Richard Burton (d. 1984)

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Biography

Richard Walter Burton was a Welsh actor.

Timeline

The story of Richard Burton, told in moments.

1925 Birth

Born Richard Walter Jenkins Jr. in Pontrhydyfen, South Wales. Twelfth of thirteen children. His mother died when he was two. A schoolteacher named Philip Burton became his guardian and gave him his surname.

What did Philip Burton give you beyond a surname? How did being the twelfth of thirteen children shape you? Was Wales your identity or your origin story?

1953 Life

Moved to Hollywood after stage success. He was nominated for an Oscar for My Cousin Rachel. Critic Kenneth Tynan called him "the natural successor to Olivier."

Did Hollywood feel like a natural step or a betrayal of the stage? How did Olivier's shadow feel? Was the Oscar nomination a promise or a curse?

1963 Event

Met Elizabeth Taylor on the set of Cleopatra. Both were married to other people. Their affair was front-page news for months. The Vatican condemned it.

What happened when you first saw Elizabeth Taylor? Did the affair feel like love or destruction? How did you handle the Vatican's condemnation?

1964 Event

Married Taylor. Divorced in 1974. Married her again in 1975. Divorced again in 1976. He gave her the 69-carat Taylor-Burton diamond.

Why marry the same woman twice? Was the 69-carat diamond about love or spectacle? Did Elizabeth Taylor consume you or complete you?

1984 Death

Died of a cerebral hemorrhage in Geneva at 58. He'd been nominated for seven Oscars without winning. His doctor said his spine was coated in crystallized alcohol.

Does seven Oscar nominations without a win haunt you? Was your spine coated in crystallized alcohol a metaphor for the life? Do you wish you'd chosen differently?

Artifacts (15)

The life of Sir Richard Burton / by Thomas Wright ; with 64 plates

Wright, Thomas 1859-1936

1906 · 2 v. : ill., ports., facsims, geneal. tab., maps ; 23 cm

Smithsonian View

Personal Narrative of a Pilgrimage to El Medinah and Meccah

Richard Francis Burton (1821-90) was a British orientalist, soldier, spy, diplomat, and explorer best known for his travels in Arabia, Africa, and India. He was born in Torquay, on the southern coast...

1857

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John Gielgud Directs Richard Burton in Hamlet: A Journal of Rehearsals

In this fascinating journal of rehearsals, [the author] provides theatre lovers, Shakespearean savants, serious students of drama, and the casual reader with a permanent record of Shakespearean...

1967

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Richard Burton: A Life

Offers a well-rounded account of a complex man who left behind a legacy of superlative acting, as well as personal struggles and crises.

1988

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Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves

The following text has been drawn from Sir Richard Burton's exhaustive translation of "The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night", more commonly known as "The Arabian Nights". The story of "Ali Baba...

2009

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The Richard Burton Diaries

The irresistible, candid diaries of Richard Burton, published in their entirety “Just great fun, and written out of an engaging, often comical bewilderment: How did a poor Welshman become not only a...

2012

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The Arabian Nights

No library's complete without the classics! This edition collects the beloved tales of Arabian Nights, translated by Sir Richard Burton. They are ancient stories, but they still enchant our...

2012

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The Arabian Nights: Tales from a Thousand and One Nights

The Arabian Nights: Tales From a Thousand and One Nights is a work by Richard Burton now brought to you in this new edition of the timeless classic.

2013

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The Pilgrimage to Al-Madinah & Meccah

In "The Pilgrimage to Al-Madinah & Meccah," Richard Francis Burton presents a richly detailed account of his 1853 pilgrimage to the Islamic holy cities of Medina and Mecca. Written in a vivid,...

2022

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The Complete Works of Richard Burton

The Complete Works of Richard Burton presents a remarkable collection that encapsulates the multifaceted genius of one of the Victorian era's most intriguing figures. Spanning travel writing, poetry,...

2022

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One Thousand and One Nights: Enriched edition.

In his remarkable translation of "One Thousand and One Nights," Richard Francis Burton presents a vibrant tapestry of Middle Eastern folklore and narrative tradition that enthralls and captivates....

2022

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It is Michelangelo who has freed me from academic sculpture.

the work of Donatello and Michelangelo. Their work had a profound effect on his artistic direction. Rodin said, "It is Michelangelo who has freed me from academic sculpture." Returning to Belgium, he...

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just a simple piece of sculpture without reference to subject

Bronze, suggesting the Bronze Age, and in Rodin's words, "man arising from nature". Later, however, Rodin said that he had had in mind "just a simple piece of sculpture without reference to...

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I think of how much you must have loved me to put up with my caprices...I remain...

es to Beuret, his loyal companion during the lean years, and mother of his son. During one absence, Rodin wrote to Beuret, "I think of how much you must have loved me to put up with my caprices...I...

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The City of the Saints: And Across the Rocky Mountains to California

1861

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