American Mutoscope & Biography Co., who was impressed by his work and hired him to write stories for their new moving pictures in 1908.
Taylor's prolific writing career with the American Mutoscope & Biography Co. lasted for two years, during which he wrote an astonishing 85% of their pictures. Some of his notable works from this period include D.W. Griffith's first film, The Adventures of Dollie (1908),the first movie filmed in Hollywood, In Old California (1910),and the first interfaith romance, A Child of the Ghetto (1910).
In 1912, Taylor married his leading lady, Marion Leonard, and left Biograph to start their own film studio. At the time, Marion Leonard was reportedly earning a staggering $1,000 per week, a sum that was unprecedented for a film actress, especially when compared to the salaries of other actresses, including the famous Mary Pickford.
Taylor and Leonard founded The Monopol Film Company in 1912, and Taylor went on to expand his role in the company, taking on responsibilities as a writer, director, and producer. During his time at Monopol, Taylor made over 100 films before retiring in 1926. Taylor's innovative approach to filmmaking earned him numerous accolades, including being the first director to receive on-screen credit (1910),the first screenwriter to work on retainer, and the first producer to be pictured in a film advertisement (1913).
Taylor's 1913 production of Carmen was particularly notable, featuring an astonishing 426 scenes. He also created the first quadruple exposure in-camera visual effects shot in Monopol's The Dead Secret (1913),with Marion Leonard playing a dual role. Throughout his career, Taylor was a true pioneer in the silent film era, leaving a lasting impact on the development of the film industry.
