Elizabeth Taylor had so many brushes with death during her life that by now I practically thought she was immortal. I was sad to wake up to discover that the brilliant actress and ultimate Movie Star died this morning at the age of 79 of congestive heart failure. She was surrounded by her four children.
So much has been written about her eight marriages, the famous Hollywood scandals in which she was a key player, her struggles with her weight, her friendship with Michael Jackson, her passion for jewelry, and other aspects of her life during the past 30 years that I worry some people may have forgotten what a magnificent actress Elizabeth Taylor was.
One of Taylor’s biggest legacies will undoubtedly be her tireless work as an AIDS activist and fundraiser. She was the first celebrity who was willing to fight the disease head-on and she had an enormous impact on the world’s acceptance and understanding of the crisis.
The only time I saw Elizabeth Taylor in the flesh was in her Broadway debut in the 1981 revival of Lillian Hellmann’s “The Little Foxes.” Taylor played matriarch Regina Giddens, the role Tallulah Bankhead originated on stage in 1939 and Bette Davis played in the 1941 film. Though the play got mixed reviews at the time, I loved Elizabeth's portrayal of the tough-as-nails Regina who tried to claw her way out of the traps of early 20th century life when only sons were considered legal heirs. I remember the shocking end of Act 1 when Regina’s husband Horace suffers a heart attack, just after telling her that he planned to cut her out of his will. Instead of running to get his heart medication or calling for help, Regina just stands there, frozen in place. I will never forget Taylor’s delivery of that chilling line just before the curtain comes down on the first half of the play. “I hope you DIE!”
I ask you, was there ever an actress more beautiful than Elizabeth Taylor? It’s hard to imagine, although Taylor herself declared that her friend Ava Gardner was the greatest beauty in Hollywood. Taylor started acting as a child, of course, and seemed to have completely bypassed the awkward stage many attractive child stars go through on their way to adulthood. Elizabeth Taylor was literally breath-taking—I still find myself gasping audibly when I see her in some of her films.
Growing up in the studio system, Taylor was often frustrated by the parts she was given. She made her share of lousy movies (although she was always fascinating to watch) and yet still managed to appear in some of the greatest films ever to come out of Hollywood. Taylor won two Best Actress Oscars, first for the so-so “Butterfield 8” in 1960 (many thought it was a make-up prize for being passed over the previous two years for “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof” and “Suddenly Last Summer”) and again in 1966 for her gut-wrenching portrayal of Martha in “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf.”
Elizabeth Taylor gave so many memorable performances, from her career-boosting turn as Velvet Brown in “National Velvet” to her series of historical epics to the 11 films she made with two-time husband Richard Burton that showcased the couple’s sizzling chemistry. I have a strong memory of a 1970 episode of “Here’s Lucy” with Taylor and Burton in which Lucy gets Elizabeth’s famous diamond ring stuck on her finger. Hard to believe that the actress was only in her 30s when that episode was shot—what an amazing career she had.
If I was forced at gunpoint to pick my five favorite performances of Dame Elizabeth, I might choose the following:
Little Women (1949). This is by far my favorite film version of the Louisa May Alcott classic and a big reason for that is Elizabeth Taylor’s presence as the spoiled Amy March. Her scene with her teacher in which the teacher can’t bring himself to strike the beautiful child is wonderful, as is Elizabeth’s snide retort to her classmates when she finds them listening at the door. I love the scene in which the ever-hungry Amy is persuaded to bring her Christmas breakfast to her less fortunate neighbors and then manages to get her fair share of popovers while feeding all the impoverished children. “One for you…one for me…one for you…one for me.” Taylor’s character truly matures in this film and her transformation from spoiled brat to the young woman who eventually marries Peter Lawford’s Laurie is remarkable. This was Elizabeth’s final role as an adolescent. She moved seamlessly into adult roles the following year.
A Place in the Sun (1951). Made when she was 19 years old, this film, based on the Theodore Dreiser novel, “An American Tragedy,” was arguably Elizabeth Taylor’s most haunting role on screen. She was at the absolute height of her beauty and the contrast between Taylor’s charmed Angela Vickers and dowdy working class Alice played by Shelley Winters is so great that you want to chuck your own values out the window and hurl Winters off that boat yourself so that poor Montgomery Clift is free to be with Elizabeth. This gorgeous George Stevens film, which won six Academy Awards, is a torture to watch but I am incapable of not tuning in whenever it airs.
Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1958). Wait, did I just say Elizabeth Taylor was at the height of her beauty in 1951? Now that I think back to her amazing turn as Maggie the Cat seven years later, I may have to revise that. At 26, Taylor was at her sexiest playing this frustrated, ambitious Tennessee Williams icon. Considering the fact that the censors forced the studio to cut some of the most important aspects of the plot (including all references to Brick’s homosexuality), this is one of the most powerful films of the 1950s, in no small way thanks to Taylor’s desperate performance opposite Paul Newman’s Brick. And a special shout-out to one of my favorites, Madeleine Sherwood (later known as the Mother Superior on TV’s “The Flying Nun” who also appeared in some of Kendall’s father’s plays) recreating her Broadway role as Elizabeth’s vile sister-in-law, or as Maggie calls her, the “fertility monster.” Taylor’s husband, Mike Todd, died on the first day of shooting which may have sadly contributed to the depth of Taylor's emotional scenes.
Cleopatra (1963). Yes, you heard me right—I’m naming the film that almost single-handedly sank Twentieth-Century Fox because of its runaway budget and runaway egos. Like everyone else, I assumed the film was a total abomination and I avoided it at all costs. Until last year, that is, when a restored version of the film (over four hours long) was screened at the First Annual Turner Classic Movies Film Festival. To my utter surprise, I loved every second of it, especially Elizabeth Taylor’s over-the-top performance as our feisty African Queen. I’m not saying that the film would win any awards from historical scholars, but I was entranced by Elizabeth and her conquests (Rex Harrison and Richard Burton) from beginning to end. Taylor made headlines by being the first actress to get a cool million for a single film. Because of various delays and other problems that plagued the set, Taylor’s payday eventually increased to seven million for “Cleopatra,” which is the equivalent of about $47 million today. You go, girl! Having already gone through several death-defying episodes, Taylor experienced another one during the making of this film and had to get an emergency tracheotomy at one point. The scar from this procedure is clearly visible throughout the film.
Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966). I’m just realizing that all my favorite Elizabeth Taylor films (with the possible exception of “Little Women”) are painful to watch but oh-so-satisfying. She was adept at tapping into dysfunction and there were few characters more dysfunctional than Edward Albee’s Martha in this exquisite Mike Nichols film. It’s hard to believe Taylor was only 32 when she made this movie, her world-weary, take-no-prisoners Martha may have been the most skilled performance she ever gave. And playing off actual hubby Richard Burton only added to the yummy horror of the role.
But wait…I didn’t mention “Father of the Bride, “ “Quo Vadis,” “Giant,” “Raintree County,” “The Taming of the Shrew,” and so many others. Farewell, Dame Elizabeth. Years ago, when Barbara Walters asked Taylor what she would like her epitaph would be, she said:
“Here lies Elizabeth. She hated being called Liz. But she lived!”
Comments
Is it weird that my very first thought upon hearing the news today was, "Danny is going to have one helluva blog post about this." And you do. :)
I've been checking Jew Eat Yet? all day, waiting for what you would write about Elizabeth. Now I'm going to have to run out and get all these DVDs because no one puts things more persuasively than you , Danny. Thanks.
You relly are the Great Movie Star Obit Writer, my dear...I knew, too, you would do a post about this fabulous woman...I just wasn't sure you would get it up, so quickly...! Elizabethb Taylor was about eight months younger than me---so I always felt a strange kinship to her...I thought she was extraordinarly Beautiful,(Who didn't?) talented and one of the bravest women in the world. At the time she stepped up to the plate for AIDS because of her dear dear friend Rock Hudson---just the act of her doing that, changed the 'face' of AIDS forever...Plus, she helped to raise millions upon millions of dollars--like 25 million, for research....This was, at the time, a very brave act! And her continued commitment to AMFAR until today, was quite amazing in every way. I loved her honesty. She always was who she was---take it or leave it. I admired that aspect of her probably more than any other, and there was plenty to admire, as you so wonderfully put it, Danny.
I remember when she won the Academy Awrd for "Butterfield 8", many people said it was because she had almost died that year from a terrible pneumonia--thus, the tracheotomy---But, if you look at that film again, her performance is quite wonderful--It is Eddie Fisher who was not so good, plus a script that left a lot to be seired.
(I agree with you about CLEOPATRA...It is a Wonderful Wonderful Film!
And....Oh, the scandels....And through it all, she remained true to herself.
FIERCLY(?) Devoted to her family and her friends...Loyal to the core, there was a lot to admire about this really great Dame--in both senses of that word! RIP dear Elizabeth!
Raintree County. I remember seeing it at the Lex Theater on the South Side of Chicago. What a film. Elizabeth Taylor broke my tiny heart in that role. Another favorite of mine is Suddenly Last Summer.
Quite a tribute, well deserved and well delivered. I have not seen A Place in the Sun and I have ordered that one from my library. Thanks you, Danny. Farewell to a great star.
Sometimes I feel like this blog should be titled "So long vintage celebrities." Or something like "Death and homage of a bygone." hehe, Just kidding. You know I'm only teasing. Great tribute to ET!
Except for, "National Velvet" and, "A Place in the Sun," I can't say that I enjoyed Elizabeth Taylor's acting very much. And, I always had a sneaking suspicion that she was playing a somewhat exaggerated version of herself in, "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf ?"
But, I have to say that I actually felt a slight stab in my heart when I read that she had died. I will always think of her tireless work in fighting the stigma of the AIDS epidemic. She was truly our angel.
Danny, what a terrific post about the Great Dame! Putting all those clips together with your observations: a perfect homage. When I depart this world, I might hire you as my after-death publicist!
Like Gordon, I also felt that Liz Taylor wasn't one of the world's greatest actresses but she certainly deserved the crown as Great Diva and also for her humanitarian work for AIDS.
For some reason, I don't feel the emotional connection to her passing as I have with some other Hollywood stars that passed, like Burt Lancaster, probably because none of her movies are my favorites. But I can't think of another Hollywood Golden Era actress that remained in the limelight and transformed herself in more ways than Madonna through the years -- everyone from 30-80 has encountered "Liz" Taylor either in movies, perfume commercials, or through her charity work. I can't think of an actress today that is comparable in Hollywood "royalty."
I watched "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof" again yesterday and was dazzled by Taylor's performance. She may not be everyone's cup of tea but back in the day that woman could ACT!
And I can't believe I forgot to mention that she was a member of the tribe...by CHOICE, not because of her marriages to Mike Todd or Eddie Fisher. We're happy to claim you, Elizabeth! (She even made sure she'd be buried within 48 hours according to Jewish law.)
I loved your obit, as always. However, I'm not so sure she didn't become a Jew 'cos of Mike Todd, by choice firstly. Are you really sure of that? I have to check that out. Too bad she never wrote her memoirs, it would have been great!I hear all of her interviews with Barbara Walters are online so I must check it out. I have snapshots of her and Richard in a limousine my friend Frank took of her when he was a paparazzi for Photoplay magazine, back in the day. Wish I had a scanner or I'll put them on you tube.
Her death stunned me because more than any one thing about her life, to me she seemed to embody 'life' itself. I really can't believe we now have a world with Elizabeth Taylor. You're right that she doesn't get her due as a great actress, but I do have to quibble about Little Women, though. Kate's is the best. However, I do love that Joan Bennett, who played Amy March in 1933 played Elizabeth's mother in Father of the Bride in 1950. Do you think the two discussed their mutual role on set?
My Dad was NYC cop. He was a cop who didn't want to be a cop--he wanted to be an accountant. However, after his first year at Fordham, he was drafted into WWII. After the war (on the very day he got back to NY), his father died of heart disease.
There was no time to think about his own future because he had to help support his mother and two sisters. So, he became a cop.
Being Irish, he had a lot of relatives within the dept., and he was assigned some of the best jobs.
In 1964 (now a Sergeant), he was assigned to watch Taylor and Burton during Burton's run in "Hamlet." Every night, Ms Taylor would wait backstage until the performance was over. My Dad became friendly with her and liked her very much. That is saying a lot, considering it's my Father; he was not impressed with celebrity.
When the run was over, Ms Taylor threw a closing night party at the Rainbow Room and invited my Dad. For some reason, my Mother didn't go (or wouldn't go)--I heard there was a big fight when he stumbled into the house at 5AM.
Fortuantely, he brought home a wonderful (8x10, B&W) photo of Ms Taylor seated at a round dinner table, wearing a black cocktail dress and dripping in diamonds. Every man in that room (including my Father) is crowded around her, and she is every inch "The Queen." There are no women in the picture (only Ms Taylor)...maybe women weren't invited?
It's a great photo of a bygone era.
PS: That same year, my Father was there to greet the Beatles when they landed at Kennedy. He took them to the Plaza hotel and stayed with them their first night...would you believe he didn't know who they were? Luckily, my Sister made him get an autographed (by all 4) photo--she still has it.
Is it weird that my very first thought upon hearing the news today was, "Danny is going to have one helluva blog post about this." And you do. :)
Posted by: Sarah | March 23, 2011 at 01:35 PM
Finally! I've been waiting all day for this Danny! Excellent as usual.
Posted by: Barbara | March 23, 2011 at 01:39 PM
I've been checking Jew Eat Yet? all day, waiting for what you would write about Elizabeth. Now I'm going to have to run out and get all these DVDs because no one puts things more persuasively than you , Danny. Thanks.
Posted by: Sue Katz | March 23, 2011 at 01:53 PM
You relly are the Great Movie Star Obit Writer, my dear...I knew, too, you would do a post about this fabulous woman...I just wasn't sure you would get it up, so quickly...! Elizabethb Taylor was about eight months younger than me---so I always felt a strange kinship to her...I thought she was extraordinarly Beautiful,(Who didn't?) talented and one of the bravest women in the world. At the time she stepped up to the plate for AIDS because of her dear dear friend Rock Hudson---just the act of her doing that, changed the 'face' of AIDS forever...Plus, she helped to raise millions upon millions of dollars--like 25 million, for research....This was, at the time, a very brave act! And her continued commitment to AMFAR until today, was quite amazing in every way. I loved her honesty. She always was who she was---take it or leave it. I admired that aspect of her probably more than any other, and there was plenty to admire, as you so wonderfully put it, Danny.
I remember when she won the Academy Awrd for "Butterfield 8", many people said it was because she had almost died that year from a terrible pneumonia--thus, the tracheotomy---But, if you look at that film again, her performance is quite wonderful--It is Eddie Fisher who was not so good, plus a script that left a lot to be seired.
(I agree with you about CLEOPATRA...It is a Wonderful Wonderful Film!
And....Oh, the scandels....And through it all, she remained true to herself.
FIERCLY(?) Devoted to her family and her friends...Loyal to the core, there was a lot to admire about this really great Dame--in both senses of that word! RIP dear Elizabeth!
Posted by: OldOldLady Of The Hills | March 23, 2011 at 01:58 PM
Raintree County. I remember seeing it at the Lex Theater on the South Side of Chicago. What a film. Elizabeth Taylor broke my tiny heart in that role. Another favorite of mine is Suddenly Last Summer.
Posted by: Maria Sosa | March 23, 2011 at 02:22 PM
No one can deliver a line like Elizabeth. Thank you Danny.
Posted by: Laurie | March 23, 2011 at 03:17 PM
Quite a tribute, well deserved and well delivered. I have not seen A Place in the Sun and I have ordered that one from my library. Thanks you, Danny. Farewell to a great star.
Posted by: Elaine | March 23, 2011 at 05:36 PM
As always, beautifully done! Bravo!
Posted by: Mindy (Manhattan Beach, CA) | March 23, 2011 at 06:35 PM
Nicely done. I've never seen that version of Little Women; now, of course, I'll have to watch it!
Posted by: Julie R. | March 23, 2011 at 06:53 PM
Sometimes I feel like this blog should be titled "So long vintage celebrities." Or something like "Death and homage of a bygone." hehe, Just kidding. You know I'm only teasing. Great tribute to ET!
Posted by: Campbell | March 23, 2011 at 07:29 PM
Dear Danny,
Except for, "National Velvet" and, "A Place in the Sun," I can't say that I enjoyed Elizabeth Taylor's acting very much. And, I always had a sneaking suspicion that she was playing a somewhat exaggerated version of herself in, "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf ?"
But, I have to say that I actually felt a slight stab in my heart when I read that she had died. I will always think of her tireless work in fighting the stigma of the AIDS epidemic. She was truly our angel.
Thanks,
Gordon
Posted by: Gordon | March 23, 2011 at 09:37 PM
Danny, what a terrific post about the Great Dame! Putting all those clips together with your observations: a perfect homage. When I depart this world, I might hire you as my after-death publicist!
Like Gordon, I also felt that Liz Taylor wasn't one of the world's greatest actresses but she certainly deserved the crown as Great Diva and also for her humanitarian work for AIDS.
Posted by: Natalie | March 24, 2011 at 03:06 PM
For some reason, I don't feel the emotional connection to her passing as I have with some other Hollywood stars that passed, like Burt Lancaster, probably because none of her movies are my favorites. But I can't think of another Hollywood Golden Era actress that remained in the limelight and transformed herself in more ways than Madonna through the years -- everyone from 30-80 has encountered "Liz" Taylor either in movies, perfume commercials, or through her charity work. I can't think of an actress today that is comparable in Hollywood "royalty."
Posted by: Neil | March 24, 2011 at 07:37 PM
I watched "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof" again yesterday and was dazzled by Taylor's performance. She may not be everyone's cup of tea but back in the day that woman could ACT!
And I can't believe I forgot to mention that she was a member of the tribe...by CHOICE, not because of her marriages to Mike Todd or Eddie Fisher. We're happy to claim you, Elizabeth! (She even made sure she'd be buried within 48 hours according to Jewish law.)
Posted by: Danny | March 25, 2011 at 01:19 PM
I loved your obit, as always. However, I'm not so sure she didn't become a Jew 'cos of Mike Todd, by choice firstly. Are you really sure of that? I have to check that out. Too bad she never wrote her memoirs, it would have been great!I hear all of her interviews with Barbara Walters are online so I must check it out. I have snapshots of her and Richard in a limousine my friend Frank took of her when he was a paparazzi for Photoplay magazine, back in the day. Wish I had a scanner or I'll put them on you tube.
Posted by: Judy | March 25, 2011 at 03:52 PM
Her death stunned me because more than any one thing about her life, to me she seemed to embody 'life' itself. I really can't believe we now have a world with Elizabeth Taylor. You're right that she doesn't get her due as a great actress, but I do have to quibble about Little Women, though. Kate's is the best. However, I do love that Joan Bennett, who played Amy March in 1933 played Elizabeth's mother in Father of the Bride in 1950. Do you think the two discussed their mutual role on set?
Posted by: DebbieW | March 25, 2011 at 04:25 PM
I just got done watching a special of good ole Liz. If only she never married Larry...
Posted by: Matilda | March 26, 2011 at 06:25 PM
Lovely tribute. She was so beautiful, but I wonder how happy she was.
Posted by: churlita | March 29, 2011 at 10:41 AM
My Dad was NYC cop. He was a cop who didn't want to be a cop--he wanted to be an accountant. However, after his first year at Fordham, he was drafted into WWII. After the war (on the very day he got back to NY), his father died of heart disease.
There was no time to think about his own future because he had to help support his mother and two sisters. So, he became a cop.
Being Irish, he had a lot of relatives within the dept., and he was assigned some of the best jobs.
In 1964 (now a Sergeant), he was assigned to watch Taylor and Burton during Burton's run in "Hamlet." Every night, Ms Taylor would wait backstage until the performance was over. My Dad became friendly with her and liked her very much. That is saying a lot, considering it's my Father; he was not impressed with celebrity.
When the run was over, Ms Taylor threw a closing night party at the Rainbow Room and invited my Dad. For some reason, my Mother didn't go (or wouldn't go)--I heard there was a big fight when he stumbled into the house at 5AM.
Fortuantely, he brought home a wonderful (8x10, B&W) photo of Ms Taylor seated at a round dinner table, wearing a black cocktail dress and dripping in diamonds. Every man in that room (including my Father) is crowded around her, and she is every inch "The Queen." There are no women in the picture (only Ms Taylor)...maybe women weren't invited?
It's a great photo of a bygone era.
PS: That same year, my Father was there to greet the Beatles when they landed at Kennedy. He took them to the Plaza hotel and stayed with them their first night...would you believe he didn't know who they were? Luckily, my Sister made him get an autographed (by all 4) photo--she still has it.
Posted by: Kevin Raftery | May 29, 2011 at 09:02 PM