Elizabeth Taylor: 10 Classic Movies

Movie lovers across the globe fondly remember Elizabeth Taylor and her legacy onscreen and off. The actress, who had been hospitalized for congestive heart failure, died on March 23, 2011. She was 79.

According to a spokesperson, Taylor died at the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, California. Her family was by her side.

One of Hollywood's striking beauties, violet-eyed Taylor was a compelling actress with more than 50 films to her credit. The British-born American actress rose to fame as a doll-faced child star who became a Hollywood legend.

Taylor was nominated for a Best Actress Oscar five times, and she won the award twice in the 1960s: first for BUtterfield 8 and then for Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?

Elizabeth Taylor portrayed numerous roles throughout her acting career. Her most famous one, however, was the real-life role of beautiful and glamorous movie star.

Taylor was a natural magnet for publicity. Her well-known private life included eight marriages, several near-death experiences and decades of social activism.

She was one of the first celebrities to champion the cause of HIV-AIDS awareness and research. Her work earned her a Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award in 1993.

This hub highlights ten of Elizabeth Taylor’s best known movies. What is your favorite? Share your opinion and memories in the comments section.

National Velvet is a family film based on a 1935 novel by Enid Bagnold, a British author and playwright.

Although Taylor appeared in other films prior to National Velvet, this 1944 movie launched her acting career and boosted her to stardom at 12 years old.

National Velvet tells of a young girl who saves a gifted horse from the knacker's yard and, with the help of a former jockey, trains it for England's Grand National steeplechase.

Directed by Clarence Brown, this Oscar-winning classic also starred Donald Crisp and Mickey Rooney.

The Library of Congress selected National Velvet for preservation in the National Film Registry in 2003 for its cultural, historical and aesthetic value.

Father of the Bride is the story of one man coping with the emotional pain of his daughter's marriage engagement, as well as the financial and organizational chaos involved in planning the wedding.

Nominated for three Academy Awards, this 1950 romantic comedy starred Taylor in one of her first adult roles. Spencer Tracy and Joan Bennett were her co-stars, and Vincente Minnelli directed the film.

In 1951, a sequel called Father's Little Dividend also starred Taylor. The 1950s movies spawned a 1960s television series in the early 1960s and two 1990s remakes starring Steve Martin and Diane Keaton.

A Place in the Sun is a 1951 romantic drama based on the Theodore Dreiser novel, An American Tragedy.

The story centers on a blue collar worker who becomes involved with two women: a beautiful and sophisticated socialite and the niece of a wealthy factory owner.

A Place in the Sun featured the acting talents of Taylor, Montgomery Clift and Shelley Winters. Directed by George Stevens, the highly acclaimed film won six Academy Awards.

In 1991, the Library of Congress selected A Place in the Sun for preservation in the National Film Registry.

Ivanhoe is a 1952 historical drama based on a classic novel by Sir Walter Scott, the popular Scottish author, playwright and poet.

The story centers on a knight of King Richard the Lionheart, Wilfred of Ivanhoe, and the two women who love him: the beautiful Lady Rowena and a young Jewish girl named Rebecca.

Nominated for three Oscars, Ivanhoe was the first film in an unofficial trilogy directed by Richard Thorpe and starring Robert Taylor.

The classic drama starred Elizabeth Taylor and Joan Fontaine as the leading ladies.

Giant is an Oscar winning western movie directed by George Stevens. The 1956 film was based on a novel by Edna Ferber, an American author, playwright and short story writer.

Critics describe Giant as a "sprawling epic" that portrays the life of a Texas cattle rancher, his family and his business associates.

The film featured Rock Hudson, Elizabeth Taylor and James Dean, who died in a car accident before the film's release. Nominated for ten Academy Awards, Giant won the award for Best Director.

In 2005, the Libary of Congress selected Giant for preservation in the National Film Registry for the film's significance in American history and culture.

Cat on a Hot Tin Roof is a 1958 sizzler based on a Pulitzer Prize-winning play by the American writer Tennessee Williams.

The story centers on the strained marriage of an alcoholic ex-football player and his beautiful and desirable wife.

The man's reunion with his wealthy father, who is dying of cancer, brings a flood of memories and revelations for the family.

Cat on a Hot Tin Roof Taylor featured Taylor with Paul Newman and Burl Ives. The Oscar-nominated film is considered one of the most brilliant movie adaptations ever produced from a play.

BUtterfield 8 is a 1960 film based on a 1935 novel by John O'Hara. Supposedly, the American author based his work on the real-life story of Starr Faithful, a Depression-era flapper.

The unusual title comes from the telephone exchange names once used in North America. At the time, people referred to telephone exchanges by letter instead of number. BUtterfield 8 was the exchange for Manhattan's ritzy neighborhoods on the Upper East Side.

The story centers on a fashionable Manhattan beauty who is part model, part call-girl. Taylor received her first "Best Actress" Oscar for BUtterfield 8 performance.

Directed by Daniel Mann, the film also starred Laurence Harvey and Eddie Fisher.

Cleopatra is an extravagant biographical drama from 1963. The movie epic chronicles the triumphs and tragedies of Egypt's Nile Queen and her attempts to resist Roman imperialism.

Critically, the movie was a failure that nearly bankrupted Twentieth Century Fox due to the elaborate sets, costumes and props. It was a hit with movie viewers, however, and it eventually won four Academy Awards.

Taylor, Richard Burton and Rex Harrison had starring roles in Cleopatra, a movie directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz.

The movie earned Taylor the Guinness World Record title of "most costume changes in a film," which she held for more than three decades. The record number was 65.

Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? earned Taylor her second Best Actress Oscar. The 1966 drama is based on a play by American playwright Edward Albee.

Set on a New England college campus, the story examines the volatile marriage of a bitter, aging couple: an associate professor and his alcoholic wife, who happens to be the college president's daughter.

Mike Nichols directed Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? which cast Taylor with Richard Burton, Sandy Dennis and George Segal. All four actors were nominated for Academy Awards.

In fact, the movie received nominations for every eligible Academy Awards category, 13 in all. It won five Oscars and is considered one of the best 100 movies of the twentieth century.

The Taming of the Shrew is a 1967 romantic comedy based on a William Shakespeare play. It tells the tale of a very strong-willed couple: a fortune hunting scoundrel and his wealthy, shrewish wife.

The entertaining film, directed by Franco Zeffirelli, featured a spectacular set and costumes. It received two Oscar nominations.

The Taming of the Shrew was originally meant as a vehicle for Sophia Loren and Marcello Mastroianni. Taylor and her co-star Richard Burton contributed more than a million dollars to the project. Instead of a movie salary, they opted for a percentage of the film's profits.

• IMDb. (n.d.) [Various film titles.] Internet Movie Database. Retrieved March 24, 2011.
• Miller, Frank. (n.d.) "Elizabeth Taylor Memorial Program on 4/10." Turner Classic Movies. Retrieved September 7, 2012.
• Wikipedia contributors. (March 24, 2011) [Various film titles.] Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved March 24, 2011.

Copyright © 2011. Annette R. Smith. All rights reserved.

Published: March 24, 2011 / Modified: December 15, 2012.

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