Elizabeth Taylor

Introduction

Elizabeth Taylor's father Francis Lenn Taylor although born 18 Dec 1897 in Springfield, Sangamon County, Illinois, had moved with his parents by 1910 to the town of Cherokee in Alfalfa County, Oklahoma, where his father was a "salesman in a dry goods store" according to his census entry that year.  C. David Heymann in his "Liz: An Intimate Biography of Elizabeth Taylor" states that his father "operated the local general store" (p.13).  He there quotes Nona Smith, a classmate of Francis' from his years at Cherokee, as saying that all the girls thought Francis was "very handsome".  But he seems to confuse where Elizabeth's parents Francis and Sarah first met, thinking it was in this town (Kelley, Pp. 38). This paper will discuss the life of Elizabeth Taylor one of the most iconic screen legends of the 20th century and one of the world's first and most tenacious AIDS activists.

Discussion

Few Hollywood stars have matched the level of celebrity attained by Elizabeth Taylor. From her teenage years, when she captivated audiences with her portrayal of a daring young horsewoman in National Velvet, Taylor lived in the public eye. Her subsequent acting career, marriages and divorces, serious illnesses, and work as an activist received widespread attention. Though Taylor's life has been a subject for many biographers, the actress told her own story in a memoir published in 1965. In addition to this autobiography and an early volume of poetry, she wrote a book on weight control and self esteem, and another about her love affair with jewelry.

Taylor was born in London in 1932, to American parents living in England. She attended Byron House, a private school, and took ballet lessons. At the age of three she performed in a dance recital before the royal family at London's Hippodrome. Taylor's adopted godfather, Victor Cazalet, presented her with a pony and provided riding lessons for her at his estate in Kent. Taylor's family returned to the United States just before the outbreak of World War II, settling in Beverly Hills, California. In 1941 the young Elizabeth, encouraged by her mother, a former actress, obtained a contract with Universal Pictures. Her natural beauty and her poise were exceptional assets in the industry, and film executives were quick to recognize the girl's potential. Taylor's screen debut came in 1942, with a small part in There's One Born Every Minute. The next year, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) producer Sam Marx cast her in Lassie Come Home and gave her an MGM contract. She went on to appear in Jane Eyre and The White Cliffs of Dover, both in 1944, before taking the starring role in National Velvet that same year (Morley, Pp. 22).

So eager were MGM executives to use Taylor in this role that they delayed shooting the film for four months until the girl could grow tall enough for the part. Her portrayal of Velvet Brown earned rave reviews. New York Times critic Bosley Crowther wrote, "Her face is alive with youthful spirit, her voice has the softness ...