Richard Burton set himself three goals in life: To be the richest, the most famous and the best actor in the world. In ”Burton (Putnam),” former film critic Hollis Alpert assesses how close he came.
Q–What are the keys to understanding Richard Burton?
A–First is his remarkable voice. It was unique: British with a slight Welsh tang. Next is his remarkable intelligence. I`ve never known an actor so literate. And then there was his impressive talent.
Q–With so much going for him, why did he drink?
A–That`s the mystery of Burton. His father was a heavy drinker who introduced Richard to beer when he was 12 years old. He was close to being an alcoholic in his early 20s. He needed a couple of shots to go onstage. He consumed three quarts of liquor a day at times. He loved the gregariousness that accompanied standing around a bar, exchanging stories. He was a wonderful raconteur. Behind it all was a certain shyness. He wasn`t as happy when he was sober. It was only in his last five years that he was aware that he was an alcoholic. He preferred to call himself a drunk.
Q–What course do you think his life would have taken if he hadn`t met Liz Taylor?
A–I think he would have acted on the stage more frequently. He was already disillusioned with movies by time he did ”Cleopatra,” which he did just for the money. But she did some good things for him. He was selecting terrible movies, and she steered him toward ”Beckett.” She always had his best interests at heart. He was the love of her life.
Q–What was his best film performance?
A–”Who`s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” He proved he was an actor in that film and more than just a voice and a presence. As George, a very weak man, he appeared to be playing against character. Yet he told the producer of the film, ”You don`t understand, I am George.”
Q–Did he die a happy man?
A–He was in a peaceful, philosophical mood his last day. John Hurt, his co-star in his last movie, ”1984,” was visiting him, and Burton told him how he had dissipated a great deal of money–30 or 35 million dollars. But he said it was right to do it because he didn`t like to travel with the people that had that kind of money, that he was more of an artist. His last words to Hurt were whispered so his wife wouldn`t hear them. He leaned forward and said,
”She (Elizabeth Taylor) still fascinates me, you know.” Toward the end, the British press took him to task for dribbling away his career, but he said he regretted nothing. He achieved everything he wanted to. He just didn`t sustain it.
