Hollywood Golden Guy: Elizabeth Taylor Remembered

Showing posts with label Elizabeth Taylor Remembered. Show all posts

Friday, May 6, 2011

Elizabeth Taylor's letters from 1949 to be auctioned off

More than 60 love letters that screen legend Elizabeth Taylor (1932-2011) wrote in 1949 to a young Miami Beach millionaire that she was deeply in love with, will be auctioned online next week.

The love letters are ones that Taylor wrote at the age of 17 to 28-years-old William Pawley, the son of millionaire William Pawley Sr., in whose luxury Miami Beach home she and her mother stayed one year while on vacation.

The 66 letters from Taylor and another 20 from her mother will be auctioned between May 12-19 by RR Auction, which obtained the collection from Pawley two years ago and expects that they will fetch a sales price of some $30,000, or perhaps even more.

Wednesday, April 6, 2011

Elizabeth Taylors Jewelry to be Auctioned Next Month

Elizabeth's jewellery collection is due to be auctioned off next month with the proceeds going to The American Foundation for Aids Research and the Elizabeth Taylor Aids Foundation. The collection is valued at more than $150 million.

The collection features colored stones such as suites of rubies, rare pearls and diamonds as famous as the actress herself, interest in any Taylor auction is expected to be great. Interest will surely pique if the sell-off includes pieces such as the Krupp diamond, gifted by her fourth and fifth husband, the late actor Richard Burton.

Wednesday, March 30, 2011

New Hollywood Reporter reveals Elizabeth Taylor's Defiant Ways

The New issue of The Hollywood Reporter reveals how Elizabeth Taylor's defiant ways challenged Hollywood standards.

On June 10, 1966, Life magazine did one of its many cover stories on Elizabeth Taylor. Far from her usual smoldering beauty, she looked puffy, haggard, decades older than her 34 years. “Liz in a Shocker,” the headline proclaimed. “Her movie shatters the rules of censorship.”

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/how-elizabeth-taylors-sexual-intensity-172887

Saturday, March 26, 2011

Elizabeth Taylor Estate Estimate Upward to $1B - to Auction Jewelry

Elizabeth Taylor's estate is believed be worth between $600 million and $1 billion, most of it, according to Bloomberg Businessweek Senior Editor Diane Brady, from the side of her few fans realized had grown so big - Liz Taylor, businesswoman.

Brady says Taylor was actually "one of the first people out there basically branding her personality."

On "The Early Show on Saturday Morning," Brady told co-anchor Rebecca Jarvis estimates of the size of Taylor's fortune fall in a "pretty broad range. You are hearing a billion. You're hearing $600 million. I think $600 million seems to be what most people are settling on.

"But, you know, clearly, they're auctioning off her jewelry collection. They think that's going to be about $150 million. She had real estate that was worth at least $130 million.

Friday, March 25, 2011

James Dean Secret Revealed After Elizabeth Taylors Death

Elizabeth Taylor in an interview 14 years ago for POV revealed a secret about James Dean that she made writer Kevin Sessums promise not to reveal until after her death.

"When Jimmy was 11 and his mother passed away, he began to be molested by his minister. I think that haunted him the rest of his life," alleged Taylor. "In fact, I know it did. We talked about it a lot. During Giant we'd stay up nights and talk and talk, and that was one of the things he confessed to me."

This was according to Sessums for a new piece in the Daily Beast.

Colin Farrell at Elizabeth Taylor's Funeral Leaves Some Scratching Heads

A rep for Collin Farrell confirmed to E! News that it is was the Colin Farrell who is the only known celebrity to attend Elizabeth Taylor's funeral. Farrell did not only attend the funeral, but was part of the ceremony reciting a poem. It is unclear as to the connection between Farrell and Taylor, leaving many Hollywood columnist scratching their heads today. It wasn't long ago that Taylor was publicly praising him, telling Kim Kardashian in her Harper's Bazaar interview earlier this year that he was one of the few current actor she would love to work with.

Elizabeth Taylor My Final Thoughts

Following Hollywood news the way I do, I could not help but anticipate the recent departure of Elizabeth Taylor. For me her passing is a symbolic closing of the final chapter in Hollywood's classic era. Elizabeth was one of the last big contract players to be signed and work under the studio star system. Although the era has been gone for more than 50 years, having the likes of stars such as Elizabeth Taylor amongst us bridged that gap in time. There is no doubt she lead a life of imperfection, trials and hardships. Somehow through it all she managed to find meaningful purpose and live a fulfilling life. Yes the era of La Liz is gone, but happily her memory will live on through her tireless humanitarian work and films in which she graced the silver screen. Here's looking at you Ms. Taylor.

Thursday, March 24, 2011

Debbie Reynolds last conversation with Elizabeth Taylor

Debbie Reynolds a friend of Taylor despite a long ago love triangle with Eddie Fisher shared her last conversation with the actress, two weeks before her death.

“I said, ‘Getting old is really [expletive],’” the screen star said on “Access Hollywood.” “And she said, ‘It certainly is. It certainly is, Debbie. This is really tough.’
“I said, ‘Well, you just hang in there now, Elizabeth. And she said, ‘I’m really trying.’”
Liz’s former romantic rival added, “God bless her, she’s on to a better place. I’m happy that she’s out of her pain because she was in a lot of pain.”

Debbie Reynolds

Broadway to dim lights this Friday in honor of Elizabeth Taylor

Broadway will honor Elizabeth Taylor tomorrow by dimming its lights. Theater marquees will go dark at 8 p.m. for one minute in memory of the actress, who succumbed to congestive heart failure at age 79 Wednesday.

Elizabeth Taylor made her first Broadway appearance in the 1981 revival of Lillian Hellman's The Little Foxes, for which she was nominated for a best actress Tony.

Elizabeth Taylor requested her funeral begin 15 minutes late

Elizabeth Taylor's final entrance was in true Hollywood fashion by being 15 minutes late to her own funeral.

The Hollywood legends private service was held at Forest Lawn Cemetery in Glendale, CA today. According to People magazine the service began 15 minutes late under instructions that she left.. A family spokesperson said, "She even wanted to be late for her own funeral." The service lasted for one hour, and was attended by 40 of Taylor's close friends and family The Wrap reported.

Colin Farrell who was a close friend of Taylor recited a poem "The Leaden Echo and the Golden Echo by Manley Hopkins.

Taylor's grandson, musician Rhys Tivey, also performed a solo trumpet rendition of Amazing Grace at the ceremony, which included a closed casket draped with gardenias, violets and lily of the valley.

Original speculation had been the Hollywood icon would be be laid to rest at the Westwood Village Memorial Park where both her parents are interred in an adjacent crypt she reportedly owned, but instead she was placed at the Forest Lawn Memorial Park. Forest Lawn is the final resting place of some the biggest names in Hollywood, including her close friend Michael Jackson.

Taylor will be interred in the Great Mausoleum on the cemetery's grounds, in a gated crypt named the Sanctuary of Ascension. This area is private and off limits to the general public.

Elizabeth Taylor interred in Great Mausoleum

Glendale police spokesman Tom Lorenz told reporters Taylor was being interred in the Great Mausoleum, where her friend Michael Jackson is interred but not next to Jackson, who died in 2009 at age 50. TMZ reported that Taylor was laid to rest in a traditional Jewish casket made entirely out of mahogany wood with a special glue and no nails which cost $11,000. Many think reporting on the casket by TMZ was uncalled for.....what are your thoughts?

Elizabeth Taylor - Forest Lawn Cemetery to the Stars

Michael Jackson Tomb in Great Mausoleum

MGM boasted we have more star's than there are in the heavens. Forest Lawn has a boasting of a different kind, there are more stars buried at Forest Lawn Memorial Park than any other place in the world. Forest lawn is 300 acres of rolling hills, sculptures, English chapels, water features complete with swans. Forest Lawn is a tourist attraction all its own. Forest Lawn is the final resting place of Clark Gable, Jimmy Stewart, Jean Harlow, Humphrey Bogart, Mary Pickford, Spencer Tracy, Lon Chaney, Sammy Davis Jr., W.C. Fields, L.Frank Baum, Walt Disney, Michael Jackson, and now Elizabeth Taylor to name a few.

Forest Lawn does not encourage sightseeing by movie fans. Forest Lawn makes no bones (no pun intended) about conveying a sightseer beware message. Due to the sheer size of the memorial park it can be very difficult to locate a grave site. Forest Lawn has a strict policy of not assisting or giving out directions to celebrity graves to sightseeing visitors. Many of the stars tombs at Forest Lawn are behind lock gates or in restricted access mausoleums. These private locations are monitored by staff and cameras.

The Great Mausoleum where Michael Jackson is entombed has limited public access. Much of the Mausoleum is restricted to family members or crypt owners. There are many accounts that if you do not follow the rules of restricted access while at Forest Lawn you will be asked to leave at least and charged with trespassing at most.

Many argue which I too agree, that Forest Lawn's restrictive no tell policy is a dis-service to the memory of many of the great stars who graced the silver screen. It is Hollywood irony that individuals striving for a life of fame and public admiration end up hidden anonymously away in death.

Some media outlets are reporting Taylor will be entombed in the Great Mausoleum the same building where Michael Jackson is.

L.A. Guardian Angels offer their services at Elizabeth Taylors Funeral

Since statements were made yesterday by Westboro Baptist Church vowing to protest Elizabeth Taylor's funeral, the Los Angeles chapter of the Guardian Angels has stated they would be on alert. A member of the group is quoted as saying "Those evil people have been arrested for doing this before, and if they get out of hand here in L.A., we'll see to it that it happens again, and I'll be signing their arrest documents."

It appears however since Taylor's funeral was today, Westboro was thankfully not able to mobilize any supporters for the unannounced funeral. However there is talk of a public memorial for Taylor at a later date.

No site of Westboro Baptist at Elizabeth Taylors Funeral

Photo TMZ.com

No public funeral fans were hoping for, the family of screen legend Elizabeth Taylor decidded to keep things quiet and small, probably the way the late icon would have like it.

The scene at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale, California was solemn as nothing more than several stretch limousines arrived in single file. The occupants were family and close family friends in attendance. No word whether any celebrity friends of the family attended. According to officials at Forrest Lawn the family decided against having a funeral procession.

There was talk that Westboro Baptist Church would be in attendance, but thankfully, there were no reports that its dispicable agenda was anywhere in sight. Only fans and press gathered outside the entrance to Forrest Lawn.

Elizabeth Taylor's Funeral -- Persided over by The Rabbi to the Stars

Elizabeth Taylors funeral will be officiated by the Rabbi to the stars he has officiated dozens of celebrity funerals. Elizabeth Taylor is having a traditional Jewish burial ceremony at Forest Lawn cemetery in Glendale, CA right now -- and the man presiding ove the the service is Rabbi Jerry Cutler director of the Creative Arts Temple in Sherman Oaks, California.Cutler has presided over the funeral services for Milton Berle, Shelley Winters, Walter Matthau, Red Buttons and Jan Murray

Family Spokesman Confirms Funeral Service for Elizabeth Taylor

GLENDALE, Calif. — A police spokesman says a small funeral service will be held for Elizabeth Taylor at a Southern California cemetery famous for being the final resting place for Hollywood celebrities.
Glendale police spokesman Tom Lorenz says Forest Lawn Cemetery officials called to request police assistance for the 2 p.m. Thursday service.
Lorenz says about four dozen family members are expected to attend the funeral, and there will be no procession for the screen legend.
Taylor died early Wednesday of congestive heart failure at Los Angeles' Cedars-Sinai Medical center, where she had been hospitalized for about six weeks.
The cemetery is the final resting place for Taylor's good friend Michael Jackson and other stars like Clark Gable, Jean Harlow, W.C. Fields, Red Skelton, Gracie Allen, Walt Disney and Nat King Cole.

Elizabeth Taylor's 3rd husband's grave distrubance still a Chicago mystery

The story involves husband No. 3, producer Michael Todd, and two Chicago Outfit types who dug up his body at Jewish Waldheim Cemetery in Forest Park in 1977. Legend has it they were searching for a 10-carat diamond ring. And legend says they never found it. The story also involves private eye Anthony Pellicano, a human ferret and convicted eavesdropper who often bragged about his Outfit connections.
He used the Michael Todd grave-robbing caper to launch himself right out of Chicago and into Hollywood, where he became Private Eye to the Stars. Without Todd's remains being dragged around that cemetery, it's possible that Pellicano would still be working divorces in Chicago, peeping through keyholes.

Full story at the Chicago Tribune
http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2011-03-23/entertainment/ct-met-kass-0324-20110323_1_grave-robbers-anthony-pellicano-chicago-mystery

Zsa Zsa Gabor hospitalized after news of Elizabeth Taylor's death

The Los Angeles Times has reported Zsa Zsa Gabor was briefly hospitalized for elevated blood pressure after the 93-year-old actress learned of the death of her longtime friend Elizabeth Taylor, her husband said Thursday.

Prince Frederic von Anhalt said his wife was taken Wednesday to Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center for high blood pressure that shot up when she saw pictures of Taylor on the news.
"She was very upset when she saw her picture on telelvision -- and it was all over television," von Anhalt said. "Over the years, famous people always die in threes and she said, 'Well, it's me now.'"
Gabor, who was back home Thursday, has endured health problems and repeated hospitalizations that included treatement for a lung infection and amputation of her right leg.
Last month, Von Anhalt also was briefly hospitalized for stress-related problems.

Elizabeth Taylor Funeral Service - Burial Today

Elizabeth Taylors private funeral will be held today.

Taylor, who converted to Judaism for her marriages to Mike Todd and Eddie Fisher, is following the rules of the religion by being buried soon after
Several sources have learned the private service will be held at Forest Lawn in Glendale, CA This of course is the same cemetery her dear friend Michael Jackson was layed to rest at. The service is expected to be held this afternoon. A death certificate obtained by TMZ, which lists Mt. Sinai as the mortuary and Forest Lawn, Glendale as her final resting place.

It appears that Taylor's final resting place will not be the crypt next to her parents at the Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery, as first thought.