Elizabeth Taylor

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Recommended: Classical Hollywood cinema

Elizabeth Taylor was considered one of the world’s most famous film stars. She was recognized for her beauty, acting ability and her glamorous lifestyle. For outsiders, Elizabeth’s life looked flawless. Yet, not everything about her life was as perfect as it seemed.

Elizabeth was born at her parents’ home in Hampstead Garden Suburb in northwest London, England on February 27th 1932 (Christopher, par. 1). Her parents, Francis Taylor, an art dealer, and Sara Warmbrodt, a former actress, were Americans originally from Arkansas City, Kansas. Just before World War II, her parents decided to return to the United States and settle in Los Angeles, California. Early on, many scouts were interested in the beautiful Elizabeth, she soon had Universal Pictures wanting to place her under contract but when Universal heard that MGM was also interested chairman John Cowden of Universal Pictures called from New York: "Sign her up, he ordered, don't even wait for the screen test." Universal then gave her a seven-year contract (Walker 31).

At the age of nine, Elizabeth appeared in There’s One Born Every Minute, her first and only film for Universal Pictures. After about a year the studio fired Elizabeth for unknown reasons (Heymann 33). Francis Taylor, Elizabeth’s father, was told by MGM producer Sam Marx that the studio was looking for an English actress for a film. Elizabeth got the part and was offered a long-term contract with MGM in early 1943. Elizabeth recalled that she chose MGM because “the people there had been nicer to her when she went to the audition” (32).

MGM cast Taylor in Lassie Come Home alongside child star and soon to be lifetime friend, Roddy McDowall. The film received attention for both actors, and which caused MGM to sign...

... middle of paper ...

... the best actresses of Hollywood’s Golden Age, now Elizabeth’s life doesn’t seem as glamorous as Hollywood made it look.

Works Cited

Christopher, James. “Elizabeth Taylor: The Hampstead Girl Who Seduced the World”. Thisislondon.co.uk

Walker, Alexander. “Elizabeth: The Life of Elizabeth Taylor”. New York, New York: Grove Press.

Heymann, David. “Liz: An Intimate Biography of Elizabeth Taylor”. New York, New York: Birch Lane Press.

Gussow, Mel. “Elizabeth Taylor: A Lustrous Pinnacle of Hollywood Glamour”. Nytimes.com

Rosen, Marjorie. “Elizabeth Taylor: Incomparable, Unrepentant, and Always Intriguing”. Ehis.ebscohost.com

Mann, William. “How to Be a Movie Star: Elizabeth Taylor in Hollywood”. Boston, Massachusetts: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

Weber, Christopher. “Elizabeth Taylor Remains Hospitalized for Heart Failure”. Dailynews.com

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