Why did she start playing these screaming, nasty ugly shrews in later films? Almost seems like another person in the later movies. She was very feminine and a good role model in her earlier movies, but she just seemed to wreck her career later on. I guess she wanted to be P.C. and try to get accepted by the hippys of the 60's , it seems that way. Butterfield 8 is a nice film from a gentler time for movie goers.
Actually, the first part of "BUtterfield" is almost a sketch of her later shrews--she's plump, sarcastic, a little nasty. I guess after "Virginia Woolfe" she felt she'd found an enjoyable niche for herself. In those years she chose films based on how much they were willing to pay her, and if it could be shot in Europe, for tax purposes. After "Cleopatra" and the Burton scandal, she wasn't thought of, as she was in the 1950's, as a young dramatic actress. She'd become this tabloid "thing" and her roles reflected that. Even "Woolfe" which audiences assumed was the "real life" of Liz n' Dick.
I found some of her later loud perfoemances very entertaing--"X, Y and Zee" is really very good. If you can accept that she is many years, and many experiences away from the teen-age goddess of "A Place In the Sun" or all those young ingenue roles at which she excelled.
Do you think that was her choice or due to her age that was what she was offered? Look at the crazy roles Joan Crawford and Bette Davis ended up doing after they were past the innocent/youthful age.
shareShe chose movies like "Reflections," Boom!" "Secret Ceremony" 20th Century Fox offered her "The Only Game In Town" and added $250,000 more to her customary million dollar salary. As she said, "They must be out of their minds, but if they are willing to pay that..."
After that, she recovered for a couple of years from bad back issues. She was still being offered major roles, but at less than a million. She was also still married to Burton and still living in Europe. She was no longer a part of the "industry" per se. She never did horror movies, and maintained her stardom, even if simply as a media phenom--always on the mag covers, always mobbed in public. She never took a movie because she "had" to.
"She never did horror movies."
Well, there was Night Watch...
Dear Chelsea...I would place "Night Watch" more in the "mystery/thriller" category.(despite some gore near the end.) It is one of my favorite latter-day Liz films. And finally out on DVD!
shareReflections in a Golden Eye was a horror story.. sort of. There's the slapping in the face repeatedly with the strap by the irate wife of the closeted gay military man, Brando. There's the scene where Brando lovingly caresses his face with Jasmine (or was it Peony) beauty cream. There's the scene where we find out that Brian Keith's wife chopped off her nipples with the garden shears.. there was that sadistic little fella who .. well.. whatever he done
shareLoBo_77018 says > Do you think that was her choice or due to her age that was what she was offered? Look at the crazy roles Joan Crawford and Bette Davis ended up doing after they were past the innocent/youthful age.I do think age was a factor but not in the way you seem to suggest. She was probably still getting a lot of offers but only chose projects that interested her. Usually the better roles involve complicated, troubled characters.
Because Liz Taylor could play any role. She was that good.
By the time she made films like "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof," "Suddenly, Last Summer" and "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?" she proved she could out-act anyone sharing the screen with her.
Last night at the dance, my little brother paid a buck to see your underwear.
A gentler time when it's the woman's fault that no man can ever get over the shame of being with a woman who has slept with other men and the only way to resolve her promiscuity is to kill her? Oh yes, quite a nice film.
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