It was a bit of a shock and such a shame to lose what may be the last of the great Hollywood stars from what was known as The Golden Age, so I was obviously going to watch this documentary about her. Dame Elizabeth Taylor was a beautiful and talented actress known for some of the finest and most memorable films in history, and this tribute programme showed us some clips from those films, such as Lassie Coem Home, National Velvet, A Place in the Sun, Giant, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, BUtterfield 8 (which she won her first Oscar for), Cleopatra, Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (which she won her second Oscar for) and The Mirror Crack'd. The programme also focuses on her personal life, including her famous eight marriages to Conrad Hilton Jr., Michael Wilding, Michael Todd, Eddie Fisher, Richard Burton (twice), John Warner and Larry Fortensky, and her charity work which earned her a knighthood. With contributions from Pierce Brosnan, Joan Collins, Sir David Frost, Larry King, Angela Lansbury, William J. Mann, Richard Burton's nephew Guy Masterson, Barry Norman and Margaret O'Brien. Very good!
2 Reviews
A classic all should see.
truedesign184444 January 2012
Though some may dismiss "National Velvet" as overly sentimental and contrived, its undeniable appeal derives from the impeccably believable performances of the entire cast who quite capably bring the uplifting tale to life. Mickey Rooney is properly restrained yet exactly right. Donald Crisp is, once again, stern but lovable. Ann Revere might step off the screen and become a mother you remember from your childhood, perhaps your own. Even little Jackie Jenkins is stellar as the unapologetically, comically miscreant brother. And, of course, Elizabeth Taylor is both adolescently beautiful and perfect as Velvet. One cannot watch her in this film and not realize that here was someone with a gigantic soul, a person obviously able to love fully and unreservedly, perhaps to a fault. Since, previous to watching this film, I had not particularly been a fan of hers, I think I can objectively instruct you: "Watch this movie. She will capture you."
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