Richard and I talked about Martha and George for so long,” he said Elizabeth Taylor'sometimes we feel like we have become them.'
It is precisely this passionate identification of the actors with the characters they played in Who's Afraid Of Virginia Wolf? which gives the film, released in June 1966, its enduring appeal.
George and Martha's taunts and challenges, and what Philip Gefter calls “a series of escalating contradictions” in his well-researched book, all seem to anchor Burton and Taylor's real-life relationship.
For Edward Albee's play, which won acclaim on Broadway in October 1962 and has run for 644 sold-out performances, is an examination of the terrible reality of marriage: too much closeness, too much mutual self-knowledge, too much disagreement.
Love, as Albee describes it, involves significant hatred, bitterness, sadomasochism, and periodic loneliness. When George starts complaining about this, Martha cuts him short: 'Can't stand it? You married me because of it!'
Elizabeth Taylor with Richard Burton after her Oscar win for the film Who's Afraid Of Virginia Woolf?
Elizabeth as Martha and Richard as George in Who's Afraid Of Virginia Wolf?, released June 1966
The European stage premiere was directed by Ingmar Bergman, who was married five times and whose later television series Scenes From A Marriage is deeply indebted to Albee.
Albee's intention was to create a drama that would stand in sardonic contrast to the tawdry romantic comedies of Doris Day, or the shrill farce of Lucille Ball. He wanted to break through sentimental illusions and his background was clearly homosexual. As one of Albee's partners, Terrence McNally, said, “We were drunk all the time.” We had a lot of fun. And we argued a lot. And lots of sex.'
It is therefore entirely possible to see Martha as a man in drag – one of her lines is: 'I'm loud and I'm vulgar, and I wear the pants in this house because someone has to' – and Taylor, against the In the sixties it had become a major villain.
She is always on the move like Martha, always moving forward, munching on a chicken leg or crunching ice cubes. She is never intimidated or broken, is full of strength and never subordinate. Taylor earned a stone and a half to play the role and spent two hours in make-up every day, transforming herself into 'a frustrated, unhappy middle-aged woman', or a man-eater.
Warner Brothers today paid Albee the equivalent of $4 million for the film rights, with the intention of casting Bette Davis as Martha and James Mason or (interestingly) Peter Sellers, as George.
However, commercial considerations steered the studio towards Burton and Taylor, who after Cleopatra were bigger than Kennedy, Khrushchev and the Cuban Missiles. The producer-screenwriter was Ernest Lehman, who was responsible for Hitchcock's North By Northwest and The Sound Of Music.
He is the unsung hero in this story, keeping the peace and doing his best to keep the “wildly indulgent whims” of his cast in check. He was soon using sedatives and amphetamines, while Taylor continued to pester him for trinkets.
Who's Afraid of Virginia Wolf? is a film about the terrible reality of marriage: too much closeness, too much mutual self-knowledge and too much disagreement
“I'm not going to spend my own money on an actress who gets paid $1 million for her performance,” he bravely declared. Lehman relented and presented her with an antique turquoise and gold pendant at the wrapping party. Lehman also had to contend with the whims of Mike Nichols, who, although an acclaimed director of Neil Simon comedies in theater, had never made a film.
Nichols considered himself “an undeniable genius” and claimed to share with Albee “a sense of alienation and unhappiness” about life in general.
Nichols, a German Jewish refugee with alopecia (Taylor advised him on wigs), was long married, bred Arabian horses and lived on Cole Porter's former estate in Hollywood.
“Luxury was undoubtedly to his taste,” says Gefter. He appreciated invitations to great parties; he bragged to Lehman about dinners with Julie Andrews or Andre Previn. He was moody and neurotic. “Your anger and your anger make me uncomfortable,” Lehman finally had to tell him.
The Burtons showed up a fortnight late and rehearsals finally began on July 6, 1965. Dressing rooms were palatial: suites with kitchens and grand pianos. Taylor's was yellow and white; Burton's wood paneling 'with an old English feel'.
Floral arrangements and caskets from Dom Perignon were in abundance, as were the Burtons' hoards of personal press agents, lawyers, dressers, secretaries and costume designers. There were bodyguards and extra security. 'Elizabeth and I are quite familiar. When we farm, they photograph it,” Burton explained. As with royalty, studio staff were not allowed to address the stars unless the stars first initiated a greeting.
Burton's biggest concern on set was insisting on a cinematographer and makeup artist who would successfully conceal his pockmarked skin. “He can't perform at his best unless he feels absolutely confident about it,” Lehman noted.
The first cinematographer, Harry Stradling, was fired and replaced by Haskell Wexler, who deservedly won an Oscar for his deep-colored black-and-white lighting. Once the cameras started rolling, Burton remained skeptical and disenchanted. 'The facts are that this photo is definitely going to be a flop. It's poorly written. It's badly acted. It's poorly directed.'
He was somewhat drunk when he said these words in public. Taylor also drank too much, which further increased her irritability and increased tension. But through being intoxicated and in extreme states, Burton and Taylor have always found each other.
Featured in Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? therefore, as the characters go for each other, their delirium: emotions ranging from loyalty to betrayal, tenderness to unbridled contempt, attention to rejection.
Both on and off screen, Taylor and Burton can be seen 'returning to their favorite pastimes: fighting and having sex. Or have sex and fight.' Burton once actually said, “I like to argue with Elizabeth, except when she's naked.” And as Taylor said, “I was the lucky recipient of his reputation as a man who knew how to please a woman.”
Taylor was contractually owed $100,000 for each week of production that went over schedule, but easily caused them to go over schedule and budget, which according to current figures was $70 million – for a film with one small set and no action scenes.
The Burtons didn't arrive until ten o'clock, had lunch until five, and left at six with the Bloody Marys. “Mike, old friend, sorry we're late,” said Burton, who along with Taylor had hosted the Duke and Duchess of Windsor. Taylor also had days off due to menstrual pain and an abscess.
Although the National Catholic Office for Motion Pictures took issue with the eleven “goddamns,” seven “b******s,” five “sons of bitches,” and several “up yours” and “fuck yous,” Who's Afraid Or Virginia Woolf? received 13 Oscar nominations.
Taylor deservedly won for Best Actress. (Although Gefter says she's “never played such a psychologically complex role,” I strongly disagree—perhaps her beauty had blinded people to how good she always was, going back to National Velvet.) Burton was robbed of the statuette for Best Actor by Paul Scofield for A Man For All Seasons.
I was fascinated to learn that at the time, Burton had been cast in the role of George in Camelot in the original New York stage production, but that he was already on his way to Rome to play Antony in Cleopatra and make his date with fate.
Roger Lewis's Erotic Vagrancy: Everything About Richard Burton And Elizabeth Taylor, published by Riverrun, is available now.