The Richard Burton Diaries

by Richard Burton

  77 The line is ‘Midnight shakes the memory / As a madman shakes a dead geranium.’

  78 The line from ‘The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock’ is ‘When the evening is spread out against the sky / Like a patient etherised upon a table;’.

  79 Roger Moore (1927—), who had played alongside Burton in The Wild Geese, had previously played the character of Simon Templar in the television series The Saint (1960–69).

  80 The ‘Kup show’ was Irv ‘Kup’ Kupcinet's television talk show, which ran from 1959 to 1986. Richard appeared on 12th September 1980.

  81 Jack Brickhouse (1916–98), broadcaster, and his wife Pat. Forrest Tucker (1919—86), his daughter Brooke. Others present included Tony DeSantis (1914–2007), theatre owner, and his wife Lucille, and Mr and Mrs Bruce Goodman. The party was held at Café Angelo.

  82 F Troop ran for 65 episodes from 1965 to 1967 but was much shown thereafter.

  83 George C. Scott (1927–99), actor.

  84 Robert Atkins (1886–1972), actor.

  85 Robert De Niro (1943—). Al Pacino (1940—) played Richard III on Broadway.

  86 A reference to Sardi's restaurant, New York, frequented by movers and shakers in the theatre world.

  87 Paul Ferris (1929—), Dylan Thomas (1977). Burton had reviewed Constantine Fitzgibbon, (1919–83) The Life of Dylan Thomas (1965) on publication. According to Ferris's biography of Burton (p. 181), Burton scorned the suggestion in Ferris's biography that Thomas had had homosexual experiences as a young man.

  88 Iraq invaded Iran on 22 September 1980. The war lasted until August 1988.

  89 The theme song for the film Alfie (1966), written by Burt Bacharach (1928—) and performed by Cilla Black (1943—), also covered by Dionne Warwick (1940—).

  90 The line ‘the giant agony of the world’ is from John Keats (1795–1821), The Fall of Hyperion: A Dream (1819).

  91 From the Welsh hymn ‘Diolch iddo’, the line translates as ‘Thanks be to him for ever remembering’.

  92 World heavyweight champion Larry Holmes (1949—) stopped Muhammad Ali (formerly known as Cassius Clay) in ten rounds on 2 October 1980.

  93 Thursday was 2 October.

  94 Evelyn Waugh, Black Mischief (1932).

  95 Peter de Vries (1910–93), Consenting Adults; or, The Duchess will be Furious (1980).

  96 Kenneth Clark (1903–83), The Nude: A Study in Ideal Form (1956).

  97 Edith Sitwell (1887–1964), poet and novelist.

  98 D. H. Lawrence (1885–1930), novelist.

  99 WASP: White Anglo-Saxon Protestant.

  100 V. S. Pritchett (1900–97), short story writer, critic.

  101 Igor Stravinsky (1882–1971), composer, conductor, pianist. Christopher Isherwood (1904–86), novelist. edward estlin cummings (1894–1962), poet.

  102 Presumably the Brussels Restaurant, New York.

  103 T. S. Eliot, ‘The Journey of the Magi’, written in 1927 and published in 1930.

  104 Dylan Thomas, ‘Lie Still, Sleep Becalmed’ (1945), includes the following lines: ‘Under the mile off moon we trembled listening / To the sea sound flowing like blood from the loud wound / And when the salt sheet broke in a storm of singing / The voices of all the drowned swam on the wind. // Open a pathway through the slow sad sail, / Throw wide to the wind the gates of the wandering boat / For my voyage to begin to the end of my wound’.

  105 P. H. Burton, by this time living in Florida.

  1983

  1 Pierre Koessler, architect, son of Edouard Koessler.

  2 Sally Hay (1948—), to become Burton's fourth wife.

  3 This refers to the forthcoming trip that Burton and Hay were planning to make to Haiti, to the intended divorce that Burton was seeking from third wife Susan Hunt, and the trip to New York to allow Burton to play in Private Lives with Elizabeth Taylor.

  4 D. Brynner is presumably Yul Brynner's second wife Doris, from whom he had been divorced in 1967.

  5 John and Joan Dearth were about to visit Richard and Sally.

  6 Brother Tom had died in 1980.

  7 Milton Katselas (1933–2008) was the initial director of Private Lives, but would leave the production following disagreements with Taylor in Boston.

  8 John Cullum (1930—) was to play the part of Victor Prynne in the play. He had played with Burton in the 1960 production of Camelot and in the Broadway production of Hamlet.

  9 Mark Getty (1960—), businessman, brother of Aileen.

  10 Burton had read Michael Parkinson, Best – An Intimate Biography on its first publication in 1975.

  11 Ireland beat France 22–16 at Lansdowne Road, Dublin, and Wales beat Scotland 19–15 at Murrayfield.

  12 Profile of a Superstar was a television film about Burton that screened on American television in 1983.

  13 Taylor was making a TV movie, Between Friends.

  14 Pope John Paul II visited Haiti in March 1983.

  15 M. Vandal was dealing with Richard's divorce.

  16 Albert Silvera, owner of El Rancho Hotel where Richard and Sally were staying in Haiti, who was attempting to persuade Burton to purchase his beach house.

  17 Burton's divorce from Susan Hunt.

  18 The President of Haiti was Jean-Claude Duvalier (1951—), also known as ‘Baby Doc’.

  19 The cartoon was a ‘Gren’, (by the cartoonist Grenfell Jones (1934–2007) presumably from the Cardiff evening newspaper the South Wales Echo, dated 23 February 1982, in which a lawyer, sitting in a luxurious penthouse office suite, is explaining to a client, ‘I had nothing to begin with except an unshakeable belief in my ability and the Richard Burton Divorce Contract.’ The explanatory caption below the cartoon reads ‘Yet another Richard Burton divorce is announced.’

  20 PV: Puerto Vallarta.

  21 Nicolas Duvalier, born 31 January 1983.

  22 François Latour (1944–2007), Haitian writer and actor. Leslie Gerson was US non-immigrant visa chief in Haiti. She and Latour subsequently married.

  23 The President's wife was Michele Bennett Pasquet (1950—). Her brother, Frantz Bennett, had been convicted of drug trafficking in Puerto Rico in 1982 and was serving a three-year term of imprisonment.

  24 Latour wrote in an accompanying letter (dated 4 March 1983), ‘It is my pleasure to make it possible for you to have these books; I am so appreciative of the interest you are taking in my country.’

  25 Noel Coward wrote Private Lives in 1933, when he was 34.

  26 On 5 March Wales beat Ireland 23–9 at Cardiff, and Scotland beat England 22–12 at Twickenham.

  27 Burton was to purchase Habitation Courvoisier, l'Etang du Jone, Petionville.

  28 Willi Wichert, manager of the El Rancho Hotel, and his wife Chantal, sister-in-law to Albert Silvera.

  29 Top of the Pops, the BBC TV pop music chart show.

  30 Guy Malary (1943–93), lawyer, assisting with the house purchase, later Minister of Justice (1991–3).

  31 M.U.: make-up.

  32 Burton presumably means maquilleuse, make-up girl.

  33 Madeleine Harrison, to marry David Rowe-Beddoe in 1984. Valerie Douglas. Lisa Rowe-Beddoe, eldest daughter of David Rowe-Beddoe.

  34 Kate Burton played the character of Mag in Winners, the first part of Lovers by Brian Friel (1929—), staged at the Roundabout Theatre, New York.

  35 Maria Burton, who had married Steve Carson in 1982, had given birth to Eliza in 1983.

  36 The Beresford, an apartment building on Central Park West, New York.

  37 Zev Buffman (1930—), producer of Private Lives, who had previously directed Taylor in Little Foxes.

  38 Kathryn Walker (1943—) played the part of Sybil Chase in Private Lives.

  39 ‘Alka’ was Richard's nickname for Nancy Seltzer, publicist, ‘Alka Seltzer’ being an effervescent antiacid compound used for indigestion, headaches and hangovers.

  40 Dashiell Hammett (1894–1961), crime writer. Fran 3 Kafka (1883–1924), novelist. The biography might have been Ronald Hayman, Kafka: A Biography (1982). Ma
rk Twain (1835–1910), writer.

  41 17 March is celebrated by people of Irish descent as St Patrick's Day, Patrick being the patron saint of Ireland.

  42 The Cort Theater, West 48th Street, New York.

  43 The play would start its run at the Shubert Theatre, Boston, on 7 April.

  44 Wales lost to France 9–16 at the Parc des Princes on 19 March 1983. Ireland beat England 25–15 at Lansdowne Road.

  45 Simon and Sheran Hornby.

  46 Tennessee Williams had died on 25 February 1983 in New York.

  47 The Night of the Iguana and Boom!

  48 Christopher Wilding. If Burton is right then that would probably have been during the making of The Night of the Iguana.

  49 Private Lives opened at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre, New York, on 8 May.

  50 Theoni V. Aldredge (1932—) was the costume designer for Private Lives.

  51 Geraldine Fitzgerald (1913–2005), actor.

  52 Jimmy Breslin (1930—), journalist, Hollywood columnist and writer, and friend of Burton.

  53 The Thorn Birds was a TV mini-series that screened over four nights from 27 March 1983.

  54 ‘Pangs of disprised love’ is a line from Hamlet's famous soliloquy in Act III, scene i.

  55 A reference to Michael F. Ritchie (1958—). He and Kate married in 1985.

  56 Katselas had been a Scientologist since 1965.

  57 John Hurt (1940—), actor.

  INDEX

  NOTE: The intitials RB signify Richard Burton; ET signifies Elizabeth Taylor

  Aaron, Hank, (i)

  Aaron, Tommy, (i)

  Abakarov (proposed film), (i)n56

  Abel, Elie: The Missile Crisis, (i)

  Abercorn, Dukes of, (i)

  Aberfan: disaster (1966), (i), (ii)

  Abraham, William (‘Mabon’), (i)

  Absolution (film), (i), (ii), (iii), (iv)

  Academy Award: RB nominated for, (i)

  Acheson, Dean, (i)

  Ackerley, Joe Randolph: My Dog Tulip, (i)

  Advice to a Married Man (filmed as A Guide for the Married Man), (i)

  Agate, James, (i)

  Agnew, Spiro, (i)

  Alain, Pierre, (i)

  Albee, Edward, (i), (ii)

  Alberty, Karl-Otto, (i)n180, (ii), (iii), (iv)

  Alcott, Joe, (i)

  Alderson, Christian (Richard Alderson), (i)

  Aldredge, Theoni, (i), (ii)

  Aldrin, Edwin (‘Buzz’), (i)

  Alex (nurse), (i)

  Alexander, A.V. (later Earl), (i)

  Alexander the Great (film), (i), (ii)

  Alexandre de Paris (Louis Alexandre de Raimon), (i), (ii), (iii), (iv), (v), (vi), (vii), (viii)

  Alfie (film), (i)

  Ali, Muhammad (earlier Cassius Clay), (i), (ii), (iii)

  Alice in Wonderland (stage adaptation), (i)

  Allbritton, Louise, (i)

  Allende, Salvador, (i)

  Allers, Franz, (i)

  Allott, Kenneth, (i)

  Alsop, Stewart: The Center, (i)

  Amalia (cook's wife), (i)

  Amis, (Sir) Kingsley: The Green Man, (i)

  Amundsen, Roald, (i), (ii)

  Anderson, John B., (i)

  Anderson, Lindsay, (i)

  Andre (Bernard Greenford's partner), (i)

  Andress, Ursula, (i)

  Andrews, Harry, (i), (ii)

  Andrews, Julie, (i), (ii), (iii)

  Andri , Ivo: Bridge over the Drina, (i), (ii)

  Ann-Margret (Ann-Margret Olsson), (i), (ii)

  Anne, Princess, (i)

  Anne of the Thousand Days (film): McWhorter discusses with Wallis, (i); RB's relations with Bujold in, (i), (ii); Universal threaten to sue RB over, (i), (ii); RB fitted for costumes, (i), (ii); filming, (i), (ii), (iii), (iv); reception, (i), (ii); wins Oscar nomination, (i); see also Bujold, Geneviève

  Anne-Marie, Queen of Greece, (i)

  Anouilh, Jean: Legend of Lovers, (i); Time Remembered, (i)

  Anzio, Italy, (i), (ii)

  Archer, Jeffrey (later Baron), (i)

  Archerd, Army, (i)

  Arlott, John, (i)

  Armstrong, Neil, (i)

  Armstrong-Jones, Jennifer, (i)

  Ash Wednesday (film), (i)

  Ashcroft, Dame Peggy, (i)

  Ashton, Sir Frederick, (i)

  Assassination of Trotsky, The (film), (i), (ii), (iii), (iv), (v), (vi), (vii), (viii), (ix), (x)

  Assault on a Queen (film), (i)

  Astaire, Fred, (i)

  Athens: RB and ET read poetry at Acropolis, (i)

  Atkins, Robert, (i)

  atom bomb: dropped on Japan, (i)

  Attenborough, Richard (later Baron), (i)

  Attlee, Clement (later 1st Earl), (i)

  Auden, Wystan Hugh, (i), (ii); About the House, (i)

  Audley, Maxine, (i)

  Aurelia, Madame, (i), (ii)

  Avriel, Ehud, (i), (ii)

  Bacall, Lauren (Mrs Humphrey Bogart; ‘Betty’), (i), (ii)

  Bach, Johann Sebastian (housekeeper), (i)n5

  Bacon, Francis, (i)

  Bacon, James, (i)

  Bacon, Lloyd, (i)

  Badel, Alan, (i), (ii)

  Bader, Sir Douglas, (i), (ii)

  Bain, Romany, (i), (ii)

  Baker, Carlos: Ernest Hemingway, (i)

  Baker, George, (i)

  Baker, Sally, (i)

  Baker, Stanley, (i), (ii), (iii), (iv), (v)

  Baker, Terence, (i), (ii)

  Baldwin, James, (i), (ii)

  Balfour, Neil, (i), (ii), (iii)

  Ball, Lucille, (i)

  Banier, François-Marie, (i)

  Bannen, Ian, (i)

  Barber, John, (i)

  Barbizon, Fontainebleau, (i)

  Barbosa, Arthur (‘Edward’), (i), (ii), (iii)

  Bardot, Brigitte, (i)

  Barragán, Carlos, (i)

  Barragán, General Garcia, (i), (ii)

  Barrault, Jean-Louis, (i), (ii)

  Barrett, Richard, (i)

  Barzini, Luigi: The Italians, (i)

  Basi (actor), (i)

  Bates, H. E.: Fair Stood the Wind for France, (i)

  Battle of Sutjeska, The (film), (i), (ii)n82, (iii), (iv), (v), (vi), (vii), (viii)

  Baudelaire, Charles: Fleurs du Mal, (i), (ii), (iii)

  Bea (children's governess), (i)

  Beal, Charles Herbert, (i), (ii)

  Beaton, Sir Cecil, (i), (ii)

  Beatriz of Bolivia (yacht), (i)

  Beatty, Robert, (i)

  Beatty, Warren, (i)n7, (ii), (iii), (iv), (v), (vi), (vii), (viii), (ix), (x)

  Beaumont, Hugh (‘Binkie’), (i), (ii)

  Beauvoir, Simone de, (i)

  Bebb, Dewi Iorwerth Ellis, (i)

  Becker, Gavin de, (i), (ii), (iii), (iv)

  Becket (film), (i), (ii), (iii), (iv), (v); documentary on, (i)

  Behrens, Ulrich, (i)

  Bell, Jeannie, (i), (ii), (iii)

  Bell, Troy, (i), (ii)

  Benin see Dahomey

  Bennett, Billy, (i)

  Benny, Jack, (i)

  Benthall, Michael, (i)

  Benton, Jim: makes martinis, (i); gives birthday present to RB, (i); flies to London with RB, (i); gives money to James Baldwin, (i); RB abuses, (i); entertains Geneviève Bujold, (i); and RB's purchasing ring for ET, (i); attends post-Oscar ‘Thanksgiving’ dinner, (i); looks at house in Palm Springs, (i); on Look article about ET's sickness, (i); in Mexico, (i); lacks charm, (i); watches X, Y and Zee, (i); hepatitis, (i)

  Bergman, Ingrid, (i)

  Beria, Lavrentiy, (i)

  Berkeley, Craig, (i), (ii)

  Berkeley, Leah, (i)

  Berkeley, Ron: makes up RB, (i), (ii), (iii), (iv), (v); relations with Vicky, (i), (ii); at Hanley's for birthday lunch, (i); eats and drinks with RB, (i), (ii), (iii), (iv); RB borrows apartment, (i); and RB's drinking, (i), (ii); bets RB unable to write book, (i); in Sardinia, (i); gives birthday present to RB, (i
), (ii); and Francis Taylor's funeral, (i); helps young Mike Wilding, (i); at ‘Talk of the Town’ with RB, (i); in San Felipe with RB, (i); RB rebukes for disorganization, (i); in Yugoslavia, (i), (ii); RB's fondness for, (i); in helicopter drama, (i); on Tito's shootings, (i); on Romy Schneider, (i); on Bardot, (i); and assassination scene in Trotsky, (i); drinking, (i); at ET's 40th birthday, (i); legacy from RB, (i)

  Berkeley, Vicky, (i)

  Berle, Milton, (i)

  Berle, Ruth, (i)

  Berliner Ensemble, (i)

  Bernstein, Leonard, (i), (ii)

  Bertrand (ET's chauffeur), (i)

  Besançon, André (‘Bobo’), (i), (ii); suicide and funeral, (i), (ii)

  Best, George, (i), (ii)

  Best, Miss M. E., (i)

  Betti, Ugo: The Queen and the Rebels (play), (i)

  Beverly Hills Hotel, (i), (ii), (iii)

  Beynon, J., (i), (ii)

  Bible: In the Beginning, The (film), (i)

  Binet, Jean-Paul, (i)

  Bismarck, Otto Christian Archibald, Prince von and Anne-Marie, Princess, (i)

  Bisset, Jacqueline, (i)

  Bitter Victory (film), (i), (ii)

  Black, Daniel, (i)

  Blackmore, Ruth, (i)

  Blake, Robert: Disraeli, (i)

  Blake, William, (i)

  Blanc, Suzanne: The Rose Window, (i)

  Blandford, James Spencer-Churchill, Marquess of, (i)

  Blomberg, Field Marshal Werner von, (i)n152

  Bloom, Claire: relations with RB, (i), (ii), (iii)n21, (iv); RB meets in London, (i); RB works with, (i); appearance, (i)

  Bluebeard (film), (i), (ii), (iii), (iv), (v), (vi)

  Bobo, The (film), (i)

  Bogarde, Dirk, (i)

  Bogart, Humphrey, (i), (ii), (iii)

  Bohan, Marc, (i)

  Bolkan, Florinda, (i)

  Bond, Gary, (i)

  Bonifacio, Corsica, (i)

  Boom! (film): making, (i), (ii), (iii), (iv), (v); released, (i); shown and discussed, (i); fails at box office, (i)

  Boothby, Robert, Baron, (i)

  Bouton, Jim: Ball Four, (i)

  Bowditch (fellow pupil), (i)

  Bowen, Elwyn, (i)

  Bowen, Rees, (i)

  Boys in the Band, The (film), (i)

  Bozzacchi, Claudye (née Ettori): RB lunches with, (i); woken by Maria, (i); marriage to Gianni, (i), (ii); and Robin Marlowe's request for contraceptive, (i); in Paris, (i); gives birthday presents to RB, (i), (ii); RB talks with, (i), (ii); in Yugoslavia, (i), (ii), (iii), (iv); on heavy rain, (i); bores RB, (i); in Ariel, (i); on Joey Heatherton, (i)