Suddenly, Last Summer : Taylor at height of beauty

Taylor at height of beauty

Elizabeth Taylor was at the very apex of her beauty in this movie. After as she said, "get my hair fixed and wear some of my own clothes," she was absolutely gorgeous. Her face and black hair combinded with the outfit she's wearing after that makes her the most beautiful woman of any era. Hud

Re: Taylor at height of beauty

You forgot the eyes.

Agreed

I totally agree.

I thought she looked stunning. Plus the fact that it was shot in black & white only added to her remarkable beauty. Her eyes were as cunning and feline as a cat's.

Very beautiful. And those scenes with her in that dress while on vacation - or that white bathing suit...so gorgeous.

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Re: Agreed

lol - me too - but I was more impressed by the balck dress she wore when she got to the state asylum. Truly gorgeous, classy and stunning.

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Re: Agreed

So its hard to feel sympathy for ugly people? Is that it?

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OH C'MON Rainman, we all empathise with Charles Laughton in the HB of ND, don't we??

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Re: Agreed

Harker - stunning dress, yes, but certainly not contemporary with 1937 - it would have been almost ankle length and floaty, very feminine - the actual dress looked 100% Balmain to me, and very definitely of 1959, likwise all Hepburn's clothes - someone slipped up badly there.

Re: Agreed

Yes she's beautiful in this movie. For another visual treat, check out "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof". You'll get the best of both worlds: a remarkably beautiful Paul Newman, and Liz Talylor also at the height of her beauty.

The movie ain't half-bad either :=)

Re: Agreed

yeah she's pretty amazing in this movie. but in A Place in the Sun she wasnt half bad either.

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I actually was surprised that she was only 27, she looked older to me. Maybe it was the heavy eye makeup. Still, I think she was her most radiant in A Place in the Sun.

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I couldn't agree more. She was totally stunning in "A Place in the Sun." Young, slim, beautiful. Not enough words to describe. I think she looked older than 27 in "Suddenly Last Summer" because she had gained some weight (following three pregnancies and the awful period following the loss of her beloved husband, Mike Todd). I think this was the film which marked the beginning of her being a little heavier, on screen and in life (although she was much more curvy in "A Cat on a Hot Tin Roof" than she'd been in "A Place in the Sun"). I may be wrong, but can anyone think of her being any thinner in any film after 1959? Nonetheless, she was still gorgeous, keeping in mind that this was the era of the size-12 Marilyn Monroe and curvaceous women were in style.

I agree with both you and noveltylibrary.

When Liz Taylor came onscreen in Suddenly Last Summer, I was so surprised to see her look so old that I did the math and realized she was only 27. I don't think you're wrong--I can't recall her being any thinner in any film after 1959.

I just saw A Place in the Sun again yesterday and agree that her beauty in that was beyond words.

I think Liz was just too petite and finely-boned to carry much extra weight. I was noticing in Hush, Hush, Sweet Charlotte that by 48, Olivia de Havilland was much heavier than she'd been in Gone With The Wind 15 years earlier but I don't think the effect of the extra pounds detracted from the beauty of her face the way it does with Liz Taylor (for me, anyway). The older Olivia merely looks curvier and her features somewhat softened whereas to me, the extra weight slightly coarsens Liz Taylor's features.

But as you say, nonetheless, Liz was still gorgeous.



"Do you think I'm slipping?" Norman Maine as Fredric March

Re: I agree with both you and noveltylibrary.

not terribly important, especially 5y later, but there are 25, not 15, years between GWTW (1939) and Hush, Hush...(1964?); Olivia was 25 years older in the latter film.

more to the subject: in the scene where Monty and Liz first meet you can see a roll around Liz's waist...and it detracts from her attractiveness not one bit. I think she's gorgeous in S, LS, overdone eye makeup and all

"The things I do for love..." Jaime Lannister

Re: Taylor at height of beauty

Actually, Liz began to thicken around "Raintree County"--grief caused her to lose a lot during "Cat" but by the time of "Suddenly" she was zaftig again. Drink was not a help to her looks. She would be thinner in PARTS of "Cleo" and "The Sandpiper" She's in good shape in "X, Y and Zee" and "Hammersmith" and downright slender in "Ash Wednesday."

She's truly trim in some of her TV movies, like "Poker Alice" and "There Must be a Pony."

By the way, overly curvaceous women were NOT in style. Both Elizabeth and Marilyn were much criticized in their day for physical sloppiness. MM trimmed down in the last year of her life, and there was a lot of publicity about "getting her figure back."

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I've always thought she was most beautiful in "Father of the Bride". But then, I have always loved brides.

Life's a banquet, and most poor suckers are starving to death!

Re: Taylor at height of beauty

She was unbelievably beautiful. Especially the scene you described - when she has her hair done and is wearing that dress.

Re: Taylor at height of beauty

I liked the swimsuit scene. As Liz said "it would scandalize a jaybird."

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Re: Taylor at height of beauty

Not only was she at the height of her beauty, her performance is one of her finest.

I absolutely love this movie and never get tired of it.

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I agree I can watch this over and over and never tire of it. I think Liz was the most beautiful talented actress of all time, truely the female movie star of the twentieth century.

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Re: Taylor at height of beauty

I just recently saw this movie, and I must say...she was stunning in this.
Her face, and eyes.....they were like a painting. Gorgeous. She always has been....and will always be. Classic beauty.

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I have always thought that Taylor was most beautiful in this film, not only because of her natural beauty but because of her excellent performance.

I have always believed that it was deliberate that "Catherine" looked good in her first scene but she was stunning in her following scene when she's had her hair fixed and is wearing a new dress. I know that audiences of the day must have gasped at the transformation. I understand that Tennessee Williams didn't visualize Catherine as so beautiful a woman. I think "Bessie" really stood out playing the kind of character that Catherine was at the core, even though Hollywood may have exploited Taylor's physical beauty in the movie.

This remains one of my favorite Elizabeth Taylor film performances. I haven't seen them all.

John Martin, 46
Fort Worth, Texas, USA

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i can not argue with you
the yr. before in cat on a hot tin roof she looked beautiful, the next yr. when she was in suddenly, last summer she was even more beautiful
i think growing her hair out was a good thing

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I missed her beautiful violet eyes, though. Seeing her in later life, you forget just how fabulous she was, don't you - So who do you reckon - Liz Taylor, Rita Hayworth or Grace Kelly?? One of each, so to speak??

Re: Taylor at height of beauty

Don't forget Gene Tierney in "Leave Her to Heaven"

Re: Taylor at height of beauty

Though beautiful in this movie, I thought her eye make-up was a little heavy. To me she was at her most beautiful in "Cat On a Hot Tin Roof".

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I was only nine years old when I saw this during it's initial release and Taylor got my hormones in a bunch. Amazingly beautiful.

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Taylor was a knockout, head and shoulders over most, if not all, modern actresses/celebrities. In one scene Liz is wearing a high-waisted, knee-length skirt with a long-sleeve blouse buttoned all the way up and she still looks much sexier than your typical floozy in a midriff and booty shorts.

Count each day as a gift; you never know when the wrapping paper's going to run out.

Re: Taylor at height of beauty

I couldn't take my eyes off her - she was stunning, and I thought she did a great job in the movie - she really proved what a good actress she was, I thought, especially since I didn't care for the film itself or K. Hepburn in it....

Liz was pretty in her first scenes, but somehow she looked a little thick - I was shocked when she puts on that black dress which really suited her, and how teeny-tiny her waist was!! Holy smokes, that was unreal how tiny she was!!! Everybody looks great in B&W, but the whole time I watched this, I just kept wishing she was in full color!

"Are you going to your grave with unlived lives in your veins?" ~ The Good Girl

Re: Taylor at height of beauty

Gore Vidal presented this film in Chico, California in the early-1980s, and I remember he commented that Taylor was indeed beautiful, but alas this was at a time when her voice was the most squeeky and irritating. It got a big laugh.

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I totally agree about her voice as Gore Vidal so aptly put it...it also remind me of Hedy LaMarr' voice, only she had a slight accent to boot. Their voices in certain scenes were inadequate to reach that pitch needed...ie...Hedy's scene in "The Strange Woman", when she sort of confesses her evil ways to her husband. Liz reminded me of Hedy Lamarr, who in my eyes was the ultimate beauty of all ages.

Re: Taylor at height of beauty

Totally disagree, she got prettier in her thirties and forties with Burton in movies like The San Piper and Taming Of The Shrew.

http://tinyurl.com/4skn5qe

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Re: Taylor at height of beauty

Nope. She looked 45. I never understand the fixation on her. BUT. She looked best in between 1945 - 1949.

Re: Taylor at height of beauty

What didn't u like about adult Liz's looks skunk? And what did u think of her looks in Cat On A Hot Tin Roof?

Re: Taylor at height of beauty

Ouch. Don't be bitter. Everyone has different taste. Just accept it. I have never been a fan of Taylor. Not even as a child star. She used SEX to advance even when she was just a kid. To be fair a pre - teen. She practically raped your Mister President Reagan for fame and money. Poor Miss Wyman. If I'm not mistaken they did it all the time while Wyman was at home too. When she was 10 she acted 14. 12 acted 16. 13 acted 18. 14 acted 20. By 16 she acted like she was 35. I'm serious. That's why her career progressed. SEX. It's all about sex. Anyway. I prefer The 1930s and 1940s to The 1950s and The 1960s.. Tons of real talents and real beauties back then. There were still decent ones thoughin Taylor's decade and Loren's decade though. There a few 1950s beauties that look way better than Taylor. Kerr. Wood. Parker. Oh my god. Flawless. Wonderful acting too. There are only about just a dozen more from that decade. Ava Gardner was a babe but had lousy acting. Not many if compared to my PREFERED decades. No competion. Taylor. Acting is so - so. Better. Only if compared to the likes of Monroe and Van Doren. That's not saying much. Her looks are so overrated. She only look good with a ton of make - up on. Literally like 391 layers of it to be exact. Her scandalous life was another thing. With the pill - popping and the boozing. Yikes. What a nightmare. Home wrecker too. She look 55 when she was just 30. Hmmmm.

Re: Taylor at height of beauty


Her looks are so overrated. She only look good with a ton of make - up on. Literally like 391 layers of it to be exact.


Congratulations on posting the dumbest thing I've seen in the eleven years I've been coming here.

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Re: Taylor at height of beauty

I completely agree. This is when her face went through a change, her eyes became bigger, the lips smaller and it was just beyond.
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