During the winter months of January and February, I like to assign myself a male actor whose filmography I know little about. In the past, that has been Paul Newman, William Holden, Steve McQueen, and Gene Hackman. I’ll read a biography and try to understand the man within the context of his time. This year’s choice is another heavy hitter. One at the top of his game when I was a little girl, so I hardly remember the roles. I’d like to revisit his best films with fresh, older eyes. It’s time to fill in my blind spots and enjoy what made him famous in the first place. Welcome, Richard Burton.
I have seen Richard Burton on stage. In 1980 he was playing in a reprisal of Camelot in Chicago. I was president of our high school thespian troupe, and I will brag I organized the field trip to see him. I knew we were watching a world-renowned celebrity with that melodious voice even if he just stood there and didn’t do much but sing/talk his songs. I wish I could have seen him in the 1960s.
Which movie would you recommend I watch first?
Cindy Bruchman 
I always thought he was very good in ‘The Spy Who Came In From The Cold’ (1965). It was good to see him not playing an ‘historical’ character in costume, and also to get a break from his many appearances opposite Elizabeth Taylor.
Best wishes, Pete. x
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I have never seen it. Thanks for the suggestion. I’ll put it on the list. 🙂
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“Who’s Afraid Of Virginia Wolff?” could be his greatest performance, as well as “Equus” and Pete;s suggestion. I read the book “Furious Love” about his life with Elizabeth Taylor – a really interesting, insightful book.
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Hi John. I was wondering what bio to pick; there are several out there. I have never seen Equus. I’ve seen WAOVW a couple times. I was younger. I bet I will like it more now that I’m in my 50s.
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Furious Love is really good and more insightful than title suggests it really delves into his desire to be an actor not a movie star
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Okey-dokey.
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“Who’s Afraid Of Virginia Wolff“ should be on your watchlist along with “Night of the Iguana”. They hark, though, from a different time, and today’s audiences might not well receive them. I would also suggest “The Taming of the Shrew” for its riotous color – both verbal and visual. There is much to enjoy in Burton’s work.
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I watched Night of the Iguana a couple years back and even wrote a review on it. I loved it. He was electric and perfectly cast, I thought. I’d happily watch it again. Taming of the Shrew I was in high school. High time I revisited it. I love Shakespeare. Thanks, Allen!
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Ooh everyone’s doing the weighty serious roles. Well leave it to me for the flim flam then. Has to be Cleopatra, not because of his acting, which is the best that can be done in that situation, but for the glorious spectacle, and this is where he and Taylor met and fell in love, it’s bloody glorious!
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Can you believe I have never seen Cleopatra? Eegads. I know it’s Elizabeth’s movie, but I’ll watch it because the flim flam will be highly entertaining for me. Thanks, Fraggle.
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It’s so lush, I have it on dvd and watch some of it now and again!
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Gotta see that blue eyeshadow.
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I copied that for a few months after seeing it 🤣🤣
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Hello there, Cindy. He was real good in The Spy Who Came In From The Cold, which is a fine movie.
Take care.
Neil Scheinin
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Hi Neil, thanks for the recommendation. I think I will like it a lot.
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Hamlet and Becket
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Becket I’ve seen recently and I loved the chemistry between he and Peter O’Toole. I have not seen Hamlet — huge blind spot!
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hamlet 1964 is essential. ckeopatra is not spy who came in from cold the excellent
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I have noticed you have a love for films in addition to music. I know it is horrible I haven’t seen Hamlet.
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Ahhh, I just realized who is Songladder. 😉
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IQiRxLqYrns there has been little opportunity until recently, to see it until recently. i was lucky to attend the 2 day
theatrical screening in 1964, one year before that, i had
bought a record of the silioqueys from this producion, so was
thrilled to be able to see and hear the whole show. it remained
an infuencene throughout mey life, and not always a good one,
as it led me to think acting was all in the voice, so i never developed the physical skills that are so essential to performance. neither you will see here, did burton. film can conceal the physical
clumsiness of an actor. theatre cannot. this is why i bacame a singer.
singing allows one to act with the voice alone. anyway, i wasnt able to see burtons hamlet again until 1998, when
it became available on vhs. it cost $100 was prohibitive, so i
found a magazine that would run a review of it, which enabled p
me to procure a free copy. the whole show is on youtube now, so
you too can view it without cost.
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Bill, I just checked and I can watch it on Prime on Amazon for free! yahoo.
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Despite my objections to the author glamorizing their terrible, self-destructive behavior, a useful book to read would be “Hellraisers” which also tackles Richard Harris, Oliver Reed and Peter O’Toole among others who wasted their talent with drink. Movies to see would be (in order of performance accomplishment) “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?”, “The Spy Who Came in From the Cold”, “Staircase”, “Under Milk Wood”, “Look Back in Anger” and “1984”.
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Hi Chandler, thanks for your recommendation. I don’t know I missed watching 1984 (Oh, yeah, I was in the Navy and stationed overseas) and look forward to watching it. From your list, I have only seen the first one and that was decades ago. I appreciate your comment. 🙂
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I liked “The Longest Day”, after having served 3 years as a navigator in the RAF, he had the expertise and experience to play his role.
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Sweet. That’s another classic film I have yet to see. Thanks for suggesting it, GP.
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‘Will no one rid me of this meddlesome priest? ‘
Burton and O’Toole in BECKET. Both in their movie prime in a great movie based on a great play.
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I love Becket. I would happily watch it one more time. Richard is calm. O’Toole scene chews.
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for his early pictures, you cant go wrong with Look Back in Anger. for a curiousity piece, try Dr Faustus, which he and liz made with a college drama group and was released as horror exploitation to the drive ins…but the script is true to marllowe.
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Thanks, Bill. I will try both. First the Spy movie everyone has been raving. Then to Hamlet.
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He had such a wonderful voice…listen to him reading ‘Under Milk Wood’…. As for films, I would suggest the very corrosive ‘who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolff’, and I did really enjoy The Spy who Came in from the Cold’…..
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Welcome! I will look up your suggestion. I love his voice–I suppose everyone did. What a “manly” voice. He had a beautiful face, too. Those lips….
I can’t wait to revisit WAVW–I haven’t seen it in twenty years. I’m sure it will make me feel good about my own marriage. 😉 Everyone has been suggesting The Spy. I think I will watch it first. I’ve obviously missed a great film.
Thank you for commenting!
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I missed most of Burton’s work cuz I was a kid and most of his movies were Adult fare.
My folks had Camelot with Burton and Julie Andrews and we knew every song by heart. Burton didn’t have a good singing voice of course but his incredible projection and voice carried it all through.
I always thought Becket was great along with Peter O’Toole (my favorite Actor of all time).
I like Alexander the Great though no movie yet has done the subject matter justice. Possibly not possible.
My advice is very limited I fear.
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Hi JC. Nonsense. I appreciate your sharing your memories of RB. Becket is probably one of his better performances, but there’s too many for me to see to be certain. I loved Burton and Andrews (her voice, oh, my!) version. Hmm. But, I remember watching the 1967 film version with Richard Harris and Vanessa Redgrave more times than listening to the broadway record. I was in the musical in high school; the musical/film has a special place in my heart. 🙂
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Ah, the mercurial Burton! Sadly, by the time you saw him on the stage he had become a shadow of his former self. Still, you got to see him and that’s cool beyond words! Anyhow, I think he was an erratic film actor: brilliant in some movies (The Spy Who Came in from the Cold), almost unwatchable in a bunch of bad films (The Klansman). I look forward to reading your thoughts.
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Thank you, Eric. I suspect you are right. I just watched Spy the other night. Hopefully this weekend I can sneak in a post. Looking forward to your comments.
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I’m surprised nobody has recommended THE ROBE (1953). In this spectacular religious epic (and first-ever movie in CinemaScope), Burton plays the Roman military tribune who crucified Christ. PRINCE OF PLAYERS (1955), in which he plays the actor Edwin Booth, brother of Lincoln’s assassin, allows him to play some scenes from Shakespeare that he never filmed anywhere else. ANNE OF THE THOUSAND DAYS (1969), in which Burton plays Henry VIII, is excellent. STAIRCASE (1969, also suggested by chandlerswainreviews above), in which Burton plays Rex Harrison’s gay lover, has to be seen to be believed. His interesting earlly supporting role in Christopher Fry’s THE LADY’S NOT FOR BURNING was recorded by BBC television in 1950. And one of his best roles, as the aviator in Antoine de Saint-Exupery’s THE LITTLE PRINCE, was on a grammy-winnning 1975 record album. Of the other suggestions above, I particularly endorse CLEOPATRA, HAMLET, VIRGINIA WOOLF, TAMING OF THE SHREW, and EQUUS. I’m told he also played Caliban in a 1960 television production of THE TEMPEST, but I’ve never seen it.
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Welcome, Oliver! I was away this weekend and didn’t see this until today. Thank you very much for your comment and excellent suggestions. You are right, The Robe is a classic and it catipulted his career to the top. I would enjoy STAIRCASE I bet. I hadn’t heard of it before. This year’s winter project is Burt Lancaster. Feel free to drop by and tell everyone which one’s are your favorite. I have a post coming up later this week.
Cheers!
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