I know there’s already tons of coverage out there today about the legendary life and loves of Dame Elizabeth Taylor, so, I’ll try and keep it brief and post some of my favorite pics of Taylor over the years instead.
I didn’t love all of her movies — I mean, seriously, have you ever tried sitting through “Cleopatra”? And don’t even get me started on “Giant” — but she is one of the rare stars who could make even a bad movie totally watchable. And when Taylor had great material to work with, man alive, she set that screen on fire!
“Cat on a Hot Tin Roof”, “Who’s afraid of Virginia Woolf?”, “Suddenly Last Summer”, “A Place in the Sun”, “National Velvet”, hell, she made awesome movies in just above every era she lived. And though Taylor stands right up there with the acting great, I have always been a bigger fan of the balls-out way she lived her life rather than her filmic output.
Taylor was famous for most of her life and though that might make some people weird or camera shy, she was anything but. Taylor was funny, candid, and shockingly foul-mouthed…in a word, she was a first class dame. And I ain’t talking about the royal kind.
In my mind, Taylor was a broad in the best sense of the word. She could eat and drink and brawl with the best of them and for that, I salute her.
Hollywood is a freaky place and it changes most people for the worst, but, Taylor always kept it real and remained true to who she was — a totally-hilarious, brassy, old broad — till the very end. So, rock on, Miss Taylor, your humor, humanitarianism and total zest for life will be greatly missed…
make. see. eat. do. 
Every time I saw Burton I wanted to pull him through the screen. What a lucky lady indeed she was. My favorites, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, The Sandpiper & Boom.
I agree, “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof” rocked our world the first time my brother and I saw it. I mean, as far as star quality goes, can you think of a more smoking couple than Paul Newman and Elizabeth Taylor in their prime? Yowza…I’m suprised the film didn’t melt in the cameras!
I haven’t seen many of her more loopy, kinda “out-there” films with Burton, but I have always been curious about “Boom!”, and after reading your glowing review of it on your blog, it’s definitely on my “must see” list now. Thanks for the heads up! 🙂
Well said Yeti. Although I’m surprised you made no mention of the famous Liz Taylor souvenir you now own.
Ha! That is for another blog post my friend…
BTW, I pulled that crusty old straw out of my file cabinet to check on it today and it’s still in pretty mint condition. So…eBay, here I come! 🙂
‘Wolf, was the one that grabbed me the most. My fav of your favs is Liz in the wheelchair. Again, gripping. She had no fear of honesty did she. Such focus in that picture. Thanks for posting.