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- ...
show all 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)", "The Waterfront (1950)" and "Green Grow the Rushes (1950)". Then he started to get noticed by producers and audiences with his lead in "My Cousin Rachel (1952)" _Robe, The (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 & 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 "Longest Day (1962)", and then onto arguably his most "notorious" role as that of "Marc Antony" opposite Elizabeth Taylor in the hugely expensive "The 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 "V.I.P.'s (1963)", "The Sandpiper (1965)", the dynamic "The Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf (1966)" and "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 "The Becket (1964)", the brilliant thriller "Spy Who Came In from the Cold (1965)" and alongside Clint Eastwood in the actioner "The 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 "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)", "The Exorcist II: The Heretic (1977)" and "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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