Elizabeth Taylor hated being called Liz. And I hated her. Simply because she stole Eddie Fisher from the wholesome and cute Debbie Reynolds, from “Singing in the Rain” fame. I’d never even seen one of her movies. But after Liz’s recent death, I thought that maybe, quite possibly, there’s more to her than just being a husband-stealer.
In the wake of the recent deaths of classic actors such as Cyd Charisse, Patricia Neal, Tony Curtis, Jane Russell and Lena Horne, I realized that era of Hollywood will soon only exist in film and in our hearts.
So, I relinquished my hatred for Liz, and watched “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof,” costarring Paul Newman, who also died within the past couple of years. The film was fantastic. She was fantastic.
I never gave her a chance to amaze me, which is exactly what she did. I prematurely judged her on the basis that she’s had a few husbands. (Seven to be exact, eight if you count her divorce and remarriage to Richard Burton, which ultimately ended a year later.) Her range of dramatic acting was so wide.
She cried in one scene, laughed maniacally in another and faked a convincing Southern accent.
Even when the audience was supposed to being focusing on Newman’s problem, and she was floating in the background, she drew the eye toward her with her classic beauty and her enchantingly violet eyes.
After I found out that Taylor wasn’t as horrendous as I once thought, I also discovered she donated more than $50 million to HIV/AIDS charities and research foundations.
When a star of that magnitude uses her powers for good, instead of buying the latest million-dollar mansion on the market – or if you’re Charlie Sheen, drugs- they deserve some respect.
Liz Taylor helped create the American Foundation for AIDS Research and established The Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation, which focuses on providing direct services for people living with AIDS and funds AIDS service organizations.
My education on Elizabeth Taylor has only just begun. Even if you have seen all of her films, go home and re-educate yourself. If you haven’t seen any of her work, start watching. Remember the humanitarian. Celebrate the legend. Appreciate the Golden Age of Hollywood.
