Ray Taylor

He made the transition to sound easily enough, and by the middle of the decade was one of the film capital's top hands at making chapterplays and fast-moving programmers, mostly crime thrillers and action films. Among his best work are the serials The Return of Chandu (1934), Dick Tracy (1937), and Flash Gordon Conquers the Universe (1940). Although never a noted stylist in the manner of William Witney or Spencer Bennet, Taylor could move his actors along quickly with the best of them, without sacrificing either lyricism or elegance, as exemplified by Flash Gordon Conquers the Universe, which was the prettiest and most majestic serial ever made, rising to Wagnerian heights of grandeur. In the late '40s, with the decline of the serial form, Taylor finished out his career in low-budget westerns. ~ Bruce Eder, All Movie Guide