Alamo Fast Draw on Richard Burton: Richard Burton was born and the village of Pontrhydyten,Wales. His given name was Richard Walter Jenkins the 12th child of 13. Richard Burtons father was a 12 pint a day coal miner who sometimes went off on a drinking and gambling binge for weeks. It is said that Richard Burton was very much like his father.
Edith Burton, Richard's mother died after child number 13, before Richard was two years old in 1927. Richard Burton's sister Cecilia and brother in law Elfed took him into their mining family in Port Tulbot where he remained for many years. His father would stop by on occasion at his sister's home but was not the large influence in Richards life. The larger influence would be Ifor Richards older brother by 19 years.Ifor would become Richard Burton's protect or an idle as they would stay close to route Richards live.
Richard Burton had a consuming interest in Cricket, Rugby and Table Tennis but was also talented in English and Welsh literature during his grammar school days. He was inspired by his schoolmaster Philip H.Burton and with his help Richard excelled in a school production The Apple Cart.
Starting in Richards early years he displayed an exceptional speaking and singing voice and as a boy soprano won a Eisteddfod Prize. Richard Burton dropped out of school at age 16 and worked for a wartime Co-Op handling supplies. Richard joined the Port Talbot squadron of the Air Training Corps where he met up with Phil Burton once more, who was now the commander of the group. Richard also joined a drama group headed by Leon Lloyd a avid amateur thespian. Leo taught Richard the fundamentals of acting during this period.
Richard Burtons talent was recognized by Phillip Burton and took him on as his ward. With Phillips intense tutoring in school subjects, voice in acting Richard was allowed into Exeter college, Oxford for a special six month study course. It is around this time Richard took Phillip Burtons surname as his own.
Richard work for a time with the BBC where he earned his first acting fee. His professional acting debut was in Liverpool where he appeared in Druid's Rest. Richards career was interrupted in 1944 by his induction into the military. In 1947 Richard was discharged from the RAF and headed for London to seek his fortune and fame. While in London he signed up with a agent and was cast in his first film called The Last Days of Dolwyn. He received high praise for his acting, Manley bearing and good looks. It is here on the set of The Last Days of Dolwyn that he met his future wife actress Sybil Williams and married in February 1949. They had two daughters and in 1963 they divorced after reports of Burton's affair with Elizabeth Taylor.
After several successful productions Richard dream was fulfilled and he was admitted to the British acting circle that included John Gielgad, Anthony Quayle, Hugh Griffith, Michael Redgrave, and Paul Scofield. Also around this time he met Humphrey Bogart and with Bogart's praise and that up with a five year contract with Alexander Korda for 100 pounds a week which launched his career in Hollywood. On the recommendation of Duphne de Maurier, urton was given the leading role in My Cousin Rachel opposite Olivia De Havilland. The film was a critical success and it won Richard his first academy award nomination and the golden globe award for new star of the year. In 1963 urton took over the role as Marc Anthony and 20th Century Fox's production Cleopatra, the most expensive movie ever made at the time. The film was the start of Richard Burton's most successful time in Hollywood.
After Where Eagles Dare in 1968 urton made several films that were disappointing at the box office and Richard career declined according to many critics. Richard Burton made several more successful films before his death and was preparing to film the sequel to The Wild Geese.
Here is some of Richard Burtons works:
Nineteen Eighty-Four (1984) O'Brien
Wagner (1983) Richard Wagner
Absolution (1981) Father Goddard
Circle of Two (1980) Ashley St. Clair
Lovespell (1979) King Mark
Medusa Touch, The (1978) John Morlar Steiner
Wild Geese, The (1978) Allen Faulkner
Equus (1977 Martin Dysart
Exorcist II: The Heretic (1977) Father LamontBrief
Gathering Storm, The (1974) Winston Churchill
Klansman, The (1974) Brock Stancill
Rappresaglia (1973) Colonel Kappler
Sutjeska (1973) Marshal Tito
Assassination of Trotsky, The (1972) Leon Trotsky
Bluebeard (1972) Baron von Sepper
Hammersmith Is Out (1972) Hammersmith
Raid on Rommel (1971) Capt. Alec Foster
Villain (1971) Vic Dakin
Anne of the Thousand Days (1969) King Henry VIII
Staircase (1969) Harry Leeds
Where Eagles Dare (1969) Major John Smith
Boom (1968) Chris Flanders
Candy (1968) McPhisto
Doctor Faustus (1968) Faust
Bisbetica domata, La (1967) Petruchio
Casino Royale (1967) Cameo
Comedians, The (1967) Brown
Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966) George
Sandpiper, The (1965) Dr. Edward Hewitt
Spy Who Came In from the Cold, The (1965) Alec Leaman
What's New, Pussycat (1965) Cameo
Becket (1964) Thomas a Becket
Hamlet (1964) Hamlet
Night of the Iguana, The (1964) The Rev. T. Lawrence Shannon
Zulu (1964) (voice) Narrator
Cleopatra (1963) Marc Antony
V.I.P.s, The (1963) Paul Andros
Longest Day, The (1962) Downed R.A.F. Pilot
Bramble Bush, The (1960) Guy
Ice Palace (1960) Zeb Kennedy
Look Back in Anger (1958) Jimmy Porter
Amere victoire (1957) Captain Leith
Sea Wife (1957) Biscuit
Alexander the Great (1956) Alexander
Prince of Players (1955) Edwin Booth
Rains of Ranchipur, The (1955) Dr. Safti
Desert Rats, The (1953) Captain MacRoberts
Robe, The (1953) (AAN) Marcellus Gallio
My Cousin Rachel (1952) Philip Ashley
Green Grow the Rushes (1951) Robert "Bob" Hammond
Woman with No Name, The (1950) Nick Chamerd
Last Days of Dolwyn, The (1949) Gareth
Now Barabbas (1949) Paddy