Biography
Joyce Taylor, described as a petite brunette with blue eyes, was born Joyce Crowder in Taylorville, Illinois. Her father, a vocalist with his own radio show in St. Louis, inspired a strong musical influence in the family. From a young age, Joyce enjoyed singing and playing the piano. At 15, she performed her original song, "You've Got Something," at a school talent show, where an agent from Mercury Records discovered her and signed her to a three-year contract under the name Joyce Bradley. Her song was released as her debut commercial single. Joyce moved to Chicago, performing at the renowned Chez Paree nightclub and other venues, singing pieces like "St. Louis Blues." She later appeared at Billy Gray's Band Box comedy club in Los Angeles. By 1954, at age 17, she performed on Walter Winchell's weekly ABC television show and changed her stage name from Bradley to Taylor, reportedly at the suggestion of her hometown residents.
Joyce attracted the attention of Howard Hughes, who offered her a seven-year contract with RKO. However, she likely declined, as her only film during that period was a minor role in the 1956 murder mystery Beyond a Reasonable Doubt. Her contract ended early in 1957, after which she worked freelance in television, appearing in classics such as 77 Sunset Strip (1958), Sea Hunt (1958), The Untouchables (1959), and Tales of Wells Fargo (1957). She also played the wife of the lead character (William Lundigan) in several episodes of the sci-fi series Men Into Space (1959). In 1959, Joyce married Edward S. Bellinson, a Beverly Hills stockbroker. They had a son several years later but eventually divorced.
Joyce returned to film when George Pal sought a brunette to portray Princess Antillia in Atlantis: The Lost Continent (1961), based on Gerald Hargreaves’ play Atlanta. Set during the Roman Empire, the film incorporated footage from MGM's Quo Vadis (1951). The plot centers on the hero, Sal Ponti as Anthony Hall, protecting the princess from death rays, mad scientists, and a volcanic eruption.
In September 1960, Joyce was chosen from over fourteen candidates for the lead role in Andrew L. Stone’s crime drama Ring of Fire (1961). She portrayed a tough juvenile delinquent allied with two hardened criminals (Frank Gorshin and James Burr Johnson) who reforms and joins the good side out of love for the local deputy sheriff (David Janssen).
Her final notable film role was as Beatrice in "Rappaccini's Daughter," a segment of the 1963 anthology Twice-Told Tales, adapted from Nathaniel Hawthorne's Gothic horror story set in 16th-century Padua. Beatrice, daughter of a mad botanist (Vincent Price), is confined in a garden of poisonous plants to deter suitors and is treated with a toxic plant extract that makes her touch deadly. The story ends tragically.
Joyce appeared in a few more TV guest roles before retiring from acting in 1971. In 1972, she married Richard Perry Hinnant. She continued composing music for other artists and established her own publishing company, Joyce Taylor Music. She passed away as Joyce Taylor Hinnant in Fort Collins, Colorado, in 2024.
