Probably more frequently remembered for his turbulent personal life and multiple marriages, however Richard Burton was truly one of the great UK actors of the post WW2 period. The young Richard Jenkins was the son of a Welsh coal miner, and he received a scholarship to Oxford University to study acting and made his first stage appearance in the early 1940s.
His first film appearances were in non-descript movies such as The Last Days of Dolwyn (1949), Waterfront (1950) and Green Grow the Rushes (1951). Then he started to get noticed by producers and audiences with his lead in My Cousin Rachel (1952), The Robe (1953) and Alexander the Great (1956), added to this he was also spending considerable time in stage productions, both in the UK and USA, often to splendid reviews.
The late 1950s was an exciting and inventive time in UK cinema, often referred to as the "British New Wave", and Burton was right in the thick of things, and showcased a sensational performance in Look Back in Anger (1959). He also appeared with a cavalcade of international stars in the WW2 magnum opus The Longest Day (1962), and then onto arguably his most "notorious" role as that of "Marc Antony" opposite Elizabeth Taylor in the hugely expensive Cleopatra (1963). This was, of course, the film that kick-started their fiery and passionate romance (plus two marriages), and the two of them appeared in several productions over the next few years including The V.I.P.s (1963), The Sandpiper (1965), the dynamic Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966) and The Taming of the Shrew (1967). However, Burton was often better when he was off on his own giving higher caliber performances, such as those in Becket (1964), the brilliant thriller The Spy Who Came in from the Cold (1965) and alongside Clint Eastwood in the actioner Where Eagles Dare (1968).
His audience appeal began to decline somewhat during the early 1970s as fans turned to younger, more virile male stars, however Burton was superb in Anne of the Thousand Days (1969), he put on a reasonable show in Raid on Rommel (1971), was over the top in Bluebeard (1972), and wildly miscast in the ludicrous The Assassination of Trotsky (1972).
By 1975, quality male lead roles were definitely going to other stars, and Burton found himself appearing in some movies of dubious quality, just to pay the bills, including The Klansman (1974), Exorcist II: The Heretic (1977) and The Medusa Touch (1978). However in 1978, he appeared with fellow UK acting icons Richard Harris and Roger Moore in The Wild Geese (1978) about mercenaries in South Africa, and whilst the film had a modest initial run, over the past twenty five years it has picked up quite a cult following!
His two last great performances were as the sinister "O'Brien" in Nineteen Eighty-Four (1984), and in the TV mini series "Ellis Island" (1984). He passed away on August 5th, 1984 in Celigny, Switzerland from a cerebral hemorrhage.
Burton was an avid fan of Shakespeare, poetry and reading, having once said "home is where the books are".
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Spouse
Sally Hay (3 July 1983 - 5 August 1984) (his death)
Susan Hunt (21 August 1976 - 1982) (divorced)
Elizabeth Taylor (10 October 1975 - 1 August 1976) (remarried/redivorced)
Elizabeth Taylor (15 March 1964 - 26 June 1974) (divorced) 1 child
Sybil Williams (5 February 1949 - 5 December 1963) (divorced) 2 children
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Filmography
The Burning Cross-1995
1984-1984
Ellis Island-1984
Wagner: The Complete Epic-1983
Absolution-1981
Circle of Two-1981
Breakthrough-1979
Lovespell-1979
The Medusa Touch-1978
The Wild Geese-1978
Equus-1977
Exorcist 2: The Heretic-1977
The Gathering Storm-1974
The Klansman-1974
Divorce His, Divorce Hers-1973
Massacre in Rome-1973
Under Milk Wood-1973
The Assassination of Trotsky-1972
Bluebeard-1972
Hammersmith is Out-1972
Raid on Rommel 1971
Anne of the Thousand Days-1969
Boom!-1968
Candy-1968
Doctor Faustus-1968
Where Eagles Dare-1968
The Comedians-1967
The Taming of the Shrew-1967
Who's Afraid Of Virginia Woolf?-1966
The Sandpiper-1965
The Spy Who Came in From the Cold-1965
Becket-1964
Hamlet-1964
The Night of the Iguana-1964
Bluebeard-1963
Cleopatra-1963
The V.I.P.s-1963
The Longest Day-1962
The Bramble Bush-1960
Ice Palace-1960
Look Back in Anger-1959
Bitter Victory-1957
Alexander the Great-1956
The Desert Rats-1953
The Robe-1953
Green Grow the Rushes-1951
The Last Days of Dolwyn-1949
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Υποψηφιότητες για το βραβείο Όσκαρ:
• My Cousin Rachel (1952) • The Robe (1953) • Becket (1964) • The Spy who came in from the cold (1965) • Who’s afraid of Virginia Wolf (1966) • Anne of the Thousand Days (1969) • Equus (1977)
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Στα στούντιο της Τσινετσιτά έγινε η ιστορική συνάντηση που είχε πολλές διακυμάνσεις, διανθισμένες από τα καπρίτσια μιας σταρ. Τα μοναδικά «βιολέ» μάτια της Ελίζαμπεθ Τέηλορ πρωταντίκρισαν στα γυρίσματα της «Κλεοπάτρας» τον όμορφο τριανταπεντάρη ηθοποιό του θεάτρου Ρίτσαρντ Μπάρτον. Ο έρωτας αυτός υπήρξε θυελλώδης και κράτησε ατέλειωτα χρόνια.
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