Trashwire friend Nancy Kivlen remembers Elizabeth Taylor in this blog submission…
When most kids were going camping for the weekends with their families, my mom and dad were taking me and (usually) a friend up to Julie Andrews house and heading to the Beverly Hills Polo lounge to drink and look for movie stars!
Liz Taylor’s mother actually lived in one of the bungalows at the Beverly Hills hotel, so when Janis and I were roaming around the hotel bungalow areas (they didn’t have security in the 60’s) up pulled a limo and out hopped Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton and a security guard.
I ran right up to her (I was probably about 12 or 14) but the security guy blocked me. He was with them because she was wearing this big diamond ring (was it the Hope Diamond or something like that?) I said, “I want her autograph”. Well, both she and Richard were a little woozy – Liz kept walking up the walkway to her mom’s bungalow and Richard stopped and gave me his autograph. I said, “I want hers!” The security guy said, “I’ll sign her name for you.” I said, “but that’s not her autograph.” He said, “no one will know.” I replied, “I know!” But he signed it anyway.
Then we heard pounding on the bungalow door and it was Liz screaming “God damnit Mother open the god damn door!” She sounded drunk and Richard Burton looked drunk. Her mom opened the door (finally) and they all went in. Later that day, when we went back to the polo lounge to find my mom and dad, they said, “you missed it! Liz and Dick were here drinking at the bar and had a huge fight!” I guess the whole polo lounge witnessed it. She was hurling swear words at him and stormed out. Burton left shortly after. I actually don’t remember if it was that same day (when my mom and dad saw the fight) or if it was a different day (since we went up there every other Sunday practically).
What stood out in my mind was her eyes. She was wearing all white–a white poncho almost and white pants–sandals, and the big diamond on her finger, but the violet eyes are the first thing I noticed.
You know these people back then must have been wild (no fear of being arrested like Lindsey Lohan). I read a story last night that Montgomery Clift left a party at her house drunk and almost died in a car accident, smashed in all his teeth and almost choked to death, but Liz was able to pull his teeth out of his throat and save him!
I think THAT time in Los Angeles, the Beverly Hills/Hollywood area was magical. California really was magnificent back then, empty roads, movie stars – it was just fantastic. My parents, coming from Philly, were swept up in all the excitement and were movie star crazy.
Anyway, my other friend reminded me last night that we saw Liz again at the “That’s Entertainment” premiere (probably in the 70’s) which I had forgotten. She came to the premiere with Liza Minnelli and Sammy Davis Jr.
Great memories!
Image from toutlecine.com
Ah, now these are the woozy “Hollywood Babylon” moments I treasure! More, more! Julie Andrews breaking bad?
Thanks for posting my memories. I only wish I had had a camera. But back then we didn’t have cell phones and cameras required actual film (and were big and bulky). I had a wonderful evening the other night re-watching “Virgina Wolfe” – not once, but twice. What a fantastic movie.