I remember very well Elizabeth Taylor’s stint on General Hospital (it was my show, back in the day), but I remember even better that she was featured on a Bloopers show. Thanks to the magic of Youtube, I have found those Bloopers. Her laugh is what strikes me. Her big generous laugh. She didn’t get to utilize it all that often in her roles, but listen to it. Her sense of humor about herself, and how she KEPT either getting the name wrong, or getting it right but THINKING she got it wrong. Hilarious. I love the first clip of Anthony Geary having a scene with her and going up on his lines. He pauses, blanks, and then turns around and screams to the crew: “IT’S ELIZABETH TAYLOR!” I love this because you can almost see that that is exactly why he blanked on his lines. He was a huge star at that point, in the soap world. He OWNED General Hospital. But there he was, staring at Elizabeth Taylor, and you can almost see pinwheels in his eyes. Like: “I am acting with Elizabeth freakin’ Taylor RIGHT NOW. I can’t believe this!”
But the best is Liz’s comment after the third or fourth take of one particular line.
What a classy dame.
One of a kind. The end of an era.
Your last line says it all. It is, truly, the end of an era.
That’s a terrible bit of news to find in the morning.
To be honest, there’s so much about Liz Taylor in the ridiculous checkout-line tabloids, you start to tune it out; they’re always running some doctored shot of some celebrity’s “brave final days”. (Vultures.) On top of that, she’s rallied so many times from illnesses and setbacks. It became easy to take it for granted. To see that she has actually passed is a great shock.
Thank you for finding this YouTube clip, Sheila. It’s wonderful to see the process going on and realize that it’s all acting, even for the enormous stars… it’s a human moment and it’s a great tribute to her.
I addressed the mean-spirited morons who believe the tabloid-version of reality in another one of my posts. They really are beneath mention, but Liz handled their sneering for decades without complaining so I felt I should mention it.
Not to mention her dedication to AIDS/HIV causes. The money she raised, the awareness she raised – she was vocal and organized and tireless – all at a time when the plague was being shunned and ignored by the politicians – she was right on the frontline with it.
She was also a HELL of an actress.
I woke this morning to the sad news of Elizabeth Taylor’s death. Hers was a fascinating life: career, marriages, health scares, scandals, philanthropy, perfume and jewelry. Of the latter I have her book: “My Love Affair with Jewelry”, a wonderful picture book about fabulous jewels being cared for by an equally fabulous lady. That’s what she said, that she was just a “caretaker” for them whilst in her keeping. And so were we caretakers and now she is in better Hands. RIP, Dame Elizabeth.
Susan – I used to have that jewelry book and I have no idea what happened to it!
I love the sentiments you expressed in your beautiful comment – thank you so much for sharing them here.