Elizabeth Taylor in London
Encyclopedia
Elizabeth Taylor in London was a CBS-TV television special
broadcast on 6 October 1963 that was directed by Sidney Smith and co-produced by Philip D'Antoni
and Norman Baer. The 58 minute show featured Elizabeth Taylor
being filmed in various parts of London, England such as Westminster Bridge
, Battersea Park
, the House of Parliament of the United Kingdom
and a London Blitz bomb damaged church in the East End of London
reminiscing about her birthplace and reciting several famous English poems and speeches including-
The music was composed by John Barry (composer)
who was nominated for a 1964 Grammy award
for Outstanding Original Music. The original album has been rereleased on CD with many of the tracks available in the public domain
on various John Barry collections. Greensleeves
occurs throughout the score.
In addition to showcasing Elizabeth Taylor at the height of her popularity, the show informed Americans of English history and London locations. Richard Burton coached Taylor on her delivery of the speeches.
Miss Taylor was paid US$250,000 then the highest price ever paid for a person to be on television. The BBC
paid US$28,000 for broadcast rights to be shown near Christmas. However television critic Anthony Burgess
gave the show a scathing review calling it "the most deplorable programme of the year".
The success of the show led to the same team doing a Sophia Loren in Rome television show.
Television special
A television special is a television program which interrupts or temporarily replaces programming normally scheduled for a given time slot. Sometimes, however, the term is given to a telecast of a theatrical film, such as The Wizard of Oz or The Ten Commandments, which is not part of a regular...
broadcast on 6 October 1963 that was directed by Sidney Smith and co-produced by Philip D'Antoni
Philip D'Antoni
-Work:D'Antoni won an Academy Award in 1971 for the Best Picture, for The French Connection. He also won a Golden Globe award in 1972 for the Best Motion Picture Drama for The French Connection. He began his career on TV with the glamorous productions, "Sophia Loren in Rome," "Elizabeth Taylor in...
and Norman Baer. The 58 minute show featured Elizabeth Taylor
Elizabeth Taylor
Dame Elizabeth Rosemond "Liz" Taylor, DBE was a British-American actress. From her early years as a child star with MGM, she became one of the great screen actresses of Hollywood's Golden Age...
being filmed in various parts of London, England such as Westminster Bridge
Westminster Bridge
Westminster Bridge is a road and foot traffic bridge over the River Thames between Westminster on the north side and Lambeth on the south side, in London, England....
, Battersea Park
Battersea Park
Battersea Park is a 200 acre green space at Battersea in the London Borough of Wandsworth in England. It is situated on the south bank of the River Thames opposite Chelsea, and was opened in 1858....
, the House of Parliament of the United Kingdom
Parliament of the United Kingdom
The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom, British Crown dependencies and British overseas territories, located in London...
and a London Blitz bomb damaged church in the East End of London
East End of London
The East End of London, also known simply as the East End, is the area of London, England, United Kingdom, east of the medieval walled City of London and north of the River Thames. Although not defined by universally accepted formal boundaries, the River Lea can be considered another boundary...
reminiscing about her birthplace and reciting several famous English poems and speeches including-
- Composed upon Westminster Bridge, September 3, 1802Composed upon Westminster Bridge, September 3, 1802"Composed upon Westminster Bridge, September 3, 1802" is a sonnet by William Wordsworth describing London and the River Thames, viewed from Westminster Bridge in the early morning. It was first published in the collection Poems in Two Volumes in 1807....
by William WordsworthWilliam WordsworthWilliam Wordsworth was a major English Romantic poet who, with Samuel Taylor Coleridge, helped to launch the Romantic Age in English literature with the 1798 joint publication Lyrical Ballads.... - How Do I Love Thee? from Sonnets from the PortugueseSonnets from the PortugueseSonnets from the Portuguese, written ca. 1845–1846 and first published in 1850, is a collection of forty-four love sonnets written by Elizabeth Barrett Browning. The poems largely chronicle the period leading up to her 1846 marriage to Robert Browning...
by Elizabeth Barret Browning - William Pitt, 1st Earl of ChathamWilliam Pitt, 1st Earl of ChathamWilliam Pitt, 1st Earl of Chatham PC was a British Whig statesman who led Britain during the Seven Years' War...
's 18 November 1777 speech on the American RevolutionAmerican RevolutionThe American Revolution was the political upheaval during the last half of the 18th century in which thirteen colonies in North America joined together to break free from the British Empire, combining to become the United States of America...
("If I were an American, as I am an Englishman, while a foreign troop was landed in my country, I never would lay down my arms — never — never — never! You cannot conquer America"). - Queen Elizabeth I's Speech to the Troops at TilburySpeech to the Troops at TilburyThe Speech to the Troops at Tilbury was delivered on 9 August Old Style, 19 August New Style 1588 by Queen Elizabeth I of England to the land forces earlier assembled at Tilbury in Essex in preparation of repelling the expected invasion by the Spanish Armada....
- An excerpt from Queen Victoria's diary concerning the death of Prince AlfredAlfred, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and GothaAlfred, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha was the third Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, and reigned from 1893 to 1900. He was also a member of the British Royal Family, the second son and fourth child of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha...
- The "London can take anything" speech of Winston ChurchillWinston ChurchillSir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, was a predominantly Conservative British politician and statesman known for his leadership of the United Kingdom during the Second World War. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest wartime leaders of the century and served as Prime Minister twice...
The music was composed by John Barry (composer)
John Barry (composer)
John Barry Prendergast, OBE was an English conductor and composer of film music. He is best known for composing the soundtracks for 12 of the James Bond films between 1962 and 1987...
who was nominated for a 1964 Grammy award
Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
for Outstanding Original Music. The original album has been rereleased on CD with many of the tracks available in the public domain
Public domain
Works are in the public domain if the intellectual property rights have expired, if the intellectual property rights are forfeited, or if they are not covered by intellectual property rights at all...
on various John Barry collections. Greensleeves
Greensleeves
"Greensleeves" is a traditional English folk song and tune, a ground of the form called a romanesca.A broadside ballad by this name was registered at the London Stationer's Company in September 1580 as "A New Northern Dittye of the Lady Greene Sleeves". It then appears in the surviving A Handful of...
occurs throughout the score.
In addition to showcasing Elizabeth Taylor at the height of her popularity, the show informed Americans of English history and London locations. Richard Burton coached Taylor on her delivery of the speeches.
Miss Taylor was paid US$250,000 then the highest price ever paid for a person to be on television. The BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
paid US$28,000 for broadcast rights to be shown near Christmas. However television critic Anthony Burgess
Anthony Burgess
John Burgess Wilson – who published under the pen name Anthony Burgess – was an English author, poet, playwright, composer, linguist, translator and critic. The dystopian satire A Clockwork Orange is Burgess's most famous novel, though he dismissed it as one of his lesser works...
gave the show a scathing review calling it "the most deplorable programme of the year".
The success of the show led to the same team doing a Sophia Loren in Rome television show.