Samuel W. Taylor

Samuel W. Taylor
BornSamuel Woolley Taylor
(1907-02-05)February 5, 1907
Provo, Utah, U.S.
DiedSeptember 26, 1997(1997-09-26) (aged 90)
Occupation
  • Novelist
  • scriptwriter
  • historian
SpouseGay Dimick
RelativesJohn W. Taylor (father)
Janet Maria Woolley (mother)
John Taylor (paternal grandfather)

Samuel Woolley Taylor (February 5, 1907 September 26, 1997) was an American novelist, scriptwriter, and historian.

He is best-known for the short story "A Situation of Gravity" in the May 22, 1943 issue of Liberty magazine. This story was adapted to film and television several times. The first version was Disney movie The Absent-Minded Professor (1961), followed by the sequel Son of Flubber (1963). The 1997 film Flubber starring Robin Williams was a remake of the first film. Two television films were also adapted from the story: The Absent-Minded Professor (1988) TV episode starring Harry Anderson, and The Absent-Minded Professor: Trading Places (1989). Taylor also wrote several novels and non-fiction works, some of which touch on Latter-day Saint themes.