Even a brief tenure directing the campus-capers "Collegians" shorts for Universal was appropriate for Taylor, as these two-reel subjects often emphasized visual action.
His effective staging of action scenes earned him a permanent berth at Universal, where he was entrusted with the studio's popular westerns and serials.
Taylor's success with Flash Gordon earned him an invitation to direct serials for Republic Pictures, but his stay was short.
Taylor's reputation for quality work took precedence over his personal problem, and in 1938 he joined Columbia's new serial unit to co-direct The Spider's Web with James W. Horne.
For the rest of his career Ray Taylor worked in the movies' minor leagues, making western features for PRC (which shut down in 1947) and Monogram Pictures.