THE TIME MACHINE, THE BIRDS STAR ROD TAYLOR DEAD

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Hollywood legend ROD TAYLOR who starred in Hitchcock’s THE BIRDS and THE TIME MACHINE  has set sail for the far horizons at age 84, The ENQUIRER has learned.

The Australian born thesp who made genre history of starring in no less than three masterpieces of the fantasy film genre died today in Los Angeles of a heart attack, his daughter Felicia confirmed.

Rod was launched into film history starring as the eponymous time traveler George (aka H. George Wells) in George Pal’ sci-fi adaptation of the classic novel. Rod  travels from Victorian England to the far future where chillingly mankind is divided into two classes, the passive Eloi and their subterranean masters The Morlocks.  

Rod was then teamed with newcomer Tippi Hedren in Alfred Hitchock’s masterpiece “The Birds” based on the Daphne DuMaurier novella. It was Hitch’s follow-up to “Psycho” and Rod heroically endured the onslaught of avian terror.

He also voiced lead canine Pongo in Disney’s animated classic “1,0001 Dalmations”. The film spawned two live action re-dos in the 1980s.

Rod was born in Sydney, Australia and attended art school before pursuing an acting career.

Among his early screen appearance Rod films appeared in “Giant” and  “Raintree Country” – both with Liz Taylor AND ventured first into the future in "World Without End".

He also appeared in “the Glass Bottom Boat” with Doris Day, “The Train Robbers” with John Wayne and “Young Cassidy”.

Rod was afamiliar face across the TV landscape including "The Twilight Zone", his own series "Bearcats" and had a recurring role on “Falcon Crest”.

His last screen appearance was in Quentin Tarantino’s “Inglorious Basterds” as Prime Minister Winston Churchill.

Rod now, as always, has all the time in the world….

Adios, amigo.