R.I.P. Elizabeth Taylor (1932 – 2011)

Actress Elizabeth Taylor passed away at the age of 79  of congestive heart failure this morning at Cedars-Sinai in Los Angeles. Her son Michael Wilding released this statement: “We will always be inspired by her enduring contribution to our world.”

She had been through so much over the years and always managed to hang in there that it still comes as quite a shock to hear the sad news.

The screen legend began her career at just 10 years old in There's One Born Every Minute

And then followed Lassie Come Home and on the strength of that one film, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer signed her for a full year. She had small roles her next two films, The White Cliffs of Dover (1944) and Jane Eyre  Then came the picture that made Taylor a bona fide star--National Velvet

She played Velvet Brown opposite Mickey Rooney. The film was a smash hit, grossing over $4 million. Elizabeth now had a long-term contract with MGM and was its top child star, but returned in 1946 in Courage of LassieI

n 1947, when she was 15, she starred in Life with Father opposite  William Powell, Irene Dunne and Zasu Pitts. She was also in the the original version of Father of the Bride

Throughout the rest of the 1940s and into the early 1950s she kept busy Her busiest though was 1954, with roles in Rhapsody  Beau Brummell  The Last Time I Saw Paris and Elephant Walk In 1955 she appeared in the hit Giant opposite James Dean

She won an  Oscar for 1960's for her performance in BUtterfield 8 as Gloria Wandrous, a call girl who is involved with a married man. Some critics blasted the movie but they couldn't ignore her performance. .

In 1963 she starred in Cleopatra which was one of the most expensive productions up to that time--as was her salary, a whopping $1,000,000.

She and 2 time hubby  Richard Burton starred together in 11 movies: Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? The V.I.P.s (1963), Under Milk Wood  The Taming of the Shrew The Sandpiper Hammersmith Is Out Doctor Faustus Divorce His - Divorce Hers, The Comedians Cleopatra  and Boom! She had an uncredited cameo in Burton's film Anne of the Thousand Days

Her final film was in 1994's The Flintstones

Yes there were the many marriges which became Hollywood fodder but there was also her work on behalf of those with AIDS...

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