ELIZABETH TAYLOR '" LEGEND of HOLLYWOOD'S GOLDEN AGE DIES

Elizabeth Taylor was an English -American born actress who began her career as a young child and continued into adulthood. Liz was a star from Hollywood's golden age with other great actresses such as Katherine Hepburn, Bette Davis, Audrey Hepburn, and Marilyn Monroe; all considered legends.

As a child Liz appeared in "Lassie Come Home" (1943); it was her performance in this movie that got Liz a seven year contract with MGM. In 1944 Liz was loaned out to 20^th Century Fox for the film "Jane Eyre" where Liz played Helen Burns. 1944 would also see Liz reunite with Roddy McDowall who would become her life-long friend, in the MGM picture "The White Cliffs of Dover ). One of Liz's best known and dare I say best loved films from her childhood was MGM's National Velvet. Liz was only twelve when she starred in National Velvet, a story about a young girl who trains her horse to win the Grand National. Liz co-starred with Mickey Rooney and Angela Lansbury. The film was a huge success sending Liz's career soaring. Liz did another Lassie movie and Life with Father. Little Women in 1949 was her last role as a child actress.

In 1949 Liz debut as an adult actress in the film Conspirator. Sixteen year old Liz played a twenty-one year old woman who marries a Nazi spy. Elizabeth Taylor was fortunate to act opposite many legendary leading men; Robert Taylor, Van Johnson, Spencer Tracy, Montgomery Clift, and Richard Burton are but a few. Liz starred in classics like "The Big Hangover"(1950), Father of the Bride (1950), A Place In The Sun" (1951), "The Girl Who Had Everything" (1953), "Cat On A Hot Tin Roof" (1958), "Cleopatra" (1963).

Film Awards

Golden Globe - 1957 - Special Award for "consistent performance"

Golden Laurel Award - 1958, Female Dramatic Performance in " Raintree County "

Golden Laurel Award - 1959, Female Dramatic Performance in "Cat On A Hot Tin Roof"

BAFTA Award- 1959, Best Foreign Actress in "Cat On A Hot Tin Roof"

Golden Globe Award - 1960, Best Actress in a Motion Picture (Drama) "Suddenly Last Summer"

Golden Laurel Award - 1960, Female Dramatic Performance in "Suddenly Last Summer

Academy Award - 1961, Best Actress in "Butterfield 8"

Golden Laurel Award - 1965, Female Star

Awards 1966 - All for Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf

New York City Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actress

Kansas City Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actress

National Board of Review Award for Best Actress

Awards 1967

Academy Award -Best Actress in "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf"

BAFTA Award -Best British Actress in "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf"

Golden Laurel Award -Female Dramatic Performance "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf"

David di Donatello Award - Best Foreign Actress "The Taming of the Shrew

Bambi Award ( Deutschland's Wichtigster Medienpreis) - 1968, recognizes excellence in international television and media.

Awards 1972

Silver Bear - Berlin International Film Festival Award for Best Actress

David di Donatello Award - Best Foreign Actress

Golden Globe - 1974, Henrietta Award World Film Favorite Female Actress

Hasty Pudding's Woman of the Year Award, - 1977

Awards 1985

Golden Globe - Cecil B. DeMille Award for Lifetime Achievement

Golden Apple Award - Female Star of the Year

Woman in Film Crystal Award

The Legion d'Honneur ( France ) - 1988

Academy Award, Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award - 1992

American Film Institute Lifetime Achievement Award - 1993

Screen Actors Guild Lifetime Achievement Award - 1997

Awards 1999

Appointed Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire

Awarded Academy Fellowship, British Academy of Film and Television Arts

The Vanguard Award, GLAAD Media Awards - 2000

Awards 2001

President's Citizens Medal

Maverick Award, Taos Talking Picture Festival

Kennedy Center Honoree - 2002, John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts

BAFTA Award - 2005, Britannia Award for Artistic Excellence in International Entertainment

Elizabeth Taylor was also a humanitarian. She spent a great deal of time on AIDS charities and help to found the American Foundation for AIDS Research after the death of Rock Hudson, actor, and dear friend to Liz. Liz also created her owned AIDS foundation, the Elizabeth Taylor Aids Foundation. Over the years Liz has raised more than $50 million for the fight against AIDS.

Elizabeth Taylor's personal life was the dream of the tabloids. Liz's relationships and marriages were front page news. Below are the many loves of Liz's life.

Marriages

Conrad "Nicky" Hilton (Great-Grandfather of Paris Hilton) - May 1950 - Jan. 1951, Divorced

Michael Wilding - (Commercial Artist, Actor) - Feb. 1952 -Jan. 1957, Divorced

Michael Todd - (Theatre and Film Producer) - Feb. 1957-March 1958, Widowed

Eddie fisher - (Singer) - May 1959-March 1964 - Divorced

Richard Burton - (Actor) - March 1964 - June 1974 - Divorced

Richard Burton - (Actor) - October 1975 - July 1976 - Divorced

John Warner - (Politician, Secretary of the Navy) - Dec. 1976 - Nov. 1982 - Divorced

Larry Fortensky - (Construction Worker) - Oct. 1991 - Oct. 1996 - Divorced

Liz had two sons with Michael Wilding, Michael Howard Wilding born Jan. 1952, and Christopher Edward Wilding born Feb. 27, 1955. With Michael Todd Liz had a daughter, Elizabeth Frances Todd, also called Liza, born Aug. 1957; Richard Burton and Liz Taylor had one adopted daughter, Maria Burton born Aug. 1961 and adopted in 1964. In 1971 at the age of 39 Elizabeth Taylor became a grandmother.

Elizabeth Taylor has suffered for many years with numerous health problems. She was confined to a wheel chair because of back problems which resulted from a fall from a horse while she filmed National Velvet. These back problems plagued Liz until her death. She was diagnosed with congestive heat failure back in 2004.

Elizabeth Taylor was just 79 year young when she died and is survived byher four children, ten grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. May she rest in peace as the legend lives on!