Elizabeth Taylor leaves us with some remarkable performances in film.
Hollywood lost one of its all time beauties and screen legends. Elizabeth Taylor passed away this morning at the age of 79 after a career that covered six decades and over 50 films. Here are some of her best and most memorial performances.
LASSIE COME HOME (1943)- Taylor’s first leading role came at age 11 alongside fellow child star Roddy McDowell, who would become a lifelong friend.
NATIONAL VELVET (1944)- This was Taylor’s first box-office smash, and it made her a household name. She was given the horse she rode in the movie as a gift after filming wrapped.
LITTLE WOMEN (1948)- In the first screen adaptation of Louisa May Alcott’s classic, Taylor starred along with Janet Leigh, June Allyson and Margaret O’Brien.
FATHER OF THE BRIDE (1950)- She had her first box-office hit playing more adult roles playing Spencer Tracy’s daughter. This film spawned a sequel and later a remake.
A PLACE IN THE SUN (1951)- My personal favorite. Taylor received critical praise in this cinematic classic directed by George Stevens that won six Oscars. Taylor was truly stunning in this picture. Montgomery Clift, one of her closest friends, starred along with her.
GIANT (1956)- Taylor reunited with director George Stevens for this romantic epic that had her torn between Rock Hudson and James Dean. She bonded very well with James Dean. Dean was killed in a car wreck before the film was released.
RAINTREE COUNTY (1957)- Taylor earned her first Oscar nomination for this Civil War drama with her “A Place in the Sun” costar Montgomery Clift.
CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF (1958)- She earned a second Oscar nomination for this adaptation of Tennessee Williams’s controversial play which also starred Paul Newman.
SUDDENLY LAST SUMMER (1959)- Another Tennessee Williams adaptation — and pairing with Montgomery Clift — brought Taylor her third Oscar nomination in as many years.
BUTTERFIELD 8 (1960)- Taylor finally won the Academy Award for Best Actress on her fourth successive attempt. Taylor herself never liked the movie, and it was widely believed she won out of sympathy from the severe illness she had before the ceremony.
CLEOPATRA (1963)- For the title role in this mega-budget epic, Taylor became the highest-paid actress to date with a $1 million payday. It was the highest-grossing movie of 1963, but the production was so expensive the studio suffered a massive loss. It was also the first film that paired her with Richard Burton.
WHO’S AFRAID OF VIRGINIA WOOLF (1966)- Her best performance. Taylor won her second Best Actress Academy Award for this adaptation of the famed Edward Albee play. This time there was no disputing she earned the honor for her heartbreaking performance.
THE TAMING OF THE SHREW (1967)- Teaming up once again, Taylor and Burton wound up co-producing this movie, putting in two million dollars of their own money in exchange for a percentage of the profit. The gamble paid off: the movie was a huge hit.
REFLECTIONS IN A GOLDEN EYE (1967)- Montgomery Clift was originally slated to star opposite Taylor in this drama directed by John Huston. When the insurance company refused to underwrite the troubled, chronically-ill actor, Taylor agreed to use her large salary to insure her friend. Months before production, however, Clift died of a heart attack in Mexico. Marlon Brando was eventually cast as the lead.
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