Via Moviefone: How you think of Elizabeth Taylor, who died Wednesday of heart failure at 79, depends largely on your age. Younger fans might remember her as the tabloid creature whose fluctuating health was breathlessly chronicled throughout the last three decades of her life. Others may think of the gossip-rag queen who made headlines for stealing Eddie Fisher from America's sweetheart Debbie Reynolds, her eight marriages and her tempestuous romance with (and double marriage to) Richard Burton.
If you fit into either of those categories, though, that's a shame. Because for those who came of age in the '50s and '60s, Elizabeth Taylor was one of Hollywood's most luminous talents, one whose beauty dazzled moviegoers and who had the dramatic skills to match. Wanna talk about clout? Her diva-like behavior on the set of 1963's 'Cleopatra' postponed that epic production and nearly bankrupted 20th Century Fox.
But frankly, we wouldn't have cared about any of that had she not had the beauty and the talent to begin with. So ultimately it's what she left on the screen that matters. So here are 10 of Elizabeth Taylor's best movies -- 10 good reasons to clinch her place as a show business immortal.
10. 'Father of the Bride' (1950)
At the tender age of 17, Taylor had already grown into a world-class beauty. Though it was nominally Spencer Tracy's movie, Liz's role of Kay Banks provided the catalyst as daddy's little girl, whose engagement sets the whole film in motion and breaks his heart in the process.
9. 'Little Women' (1949)
In this sentimental version of Louisa May Alcott's timeless tale (a remake of the 1933 version starring Katharine Hepburn and Joan Bennett), Taylor played the exuberant optimist Amy, one of four sisters approaching womanhood at different rates while their father is off fighting the Civil War. Another significant step on Liz's road to greatness.
8. 'Raintree County' (1957)
As Southern belle Susanna Drake, Taylor comes off better than anything else in this more or less standard Old South epic. Playing a loud lady with traces of hereditary madness did, however, earn Taylor her first Oscar nod for Best Actress, even though she lost out to Joanne Woodward.
7. 'National Velvet' (1944)
This wholesome charmer provided Taylor with her first major breakthrough. Only 12 years old at the time, Taylor played Velvet Brown, a horse-crazy girl who trains a wild stallion to run in England's Grand National, and exhibited a precocious gift for drama and a visceral sense of emotion. This promised great things, and fans didn't have to wait long for that promise to be fulfilled.
6. 'The Taming of the Shrew' (1967)
This was one of 11 films she made with Richard Burton and certainly the most artsy (that Shakespeare fellow turned out to be a pretty good screenwriter). Taylor was reportedly petrified to tackle the Bard on film, especially opposite her Shakespearean-trained spouse. She worried over nothing -- Taylor acquits herself admirably with her smoldering intensity as Katharina. Whether on or off screen, Liz and Dick never failed to create sparks together.
5. 'Suddenly, Last Summer' (1957)
You wouldn't expect anything light when Tennessee Williams is writing the story and Gore Vidal is doing the screen adaptation. And you'd be right. Taylor stars as Catherine Holly, a young girl who witnesses the death of her cousin Sebastian on vacation and goes to pieces. Enter Katharine Hepburn as her imperious aunt, who seeks to have Catherine lobotomized to cover up the truth about Sebastian being (shhhhh, it's 1959) gay. Another Oscar nod for Liz -- and for Kate, too. (Awkward!)
4. 'A Place in the Sun' (1951)
Boy, for a decade that's become synonymous with America's "happy days," the '50s sure turned out some dark movies, none more so than this tragic tale of moral bankruptcy and unfettered lust. Taylor's lifelong friend Montgomery Clift plays George Eastman, who falls for Taylor's glamorous society girl Angela Vickers. But being a louse at heart, he manages to impregnate a good girl (Shelley Winters), and later stand by idly as he watches her drown. As the irresistible Angela, Taylor is the elusive dream girl who makes him abandon all he knows to be good and true. A malignant story, but beautifully acted nevertheless.
3. 'Butterfield 8' (1960)
Taylor hated this melodramatic film (privately calling it "Butterball Four") and only did it to escape her MGM contract so she could jump to 20th Century Fox for 'Cleopatra.' But her near-fatal bout with pneumonia and a well-publicized tracheotomy generated enough sympathy to earn Taylor her first Best Actress Oscar. Taylor plays Gloria Wandrous, a disillusioned prostitute who's involved with a married man and trying to outrun the ghosts of an unhappy childhood. Taylor parlayed her success into a then eye-popping $1,000,000 for 'Cleopatra.' But climbing to the summit of Hollywood turned out to be a Pyrrhic victory -- it was on that film she met Burton, after which her personal life began to generate more ink than her dramatic gifts.
2. 'Cat on a Hot Tin Roof' (1958)
Elizabeth Taylor and Paul Newman: hard to imagine a better-looking screen pairing, isn't it? But that's just a distraction; this riveting film of Tennessee Williams' classic play shows Taylor in her full dramatic glory. As Maggie Pollitt, the frustrated wife of Newman's alcoholic ex-football star, she's alternately flirtatious, angry and desperate, showing all at once why her acting skills were as beguiling as her looks.
1. 'Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?' (1966)
The gloves come off in Mike Nichols' harrowing film version of Edward Albee's play about a drunken university professor and his equally drunken wife as they "entertain" another young couple for a deeply confrontational social engagement. Taylor and Burton play Martha and George, a boozy, frustrated couple trapped in a codependency that seems to devour both them and anyone else who's unfortunate enough to wander into their orbit. Need we say it? Worst date movie ever.
Written by Bob Cannon at Moviefone
Six Elizabeth Taylor movies are currently available to watch on Netflix Instant:
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Showing posts with label Taylor's. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Taylor's. Show all posts
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Barry Manilow Heartbroken at Pal Elizabeth Taylor's Death: 'Sad Day for Me'
EXCLUSIVE: When Elizabeth Taylor needed a superstar to headline one of her earliest benefits to raise money for HIV/AIDS in 1986, long before it was a cause that all in Hollywood were ready to support, she turned to her dear friend Barry Manilow. Without pause, Barry jumped at the chance, and today with news of her passing, the legendary singer is heartbroken.
"She was the last great movie star and one of my closest friends," Barry tells me. "This is a sad day for me."
Not many people got to be so close to greatness like Barry did, but what he remembers most is her warmness and huge laugh that filled rooms.
"What I'll always remember about Elizabeth was her laugh," he says. "She would walk in looking like a princess, and out of her mouth would come this cackling laugh that would crack all of us up."
Dame Elizabeth called Barry her hero for jumping in when she needed him most -- remember in 1986, most celebrities were hesitant to get involved in the fight against HIV/AIDS -- and never forgot that her dear friend was always a phone call away.
He went on to perform alongside other huge stars in Liz's 1992 telethon, 'In a New Light: A Call to Action in the War Against AIDS,' and he was the master of ceremonies at her 60th birthday party at Disneyland.
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"She was the last great movie star and one of my closest friends," Barry tells me. "This is a sad day for me."
Not many people got to be so close to greatness like Barry did, but what he remembers most is her warmness and huge laugh that filled rooms.
"What I'll always remember about Elizabeth was her laugh," he says. "She would walk in looking like a princess, and out of her mouth would come this cackling laugh that would crack all of us up."
Dame Elizabeth called Barry her hero for jumping in when she needed him most -- remember in 1986, most celebrities were hesitant to get involved in the fight against HIV/AIDS -- and never forgot that her dear friend was always a phone call away.
He went on to perform alongside other huge stars in Liz's 1992 telethon, 'In a New Light: A Call to Action in the War Against AIDS,' and he was the master of ceremonies at her 60th birthday party at Disneyland.
View the Original article
Elizabeth Taylor's Dark Secret About James Dean Revealed
As the world mourns the loss of an American icon, newly released details from a 1997 interview with Elizabeth Taylor reveals a shocking secret about legendary film star James Dean that she allegedly kept for most of her life.
According to The Daily Beast, writer Kevin Sessums interviewed Taylor for a cover story for POZ, an American magazine dedicated to AIDS activism. It was then the actress reportedly let him in on a secret about Dean, a close friend of hers.
"I loved Jimmy. I'm going to tell you something, but it's off the record until I die. OK? When Jimmy was 11 and his mother passed away, he began to be molested by his minister," she revealed to Sessums, who was sworn to secrecy.
"I think that haunted him the rest of his life. In fact, I know it did," she said of her friend. "We talked about it a lot. During 'Giant' we'd stay up nights and talk and talk, and that was one of the things he confessed to me."
Taylor and Dean starred together in 1956's 'Giant,' a film in which Dean earned his second posthumous Best Actor Academy Award nomination. The actor was killed in a car accident in 1955 at the age of 24.
Taylor died Wednesday of congestive heart failure at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, where she had been hospitalized for the past six weeks.
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According to The Daily Beast, writer Kevin Sessums interviewed Taylor for a cover story for POZ, an American magazine dedicated to AIDS activism. It was then the actress reportedly let him in on a secret about Dean, a close friend of hers.
"I loved Jimmy. I'm going to tell you something, but it's off the record until I die. OK? When Jimmy was 11 and his mother passed away, he began to be molested by his minister," she revealed to Sessums, who was sworn to secrecy.
"I think that haunted him the rest of his life. In fact, I know it did," she said of her friend. "We talked about it a lot. During 'Giant' we'd stay up nights and talk and talk, and that was one of the things he confessed to me."
Taylor and Dean starred together in 1956's 'Giant,' a film in which Dean earned his second posthumous Best Actor Academy Award nomination. The actor was killed in a car accident in 1955 at the age of 24.
Taylor died Wednesday of congestive heart failure at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, where she had been hospitalized for the past six weeks.
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The Fight Begins Over Elizabeth Taylor's Fortune
Elizabeth Taylor left an enduring legacy of great films and even greater acts of philanthropy. She also amassed a huge fortune estimated between $600 million and $1 billion, most of that from her savvy business dealings. Already, the fighting has begun as to who will get to manage that bounty along with all the money she's destined to make in death.
I'm told her last wish was for her lucrative jewelry collection, valued at a staggering $150 million in 2002, to be auctioned off and the proceeds given to the Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation and amfAR.
"Elizabeth also made arrangements to split the rest of her fortune between her four children and other charities that she cared so much about," a close friend of the star's tells me. "But what is causing all the problems is not the money she made during her life, but rather what should happen to the millions she is going to make after her death."
Beauty product giant Elizabeth Arden has already announced they'll continue selling Liz's still-popular fragrances -- they made $77 million last year alone -- and there are countless other opportunities, like film re-releases and merchandising that the estate could profit greatly from.
"The one thing she didn't do was understand that, much like Elvis and Michael Jackson, she might be worth more in death," my source says. "This is what has already started to cause friction between family, business managers and the many charities that meant so much to Elizabeth."
The two-time Oscar winner has been worth a lot of money for decades. In 1996, when she divorced her last husband, Larry Fortensky, documents showed her net worth was $608.4 million. The New York Post reported that during the 1990s, Taylor earned about $2 per second, or about $63 million per year. Her perfume, White Diamonds, has never stopped selling.
"Elizabeth was a great actress, but she was also a great businesswoman," a Hollywood insider tells me.
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I'm told her last wish was for her lucrative jewelry collection, valued at a staggering $150 million in 2002, to be auctioned off and the proceeds given to the Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation and amfAR.
"Elizabeth also made arrangements to split the rest of her fortune between her four children and other charities that she cared so much about," a close friend of the star's tells me. "But what is causing all the problems is not the money she made during her life, but rather what should happen to the millions she is going to make after her death."
Beauty product giant Elizabeth Arden has already announced they'll continue selling Liz's still-popular fragrances -- they made $77 million last year alone -- and there are countless other opportunities, like film re-releases and merchandising that the estate could profit greatly from.
"The one thing she didn't do was understand that, much like Elvis and Michael Jackson, she might be worth more in death," my source says. "This is what has already started to cause friction between family, business managers and the many charities that meant so much to Elizabeth."
The two-time Oscar winner has been worth a lot of money for decades. In 1996, when she divorced her last husband, Larry Fortensky, documents showed her net worth was $608.4 million. The New York Post reported that during the 1990s, Taylor earned about $2 per second, or about $63 million per year. Her perfume, White Diamonds, has never stopped selling.
"Elizabeth was a great actress, but she was also a great businesswoman," a Hollywood insider tells me.
View the Original article
Christie's to Auction Elizabeth Taylor's Staggering Jewelry Collection
The late Elizabeth Taylor's great passion, her staggering collection of massive diamonds and rare vintage jewels, will be auctioned by famed auction house Christie's, sources told PEOPLE.
While Christie's is refusing to confirm the report and no date has been announced, the mag reports the auction house will disperse the collection valued at more than $150 million.
Taylor speculated before her death that one day her private collection -- said to rival that of some royal households -- would be "scattered around the four corners of the world."
The 79-year-old Academy Award winning actress, who died from congestive heart failure on March 23, had worked with the auction house in the past.
In 2002, Taylor allowed Christie's to host a public exhibition of her jewels, including the famed 33-carat Krupp diamond, the La Preregina Pearl by Cartier and the heart-shaped Taj Mahal diamond. That exhibition benefited her signature charity, The Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation.
Featuring colored stones such as suites of rubies, rare pearls and diamonds as famous as the actress herself, Taylor's collection is expected to attract great interest to the auction. Interest will surely pique if the sell-off includes pieces such as the Krupp diamond, gifted by her fourth and fifth husband, the late actor Richard Burton.
The actress behind the best-selling White Diamonds fragrance line was said to still wear the Krupp to events as pedestrian as matinee movies, accessorized with jeans, diamond bracelets and an Ed Hardy baseball cap.
Taylor's friend, jeweler Lorraine Schwartz, described the actress's attachment and appreciation to her storied collection: "She
View the Original article
While Christie's is refusing to confirm the report and no date has been announced, the mag reports the auction house will disperse the collection valued at more than $150 million.
Taylor speculated before her death that one day her private collection -- said to rival that of some royal households -- would be "scattered around the four corners of the world."
The 79-year-old Academy Award winning actress, who died from congestive heart failure on March 23, had worked with the auction house in the past.
In 2002, Taylor allowed Christie's to host a public exhibition of her jewels, including the famed 33-carat Krupp diamond, the La Preregina Pearl by Cartier and the heart-shaped Taj Mahal diamond. That exhibition benefited her signature charity, The Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation.
Featuring colored stones such as suites of rubies, rare pearls and diamonds as famous as the actress herself, Taylor's collection is expected to attract great interest to the auction. Interest will surely pique if the sell-off includes pieces such as the Krupp diamond, gifted by her fourth and fifth husband, the late actor Richard Burton.
The actress behind the best-selling White Diamonds fragrance line was said to still wear the Krupp to events as pedestrian as matinee movies, accessorized with jeans, diamond bracelets and an Ed Hardy baseball cap.
Taylor's friend, jeweler Lorraine Schwartz, described the actress's attachment and appreciation to her storied collection: "She
View the Original article
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