Today is a big milestone in the Rod Taylor universe: Jan. 11, 2020, would have been Rod’s 90th birthday. It’s also the 19th anniversary of the Complete Rod Taylor Site.
And it’s the first day for this long-thought-about blog.
The Rod Taylor Blog will be used to announce updates to the site, share new discoveries, present details about Rod’s life and work, and more. It’ll be a bit more personal than the Updates web page it replaces, and there’ll be opportunities for readers to comment and interact.
An even bigger New Year’s resolution is aimed Jan. 11, 2021, which will mark the 20th anniversary of this website! Twenty years! That’s eons in internet time.
I’ll be working on redesigning the Complete Rod Taylor Site website behind the scenes to make it easier to view on mobile devices and to add information and photos that I’ve been putting aside for “later.” The redesign will be a big undertaking, as I’ll be learning new technology and rebuilding a huuuuuge website. I’ve been wanting to do this for a few years, but the learning curve and the size of the job has been scaring me off. But it’s time to get going. I’m up for the challenge and and full of resolve!
When I first launched the website in 2001, I thought carefully about what to name it. I looked at other “fan sites” and noticed that when it came to the filmography section, there usually was only a list. I pledged to delve deeper. Even at the start, you could click any title and get information about each particular movie, TV show, theater production or radio show. In that way, I felt the reader could get “complete” information. Thus was born The Complete Rod Taylor Site.
The title was a bit of a folly, as no website is ever completed! But it’s been a great joy adding details, information, photos and video over the years.
And even in its earliest stages, I’m happy to note that Rod was impressed, as he wrote in emails during the spring of 2001:
I am in awe … what a huge project. You have more memorabilia and know more about ‘me’ than ‘me.’ … Sydney radio, too???? Everybody I happen to talk to agrees with me that you are one hell of a website creator, Mrs. T.
– Rod Taylor, 2001
Those are big accolades to live up to and nearly 20 years later, this website is devoted more than ever to keeping his legacy alive.
The Rod Taylor Blog 