October 1965: - Elizabeth Taylor, 33, in still photographs from scenes portraying ‘Martha’ from her current Warner Bother’s film, “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Wolfe?” Regarding the film, everything started for her the previous August (1964) when she and new husband of five months, Richard Burton, 38, were traveling the ‘ Super Chief’ from Chicago to Los Angeles to start production of, “The Sandpiper.” In the spring of 1964, famed playwright, Edward Albee, sold the rights of his prize winning play to Jack Warner, president of Warner Brother Studio’s, for 500,000 dollars. It had been a runaway hit on Broadway (1962-1963) and Warner was anxious to adapt it into a screenplay. He immediately hired producer, Ernest Lehman, and director, Fred Zinnemann. Casting opinions were immediately discussed. Bette Davis, Nancy Kelly, and Rosalind Russell were strong contenders but the script inevitably found its way onto a pile of Elizabeth’s reading material. She was quickly mesmerized by the role of Martha, clearing knowing that she was ten to fifteen years too young to portray the character. But there were many challenges that she found fascinating. She had never done character work nor was she experiences with Albee’s brand of vitriolic comedy. She had never even attempted a characterization which, on the surface, was so far from her real self. She personally took this role to heart as no one was calling her up and telling her that she was, ‘perfect for the part.’ She knew that it was a role in a thousand and, despite all odds…she knew that she had to tackle it. Bette Davis had once said, “Once you stop trying to hang yourself, artistically, you’re dead.” Though the role of “George” almost went to Henry Fonda, Burton (who believed that actor Arthur Hill should have taken the role) took the role of Martha’s burn-out, harassed, wife-racked college professor husband. Lehman knew that the Burton were beginning the pinnacle of their commercial success as an ‘acting team’ and immediately gave his approval. While they were filming, “The Sandpiper” in Paris, in the autumn of 1964….Lehman met with them and they signed to do, “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Wolfe?” The production schedule had to be pushed back as Burton, first, had to make, “The Spy Who Came in From the Cold.” This technicality caused Zinnemann to exit the project, having other directorial obligations. The Burton’s, themselves, then told Lehman who they wanted their director to be. They chose the brilliant satirist-turned-Broadway director, 34 year old Mike Nichols…straight from three Broadway directorial hits, “Barefoot in The Park”, “Luv”, and “The Odd Couple.” It was very nice, Lehman thought, but how Neil Simon prepared one for Edward Albee was debatable. On top of this, it was to be Nichol’s first film assignment. But the Burtons, who were personal friends of Nichols from Burton’s time in NYC doing, “Hamlet,” had the upmost confidence in him. In the winter of 1965, Burton made, “The Spy Who Came in From the Cold”, in Dublin (Ireland) and Munich (Germany). The Burton then vacationed in Switzerland in the spring before embarking to New York aboard the ‘SS Michelangelo’ on June 25, 1965. Once settled in a rented Bel-Air mansion (at four thousand dollars a month), rehearsals for “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Wolfe?” started on Stage Eight at Warner Brother Studio’s on July 6, 1965. Both Warner and Lehman demanded absolute secrecy regarding the project. Armed guards were hired to keep everyone and anyone from entering the production set…which couldn’t have pleased the Burton’s more. Soon the Warner Brother Publicity department issued a statement regarding a direct order that was given (by Lehman and Nichols) to Elizabeth, “Miss Taylor has been making every effort to gain weight for her role in the picture. She has been observing a special pound-adding diet to help give her the heavier appearance of a middle aged woman.” Elizabeth’s reaction was, “Oh boy. That is one of the nicest orders I’ve ever been given.” As filming started, Nichols later stated, “We all got possessed by the picture. The Burton’s told me that they talked about nothing else when they got home.” Elizabeth approached the job of creating Martha from many angles. Several make up tests were done in order to find just the right one. She developed a specific walk and dropped her voice to give Martha her basic, boozy, guttural tone and a bawdy, vulgar cackle. It was actually an exhilarating experience for her. She had never known such freedom in a role. “Basically, she is a lazy girl.” director Joseph Mankiewicz once observed of Elizabeth, “but a real professional in front of the camera. She brings to a role the emotional intensity that you can use. You have to dig for it but it’s there.” Of Mike Nichols, Elizabeth stated, “I adore Mike. He is so inventive and has this peculiar, bizarre mind that sees only things that he can see.” Throughout the film, Nichols paid tribute to Elizabeth with the following, “Every time you pick up a magazine…you read all the wrong things, about her tragic loves, her tragic life, and her tragic future. It’s all bunk. She’s one of the happiest people in the world, and a great camp girl. I like her because she knows how to handle success and still have fun.” Of both the Burton’s, he added, “The main thing is, I am just constantly surprised at how good Richard and Elizabeth are. Their flexibility and talent and cooperativeness are overwhelming.” The film ended with a production delay. While playing her brother, Howards, son, Elizabeth got a toy gun pellet lodged in her eye and blackened it for a week. On December 13, 1965, shooting finished on, “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Wolfe?” The following evening the Burton’s hosted a post-production party. Of immediate note was the fact that the Burton’s were currently featured not only on the movie pages but in the literary reviews as well. With Albee on their resumes, they had escalated their artistic worth and would soon take many more chances regarding the material that they chose to represent their film careers. Some of it would prove to be lucrative…some, not so much.
Posted on: Sun, 16 Nov 2014 12:56:41 +0000
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