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Richard Burton is a Actor, Director and Producer British born on 10 november 1925 at Wales (United-kingdom)

Richard Burton

Richard Burton
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Birth name Richard Walter Jenkins
Nationality United-kingdom
Birth 10 november 1925 at Wales (United-kingdom)
Death 5 august 1984 (at 58 years) at Geneva (Suisse)
Awards Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire

Richard Burton, CBE (/ˈbɜrtən/; 10 November 1925 – 5 August 1984) was a Welsh stage and cinema actor noted for his mellifluous baritone voice and his acting talent.

Establishing himself as a formidable Shakespearean actor in the 1950s, with a memorable performance of Hamlet in 1964, Burton was called "the natural successor to Olivier" by critic and dramaturg Kenneth Tynan. An alcoholic, Burton's failure to live up to those expectations disappointed critics and colleagues and fueled his legend as a great thespian wastrel.

Burton was nominated seven times for an Academy Award without ever winning. He was a recipient of BAFTA, Golden Globe and Tony Awards for Best Actor. In the mid-1960s Burton ascended into the ranks of the top box office stars, and by the late 1960s was one of the highest-paid actors in the world, receiving fees of $1 million or more plus a share of the gross receipts.

Burton remains closely associated in the public consciousness with his second wife, actress Elizabeth Taylor. The couple's turbulent relationship was rarely out of the news.

Biography

Douzième des treize enfants de Richard Walter Jenkins (1876-1957) et d'Edith Thomas (1883-1927), il grandit dans une communauté de mineurs de confession presbytérienne, où le gallois est la langue d'usage. La mère de Richard Burton meurt d'une fièvre puerpérale en donnant le jour à Graham (1927-2015). Sa sœur aînée, Cecilia, prend soin de lui et l'élève avec son mari, Elfed James. Toute sa vie, Richard Burton restera très proche de son deuxième frère aîné, Ifor Jenkins (1906-1972), dont la mort le laissera désemparé et le précipitera dans l'alcoolisme.

Très bon élève, Richard se passionne pour la poésie et l'écriture. Mais, à l'âge de seize ans, il est forcé d'arrêter l'école et de trouver un travail. Son ancien professeur, Philip Burton (1904-1995), qui reconnaît son talent et l'encourage à perdre son accent gallois, l'adopte légalement et lui permet de retourner étudier. Richard prend alors le nom de son père adoptif – d'abord comme nom d'usage, puis en changeant légalement son état-civil –, devenant Richard Burton. En 1943, il est autorisé à entrer pour six mois au Collège d'Exeter, au sein de la prestigieuse Université d'Oxford, parce qu'il appartient à la Royal Air Force.

Son rôle en 1952 dans Ma cousine Rachel, de Henry Koster, lui vaut une nomination aux Oscars et la célébrité. En 1954, il débute à la radio en tant que narrateur de Under Milk Wood, de Dylan Thomas (1914-1953), son poète favori et son ami. Il reprendra ce rôle au cinéma vingt ans plus tard. Au cours du tournage de Cléopâtre, où il joue Marc-Antoine, Richard rencontre Elizabeth Taylor, avec laquelle il commence une liaison orageuse et médiatisée. Ils se marient et jouent ensemble dans d'autres films, dont La Mégère apprivoisée de Franco Zeffirelli, Qui a peur de Virginia Woolf ? de Mike Nichols. Ils divorcent, se remarient pour divorcer encore.

Alignant un certain nombre d'échecs dans les années 1970, Richard Burton effectue un des plus incroyables retours au sommet du box-office international avec le triomphe du film Les Oies sauvages. Ce succès vaut à son producteur Euan Lloyd d'être très vite sollicité pour mettre en chantier une suite, mais il préférera se lancer dans l'aventure du Le Commando de sa Majesté (The Sea Wolves) toujours avec Richard et encore Roger Moore, car ils s'étaient entendus à merveille sur le tournage des Oies sauvages (la présence de Roger Moore dans l'avant-dernière scène du film est une idée de Richard), mais il se retirera finalement du projet à la demande de son épouse de l'époque (il sera remplacé par Gregory Peck).

En avril 1982, après avoir été opéré à Santa Monica du dos, dont il souffrait depuis de nombreuses années, il donne au National Enquirer une interview où il déclare : « Je suis fatigué, je souffre souvent. Je peux difficilement soulever un verre. Je dois le tenir à deux mains, et mes mains tremblent. Je peux enlever seul mon manteau mais non le remettre. Je suis partiellement aveugle de l'œil droit. Mes bras et mes jambes sont considérablement amaigris. En fait, j'ai perdu du poids partout et, parfois je me dis que je pourrais mourir demain. J'ai 56 ans et je n'ai pas peur de la mort. Elle serait même plutôt bienvenue. Je me donne tout au plus cinq ans à vivre si j'ai beaucoup de chance. »

Le 5 août 1984, alors qu'il doit s'envoler le lendemain vers Berlin pour le tournage du film Les Oies sauvages 2, Richard Burton meurt subitement d'une hémorragie cérébrale à Céligny (canton de Genève), où ont lieu ses funérailles. Il est enterré dans le vieux cimetière de Céligny, à côté de l'écrivain écossais Alistair MacLean.

Le tournage de 1984 s'est déroulé à Londres d'avril à juillet 1984, quelques jours avant sa mort.

Best films

Cleopatra (1963)
(Actor)
The Longest Day (1962)
(Actor)
The Robe (1953)
(Actor)
Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966)
(Actor)
Where Eagles Dare (1968)
(Actor)
The V.I.P.s (1963)
(Actor)

Usually with

Source : Wikidata

Filmography of Richard Burton (74 films)

Display filmography as list

Actor

Wild Geese II, 2h5
Directed by Peter Hunt
Origin United-kingdom
Genres Drama, Thriller, Action
Actors Scott Glenn, Barbara Carrera, Edward Fox, Laurence Olivier, Robert Webber, Kenneth Haigh
Roles Allen Faulkner (archive footage)
Rating48% 2.407622.407622.407622.407622.40762
London 1982 As the only surviving Nazi leader in captivity, Rudolf Hess (Laurence Olivier) has secrets that could destroy the careers of prominent political figures, secrets an international news network will pay any price to get.
Nineteen Eighty-Four, 1h53
Directed by Michael Radford
Origin United-kingdom
Genres Drama, Science fiction, War, Thriller, Social science fiction, Romance
Themes Politique, Post-apocalyptic films, Films about the labor movement, Films based on science fiction novels, Films set in the future, Political films, Dystopian films
Actors John Hurt, Richard Burton, Suzanna Hamilton, Cyril Cusack, Gregor Fisher, John Boswall
Roles O'Brien
Rating70% 3.54753.54753.54753.54753.5475
In a dystopian 1984, Winston Smith endures a squalid existence in the totalitarian superstate of Oceania under the constant surveillance of the Thought Police. The story takes place in London, the capital city of the territory of Airstrip One (formerly "either England or Britain").
To the Ends of the Earth, 1h36
Directed by William Kronick
Genres Documentary
Actors Richard Burton
Roles Narrator
Rating72% 3.649453.649453.649453.649453.64945
Circle of Two, 1h46
Directed by Jules Dassin
Genres Drama, Romance
Actors Richard Burton, Tatum O'Neal, Kate Reid, Michael Wincott, Ryan O'Neal, Lee Majors
Roles Ashley St. Clair
Rating57% 2.8520252.8520252.8520252.8520252.852025
L'impossible amour entre une adolescente de 16 ans qui tombe amoureuse d'un peintre de 60 ans et lui redonne l'envie de vivre et de peindre...
Breakthrough, 1h52
Directed by Andrew V. McLaglen
Origin German
Genres Drama, War, Historical
Themes Political films
Actors Richard Burton, Rod Steiger, Michael Parks, Helmut Griem, Curd Jürgens, Klaus Löwitsch
Roles Sergeant Steiner
Rating50% 2.5114052.5114052.5114052.5114052.511405
Starting in late May 1944, during the German retreat on the Eastern Front, Captain Stransky (Helmut Griem) orders Sergeant Steiner (Richard Burton) to blow up a railway tunnel to prevent Russian forces from using it. Steiner's platoon fails in its mission by coming up against a Russian tank. Steiner then takes a furlough to Paris just as the Allies launch their invasion of Normandy.
The Wild Geese, 2h10
Directed by Andrew V. McLaglen, John Glen
Origin United-kingdom
Genres War, Thriller, Action, Adventure
Themes Films set in Africa, Monde imaginaire, Films about racism
Actors Richard Burton, Roger Moore, Richard Harris, Hardy Krüger, Stewart Granger, Frank Finlay
Roles Col. Allen Faulkner
Rating67% 3.3995153.3995153.3995153.3995153.399515
Allen Faulkner (Richard Burton), a British mercenary and former army colonel, arrives in London to meet the rich and ruthless merchant banker Sir Edward Matherson (Stewart Granger). The latter proposes a risky operation to rescue Julius Limbani (Winston Ntshona), the imprisoned leader of a central African nation who is due to be executed by General Ndofa, the man who deposed him. Limbani is currently being held in a remote prison in Zembala, guarded by a unit of Ndofa's personal troops known as the "Simbas".
The Medusa Touch, 1h45
Directed by Jack Gold
Origin United-kingdom
Genres Drama, Science fiction, Thriller, Fantastic, Horror
Themes Films about writers
Actors Richard Burton, Lino Ventura, Lee Remick, Harry Andrews, Marie-Christine Barrault, Alan Badel
Roles John Morlar
Rating68% 3.447963.447963.447963.447963.44796
Monsieur Brunel, a French detective on an exchange scheme in London, is assigned to investigate the murder of novelist John Morlar. As they examine the crime scene, Brunel discovers the victim is still alive in spite of his severe injuries and has him rushed to hospital.
Absolution
Absolution (1978)
, 1h35
Directed by Anthony Page
Origin United-kingdom
Genres Drama, Thriller
Themes Films about education, Films about religion
Actors Richard Burton, Dominic Guard, David Bradley, Dai Bradley, Billy Connolly, Robert Addie
Roles Father Goddard
Rating64% 3.24653.24653.24653.24653.2465
The film centres on Benjamin Stanfield and his unpopular, bespectacled friend, Arthur Dyson, who wears a leg brace; their form master, Father Goddard, and a travelling motorcyclist named Blakey. The opening scenes feature Connolly’s character, Blakey, arriving at the school on his motorbike. He asks Father Goddard (Burton) whether there are any odd jobs he can do but Goddard tells him that there are none available and that he should try in the town.
Exorcist II: The Heretic, 1h58
Directed by John Boorman, Rospo Pallenberg
Origin USA
Genres Drama, Thriller, Fantastic, Fantasy, Horror
Themes Films about children, Films about religion, Demons in film
Actors Linda Blair, Max von Sydow, Richard Burton, Louise Fletcher, James Earl Jones, Kitty Winn
Roles Father Philip Lamont
Rating38% 1.9092251.9092251.9092251.9092251.909225
Philip Lamont, a priest struggling with his faith, attempts to exorcise a possessed South American girl who claims to "heal the sick". However, the exorcism goes wrong and a lit candle sets fire to the girl's dress, killing her. Afterwards, Lamont is assigned by the Cardinal to investigate the death of Father Lankester Merrin, who had been killed four years prior in the course of exorcising the Assyrian demon Pazuzu from Regan MacNeil. The Cardinal informs Lamont (who has had some experience at exorcism, and has been exposed to Merrin's teachings) that Merrin is up on posthumous heresy charges due to his controversial writings. Apparently, Church authorities are trying to modernize and do not want to acknowledge that Satan as an actual evil entity exists.
Equus
Equus (1977)
, 2h17
Directed by Sidney Lumet
Origin USA
Genres Drama, Thriller
Themes Films about animals, Medical-themed films, Théâtre, Films about horses, Films about psychiatry, Films based on plays, Mise en scène d'un mammifère
Actors Richard Burton, Peter Firth, Jenny Agutter, Joan Plowright, Colin Blakely, Harry Andrews
Roles Martin Dysart
Rating70% 3.54823.54823.54823.54823.5482
Psychiatrist Martin Dysart investigates the savage blinding of six horses with a metal spike in a stable in Hampshire, England. The atrocity was committed by an unassuming 17-year-old stable boy named Alan Strang, the only son of opinionated but inwardly-timid Frank Strang and his genteel, religious wife, Dora. As Dysart exposes the truths behind the boy's demons, he finds himself face-to-face with his own.