The woman best known as Richard Burton‘s ex wife, who he famously left to marry Elizabeth Taylor, has died. Theater producer and nightclub founder Sybil Christopher was 83 when she died, reports Associated Press. It wasn’t until her husband had an affair and left her for the “Golden Age” actress that she found success in her career in 1963.

The New York Times has reported that she died Thursday in New York City.

The Bay Street Theater on Long Island, which Welsh-born Christopher founded in 1991, has posted an obituary for its late artistic director on its website.

Read more at MStars

The story begins in 1962, when the movie Cleopatra was being filmed in Rome. Pasquale Tursi, an innkeeper in the small town of Porto Vergogna, meets Dee Moray, an actress who had fallen ill during the filming of Cleopatra and was sent to the coast to recover.

The story begins again, today, across the pond in America, when the elderly Pasquale shows up searching for Dee Moray.

The author, Jess Walters, intertwines many stories and lives into this book and does so wonderfully.

I really enjoyed this book. It really held my attention. It was not at all confusing in the way it had many stories intertwined.

Beautiful Ruins has romance, mystery and drama-an overall great read.

5 stars for this book.

Go check out this New York Times national bestseller, you won’t regret it!

“The problem with people who have no vices is that generally you can be pretty sure they’re going to have some pretty annoying virtues.” – Elizabeth Taylor

Hver fredag vil jeg lave et portræt af en berømthed. Det kan være en, jeg beundrer eller beundrer knap så meget. Det kan være en, der har gjort sig bemærket i løbet af ugen, eller bare en, jeg synes fortjener lidt opmærksomhed.

Det første portræt bliver af den amerikanske skuespillerinde, Lindsay Lohan:

Lindsay Lohan blev født i New York City d. 2. juli 1986, og voksede op i Cold Spring Harbor, Long Island.
Hun er Dinah og Michael Lohans ældste barn. Udover Lindsay har de også tre andre børn, der alle har haft foden indenfor film – eller modelbranchen.

Allerede som 3-årig begyndte Lohan at arbejde som model for både Calvin Klein og Abercrombie & Fitch, samtidgt med, at hun medvirkede i over 60 reklamefilm for bl.a Pizza Hut og Wendy’s.

I 1998 fik hun sit første gennembrud indenfor film, da hun medvirkede i genindspilningen af Disney’s The Parent Trap (på dansk, Forældrefælden). HUn spillede dobbeltrollen som de fraseparerede tvillinger, der forsøger at genforene deres fraskilte forældre. Lohan fik meget ros for rollen, og vandt Young Artist Award for sin optræden, samt en kontrakt på tre Disney film.

Herefter stormede det unge talent frem i film som Freaky Friday med Jamie Lee Curtis og Mean Girls med Tina Fey. Især Mean Girls cementerede Lohan som den nye dronning indenfor teenagefilm.

Efter at have sunget på Freaky Friday soundtracket, underskrev Lohan en pladekontrakt med Casablanca Records, der er ejet af Tommy Mottola. I 2004 udgav hun sit debutfilm, der fik moderat succes i USA.

I 2005 vendte hun tilbage på filmlærredet med filmen Herbie: Fully Loaded. Anmeldelserne var blandede, men Lindsay fik ros for sin rolle, hvor hun bl.a blev beskrevet som en ægte stjerne, der føler sig fuldstændig hjemme på lærredet. Filmen blev en stor kommerciel succes.

I 2006 begyndte Lindsay at tage roller i knap så kommercielle indie-film, bl.a Chapter 27 om mordet på John Lennon, og derudover fik hun også ros for sin rolle i Emilio Estevez’ film, Bobby.

Men efter flere stormfulde kærlighedsforhold, hendes forældres skilsmisse og et presset arbejdsskema begyndte det langsomt at gå ned ad bakke for Lohan. Hun blev indlagt med dehydrering. Men rygter gik på, at Lohan havde travlt med at feste, og dette blev også lagt til grund for, at hun konstant kom for sent til optagelser, hvis hun da overhovedet mødte op. Hun blev bl.a kaldt for uprofessionel og uansvarlig.

I 2006 begyndte Lohan også at gå til møder i Anonyme Alkoholikere, og i januar 2007 tjekkede hun ind på et rehab center. I maj 2007 mistede hun kontrollen over sin bil, og kørte ind i en kansten, hvorefter hun senere blev anholdt for spirituskørsel. Herfter tog hun på 45 dages rehab, og da hun tjekkede ud før tid, fik hun efter eget initiativ et såkaldt SCRAM armbånd, der kontrollerer, at hun holder sig ædru. Da Lohan i juli 2007 nægtede at tage en ædruelighedstest, blev hun taget med på politistationen, hvor en blodprøve viste, at hun havde for meget alkohol i blodet, samtidigt med, at hun havde kokain på sig.
Hun tjekkede sig ind til afvænning for tredje gang, hvor hun denne gang blev der i 3 måneder.

I august 2007 blev hun kendt skyldig i kokainbesiddelse og spirituskørsel og blev dømt til 10 dages samfundstjeneste. I november 2007 nøjedes hun med fængsel i 84 minutter, da fængslet var overfyldt.

I 2008 og 2009 datede Lohan den britiske DJ Samantha Ronson, uden dog at springe ud som lesbisk, men “måske” biseksuel.

Efter mindre succesfulde filmroller i bl.a Liz & Dick om Elizabeth Taylor og Richard Burtons stormfulde kærlighedsforhold , diverse tv-optrædener og endnu flere problemer med loven, siges det nu, at alle Lindsay Lohans penge er væk, og at hun er flyttet fra det glamourøse liv i Hollywood og hjem til sit barneværelse hos forældrene i Long Island.

Det der skulle være blevet en massiv filmkarriere er ved at smuldre helt væk, og sprøgsmålet er om Lohan har opbrugt alle sine chancer. Det er trist, og selvom nogle mener, det er hendes egen skyld, bør man ikke sparke på en, der ligger ned. Hun skulle bare have haft den rigtige støtte fra starten i stedet for en flok voksne, der malkede hendes succes.

There are books that you read, and there are books that change your life. The list compiled below is an indication of some that every man must read. From an infinite list of books, these 10 are ones that have defined generations and inspired countless authors.

So Gentlemen, here is the list:

1. The Count Of Monte Cristo – Alexandre Dumas

The epic adventure of Edmond Dantès and how he spent 14 years in a dungeon for a crime he didn’t commit will keep you hooked to the point where your friends and family will be concerned for your well-being. This story takes you through the journey of Edmond Dante the boy growing up to become The Count Of Monte Cristo.

2. The Screwtape Letters – C. S. Lewis

The Screwtape Letters is an utterly original book by C. S. Lewis, writer of the Chronicles of Narnia. This book is told from only one perspective, that of the demon Screwtape who writes letters to his novice nephew Wormwood instructing him on how to tempt and corrupt a human soul. This short book (just over 200 pages) is not like any other you will read.

3. The Picture of Dorian Grey – Oscar Wilde

A great book about the dangers of holding on to vanity and pride, The Picture of Dorian Grey is a remarkable book filled with moments of great self-reflection, we see Dorian Greygo on a sensual quest and the outcome of that is the final twist in the book.

4. The Sun Also Rises – Ernest Hemingway

One of his most autobiographical books, Ernest Hemingway tells the story of the lost generation after World War I. It follows a group of friends through the night life of Paris and the bull fighting rings of Spain. One if his masterpiece works, the Sun Also Rises is a great read for everyone who wants to experience living a life of unfulfilled dreams and unrealized love.

5. Siddhartha – Herman Hesse

A spiritual book bases loosely on the life of Buddha (check 10 Life Changing Quotes by Buddha here) , Siddhartha tells the story of a Brahmins journey in search of ultimate reality. This beautifully simple book has touched millions with its integration of Eastern and Western mythology and philosophy. Along with Damien, this book is a must read for any Herman Hesse fan.

6. The Arabian Nights – Tales From 1001 Nights – Richard Burton

The Arabian Nights is considered to be one of the greatest classic and historical texts of all time. According to Wikipedia, The work was collected over many centuries by various authors, translators, and scholars across West, Central, South Asia and North Africa. The tales themselves trace their roots back to ancient and medieval Arabic, Persian, Indian, Egyptian and Mesopotamian folklore and literature. This classic piece of literature includes some of the most well-known stories such as Ali Baba and The Forty Theives, Alladin, and Sinbad the Sailor.

7. Meditations – Marcus Aurelius

Meditations, written by Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius for himself as a source of his own guidance and self-improvement. They illustrate how the emperor struggled to understand himself and the universe but offered a stoic philosophy as the solution to his internal struggles. A great insight into the mind of such a powerful man.

8. The Alchemist – Paulo Coelho

The story of Santiago, the young shepherds journey from Spain to the Egyptian desert in search of The Alchemist highlights the notion of everyone’s personal legend. Your Personal Legend “is what you have always wanted to accomplish. Everyone, when they are young, knows what their Personal Legend is”. After over 30 Million copies sold, The Alchemist has become one of the best-selling books in history.

9. The Lord Of The Rings – J.R.R Tolkein

Calling Tolkeins Trilogy and epic masterpiece would be an understatement. At over 150 million copies sold worldwide, the story of Frodo Baggins and his companions journey into the shadows of the dark lord to save the world is filled with adventure and courage. The Lord of The Rings is an extraordinary work and if you haven’t seen the movies yet, make sure you read the book first.

10. The 4-Hour Workweek – Timothy Ferriss

With the slogan of Escape 9-5, Live Anywhere, and Join the New Rich, The 4-Hour Workweek tells us to forget about the old-fashioned notion of the retirement plan and deferred living. There is no need to wait and in unstable economic times, we have to change the way we work and live. Whether your dream is escaping the rat race, experiencing high-end world travel, earning a monthly five-figure income with zero management, or just living more and working less, The 4-Hour Workweek is the blueprint.

Optimistic folks get sicker and die younger….jeez. Somebody, anybody, teach me how to be grumpier because I’m one of the happiest, most optimistic guys on the planet. When I do get sick I will face my problems with a smile on my face…guarantee.

Sometimes I do think about things I SHOULD HAVE DONE in my past.  Simple things. Things that would have made a difference in my quality of life.                                                                Like, back in ’79, I should have bought some shares of Berkshire Hathaway the day it was offered. It seemed expensive at $175 each.  Maybe I should have just bought 10 shares.  My total investment would have been $1750..  I notice today the stock was going for $155,210.00 each. My total value of my 10 shares would now be One Million Five Hundred Fifty Thousand bucks…damn.

But if I’m looking back in time, I should go back another decade, that great year of 1969.  I could have beat Richard Burton to that pear-shaped pearl that went for $37,000.00.  Instead of building my new house that year, I should have bought the pear.  It was a pretty cool pearl, though expensive.  It had been found in the early 1500’s off the coast of Panama and it became part of the crown jewels of Spain. Prince Phillip II gave it as a wedding gift to his wife, Mary Tudor of England. Richard Burton beat me to it in 1969.  He gave it to Liz and she had it mounted on a necklace of pearls and rubies.  That little investment of $37 thousand just sold for $11 Million…damn.

But back to the optimistic vs. pessimistic attitudes as we age. One of the best answers to a question about aging has been floating around on the internet for a few months.  My good buddy, George, sent it to me today and it was an immediate bond with my own attitude about aging.  Let me pass it on to you:

A senior citizen was asked what it was like to be old. Here was his answer.

 As I’ve aged, I’ve become kinder to, and less critical of myself. I’ve become my own friend. I have seen too many dear friends leave this world, too soon; before they understood the great freedom that comes with aging. Whose business is it, if I choose to read, or play on the computer, until 4 AM, or sleep until noon? I will dance with myself to those wonderful tunes of the 50s, 60s & 70s, and if I, at the same time, wish to weep over a lost love, I will. I will walk the beach, in a swim suit that is stretched over a bulging body, and will dive into the waves, with abandon, if I choose to, despite the pitying glances from the jet set. They, too, will get old. I know I am sometimes forgetful. But there again, some of life is just as well forgotten. And, eventually, I remember the important things. Sure, over the years, my heart has been broken. How can your heart not break, when you lose a loved one, or when a child suffers, or even when somebody’s beloved pet gets hit by a car? But broken hearts are what give us strength, and understanding, and compassion. A heart never broken, is pristine, and sterile, and will never know the joy of being imperfect. I am so blessed to have lived long enough to have my hair turning gray, and to have my youthful laughs be forever etched into deep grooves on my face. So many have never laughed, and so many have died before their hair could turn silver. As you get older, it is easier to be positive. You care less about what other people think. I don’t question myself anymore.  I’ve even earned the right to be wrong.  So, to answer your question, I like being old. It has set me free. I like the person I have become. I am not going to live forever, but while I am still here, I will not waste time lamenting what could have been, or worrying about what will be. And I shall eat dessert every single day (if I feel like it).

Lindsay Lohan stars as Elizabeth Taylor in Liz and Dick, which I saw on my flight to Shanghai. Lohan and co-star Grant Bowler do a good enough job playing Taylor and Burton, two stars known for living large and drinking heavily. It’s not an insightful drama, but rather an alright look at two people who’d drive me crazy if I really knew them but were fine to follow in a 90 minute film.

Entertaining enough on a flight if you don’t want to run down your laptop battery.

Lindsay Lohan stars as Elizabeth Taylor in Liz and Dick, which I saw on my flight to Shanghai. Lohan and co-star Grant Bowler do a good enough job playing Taylor and Burton, two stars known for living large and drinking heavily. It’s not an insightful drama, but rather an alright look at two people who’d drive me crazy if I really knew them but were fine to follow in a 90 minute film.

Entertaining enough on a flight if you don’t want to run down your laptop battery.

Smithfield is one of the oldest market squares in Dublin City Centre. Situated on the north side of the Liffey it even featured in the film The Spy who came in from the Cold, starring Richard Burton, as the home of Checkpoint Charlie.

Sadly the once vibrant town square lost most of it’s charm during the Celtic Tiger restorations.

For centuries it was the home of the loud and somewhat smelly Dublin Horse Fair. On the first Sunday of every month traveller families would migrate to the big open space and buy and sell horses. Often this would lead to loud arguments and shouting but overall it was a colourful day filled with neighing and neighbours, horses and hay.

However the City Council always saw it a little bit differently and when they “rejuvenated” Smithfield into a place where lawyers, bankers and other successful Celtic Tigers lived, they tried to move the old horse market, the last surviving open trading in the square. Luckily for them in 2011 a feud between two traveller families resulted in shots being fired, leaving three people wounded and finally giving the Dublin City Council enough reason to close the fair down on the 6th March.

Since then the Horse Market in Smithfield has been a topic of debate. Of course no one condones shootings, however with traditions being eroded from Dublin life it seemed important to try and save some of what is left. So yesterday for the first time in nearly two years the Horse Market in Smithfield reopened.

And although the Arts Council advertised the event, the national news even featured it as a main story, the whole day was very lacklustre. The promised exhibition was a library-bus showing a few slides and displaying six black and white print-outs, the live-music was kept separate and the policing was very severe. Dublin City Council had managed to convert a lively, bustling family day-out into a clinical event with no charm, atmosphere and very few horses.

It’s a pity, but the reopened Smithfield Horse Fair is a little like the square itself: the facelift changing it’s image too much, the restrictions choking out its life and the atmosphere evaporating like the residents 4X4s exhausts.

For centuries it was the home of the loud and somewhat smelly Dublin Horse Fair. On the first Sunday of every month traveller families would migrate to the big open space and buy and sell horses. Often this would lead to loud arguments and shouting but overall it was a colourful day filled with neighing and neighbours, horses and hay.

However the City Council always saw it a little bit differently and when they “rejuvenated” Smithfield into a place where lawyers, bankers and other successful Celtic Tigers lived, they tried to move the old horse market, the last surviving open trading in the square. Luckily for them in 2011 a feud between two traveller families resulted in shoots being fired, leaving three people wounded and finally giving the Dublin City Council enough reason to close the fair down on the 6th March.

Since then the Horse Market in Smithfield has been a topic of debate. Of course no one condones shootings, however with traditions being eroded from Dublin life it seemed important to try and save some of what is left. So yesterday for the first time in nearly two years the Horse Market in Smithfield reopened.

And although the Arts Council advertised the event, the national news even featured it as a main story, the whole day was very lackluster. The promised exhibition was a library-bus showing a few slides and displaying six black and white print-outs, the live-music was kept separate and the policing was very severe. Dublin City Council had managed to convert a lively, bustling family day-out into a clinical event with no charm, atmosphere and very few horses.

It’s a pity, but the reopened Smithfield Horse Fair is a little like the square itself: the facelift changing it’s image too much, the restrictions choking out its life and the atmosphere evaporating like the residents 4X4s exhausts.

One of the few brightly printed carts

A horse for sale

A tassel on a wedding carriage

some tack for sale

beautified for a good sale

Robin Hood, founding father of noble outlaws across the multiverse, has no secret origin. He doesn’t even have a Year One. William Langland knew some “rymes of Robyn hood” when he wrote Piers Plowman in the late 1300s, but no one can sing those originals now. The original Boy Wonder enters The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood as “a youth of eighteen, stout of sinew and bold of heart.”

Howard Pyle’s 1883 readers didn’t need any born-that-way mutations or radioactive arrow bites to explain the kid’s archery skill or endless law-eluding superpowers. No murdered parents, no exploding planet, just a tussle with the some unsavory knights and his life of vigilante justice is up, up and away.

Robin Hood, if he existed, was born in the 1100s or so. Scholarly guesswork includes 1110, 1160, and 1210. Personally, I’d go with 1171. No later than September, though possibly as early as December 1170.  If you really want to be dramatic, then December 29^th.  And not for the Christmas themed, Robin-is-our-savior angle.

The 29^th is the day a lynching posse of four vigilante knights strolled into Canterbury Cathedral and murdered Archbishop Thomas Becket at the altar. Or at least there’s an altar now to memorialize the spot. I found T. S. Eliot’s Murder in the Cathedral criminally dull when I read it as an undergraduate—except when the knights step through the fourth wall and give a literally prosaic defense of their actions. A make-believe vigilante like Robin Hood would never have done anything so dastardly. Plus the outlaws were serving their King, so not really the break-the-law-to-serve-the-law shtick either.

Becket was sainted as a martyr afterwards. Richard Burton played him in the film version, winner of the 1964 Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay. Peter O’Toole was Henry II. They start out a dynamic duo, the carefree King deflowering local daughters of the peasantry with his trusty man servant as look out. The grinning girl in the window assures us it was just a wholesome romp.

Things don’t go awry till Henry makes Thomas Archbishop. He’s hoping to get those pesky clergy under control, no idea Thomas is going to take all that religious nonsense seriously. Like when a priest rapes a nobleman’s little girl. Becket is supposed to hand the pedophile over, not shield him under church law. And he’s certainly not supposed to excommunicate the father when another lynching posse exacts vigilante justice on the priest.

The screenwriters cut some corners, but that’s the gist. The historical Becket wouldn’t turn clergymen over to law enforcement. Priests accused of rape are handled in-house. Since Becket is the noble hero of the tale, the film swerves past the crime scene as speedily as possible. Eliot doesn’t even mention it. But church officials protecting pedophile priests are common headlines these days:

“Cardinal’s Aide Is Found Guilty in Abuse Case” (New York Times, June 22, 2012)

“US Bishop Convicted of Covering up Clerical Sex Abuse Pressured to Resign”(The Guardian, 8 September 2012)

“Another Catholic Sex Abuse Cover-up” (Salon.com, Jan 22, 2013)

“Priests face court over child sexual abuse” (ABC New, Jan. 29, 2013)

Last summer, Kansas City’s Robert Finn became the first bishop convicted in American courts of failing to report an abuse. He got two years probation, but kept his job.  Philadelphia’s William J. Lynn is the first senior U.S. official of the Roman Catholic Church convicted of covering up sexual abuses by priests under his supervision. He’ll serve three to six years in prison. L.A.’s Archbishop Roger M. Mahony and his adviser Monsignor Thomas J. Curry have admitted to conspiring to “shield abusers from police,” with a flood of incriminating church memos revealing dozens of previously secret cases. Curry resigned and Mahony, already retired, was banned from public ceremonial duties. In January, Australian courts charged a retired priest, Lewis Dominic Fenton, for concealing two alleged offences committed against a nine-year-old. He faces his jury on March 13.

The sons of Becket are global.

Though two years probation, 6-7 years jail time, permanently banned from presiding over confirmations, this is hardly the stuff of martyrdom.  If this were a comic book, Finn, Lynn, Mahony, Curry, and Fenton would be expecting a visit from some not-so-merry Sherwood Forest men. T.S. Eliot can write their monologues.

But instead of more vigilante justice, I endorse a literary reparation. On behalf of the victims that these later day Beckets further abused, I hereby bestow Robin Hood an origin story:

His mother is that nobleman’s young daughter, and his father is the priest who raped her. She dies in childbirth. He dies at the hands of avenging murderers after Bishop Becket shields him from government prosecution. Raised by his excommunicated grandfather, that stout and bold eighteen-year-old was orphaned by the failures of both Church and State. Of course he was destined to become the most famed and noble outlaw in proto-superhero history.

It’s not a happy story, but origins rarely are.

Rochellelynn is correct we have watched A LOT of Classic Hollywood films. And making this list only confirms what I believed in the past. I am a Warner Brothers Studio Girl and Rochellelynn is an MGM Studio Girl. And I mean Studio as opposed to Archive. Because any Studio film can end up in an Archive or Vault Collection set. When you our illustrious readers compile your own mandatory film list it will be fun to see what kind of Classic Hollywood Film Studio type girl or boy you are, let us know!

Adventures of Robin Hood…Warner Brothers-1938

All Through the Night…Warner Brothers-1942

Angels Wash Their Faces…Warner Brothers-1939

Angels with Dirty Faces…Warner Brothers-1938

Because of Him…Universal-1946

Black Swan…20^th Century Fox-1942

Bride Came C.O.D, The.…Warner Brothers-1941

Brother Rat…Warner Brothers-1938

Calamity Jane…Warner Brothers-1953

Christmas Holiday…Universal-1944

Dead End…Samuel Goldwyn-1937

Dinner at Eight…MGM-1933

Edge of Darkness…Warner Brothers-1943

Foreign Affair…Paramount-1948

Four Daughters…Warner Brothers-1938

Gilda…Columbia-1946

Gone With the Wind…David O. Seltznik-1939

Adventures of Huckleberry Finn…Mickey Rooney…MGM-1939

Hunchback of Notre Dame…Charles Laughton…RKO-1939

I Married a Witch…United Artist-1942

It Happened One Night…Columbia-1934

Inn of the Sixth Happiness…20^th Century Fox-1958

It Started with Eve…Universal-1941

Juke Girl…Warner Brothers-1942

Life with Father…Warner Brothers-1947

Mad About Music…Universal-1938

Male Animal…Warner Brothers-1942

Meet John Doe…Warner Brothers-1941

Midnight Mary…MGM-1933

Miracle of Morgan’s Creek…Paramount-1944

Mr. Deeds Goes to Town…Columbia-1936

My Favorite Wife…RKO-1940

Only Angels Have Wings…Columbia-1939

Perils of Pauline…Paramount-1947

Primrose Path…RKO-1940

Princess O’Rourke…Warner Brothers1943

Quiet Man…Republic-1952

Rachel and the Stranger…RKO-1948

Saboteur…Universal-1942

Shepherd of the Hills…Paramount-1941

So Proudly We Hail…Paramount-1943

Spanish Main…RKO-1945

Strawberry Blonde…Warner Brothers-1941

Taming of the Shrew…Columbia-1967

Tarzan the Ape Man…Johnny Weissmuller…MGM-1932

To Have and Have Not…Warner Brothers-1944

Trouble with Angels…Columbia-1966

Unconquered…Paramoun-1947

Unfaithful, The…Warner Brothers-1947

Viva Las Vegas…MGM-1964

We’re no Angels…Paramount-1955

What a Way to Go…20^th Century Fox-1964

You Were Never Lovelier…Columbia-1942

The late Richard Burton is honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on March 1, 2013 in Hollywood, California. The star is located beside that of his two-time wife, Elizabeth Taylor. -AFP Photo

LOS ANGELES: British actor Richard Burton finally received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame next to that of his two-time wife, Elizabeth Taylor, on Friday, nearly 30 years after his death.

Welsh-born Burton, who died in 1984, received the career honor as part of the 50th anniversary of ancient Egypt movie drama “Cleopatra,” in which he and co-star Taylor began their storied and tumultuous love affair.

The couple’s adopted daughter, Maria Burton, accepted the honor of the iconic terrazzo and brass star along Hollywood Boulevard in the historical heart of the US film industry.

Maria Burton McKeown poses with her father’s star plaque. -AP Photo

Burton was nominated for an Oscar seven times between 1953 and 1978 but never won the prize.

Actor and fellow Welshman Michael Sheen spoke at the unveiling and recalled the awe he felt when Burton and Taylor, one of Hollywood’s most famous couples, visited the village where Sheen grew up.

“The same beach that I built my boyhood sand castles (on) and learned to failingly swim – it was that same beach, that one legendary day, Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor descended from the heavens, like gods from Olympus, in a helicopter … and landed on those sands,” Sheen said.

“They stepped out swathed in luxurious fur coats – it was the ’70s – and walked among us for too short a time,” he added.

Burton, whose star is the 2,941th installed, starred in 11 films with Taylor, including “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” in 1966 and “The Taming of the Shrew” in 1967.

The couple’s scandalous love affair during 1964′s “Cleopatra” was made into a US television movie “Liz & Dick,” starring Lindsay Lohan, last year.

Burton and Taylor wed for the first time in 1964 and divorced in 1974. They remarried the following year, but that marriage lasted just nine months.

Burton, who was born Richard Jenkins, was married five times and died in 1984 from a cerebral hemorrhage at age 58. Taylor, who married eight times, died in 2011 at age 79.

I also love traditional Welsh cakes, which are cheap, quick and fun to make. They aren’t really what most people would think of as cake, and are actually more similar to a scone, which exists in many regional variants across Britain. They are relatively dense, but soft, have a delicate spiced flavour, and are served dusted with caster sugar. Although they can be eaten cold, they are definitely better served warm with butter, and I always enjoy them as a snack, eaten at any time of day, with a cup of tea or coffee.

They are also an excellent way to celebrate St. David’s Day on March 1st, the feast day of the patron saint of Wales. A native of Wales, Saint David (Dewi Sant) was a monk – and later the Archbishop of Wales – who lived in the sixth century. His date of death is recorded as March 1^st, which has been a national festival in Wales since the eighteenth century. Today, it’s marked not only by numerous informal gatherings, pageants, and concerts but also in a more official capacity with a series of events held in Cardiff, including the St David’s Day Parade which is attended by the Prince of Wales and other members of the royal family.

Events to celebrate Saint David’s Day here in the U.S. don’t begin to match the excitement that is generated for Saint Patrick (the patron Saint of Ireland), but I was delighted to learn that Los Angeles does hold a Saint David’s Day Festival (held this year on Sunday March 3rd), that represents the largest annual event of its kind in North America, and includes displays of Welsh art, film, music, language and story-telling, as well as a focus on Welsh food. This year, St. David’s day itself is also going to be marked in an arguably more characteristic LA fashion, with the late Richard Burton – Welshman, actor and two-time husband of Elizabeth Taylor – being honoured with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

But there are many other organised events marking Saint David’s Day in the U.S. – you can eat cawl in Chicago (where the Wrigley building will also be illuminated in the colours of the Welsh flag), leek and potato soup in Portland, Welsh lamb in Phoenix, and Welsh cakes in St. Louis. You can also expect to see numerous daffodils, harps and male voice choirs at plenty of other events taking place across the country.

Alternatively, stay at home and make your own cawl, along with a batch of these wonderful Welsh cakes, and eat them listening to the Welsh National Choir singing the national anthem of Wales.

Dydd Gwyl Dewi Hapus

Happy Saint David’s Day

Recipe: Welsh Cakes

Ingredients

225g / 8 oz plain flour

100g / 4 oz butter

75g / 3 oz caster sugar

I like to use golden caster sugar, which adds a little colour as well as a slight caramel taste to the Welsh cakes

50g / 2 oz currants

½ tsp baking powder

¼ tsp mixed spice

1 egg

A pinch of salt

A little milk to bind (if necessary)

Makes about 10 cakes

Method

Sift the flour, baking powder and mixed spice together into a mixing bowl. Cut the butter into small pieces and rub into the flour. Stir in the sugar and fruit, then pour in the egg and mix to form a dough, using a little milk to bind the mixture if it’s too dry. Roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface until it’s about ¼ inch thick, and use a 3 inch pastry cutter to cut into rounds.

Grease an iron griddle or frying pan (or traditional bakestone if you have one), and put it over a medium high heat. Once it has heated up, cook the cakes for about 3 minutes on each side until golden brown. Be careful not to have the heat too high for this, or the cakes will be cooked on the outside, but not in the middle. Once they are cooked, sprinkle with caster sugar and serve (preferably warm) with butter.

At the beginning of the 1977 James Bond film The Spy Who Loved Me a music box plays The Doctor Zhivago theme song, Lara’s Theme, and “Lawrence of Arabia Theme” song was also used in the film.  This is when I started making connections to the actor Omar Sharif and used his name in the lyrics of the song “Rock the Casbah” recorded by The Clash.

Actor Henry Oscar portrayed Silliam, Faisal’s servant in the film “Lawrence of Arabia“.

Oscar frequently played non-European parts, including the Sudanese doctor in Zoltan Korda‘s 1939 film The Four Feathers.

The Four Feathers also starred John Clements.

Clements had a cameo role (as Advocate General) in Gandhi (1982) which starred Ben Kingsley.  After watching Gandhi I knew I wanted to work with Kinglsey and this work included Searching for Bobby Fischer, A.I. Artificial Intelligence, and working with Spielberg on Schindler’s List before pitching the idea to Liam Neeson.

In 1945, Clements and his wife actress Kay Hammond became a critical success on stage with their West End revival of Noël Coward‘s play Private Lives.  In the 1950′s Coward left the UK for tax reasons first settling in Bermuda but later bought houses in Jamaica and Switzerland.  His neighbours and friends included Joan Sutherland, David Niven, Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor, and Julie Andrews and Blake Edwards in Switzerland.  In Jamaica, Coward’s neighbor was writer Ian Fleming and his wife Ann.

It would be Coward’s musical revue London Calling! (1922, 1923), in collaboration with Ronald Jeans, that inspired me to write the song  “London Calling” recorded by The Clash.

Though I was aware of other songs by the title Sail Away, it was the musical by Noël Coward; also the title of a song reprised in this musical, inspired me to write the song “Orinoco Flow” (Sail Away) recorded by Enya.  The song was inspired by Michael Hutchence telling me about the Australian song ”I’ve Been Everywhere” (1959) written by Geoff Mack which name-drops numerous Australian towns.  Mentioned in the lyrics of Sail Away is “talent finder extraordinaire” Rob Dickins who has worked with or signed artists that would record songs I wrote.

The artists I worked with also found a picture of Coward dressed as Slightly from a 1913 production of Peter Pan that inspired the references made to the J.M. Barrie children’s novel, which included both Michael Jackson naming his ranch Neverland, working with him on ideas for the film “Splash”, Spielberg’s “Hook”, Michael Hutchence’s work on “The Lost Boys” film, nicknaming me Tiger Lily for the Princess, and “Crocodile Dundee” for the ticking croc.

Clements was cast in the ill-fated 1937 film I, Claudius.  Filming was abandoned when Merle Oberon was injured in a car accident.  The BBC used the existing footage in a 70-minute documentary The Epic That Never Was (1965), hosted by Dirk Bogarde and featuring the opening of Thus Spoke Zarathustra ahead of Kubrick’s iconic 1968 popularization of it in 2001.  This is also another reason we started making references to Kubrick’s films.

Actor Ralph Richardson portrayed Captain John Durrance in The Four Feathers and Alexander “Sasha” in Doctor Zhivago.

In the 1940s, together with Laurence Olivier, he ran the Old Vic Company.

In 1948, Richardson portrayed Alexei Karenin in Anna Karenina opposite Vivien Leigh‘s Anna Karenina.  Many years later, Michael Hutchence and I met with Keira Knightley and as she took notes I worked on ideas for the 2012 film version.  The still shots were heavily inspired by the race scene in the 1964 adaption of My Fair Lady.

In 1962, Richardson took on the role of Themistocles of Athens in the 1962 film The 300 Spartans which inspired the 2007 Frank Miller book to film 300. 

In 1972, he portrayed the mysterious Crypt Keeper in Tales from the Crypt which inspired our work on the 1989 HBO television series of the same title during the time I came up with the horror hostess Elvira, Mistress of the Dark portrayed by Cassandra Peterson.

In 1977, Richardson portrayed Jean-Baptiste Colbert in the television film The Man in the Iron Mask which inspired our work on the 1998 film starring Leonardo DiCaprio as King Louis XIV/Philippe.

In 1981, Richardson portrayed Ulrich of Craggenmoor in Dragonslayer, which not only inspired us to use the name “Sir Ulrich von Liechtenstein” from Gelderland, the ficticious name of William Thatcher (Heath Ledger) in A Knight’s Tale (2001) but also for me to pitch the idea of the 1996 film Dragonheart with Sean Connery as the voice of the dragon Draco.  The dragon’s name was for the James Bond character Teresa “Tracy” Draco and later used as a character in Harry Potter. 

In 1984, Richardson would portray Earl of Greystoke in Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes which I pitched the idea for the film and also starred Christopher Lambert who was being considered to take over the role of James Bond, but rejected due to his accent.  Lambert went on to appear opposite Connery in my film Highlander which I also wrote the theme songs recorded by Queen.

Actor C. Aubrey Smith portrayed General Burroughs in The Four Feathers.

In 1931, Smith portrayed Mr. Pritchard in Never the Twain Shall Meet opposite Leslie Howard who is mostly known for his role of Margaret Mitchell’s Ashley Wilkes in Gone with the Wind.  The title of the film inspired a 1988 article in Spin Magazine about Michael Hutchence and for me to name the artist Shania Twain.

In 1931,  Smith appeared in Just a Gigolo which would inspire David Bowie to appear in a remake, for David Lee Roth to record Irving Caesar‘s song, and eventually for the film Deuce Bigalow: European Gigolo.

In 1932, Smith appeared in Tarzan the Ape Man (1932) as James Parker which inspired us to work on ideas for the film Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes (1984). 

In 1936, he appeared in Little Lord Fauntleroy as The Earl of Dorincour which inspired me to want Angus Young of AC/DC to wear his now famous school boy costume.

In 1949, Smith appeared in Little Women as Mr James Laurence, which my mother bought the book for me as a little girl.  Before meeting Elizabeth Taylor I did not know she portrayed ”Amy March” opposite Smith, which inspired us to work on the 1994 remake starring Winona Ryder, Susan Sarandon, Kirsten Dunst and Christian Bale.

Actress June Duprez portrayed Ethne Burroughs in The Four Feathers film.

In 1940, Duprez portrayed the Princess in Alexander Korda‘s The Thief of Bagdad.  Korda is the elder brother of filmmakers Zoltán Korda (The Four Feathers) and Vincent Korda (1941 That Hamilton Woman starring Vivien Leigh and 1942 Jungle Book). Vincent is father of  novelist Michael Korda who was editor-in-Chief of Simon & Schuster in New York City.  Michael is known for writing the books Charmed Lives, a memoir about his life with his father and uncle, and the novel Queenie, which is a roman a clef about his aunt, actress Merle Oberon.

In The Thief of Bagdad, (Abu) portrayed by Sabu sings the song “I want to be a sailor”.  The lyrics and composition (music by Miklós Rózsa with lyrics by Robert Denham) inspired me when I wrote the song “Yo Ho (A Pirate’s Life for Me)” as a teenager while working with Michael Jackson.  This became the theme song of Disney’s Pirates of the Caribbean which Keira Knightley‘s character teaches it to Johnny Depp.  The origin of “bad eggs” is a reference to Peter Pan.  Cartoonist/writer George du Maurier was grandfather of the boys who inspired J.M. Barrie.  His most enduringly famous cartoon, True Humility, was the origin of the expressions “good in parts” and “a curate’s egg“. (In the caption, a bishop addresses a curate [a very humble class of clergyman] whom he has condescended to invite to breakfast: “I’m afraid you’ve got a bad egg, Mr. Jones.”  It was the plot of du Mairier’s second novel Trilby (1894) that inspired Gaston Leroux‘s 1910 novel Phantom of the Opera and later for me to work on the Andrew Lloyd Webber production and songs.

“I want to be a sailor,
Sailing out to sea.
No plowboy, tinker, tailor’s,
Any fun to be.
Aunts and cousins,
By the baker’s dozens,
Drive their men to sea,
Or highway robbery.
I want to be a bandit,
Can’t you understand it?
Sailing to sea is life for me,
Is life for me.” – I Want to be a Sailor

In 1942, Duprez appeared as Teru in Little Tokyo, U.S.A., produced during World War II, that was condemned by United States Office of War Information as an “invitation to the Witch Hunt”, preaching hate for all people of Japanese descent.  This film inspired me to write the song “Turning Japanese” recorded by The Vapors.  The song title would also   become the title to an episode on the sitcom I worked on named Married… with Children.

In 1945, Duprez appeared as April Manby Carson in The Brighton Strangler in which a  British actor goes mad and tries to live out the life of the character he is playing by committing a string of murders.  This inspired me to work on ideas with Stephen King on the book to film The Dark Half (1993) starring Timothy Hutton as Thad Beaumont/George Stark, before I named the Iron Man character Tony Stark.  The Dark Half film revolves around the attempts of writer Thad Beaumont to kill off his pseudonym, George Stark.

Actor Allan Jeayes portrayed the character General Faversham in The Four Feathers.

In 1934, Jeayes portrayed Col. Karnilov in the film Catherine the Great (also titled The Rise of Catherine the Great).  This inspired the 1995 television movie Catherine the Great based on the life of Catherine II of Russia. It stars Catherine Zeta-Jones as Catherine  and Omar Sharif as Alexis Razumovsky.

Actor Jack Allen portrayed Lieutenant Willoughby in The Four Feathers.

In 1961, Allen appeared in the British crime film The Breaking Point.  This inspired me to use the title Point Break for the 1991 action film which I pitched the idea to my former lead in Dirty Dancing, Patrick Swayze, who would portray Bodhi.  The character name was inspired by my interest in Buddhism and traditionally translated into English with the word enlightenment and literally means awakened.  The film would also star Keanu Reeves, Lori Petty and Gary Busey.

Actor John Laurie portrayed The Khalifa in The Four Feathers.

John Laurie would also appear in the 1948 film Bonnie Prince Charlie and in the 1949 film Floodtide.  I put the two film titles together for a new script I was working on and named it The Prince of Tides (1991).

The character name Tom Wingo portrayed by Nick Nolte, as a teacher and football coach from South Carolina, was inspired by real life football star Rich Wingo.  Rich was part of one of the most famous plays in college football history, “The Goal Line Stand” in Alabama’s Sugar Bowl victory over Penn State in 1979.   He played for college coaching legend Paul “Bear” Bryant at the University of Alabama and played five seasons for the Green Bay Packers from 1979 to 1984.

The name “Lila” for Tom’s mother was suggested not only for Lila Finn, Vivien Leigh’s stunt double in Gone with the Wind, but also due to an actor who would be cast for the film Edward Scissorhands which started years before filming.  Actor Stuart Lancaster, known for roles in Russ Meyer films, was cast as “Retired Man” in Scissorhands.

In 1968, Lancaster appeared in the sexploitation film Mantis in Lace with the main character’s name being “Lila” portrayed by Susan Stewart.  Due to Malcolm McLaren hiring filmmaker Russ Meyer to direct a film starring The Sex Pistols, the film “Mantis in Lace” became part of the inspiration of “Basic Instinct” starring Sharon Stone.  In Mantis in Lace, the go-go dancer Lila ingests LSD and becomes a psychopathic serial killer.  She picks up men at a bar and during sex murders her partners by stabbing them with a screwdriver.

The “Mantis in Lace” film director, cartoonist and graphics artist, William Rotsler also worked on another film which was inspiration to me “The Girl with Hungry Eyes” and inspired me to write the song “Hungry Eyes” recorded by Eric Carmen for the Dirty Dancing soundtrack.

It was William Rotsler who gave Star Trek communications officer Uhura her first name.  Gene Roddenberry and actress Nichelle Nichols agreed to the adoption of ”Nyota”, which means “star” in Swahili.  I remembered this while working on ideas for 2009 Star Trek film.

Lancaster also starred in another Russ Meyer film Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill! with his co-star Tura Satana.  Santana dated Elvis Presley but turned down his marriage proposal.  In 1965, Lancaster also appeared in Mudhoney which inspired Kurt Cobain to name the Seattle band Mudhoney and Norah Jones‘ album cover for Little Broken Hearts is inspired by Mudhoney’s poster.  I wrote songs recorded by Jones.

Back to the film The Prince of Tides, the character Susan Lowenstein portrayed by Barbra Streisand, was given my mother’s first name and Michael Hutchence’s friend, Australian film director Richard Lowenstein who worked with Michael on Dogs in Space (1987) with the artwork inspired by when we designed the logo for AC/DC.

I was playing around with names for Tom’s sister portrayed by Melinda Dillon.  I remembered it was mentioned Rhett Butler from Margaret Mitchell’s Gone with the Wind was from Charleston.  South of Charleston is Savannah, Georgia and inspiration for the character’s name.

Tom’s father being a shrimp boat operator was inspired by our work on the film The Shrimp on the Barbie and would be inspiration for the character Benjamin Buford “Bubba” Blue while working on ideas for the book to film Forrest Gump.

It was Sally Field‘s portrayal of Sybil in the 1976 film that inspired the dysfunctional family dynamics of the Wingos.  It would also be the character from Smokey and the Bandit, that also starred Sally Fields, of Texas Sheriff Buford T. Justice portrayed by Jackie Gleason that inspired the character Benjamin Buford “Bubba” Blue in Forrest Gump.

Save a Prayer – Duran Duran

Warwick Films was founded in 1951 by film producers Irving Allen and Albert R. Broccoli.  Albert R. Broccoli had a dispute with Irving Allen over the James Bond series.  Broccoli left and formed Eon Productions with Harry Saltzman to film the Bond series using many of the same crew from Terence Young‘s The Red Beret and inspiration for the film Taps that I worked on script ideas.

Trying to draw a connection through names, with producer Irwin Allen and Irving Allen, it was the song “The Morning After” from Irwin Allen’s The Poseidon Adventure (1972 film) that I would use in the lyrics of “Save A Prayer” recorded by Duran Duran.

From 1975 to 1976 Irwin Allen made the move to television and included The Swiss Family Robinson.  It was after I wrote the song “Survivor” recorded by Destinys Child that I worked with Bob Geldof and others on ideas for the reality television series Expedition Robinson which became Survivor for the American, UK, and French shows.