The Young and Innocent Elizabeth Taylor

Dame Elizabeth Rosemond Taylor was an English-American actress, businesswoman, and humanitarian. Her career as a child actress began in the early 1940s and she was the most popular star in the era of classical Hollywood cinema in the 1950s.

In 1999, the American Film Institute called her the seventh greatest female screen legend of classic Hollywood cinema. Well, who would know that a girl born in Hapstead Garden, will reach the zenith of success in Hollywood?

Here you see a five-year-old Elizabeth with her brother, Howard, and their family's beloved golden retriever. This makes for a very cute picture, innocence at its very best. Elizabeth started working at a very young age and by the time she became an adult she was already an established actress. Her breakout role, came in 1944 with National Velvet, when she was just 12 years old.

A Pro at Household Chores

Although Elizabeth tasted success pretty early on in her life yet she was never too away from her real life. She was just like any other girl at home. She wore her casual dresses and took care of her many pets at her Californian home, herself. This is her cocker spaniel, Amy, and Elizabeth is giving her a bath on her off days.

Taylor spent her entire life in the spotlight, catapulting her to instant fame as a child actress in the 1944 film National Velvet, where she worked in close association with horses. As a child, Taylor had a great association with chipmunks, horses, chickens, cats, and not to forget dogs.

Dogs were a constant fixture in her life. Although her private life was often chaotic, and with her being always in the spotlight,  with the paparazzi always hounding her, Taylor found solace in spending time with her four-legged friends that meant so much to her.

Being Her Usual Friendly Self with her 'National Velvet' Costar

Elizabeth was indeed a huge animal lover and here she formed a special connection with King Charles, the horse cast in the film, The Pie in National Velvet. She was so close that after the completion of the movie, the studio gifted Elizabeth the horse and she continued to be the owner of the horse till he breathed his last.

Elizabeth Taylor's life was always on a high pedestal. when it came to her romances, her movie roles, and her love for animals.  She was always known as the ultimate dog lover continues to inspire everyone to show love and be kind to their furry friends.

In this picture we see Elizabeth tending to her beloved King Charles. Her face is the picture of love and compassion. We heart Elizabeth's deep love for her King Charles. We are sure King Charles also felt that deep connection with her.

Autograph Please

When Elizabeth was just 13 years old she acted in films such as Lassie Comes Home and National Velvet. Here she's seen being stopped for an autograph by a sailor. The first film she made with that studio was Lassie Come Home and on the strength of that one film, MGM signed her for a full year.

She also signed on to the next two films, The White Cliffs of Dover and Jane Eyre. Then  Elizabeth signed on to the film that made a star: MGM's National Velvet. She played the role of Velvet Brown opposite Mickey Rooney.

The film turned out to be a smash hit, grossing over $4 million. Elizabeth also signed a long-term contract with MGM and she became the top child star. Some of her other films include Courage of Lassie, Life with Father with actors William Powell, Irene Dunne, and Zasu Pitts. No wonder she was signing a lot of autographs in that period, she was so popular.

Elizabeth and Her Love for Dogs

Elizabeth's love for pets is known everywhere. Here you are seen posing with three of her dogs, Twinkle, Monty, and Spot. Her love for dogs included dogs of every kind of pedigree such as Cocker Spaniels, Pekingese, and Maltese, which she is particularly known for love of Maltese. Why not as Maltese pups are great loyal companions and they hate to be left alone.

Taylor was particularly dedicated to her pups and hated being separated from them regardless of any circumstances or costs. It is said that when Taylor went to England for their respective film shoots she was disappointed to see that dogs were supposed to be quarantined. She ensured that her pets were by keeping them in a yacht on the River Thames.

She still managed to follow the government rules and keep her pets near her. That just goes to show her love for dogs.

Elizabeth the Kitchen Queen

The movie star wasn't only about being this ultra-glamorous star, but she loved being very real. While she can wear this glamorous gown with perfectly coiffeured hair on red carpets, she could be this real thing doing her thing in the kitchen. Here she is preparing hamburgers and hot dogs for a barbecue.

And we love this picture, it is so heartening to note that a star of her caliber can forget all about frills and fancies and spend a day in her kitchen doing something that keeps her happy and content.

In the picture, we see her going about her barbecue with avid interest and intent. Would you think that a glamorous diva like her would spend her free time in the kitchen? Apparently, she did and took great pleasure in it. With hair down, and putting on a casual dress, she looks fab while chilling out in the kitchen.

Not Sailing Without My Pet

The actress here is on the SS Mary while she was departing from Southampton, England taking along with her pet poodles, one of her pets was called Teeny. She looks so happy with her pet poodles. This is what happens when she is around her pet poodles. It is said that she was the happiest around her dogs, they were a constant source of joy to her.

In fact, when she was unhappy, she always kept her dogs closer to her as it gave her great solace. And it is true that pets in general and dogs, in particular, offer great mental support. If you are anxious and depressed, dogs can offer you that mental solace.

The actress had her dogs with her till the last day of her life, and you would find many pictures of her with dogs of all pedigrees.

Painting Away to Glory

Elizabeth was a busy actress and she became very successful pretty early on in her life. So, she needed some time out to take down her stress levels from her tumultuous life.

She started indulging in painting and she started doing that at a pretty young age. Here,  in this picture, you see the actress can be seen outside in the summer of 1947 sitting on the hood of the car.

Her expression looks intense as she paints away without a care in the world. She had a lot of joie de vivre and she had invested in many things in life such as the painting of course. She lived her best life and in the process, taught us a lot about the niceties of life.  She teaches us a lot about it and how to deal with the various curveballs that life throws at you.

A Beach Bum to the Core

Elizabeth here is seen relaxing in a bikini at the beach in the summer of 1947. Here she was filming Life With Father. This was when she very busy and she took time out to relax and rejuvenate.

Here she is looking in a very jovial mood, Her hair blown away by a gentle breeze she is looking like a complete diva. We love the frilly bikini style she is wearing, it is so retro and so glam. Elizabeth Taylor was always the style diva and her style was way ahead of her times. Whether she was lounging at her home or walking down the red carpet or spending time at the beach, she is always slaying with her sartorial choices.

She always exuded immense confidence in whatever she wore and that is what set her apart from her peers. Her gorgeous hair, her complexion, and her beautiful eyes made her an absolute diva.

Hollywood Date Nights

Finding fame at such a young age, Elizabeth Taylor shot into the spotlight and forced them to become wiser beyond her years. As an adult, her personal life became fodder for speculation, and people were fascinated by her film roles and her personal life, as she married eight times in total. Here, in this picture we see Elizabeth and her boyfriend, Glenn Davis, an American football player, who won the Heisman Trophy attend a big movie premiere together in 1945. The duo started dating when Glenn took a break from the Army.

Glenn Davis and Elizabeth Taylor were engaged for a month. They dated for almost 4 months after dating together in Nov 1948. They were engaged in Mar 1949 but they later, separated in Apr 1949.

We love to see the two of them smiling away at the camera. They look so happy here and we are glad that they spent happy times together while they were together.

A Fun Day Out With the Birds

The screen icon was a 12-year-old sensation in the movie, National Velvet. She went on to star in fifty-three films, winning almost Oscars for her work.  The British-born actress here is seen goofing around while she is feeding pigeons in Trafalgar Square in London.

The screen icon reached the status of a national sensation as a 12-year-old and her performance in National Velvet was particularly appreciated. Taylor also went on to star in 53 films and won two Oscars for her films Butterfield 8 and Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?

Elizabeth Taylor was celebrated as a screen siren with her classic dark hair and icy blue eyes, which helped her get many movie roles. She had an enduring romantic liaison with Richard Burton, with whom she starred in a slew of films, including the one, in which Taylor played, Cleopatra.

Glamorous and How

Would Elizabeth Taylor’s beautiful icy violet eyes have been as famous without her gorgeous brunette mane complementing them? Throughout the actor’s entire lifetime, right from her breakout role, when she was just 12 in 1944’s National Velvet to making her final public appearance in 2009, before dying at 79 in 2011, she has been a complete vision of opulent beauty and style. Her voluminous hair became a trendsetter in hairstyles during her entire career.

Elizabeth here gives fans a glimpse of what goes into creating a movie star looks. Here, she achieves her movie star look as she poses before the mirror in 1948.

She dabs in her favorite perfume and here she is oblivious to the camera and the effect she has on the people with her flawless beauty. She certainly had an aura around her, no wonder she was regarded as one of the most glamorous actresses ever.

Hard Work Behind the Glam

The film star Elizabeth Taylor, who breathed her last when she was 79, was in the public eye from a very young age, 11. She remained there after being in the industry for decades. People were fascinated, by her gorgeous beauty, her courage, her open-hearted character, her self-deprecating humor, her romantic dalliances, her supporting many causes, it all made sense why she is famous in the first place.

She had a riveting screen presence in films such as  A Place in the Sun, Giant, Cat On a Hot Tin Roof, Butterfield 8, Cleopatra, and Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?

Even though Elizabeth happened to be one of the rising stars in the late '40s, she was in fact very young, not even a teenager at that time. She completed her education on set done with a private tutor as is evident from the photo.

BBQ with Elizabeth

As we have already seen, Elizabeth is not only great at creating magic on screen but she is great at cooking up a storm inside the kitchen and outside it. She seemed to have a particular penchant for barbecuing.

Here, Elizabeth inspects a hot dog and she is roasting it here at the BBQ. It is not that you would have always spotted her in glam dresses that made her look red-carpet-ready. She was equally comfortable in her casual dresses like we see her, she is just wearing just a plain cardigan and trousers yet she is managing to look great.

That's the beauty of a star like Elizabeth, who could look her best without doing much. And when she was at her home or lounging about anywhere she was not very conscious of the camera, she looked great with minimum frills and fancies.

Calling the Shots

Elizabeth always wanted to try different things to make her life interesting. While she tried various things right from painting to cooking, here we see her getting a lesson from fellow actor Marshall Thompson and she learned how to use a shotgun during a day at the beach.

This was Elizabeth's forte, she would tap into her curious self and try to learn as many things as possible. Since she began her journey in the acting field fairly young, she had to learn many things on the go.

She didn't have a proper normal childhood like the rest of her peers. Yet she made the most of it, trying to imbibe the knowledge and spend the maximum time picking up new stuff like in this case learning how to fire shots from a shotgun. It is great that her co-stars were also ready to teach her.

Beauty Secrets

Elizabeth Taylor is known for her beauty, her beautiful violet eyes, her gorgeous skin, and of course her thick mop of hair. So, most people are curious to know, exactly what she did to maintain her beauty. Here's a candid shot where we see a young Elizabeth Taylor splashing water on her face. As per an interview she usually stuck to a beauty routine, right from using affordable creams like Jergens and more.

Her fans would love to know that she did not spend a lot on using fancy and expensive creams. Rather she would stick to a tried and tested formula and did not want to do too much on her skin.

Simple creams and a regular routine worked well for her. It is refreshing to see an actress who managed to keep her lifestyle simple despite reaching the zenith of stardom.

A Letter from Glenn Davis

Elizabeth has been linked with many men and she was an actress who spent most of her life in the public eye, making her big Hollywood breakthrough in National Velvet at just 12 years old in 1944.

Taylor also went onto star in many films such as Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Cleopatra, and Who’s Afraid of Virginia Wolf. And, of course, she was also part of plenty of gossip and celebrity news headlines all along with her career, especially with the many men in her life.

In this picture, Elizabeth is seen here reading a letter from her overseas boyfriend, Glenn Davis, here you see a portrait right next to her on the table. Although the young couple was in a great relationship they broke up later that year. Elizabeth was a romantic at heart and had many relationships along the way.

Touch Up And Go

Elizabeth was not only great at painting, cooking and many more skills but she was equally adept at putting on her own makeup, in fact, she felt more comfortable doing it herself. Here, the actress is seen doing her lips.

Elizabeth knew just how much makeup to put on and never overdid it. She just put on enough to enhance her best features, in this case, her eyes and lips. With her naturally wavy and voluminous she never needed to do much.

She has been photographed many times doing her make-up. She did not believe in the pancaked looked, the kind of look where you put on too much makeup and look far removed from her natural self. Did she have antiaging secrets? Well, we don't know about that, but whatever she did worked great for her. She was the epitome of grace and beauty.

Lovey-Dovey Couple

We are not surprised at all that someone as beautiful as Elizabeth, with her beautiful violet eyes and kind heart, would be involved in so many romantic relationships. From her first union, which did not last more than a year, to her unexpected choice for husband number eight, there’s no doubt Liz was always on the lookout for love.

Elizabeth’s relationship with Richard Burton turned out to be one of her most legendary romances after marrying him twice, but each of her husbands had their own love story. We don't know whether she pursued romance or romance pursued her, but the fact of the matter is she was involved in many relationships.

Here, Elizabeth announced her engagement to someone much older than her, an Army Air Force veteran William D. Pawley Jr in 1949. The newly engaged couple poses together at his lavish Miami home.

Cool And Casual At Home

Elizabeth's style evolution over the years is to be seen to believe. Elizabeth Taylor will be remembered as many things, right from being a silver screen legend, eternal romantic, beauty queen - but for us, it's her fashion icon status that catches our attention the most.

She has been one of the most fashionable leading ladies in the history of cinema. She could make it look so easy, without doing much. A simple dress, a blow-dry, and she were all set to conquer many fashion milestones.

Here, we see her comfortably perched up on the couch and enjoys her quiet reading time. Although she is in a simple pose in her casual avatar, she still manages to look oh-so-good! 

Smiling Through it All

Despite her many romantic liaisons Elizabeth always had a smile on her gorgeous face. The actress called off her engagement to William that year. It's speculated that the cause of the split was the actress had big plans for her career and wasn't willing to settle down as only a homemaker.

Here, Elizabeth is spending some time with her friend by the ocean after the split. Is she hiding some sadness behind that happy countenance? Well, we don't know about it. But she is at least trying to smile through it all, which is great.

She teaches us to forget about the lows and look for the positives of the world. Well, there is much to learn from her about how to focus on the positives in life than thinking about the negatives. Here is smiling her blues away.

Talented Actress

It is 1950 and here the actress is seen sewing the preserved flowers into a hair piece. She is sweing and yet she looks gorgeous. We love her outfit and her subtke makeup that is making her look nothing short of gotrheous.

The green dress with colorful flowers sewn on it looks perfect on her. She is in a casual pose yet her angelic smile and her serene expression, make her look effortlessly beautiful.

She was certainly a woman of many parts, right from painting, to cooking to sewing, she can do that all that and more all in a day's work. Elizabeth was such an intriguing personality, there's so much to know about her still. Although most of her life she was in the public eye, yet she managed to maintain that mysterious persona. No wonder she was a superstar.

Married Now!

Elizabeth was on a rebound from her broken engagement with hotel heir Conrad Hilton Jr. The young couple walked down the aisle in Beverly Hills on May 6, 1950. Their wedding was just after the release of their film, Father of the Bride, and it went on to become the perfect publicity for the movie. And it is said that MGM covered all the costs.

Elizabeth believed in all her relationships and walked down the aisle eight times, twice with the same man, Richard Burton. Despite being married so many times Richard was her true love. And she often said that she can hardly forget her only enduring love.

It is a little sad to note that a woman who experienced unprecedented success in her life, did not find the same in her personal life. Sad but the true fact of her life.

A Heartbreak and a Divorce

The actress's marriage to Conrad did not last long, in fact, it was as good as over throughout its first year, although the divorce got finalized in 1951.

Taylor was just 18 and Hilton was 24 when they tied the knot. He was the heir to the Hilton hotel empire and Taylor was eager to marry young, as she had been nursing puritanical beliefs because of her upbringing.

MGM organized the wedding. However, Liz realized soon enough that it was a mistake as the man in question was abusive and alcoholic. Their divorce followed soon after. The entire news was splashed all over the press and Elizabeth experienced the first major heartbreak. We don't know how she recovered from the same. However very soon she was into her next relationship. Whether the next relationship lasted long enough, well we have to wait to find that out.

A New Romance in the Offing

Elizabeth started seeing British actor Michael Wilding after her divorce from Conrad in 1951. Taylor again jumped into her next relationship and her marriage and the two got married to the British actor in a low-key ceremony in February 1952.

He was older than her by 20 years and the couple had two sons together, Michael Howard and Christopher Edward. In 1955, while Taylor had been away creating the movie Giant it was reported that Wilding booked the inappropriate services at his home.

The couple finally divorced in 1957. Wilding suffered from epilepsy and later died from the injuries he sustained during a fall during an epileptic seizure in 1979. It was another end to a romance and a marriage for Elizabeth. It was sad, that although Elizabeth continued in earnest to find the perfect marriage, she couldn't.

At Her Goofiest Best

Despite her heartbreaks and the many broken marriages she still managed to retain her humor and goofiness. Elizabeth here shows off her goofy side by posing for a silly photo as she was about to get her hair washed.

All those who were close to her would vouch for that she was humorous, funny, and candid. There was so much more to her than meets the eye, behind the ultra-glamorous facade.

Behind that veneer lay a woman who was a girl at heart and was in earnest pursuit of happiness and success. She did get the latter though, but as far as her happiness in her personal life was concerned, it continued to elude her. The bewitching beauty hid many a sad story behind those incredible eyes. There is so much intrigue behind her interesting life story. She was truly an enigma.

Happily Ever After?

Elizabeth walked down the aisle with her beau Michael Wilding in February 1952. The two actors got married at Caxton Hall in London since they both hailed from Britain. Their marriage lasted from 1952-1957.

Michael was 20 years her senior and the couple shared two sons together, Michael Howard and Christopher Edward. In 1955, while Taylor was at the set of Giant, something happened at the Wilding residence which ultimately brought about their divorce.

Yes, the couple ultimately divorced in 1957. Wilding was susceptible to fits of epilepsy and he sustained heavy injuries after a fatal fall during an epileptic seizure in 1979. Their marriage alliance was short and tumultuous. It was sad that the two could not find happiness together. Elizabeth jumped to the next relationship immediately after. Did she find everlasting love? We'll find out soon enough!

Pet love

Here we see Taylor showering her love on a dachshund puppy gifted to her by her husband, Michael, after her return to Los Angeles.

We already know that Elizabeth's life was filled with dogs. The actress who starred in classic films like Cleopatra, Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, Butterfield 8, and Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. Her close association with dogs began as early as Lassie's film, Lassie Come Home, as Priscilla, the daughter of the Duke of Rudling.

Elizabeth has been keeping pets till the day she breathed her last. This goes to show her deep love for her pets who provided enough emotional succor in tumultuous times. She kept different breeds of dogs during her lifetime and showered endless love for them. She used to take great pains in staying close to them even when she was traveling.

On Set Fun

Elizabeth Taylor has been part of films such as A Place in the Sun, Cleopatra, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf and managed to impress the audience and critics alike.

She was the perfect Hollywood movie star. She was glamorous, gorgeous, and enormously gifted. Her eyes were regarded as the most famous in the world, they were an incandescent violet-blue. No wonder, every magazine on newsstands had Elizabeth Taylor on its cover.

Here Taylor is seen being photographed during a photoshoot with wardrobe while being on the set for The Girl Who Had Everything, her 17th film, which went on to premiere in 1953. Elizabeth always lets out her goofy side on film sets. Although she was a big star, she always believed in the concept of having fun, always and that's the beauty of stars like her, who never seemed to take herself too seriously.

The Beautiful Icon Turns Mother

We all know about Elizabeth Taylor as the movie star, the glamourous star, the philanthropist, but we have little information on Elizabeth Taylor as a mother.

While covering Taylor's life, her children had very little mention. She had four children, she shared two sons with her second husband Michael Wilding, a daughter with her third husband Mike Todd, and an adopted daughter with the husband, she married twice Richard Burton.

The beautiful globetrotting siren, keep her children out of the media focus. Unlike others, she did not push them to hog the limelight as the other parents.  Here we see Elizabeth and Michael Wilding welcoming their first child together, a son they named Michael Jr., in 1953. Here, Elizabeth seems happy as she plays with her first son. There is a serene quality in her face, that is hard to miss.

Back to Work

Elizabeth Taylor was in the public eye since she made her debut when she was 10 years old. From that point on, the world watched as a curious onlooker at the Hollywood starlet, who went through the various phases of her life.

Elizabeth, right after she gave birth, recovered and went back to working soon after. The actress started working in 1954 with the film,' The Last Time I Saw Paris'.

After the birth of her first son, Taylor had four children from her other marriages. Michael Wilding Jr. and Christopher Edward Wilding were born from her first marriage with Michael Wilding. Liza Todd, her only daughter was born to Taylor and Mike Todd. After divorcing Eddie Fisher, Taylor adopted her second daughter, Maria Burton, who was the daughter of  Taylor and Richard Burton. She was close to her children, but never brought them under the spotlight.

On Set Shenanigans

Elizabeth here is seen leaning against her dressing room trailer and smoking a cigarette as she took a break from shooting on the set of Giant.

Giant is an American epic Western drama film (1956) directed by George Stevens. Its screenplay was adapted by Fred Guiol and Ivan Moffat from Edna Ferber's 1952 novel.

The film of course had Elizabeth Taylor along with Rock Hudson and James Dean, Carroll Baker, Jane Withers, and more. Here she is looking relaxed in a white outfit with a headscarf taming her gorgeous hair. Her incredible violet-blue eyes are staring right back at the camera. She can make a fashion statement with the simplest looks. Not many can boast of a wonderful sense of fashion. She can throw together some simple stuff and rock her outfit with her intrinsic chutzpah. Such is the charisma of every shining star.

A Day at the Beach

Here you see Elizabeth Taylor sharing a light moment with her friends at the beach. Elizabeth loved spending time with her friends and she loved hitting the beach from time to time wearing her stylish swimsuits.

One would spot her lighter side of her, these were the times she literally let her hair down as she took a break from her giant onscreen persona. She was hounded so much by the paparazzi, that she wanted to get away from it all and spend a few relaxing moments with the few people she could call her friends.

She was as usual looking gorgeous with minimum makeup, wet hair spilling over her gorgeous face. Her gorgeous smile lighting up her face to a great extent. Although at this time she was facing a turbulent private life this was not evident from her face.

A Marriage Story Ends

Her next step into marriage was with Wilding, the British actor she met while she was filming the period film Ivanhoe in England. Though he was 20 years her senior, the pair, went on to walk the aisle on Feb. 21, 1952, and were together for almost five years. In that period Elizabeth gave birth to her two sons, Michael and Christopher. The couple finally split on Jan. 26, 1957.

Elizabeth and Michael finally rounded off their marriage after five years and two children together. Although they had signed the divorce document much later, their marriage catapulted much earlier.

Elizabeth went on to marry several times after that. But she never found that everlasting kind of love she always dreamed about. Although she went on to add a lot of money to her bank account, sadly personal happiness eluded her.

Is it Third Time Lucky?