From: Boy Culture
I'd never heard of Jeff Richards until watching parts of The Opposite Sex (1956) last night—it's a musical remake of The Women (1939) with Joan Collins in the Joan Crawford role and Agnes Moorehead as the Countess. It's an all-star, nearly all-dead (only Joan, Barrie Chase and the kid seem to be alive) cast, but I was most taken with square-jawed Jeff Richards.
Richards is best known for Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (1954), but had been a ball player before trying his hand at the movies.
Poor guy died in his sixties. But he sure was perfection early on.
Jeff Richards (November 1, 1924 – July 28, 1989), was an American minor league baseball player with the Portland Beavers, who later became an actor. He was sometimes credited as Dick Taylor and Richard Taylor.
He was born Richard Mansfield Taylor in Portland, Oregon. Taylor joined the United States Navy during World War II and served until 1946.
After the war was over, Richard Taylor played short stop for the Portland Beavers for a year and then for the Salem Senators, however his baseball career ended after he tore his ligament and was unable to play anymore.
He then went to Hollywood to pursue a film career. He got a screen test at Metro-Goldwyn Mayer and the studio changed his name to Jeff Richards. The former baseball player started his acting career during the late 1940s with mostly bit parts, but in 1950 he played a strong role, displaying his baseball skills as Bob Langdon in Kill the Umpire and later as Dave Rothberg in Angels in the Outfield (1951).
He is best known for his role as Benjamin Pontipee in Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (1954). Following this performance, he tied with George Nader and Joe Adams for the Golden Globe for Most Promising Newcomer. Despite this, his acting career soon floundered.
In 1958, he played the title role in the NBC western television series Jefferson Drum, the story of a crusading journalist, with Eugene Martin portraying his young son. The series was cancelled after twenty-six episodes aired over two seasons.
Richards guest-starred in numerous television series, including the role in 1961 of Jubal Evans in the episode "Incident of His Brother's Keeper" of the CBS western Rawhide.
His last role was in 1966 as Kallen in the film Waco.
He was married to Vickie Taylor and they had one child before they divorced.
Jeff Richards died on July 28, 1989, aged 64 from unknown causes. He is buried at Riverside National Cemetery in Riverside, California.
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