Posted on 03/23/2011 1:28:04 PM PDT by beaversmom
In phone conversation with my teenaged son this morning I mentioned the sad news that Elizabeth Taylor had died and he innocently asked, "Who's that?"
Like most members of his generation, he has no recollection or knowledge of her incomparable glamour (her luminous still photo in a one-piece white bathing suit from "Suddenly Last Summer" will always raise pulse-rates among males of the species), her impressive acting achievements ("Butterfield 8," "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof," "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? and "Taming of the Shrew" still hold up as dazzling performances) or her sensational scandals (the melandcholy details of eight -- count 'em, eight --marriages hardly register as shocking in the era of Charlie Sheen).
Though her later years included generous commitments to charity (including work for AIDS awareness that won her an honorary Oscar) and occasional headlines as a wife of a U.S. Senator from Virginia or a platonic pal of Michael Jackson's, her status as a first rank celebrity ended with her second divorce from Richard Burton (yes, there were two of them) in 1976.
My brother (and sometime co-author) Harry Medved helpfully suggests the Angelina Jolie analogy for the under-40 crowd that can't appreciate the fascination of baby boomers with Liz Taylor. Like Angelina, Liz was incredible to gaze upon (in both still photos and on screen), a surprisingly capable (and Oscar-winning) actress for a performer who could have relied on looks alone, a committed contributor to worthy causes around the world, a vulnerable sufferer from various maladies and misfortunes, but invariably best-known for her off-screen romantic entanglements.
Angelina played the romantic lead in the most celebrated celebrity love triangle of our era ("stealing" Brad from the sweet, sainted Jennifer), just as Liz got cast in the home-wrecker role for snaking the charismatic crooner Eddie...
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
Medved usually makes me want to vomit when he’s talking politics but his commentary on Hollywood et al is pretty good.
The conflict between George and Martha in Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf - classic performances...
A great actress
This last line resonates with me as it struck me when I heard of her death that I couldn't believe she was only 79. I can't say I'm of the Elizabeth Taylor generation as I was born in the late 60's, but the older you get, 79 and 80 doesn't seem that darn old anymore. If you are lucky enough to live to an "old" age, it's really not that much time on Earth.
I remember many years ago she was on Johnny Carson. She as usual was wearing diamonds. They as she were beautiful. The camera couldn’t stop the glare from the diamonds. The best quality diamonds I ever have seen on TV. Just me
In remaking his image, Mr. Medved neglects to mention that his classic tome (and I really love it!) “The Golden Turkey Awards” awarded Richard Burton “The Worst Actor in the World” award, lol. This was based on some of the truly horrible movies he made later in life including the amazingly awful “Exorcist 3.” I love that book and Mr. Medved is stupidly embarrassed by it.
I don’t think this is the interview you are remembering, but here she is with Johnny in 1992. She says she’s almost 60 in this interview. She looks pretty darn good in 1992.
1992 Feb. - Elizabeth Taylor
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k5WlCf9zFMo
The 1992 interview with Johnny Carson is a good interview. Lighthearted but touching on more serious things too. I like how she and Johnny kid each other about their many marriages.
I still have my copy of “The Golden Turkey Awards” - counldn’t live without it and the Psychotronic Guide!
Not many men could turn their back on her looks. She and Natalie Wood look quite a bit a like.
“...amazingly awful “Exorcist 3.”...”
You mean the Exorcist II. The 3rd one was better with George C. Scott.
Thanks for the correction! It is an hilariously bad movie!
He really hates that book, you know. It put him on the map but now he’s a serious political commentator, so don’t mention it to him. I did once, lol!
She sure did look good in that one. Not the interview I was thinking of. The one I remember she was wearing a diamond necklace and earings, the shine was unreal!!!! Top quality, her and the diamonds!
Sorry, but he doesn’t know what he’s talking about. She was not Liz; she was always Elizabeth. And how dare he mention AJ in the same sentence as the great, incomparable La Taylor.
I thought that was the one with Richard Pryor....
"The bed...must be...on the floor."
"The bed...must be...on the floor.
"The bed...must be...on the floor.
*Bed Drops*
"THE BED...IS ON...MY FOOT."
"THE BED...IS ON...MY FOOT."
"THE BED...IS ON...MY FOOT."
"OH FATHER, THE BED...IS ON...MY FOOT."
Elizabeth Taylor made her share of mistakes, but she also gave us some wonderful performances and also had a great sense of humor.
“Some of my best leading men have been dogs and horses.”
“When people say, ‘She’s got everything’, I’ve got one answer – I haven’t had tomorrow.”
“Big girls need big diamonds.”
“I’ve only slept with men I’ve been married to. How many women can make that claim?”
“I am a very committed wife. And I should be committed too - for being married so many times.”
“If someone’s dumb enough to offer me a million dollars to make a picture, I’m certainly not dumb enough to turn it down.”
“The problem with people who have no vices is that generally you can be pretty sure they’re going to have some pretty annoying virtues.”
RIP, E.T.
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