A Life Well Lived-Elizabeth Taylor

Last July I posted a book review of the biography of Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton, Furious Love: Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton, and the Marriage of the Century.
The post turned out to be one of the most visited on my blog. I have a great admiration for Elizabeth Taylor and was deeply saddened to wake up to the news of her death this morning. Her breathtaking beauty, her unforgettable talent, the great love affairs, her passionate dedication to raising funds, increasing understanding and educational awareness of AIDS, her love for family, her amazing jewelry collection. Sigh...what a life.
You can read more about my thoughts on Elizabeth and her amazing life by visiting the book review linked above. For today's post I am listing my favorite movies Elizabeth was in and a short list of recommended books about her life.

1. Jane Eyre. The 1944 version starring Orson Welles and Joan Fontaine was also one of the first films Elizabeth acted in, an uncredited role as the tragic Helen Burns. This movie haunted me as a child, Elizabeth Taylor was even as a child unforgettable, she breaks your heart.
2. National Velvet. The ultimate movie for every little girl that was ever horse crazy. This film made her a star at age 12.
3. Father of the Bride. The perfect father daughter relationship, the perfect wedding.
4. Giant. Taylor and James Dean. Enough said.
5. Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. Taylor and Paul Newman. Enough said. And boy can she act. Oh and the sexiest white slip ever worn on film.
6. Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?. Sure she did the outrageous Anthony and Cleopatra with Richard Burton, but her role as Martha in this film is hard to watch, she's nasty and vulnerable, even more fascinating that she was really married to Burton when they played spouses in this film.
   
7. The "Is That Elizabeth Taylor?" Roles. General Hospital and North and South. I just watched because it was Taylor.

And a few books you might enjoy:

• Furious Love: Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton and the Marriage of the Century
• Elizabeth Taylor: My Love Affair with Jewelry
• Elizabeth Taylor: A Life in Pictures
• Liz: The Pictorial Biography of Elizabeth Taylor
  

Here is what I am wondering? If you believe in Heaven, then Elizabeth Taylor has finally been reunited with many of the great loves of her life, a number of her 7 husbands and friends like Michael Jackson. For the woman who lived some of the greatest love stories of the last century, which husband is she with... her great love, the died tragically young Mike Todd or the man she married twice, the larger than life Richard Burton? After all there is only 1 Elizabeth Taylor, even in Heaven.

Book Review-Furious Love

Months ago I read an excerpt in London's The Daily Mail from the new book Furious Love: Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton, and the Marriage of the Century. It intrigued me and I put a hold on the book at my library. A few weeks ago the book arrived and I have been lost in it ever since. Written by Sam Kashner and Nancy Schoenberger the story of Elizabeth and Richard is thrilling, sexy and in the end a tragedy of excess.

There are not many original Hollywood icons still alive these days but the grandest one of all is still with us, Elizabeth Taylor. I still read occasional gossip clips about her usually involving an appearance at an AIDS related event or another tale of her imminent and tragic demise. Dame Elizabeth is even on Twitter and although she doesn't tweet often, I am indeed a loyal follower. I can only think of a handful of legendary people that I would like to meet, Elizabeth Taylor is on the top of my list.

Elizabeth and Richard first met briefly in the 1950's at a party. Years later they met again in January 1962 while starring in the epic movie Cleopatra. It was hate, lust and love almost immediately. Richard called her fat, she thought he was conceited and so their love story began. Elizabeth and Richard could simply not be kept apart. They began an affair during filming although each was already married (Elizabeth to her 4th husband Eddie Fisher and Richard to his wife Sybil), they would divorce in the 70's, marry again, divorce again and then finally be separated by Richard's early death in 1984. What they left behind is an unbelievable story that includes passion, heartbreaking love letters, jewels, art, children and legendary work on film.

I've read many celebrity biographies, some good, some bad. Furious Love is one of the best. The authors don't waste a lot of time on the lives of Elizabeth or Richard BEFORE they meet, but instead jump right into their life together. The scandal that was Elizabeth and Richard in the early 60's was bigger than any celebrity news in modern history. At one point they were so infamous the Vatican itself issued a statement on their immoral behavior. Their love affair single handedly created the modern day paparazzi and began the public's unending love affair for movie star scandals of epic proportions. Together Elizabeth and Richard created a dynasty of award winning films, collections of priceless art and legendary jewelry. They lived all over the world, financially supported hundreds of friends and family and burned through money like it grew on trees. It's estimated they spent hundreds of million of dollars during their life together. The lifestyle and love affair has no equal. Today's stars like Brad and Angelina aren't even in the same league.

This book is a great escape, a true account of a life and love most people only see in the movies. To know that 2 people actually lived, loved, fought, laughed and experienced what they did is hard to believe but delicious to read about.

Flash Back Friday #20-My Kinda Christmas Entertainment

Little bit creepy, totally strange and a Christmas classic.
This is my favorite holiday movie, from A Year Without A Santa Claus.
Enjoy the Snow Miser and Heat Miser.

Giant Turtle Movie

Yup, 2 posts in 1 day. After 30 years I solved a mystery today.
This morning after a particularly vivid dream, the kind where you wake up and go, "Crap it was a dream", I starting wondering about other "dreams" I've had that haunt me. I've had this memory, I've always wondered if it was a movie or just a larger than life dream I had when I was a kid. All I remember was a giant turtle, a house on a cliff overlooking the sea and a girl. That's all I've remembered for years. Occasionally when it's popped up in my head I've done a half ass Internet search, I've even searched the IMDB with multiple search terms and found nothing. But today I did a Google search using boolean search terms including 1970's + giant turtle + cliff house and BAM I found a post from just last month by a guy on Amazon titled, The Giant Turtle Movie That's Been Haunting You. Seriously the posting was exactly what I had been looking for.
Sure enough there was a made for tv movie back in 1978 titled "The Bermuda Depths" and just like I remember, it's about a giant turtle, a house on a cliff and a girl. The weirdest thing is, this movie was only shown once in the US and it has haunted a generation of kids who saw it ever since. No kidding, read the Wikipedia entry about the legend of this movie. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Bermuda_Depths
Good to know I wasn't the only one who has been haunted by this movie for 30 years, hard to believe a movie I saw when I was 8 years old left such dream like memories.
Read this article about a guy's search for the film, who like myself, couldn't forget it.
http://www.dangerousuniverse.com/2000/opinion/bermuda-depths/index.asp
Wanna see a clip, check out this YouTube video or stop by my house, I just bought a bootlegged copy on DVD.