Read The Richard Burton Diaries Online
Authors: Richard Burton,Chris Williams
Tags: #Non-Fiction, #Biography
10 Thursday
Called R. Hanley this morn to have him send some money from Antibes where he is staying at the Hotel du Cap.
87
Told us that Sybil is getting married on Sunday next to a member of a ‘Pop’ group called ‘The Wild Ones!’ We don't know his name yet but we do know that he's only 24. This makes him 11 years younger than Syb I think.
88
I hope to God he's a tidy bloke and will be good for Kate as well as Syb.
89
Maybe I'll see K a bit more often now. How I love that child. Tubby old thing as she thinks she is. What sort of a telegram should we send? Witty, serious. (Lots of puns available on ‘Wild Ones’.)
11 Friday
Returned home today to La Reine Jeanne. We shall be leaving on Monday for Hotel du Cap at Antibes then away on Wednesday to USA. Sybil's boyfriend disapproved of by all who know her and of the marriage. She has known him apparently only three months and they have been serious, as ‘twere, only three weeks. I hope she knows what she's doing. Burt points out that she knows quite a few people who have happily remained married to men years and years younger than themselves. Let us pray. Weather continually brilliant though everyone native complains of the mistral.
90
Not us!
12 Saturday
Old Burt ill with tooth trouble and aching bones. Fussed over her a bit and she had food upstairs for a change – at least lunch. We dined downstairs [...] chicken and tomato salad. No drink at all today. Talk of drink – Michel Jazy has just broken the mile world's record and, according to
Figaro
, drinks a quart of red wine a day!!?
91
No way of finding out anymore about Sybil's feller. The Press (English) have been hounding us a bit –
Mirror
and
Express
– probably about Sybil. Talked to nobody. ‘Phoning here is impossible a sort of Olympian shouting match.
13 Sunday
Talked to Aaron today who was dourly opposed to Sybil's marriage.
92
The chap's name is Zaroff. Greek American from Ohio. ‘Is 24 looks 18’ says Aaron. Penniless. Syb retains $200,000. Rest goes into trust for Children. Roddy furious.
93
Helen Greenford refuses to go to Wedding.
94
Ivor delighted! Phil not caring.
95
I talked to Kate for a moment. She sounded awfully Yankee.
14 Monday
Left for Antibes. Much farewelling [...] at the local (called the Paillotte).
96
Lunched in Leï Mouscadins at St Tropez.
97
Stopped for a drink at Carlton in Cannes.
98
Went for a walk. Met editor of
Sunday Mirror
.
99
Got sloshed.
15 Tuesday
Woke late (around 11.00) and lunched on hors d'oeuvres at Eden Roc which is of course the restaurant for the Hotel.
100
We then went to Nice airport to pick up kids flying from Geneva with Bea.
101
Later I took the kids swimming on the rock and gave Michael and Christopher two key-ring compasses which they adore. For early dinner we all went to Juan les Pins to eat pizza.
102
We watched with fascination how many people were fascinated by the old Rolls-R. I don't recollect any car getting such attention – particularly in France. Rather a savage game of Yahtsee which I lost.
16 Wednesday
E had fittings for her clothes from Dior today.
103
They look very good. I packed for myself and Dick and Bea packed for Burt.
104
We went to catch the tender for the
Michelangelo
and sat for over an hour on the open deck (no place to hide) while the whole South of France took photographs.
105
The boat, compared with the Cunard Lines, is surprisingly utilitarian and appallingly decorated.
106
Everything looks very cheap and chromy. Photographer scrambling to snap us as we boarded from the Tender hit Maria in the face with a shoulder hanging camera. I slashed him across the neck and back. Impertinent sod.
The page for 17–23 June is missing. The next entry is:
24 Thursday
In fury one night I tore out the preceding page of diary. Silly of course but there you are. Tomorrow we arrive in NY. J. Springer will meet the boat [...]. We shan't see him or his press friends until much much later. I will leave the rest of this day's journal until tomorrow's over.!
Arrived NY. Usual Press. Usual idiotic questions usual idiotic answers. Tomorrow have arranged to go out into the country to place called Quogue to see Kate, Ivor and Gwen.
107
E. very nervous but as much as I.
28 Monday
Left NY for LA today.
29 Tuesday
Had lunch with Kup in the pump room of the Ambassador.
108
30 Wednesday
Met Hermes Pan on train and also he was on the boat!
109
JULY
1 Thursday
Arrived LA from Chicago and NY. Lovely journey on the train. Read biography of Dylan by Fitzgibbon which I am enjoying if an account of so desperate a life can be described as enjoyable.
110
We disembarked at Pomona in the hope that it would beat the Press but they were there.
111
Drove back home with J. Springer. [...] The house is alright. Lots of things don't work but the grounds are beautiful and there are two
swimming pools. The kids love it of course. Went to see Francis. He moves badly but his brain's OK.
2 Friday
Swam in the pool all morning and searched for Shanni who has got herself lost or stolen.
112
She is so minute that she might be stuck in the undergrowth for all I know. Had lunch with Francis and Sara at Scandia
113
[...] Saw Mike Nichols and girl called Rosemary Forsythe.
114
Mike loves fairly dumb girls. Taught E. to play billiards. Did some good shots.
3 Saturday
Spent day in and around pool. Stiff with sun and playing football with Thomas à Becket.
115
Dick and John showed us delicious new car from Italy – a Fiat about the size of a Mini Cooper with chains, four doors and a canopied top.
116
Took E for drive around Holmby Hills.
117
4 Sunday
Had Francis and Sara for barbecue lunch [...] Two boys went down the beach with their father and Maggie.
118
Mike Snr more incoherent than ever. Rex came over
119
[...] and taught me new word game. We taught him Yahtsee. Nice guy.
5 Monday
Poolside again. E read
V. Woolf
for first time – at least new script. Val came over for lunch and dinner.
120
We visited her place and tried pool chair with turbulent water. Seems splendid but we shall know tomorrow if it makes us stiff. Waiting anxiously for reply from Syb re. Kate. I hope she'll be alright about letting her come out to stay with us. What will I do if she doesn't comply amiably? Have written letters to Kate, Graham, Gwyneth, Ivor, Syb. Whew!
[This is the last entry, apart from a table of scores from Yahtzee!. Work on
Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
began the following day with three weeks of rehearsals at the Warner Studios, Burbank, Los Angeles.]
JANUARY
1 Friday
Recovered from crapulousness.
Read
Britannica
with E.
1
She's a good little girl. Picked up Sara last night in Palace Hotel swung her around and charmingly shouted ‘I hate Old Women.‘
2
Putting J. Sullivan under some sort of contract.
3
He and his future Daliah Lavi leave tomorrow.
4
2 Saturday
Sara and Francis leaving tomorrow for London.
5
Out to Park hotel for make-up dinner.
6
Successful. Sara still harping on Francis’ heart condition in whispers looks and sometimes so directly and in the third person so that E said once: ‘You talk as if Daddy were not here.’
3 Sunday
Lunched with Sara and Francis. Dined with Natalie Wood and Young Niven.
7
She emaciated and looks riddled with TB.
8
Pekinese eyes. Sad case. Went to Chesery – horrible noisy place.
9
4 Monday
Went to Berne to Consulate to register, also to Police at Saanen to obtain permit de séjour.
10
E unable to come. Cracked her head against open cupboard door in middle of night. Mother and Father of all black eyes. Nobody will believe I didn't hit her – such is my reputation – so we pretend she fell on slopes. [...] E and I in box-office thing of year me 10 E 11th. Ha-ha. She did not of course make a film! Not strictly fair.
11
5 Tuesday
E. unable (Doctors’ orders) to travel so caught 3.34 from Lausanne. [...] The train was comically irritating. A small boy, a smaller boy and a huge dog that took up two-thirds of the floor space, also two men and [...] voluble lady [...]. Arrived Paris 9.45. Met by Gaston and was taken to the Meurice not Lancaster as expected.
12
Wrote note authorizing Rene Weibel to take Syb's ‘affaires’ from Céligny. André had requested it!
13
She wants home movies too. Seems a little masochistic. Paris snowless and a nice change.
6 Wednesday
Left Paris 12.34 on
Golden Arrow
. Splendid train surely one of the best in the world.
14
Arrived London [...]. Met by Heyman and Rolls Royce.
15
Called E. who will come tomorrow by air. Had drinks in smart pub near Dorchester with Heyman.
16
Later joined by Sullivan and Daliah. Went home and so to read and so to bed à la Pepys.
17
(Had haircut in Alexandre's before leaving Paris).
18
7 Thursday
Went to Berman's at 10 and walked to Wardour Street afterwards with M. Ritt.
19
We ‘kicked the script around a bit’ for about an hour. Talked to Oskar Werner on the phone.
20
Sounds young and enthusiastic. Had lunch at Isow's with Ritt and Claire Bloom.
21
She was nervous but was alright. For this relief much thanks. Met my good girl at London airport. Her face looks extremely bruised poor old dab. Nerves made me rather snappy partner and we went earliesh to bed after bangers and mash.
22
13 Wednesday
Battersea Park at 8.15 to rehearse with Michael Hordern.
23
Very very cold and particularly so as I am totally immobile during the scene and Marty shot take after freezing take. Springer arrived with Hugh French.
24
Also journalist called Palmer from AP.
25
He didn't seem like a journalist at all. Perhaps he isn't. Hoped to have E for lunch but didn't. Ended work lunch time (in Six Bells, King's Road) went home met E in lobby with her dad and P. Sellers.
26
Cis and Elfed arrived (cut Ivor dead at Paddington!) and had dinner.
27
I had mine in bed. Cold very bad.
[There are no further entries in the diary from mid-January to early May. On 16 January 1965 Richard and Elizabeth travelled to Cardiff to see Wales defeat England at rugby union by 14 points to 3. Filming of
The Spy Who Came in from the Cold
continued in Dublin, Bavaria and in the Netherlands as well as in London. During this period Richard was nominated for an Academy Award as Best Actor for his performance in
Becket
, but the Oscar was won by Rex Harrison for his performance in
My Fair Lady
. Burton also made a single – ‘A Married Man’ – taken from the musical
Baker Street
, and recorded some war poems by the British poet Wilfred Owen (1893–1918). While in Dublin Burton and Taylor were visited by Franco Zeffirelli (1923–) and a friendship developed between them that would result in Zeffirelli directing
The Taming of the Shrew
the following year.]
MAY
5 Wednesday
Operation for E.
28
Went in to see her after finishing work. Worked at Mansion House Tube and opposite Telegraph buildings in Fleet Street.
29
Visited Mirror Building [...]
30
Nervous all day long worrying about her. Went there slightly sloshed and they allowed her home as long as she
didn't move about too much. Watched TV in bed. Rode on bus round and round Kensington Tube Station.
31
[...]
6 Thursday
Last day
Spy
.
Husband was sweet to me. And I know how much he hates ‘ill people’ and avoids
any
and
all
signs of pain in someone he likes and loves. But he has been wonderful with me. Spoiled me like mad!! I adore it!! Maybe – (they told me) after another operation I could give him a baby. I want that more than anything in the whole world.
Please
let him
know
nothing will happen to me.
Please
make him say ‘Yes’. (Please God). [Elizabeth Taylor's hand.]
8 Saturday
Party Spy.
11 Tuesday
Dinner at Mirabelle.
32
16 Sunday
Lunch with Peter Glenville and Bill – saw a wild and crazy house next door.
33
‘Poofsville’ should be the name of it. Peter sweet and excited about R. in G. I.
34
Then I had to go alone to see Sandpiper! It is not quite as bad as I thought. R. looks better than I have ever seen him (he's so bloody beautiful – and sexy) and he takes words, so mundane, and turns them into something deeply moving and real – No one else in the world could have done what he does. He made me cry. I'm not even ashamed of what I did – but only when I acted with him. He makes us all look better than we are. [Elizabeth Taylor's hand.]