We have beaten the Scots 8–0.23 I saw it on TV at Villars. Bebb one try.24 Penalty from N. Morgan – back-row forward from Newport.25
Thursday 11th I did a Christie for the first time.26
Friday 12th We returned to Céligny. It snowed in the morning and we had some difficulty with the cloud getting down to Aigle.27
We ate at Paul's with René, Berenice, Rene and Osian Ellis, Bern and Claire.28 Osian played the harp, when we got back home.
Saturday 13th Rene and Osian Ellis arrived yesterday evening. In the afternoon Osian played the harp for Radio Geneva. The English have beaten the Irish 8–5.29 I won 18000 French francs from Divonne.30
Sunday 14th Bernard and Claire left at 2.55.
In the evening, Osian and I played in Chateau Bossy for the Church school.31 We ate at Café du Soleil.32
Monday 15th Prince Michael Vashinski arrives; he has not arrived. He's in London. He telephoned and we discussed the film Son of Man. We'll see. I left the car at Fleury's.33 Rene and Osian have left.
Tuesday 16th We visited Penny Moyes at Vervier and we ate well at Café Mirdy.34
In the morning I went to Geneva for the car.
Snow remains but not on the major roads.
Wednesday 17th Michael Benthall from the Old Vic arrives.35 [...]
We ate at Coppet and spent the afternoon drinking there.36 M. Benthall told me that I should play Peer Gynt and Macbeth. We'll see.
Thursday 18th Michael has left for Milan. We had a drink with the Koesslers at their place.37 Nice and pretty.
Saturday 20th We ate at the Restaurant La Pergola on the Bargue with Rene and Berenice.38 Very pretty.
In the morning we bought lots of books at Naville's.39 And a machine for cutting film.
Sunday 21st Nothing to do. Books all day. Hornblower – novels, detective stories etc.40 The weather is fine every day at the moment. I met P. Ustinov at Geneva. He is leaving for Hollywood.41
Monday 22nd I wrote letters in the morning and in the afternoon we went to Nyon where I bought a present for Wendy the nurse – a camera with a flash attachment.
Tuesday 23rd This evening we ate at Berenice's and had a very interesting conversation with Dobrynski, the dentist, and his wife.
Wednesday 24th We ate in a little restaurant at Versoix with Penny Moyes and her friend Jim.42 He struck me as intelligent.
I spoke with Richardson about John Osborne's play which begins next Monday.43
Monday 29th Yeats.44 Dinner.
MARCH
Tuesday 8th John Ormond.45
Saturday 12th Dublin. Wales beat the Irish 10–9.46 We have returned from Great Britain.
Sunday 13th Nick Ray arrived from Hollywood.47 ‘Lucius’ star of King of Kings perhaps.48
Monday 14th I went to Divonne. I won 40,000 francs.
Tuesday 15th Emlyn and Molly.49
Nick Ray left.
Wednesday 16th Emlyn and Molly.
Sunday 20th Christening K. and J.50
D. Wms arrives.51
Wednesday 23rd I have begun to study Russian.
APRIL
Saturday 2nd D. Wms and Liz Hardy have left.52
I am going to London but I don't know the exact date, to do a new play by John Osborne. It's an interesting play.
Sunday 3rd We ate at the Café du Soleil with Kate, Ivor and Gwen.53
Saturday 9th To London at 11 o'clock.
Sunday 10th I have arrived in London.
Monday 25th We did A Matter of Scandal and Concern.
Wednesday 27th I left London at 2 o'clock by train.
Thursday 28th I arrived at Lausanne at 7 o'clock.54
Saturday 30th Dinner at Paul's.
MAY
Tuesday 3rd Paul Joy arrive [...]55
Wednesday 4th [...]
Phil 3.45.56
[...]
Saturday 7th Paul has left.
Tuesday 10th 3.0. Pierre Folliet.57
Wednesday 11th P.H.B. has arrived.
Thursday 12th Guy Green arrives.58
Monday 16th TV Rehearsals start – oh boy, I miss Syb already!!59
Tuesday 17th Harvey to Paris.60
JUNE
Thursday 9th Bernard.61
Monday 13th Paul opens Oxford.62
Monday 20th Mark starts
Monday 27th Gareth Moira arrives.63
JULY
Wednesday 6th Elfed and Cis arrive.
Thursday 7th Gareth Moira left.
1960
JANUARY
Friday 1st, New York In New York. I arrived on 29 December.
Saturday 2nd Rehearsal. Fifth Column.1 We have begun without Max Schell.2 He will arrive in two or three days. George Rose and Betsy Von Furstenberg are also with us.3 The director Frankenheimer is a typical American – a Jew, a genius type. He swears all the time, he curses and he's always afraid.4
Wednesday 20th I have seen the tape. I hate myself and my face in particular. I have spoken with Sybil in Geneva.5
Thursday 21st Tape Fifth Column. I made mischief between Max Schell and Sally Ann Howes.6 I told him that she adores Max and that after an argument she had told me this. It's true. Max has done nothing.
Friday 22nd Tape Fifth Column. L. Harvey, Hugh Griffith, Dekin, Hugh French have drunk with me in my room at the Navarro.7
Saturday 23rd I saw B. Bogart in her play – only the last act.8 She goes well but the play is awful.
Sunday 24th I went to PHB's place to eat, drink and watch Su Str on television.9 She was very good, but otherwise, as with Betty Bacall, the play stank.
Monday 25th, New York I leave for France. TWA. When we arrived at the airport the police told us that a maniac had telephoned to say that he had put a bomb on our plane. We had a nervous and restless trip.
Tuesday 26th, Paris We could not land at Paris Orly – fog – and we continued to Geneva. Sybil left Geneva yesterday so that we would meet in Paris. I returned to Paris in the afternoon. [...] K.J.W. and Syb are well.10
Wednesday 27th I hope to see P. Brook today.11 I went to see Brook at 6 o'clock at 14 Avenue Hoche, Production Vienna, 3rd floor. I saw him and also Miss Jeanne Moreau.12 I didn't like her much. Pretty enough but ... I will not do the film.13
Thursday 28th We arrived at Geneva where Kate and Berenice were waiting for us.14 Kate loves The Station. In the evening we will stay at home with Berenice who is going to sleep in the new little house.15 Not true. We have visited and eaten at Paul's.16
Friday 29th The washing machine doesn't work. The heater is always smoking. Paul arrived and fixed everything. What a man. In the evening we stay at home with René and Berenice.17 René has returned from Zurich.
Saturday 30th I visited the bank this morning with K. I bought her a little red car. We ate in the airport restaurant waiting for Bernard and Claire.18 They arrived at ten past one. At home – we stayed (with a visit to Nyon to buy ski wear) for the rest of the day.19
Notes
J'espere fait le ski dans dix on deux jours.20 It is an exotic, romantic and snobby sport. We will try.
FEBRUARY
Monday 1st We left for Villars.21 The journey took 11/2 hours. Everything is fine.
Tuesday 2nd The first skiing lesson with Herr Von Stump. I tried my first slope on my own. Disaster.
Wednesday 3rd I have not been skiing because I fell yesterday.
Thursday 4th No skiing.
Friday 5th I start skiing again at Bretaye.22
Saturday 6th Skiing all day.
We have beaten the Scots 8–0.23 I saw it on TV at Villars. Bebb one try.24 Penalty from N. Morgan – back-row forward from Newport.25
Thursday 11th I did a Christie for the first time.26
Friday 12th We returned to Céligny. It snowed in the morning and we had some difficulty with the cloud getting down to Aigle.27
We ate at Paul's with René, Berenice, Rene and Osian Ellis, Bern and Claire.28 Osian played the harp, when we got back home.
Saturday 13th Rene and Osian Ellis arriv
ed yesterday evening. In the afternoon Osian played the harp for Radio Geneva. The English have beaten the Irish 8–5.29 I won 18000 French francs from Divonne.30
Sunday 14th Bernard and Claire left at 2.55.
In the evening, Osian and I played in Chateau Bossy for the Church school.31 We ate at Café du Soleil.32
Monday 15th Prince Michael Vashinski arrives; he has not arrived. He's in London. He telephoned and we discussed the film Son of Man. We'll see. I left the car at Fleury's.33 Rene and Osian have left.
Tuesday 16th We visited Penny Moyes at Vervier and we ate well at Café Mirdy.34
In the morning I went to Geneva for the car.
Snow remains but not on the major roads.
Wednesday 17th Michael Benthall from the Old Vic arrives.35 [...]
We ate at Coppet and spent the afternoon drinking there.36 M. Benthall told me that I should play Peer Gynt and Macbeth. We'll see.
Thursday 18th Michael has left for Milan. We had a drink with the Koesslers at their place.37 Nice and pretty.
Saturday 20th We ate at the Restaurant La Pergola on the Bargue with Rene and Berenice.38 Very pretty.
In the morning we bought lots of books at Naville's.39 And a machine for cutting film.
Sunday 21st Nothing to do. Books all day. Hornblower – novels, detective stories etc.40 The weather is fine every day at the moment. I met P. Ustinov at Geneva. He is leaving for Hollywood.41
Monday 22nd I wrote letters in the morning and in the afternoon we went to Nyon where I bought a present for Wendy the nurse – a camera with a flash attachment.
Tuesday 23rd This evening we ate at Berenice's and had a very interesting conversation with Dobrynski, the dentist, and his wife.
Wednesday 24th We ate in a little restaurant at Versoix with Penny Moyes and her friend Jim.42 He struck me as intelligent.
I spoke with Richardson about John Osborne's play which begins next Monday.43
Monday 29th Yeats.44 Dinner.
MARCH
Tuesday 8th John Ormond.45
Saturday 12th Dublin. Wales beat the Irish 10–9.46 We have returned from Great Britain.
Sunday 13th Nick Ray arrived from Hollywood.47 ‘Lucius’ star of King of Kings perhaps.48
Monday 14th I went to Divonne. I won 40,000 francs.
Tuesday 15th Emlyn and Molly.49
Nick Ray left.
Wednesday 16th Emlyn and Molly.
Sunday 20th Christening K. and J.50
D. Wms arrives.51
Wednesday 23rd I have begun to study Russian.
APRIL
Saturday 2nd D. Wms and Liz Hardy have left.52
I am going to London but I don't know the exact date, to do a new play by John Osborne. It's an interesting play.
Sunday 3rd We ate at the Café du Soleil with Kate, Ivor and Gwen.53
Saturday 9th To London at 11 o'clock.
Sunday 10th I have arrived in London.
Monday 25th We did A Matter of Scandal and Concern.
Wednesday 27th I left London at 2 o'clock by train.
Thursday 28th I arrived at Lausanne at 7 o'clock.54
Saturday 30th Dinner at Paul's.
MAY
Tuesday 3rd Paul Joy arrive [...]55
Wednesday 4th [...]
Phil 3.45.56
[...]
Saturday 7th Paul has left.
Tuesday 10th 3.0. Pierre Folliet.57
Wednesday 11th P.H.B. has arrived.
Thursday 12th Guy Green arrives.58
Monday 16th TV Rehearsals start – oh boy, I miss Syb already!!59
Tuesday 17th Harvey to Paris.60
JUNE
Thursday 9th Bernard.61
Monday 13th Paul opens Oxford.62
Monday 20th Mark starts
Monday 27th Gareth Moira arrives.63
JULY
Wednesday 6th Elfed and Cis arrive.
Thursday 7th Gareth Moira left.
1965
JANUARY
1 Friday Recovered from crapulousness.
Read Britannica with E.1 She's a good little girl. Picked up Sara last night in Palace Hotel swung her around and charmingly shouted ‘I hate Old Women.‘2
Putting J. Sullivan under some sort of contract.3 He and his future Daliah Lavi leave tomorrow.4
2 Saturday Sara and Francis leaving tomorrow for London.5 Out to Park hotel for make-up dinner.6 Successful. Sara still harping on Francis’ heart condition in whispers looks and sometimes so directly and in the third person so that E said once: ‘You talk as if Daddy were not here.’
3 Sunday Lunched with Sara and Francis. Dined with Natalie Wood and Young Niven.7 She emaciated and looks riddled with TB.8 Pekinese eyes. Sad case. Went to Chesery – horrible noisy place.9
4 Monday Went to Berne to Consulate to register, also to Police at Saanen to obtain permit de séjour.10 E unable to come. Cracked her head against open cupboard door in middle of night. Mother and Father of all black eyes. Nobody will believe I didn't hit her – such is my reputation – so we pretend she fell on slopes. [...] E and I in box-office thing of year me 10 E 11th. Ha-ha. She did not of course make a film! Not strictly fair.11
5 Tuesday E. unable (Doctors’ orders) to travel so caught 3.34 from Lausanne. [...] The train was comically irritating. A small boy, a smaller boy and a huge dog that took up two-thirds of the floor space, also two men and [...] voluble lady [...]. Arrived Paris 9.45. Met by Gaston and was taken to the Meurice not Lancaster as expected.12 Wrote note authorizing Rene Weibel to take Syb's ‘affaires’ from Céligny. André had requested it!13 She wants home movies too. Seems a little masochistic. Paris snowless and a nice change.
6 Wednesday Left Paris 12.34 on Golden Arrow. Splendid train surely one of the best in the world.14 Arrived London [...]. Met by Heyman and Rolls Royce.15 Called E. who will come tomorrow by air. Had drinks in smart pub near Dorchester with Heyman.16 Later joined by Sullivan and Daliah. Went home and so to read and so to bed à la Pepys.17 (Had haircut in Alexandre's before leaving Paris).18
7 Thursday Went to Berman's at 10 and walked to Wardour Street afterwards with M. Ritt.19We ‘kicked the script around a bit’ for about an hour. Talked to Oskar Werner on the phone.20 Sounds young and enthusiastic. Had lunch at Isow's with Ritt and Claire Bloom.21 She was nervous but was alright. For this relief much thanks. Met my good girl at London airport. Her face looks extremely bruised poor old dab. Nerves made me rather snappy partner and we went earliesh to bed after bangers and mash.22
13 Wednesday Battersea Park at 8.15 to rehearse with Michael Hordern. 23 Very very cold and particularly so as I am totally immobile during the scene and Marty shot take after freezing take. Springer arrived with Hugh French.24 Also journalist called Palmer from AP.25 He didn't seem like a journalist at all. Perhaps he isn't. Hoped to have E for lunch but didn't. Ended work lunch time (in Six Bells, King's Road) went home met E in lobby with her dad and P. Sellers.26 Cis and Elfed arrived (cut Ivor dead at Paddington!) and had dinner.27 I had mine in bed. Cold very bad.
[There are no further entries in the diary from mid-January to early May. On 16 January 1965 Richard and Elizabeth travelled to Cardiff to see Wales defeat England at rugby union by 14 points to 3. Filming of The Spy Who Came in from the Cold continued in Dublin, Bavaria and in the Netherlands as well as in London. During this period Richard was nominated for an Academy Award as Best Actor for his performance in Becket, but the Oscar was won by Rex Harrison for his performance in My Fair Lady. Burton also made a single – ‘A Married Man’ – taken from the musical Baker Street, and recorded some war poems by the British poet Wilfred Owen (1893–1918). While in Dublin Burton and Taylor were visited by Franco Zeffirelli (1923–) and a friendship developed between them that would result in Zeffirelli directing The Taming of the Shrew the following year.]
MAY
5 Wednesday Operation for E.28 Went in to see her after finishing work. Worked at Mansion House Tube and opposite Telegraph buildings in Fleet Street.29 Visi
ted Mirror Building [...]30 Nervous all day long worrying about her. Went there slightly sloshed and they allowed her home as long as she didn't move about too much. Watched TV in bed. Rode on bus round and round Kensington Tube Station.31 [...]
6 Thursday Last day Spy.
Husband was sweet to me. And I know how much he hates ‘ill people’ and avoids any and all signs of pain in someone he likes and loves. But he has been wonderful with me. Spoiled me like mad!! I adore it!! Maybe – (they told me) after another operation I could give him a baby. I want that more than anything in the whole world. Please let him know nothing will happen to me. Please make him say ‘Yes’. (Please God). [Elizabeth Taylor's hand.]
8 Saturday Party Spy.
11 Tuesday Dinner at Mirabelle.32
16 Sunday
Lunch with Peter Glenville and Bill – saw a wild and crazy house next door.33 ‘Poofsville’ should be the name of it. Peter sweet and excited about R. in G. I.34 Then I had to go alone to see Sandpiper! It is not quite as bad as I thought. R. looks better than I have ever seen him (he's so bloody beautiful – and sexy) and he takes words, so mundane, and turns them into something deeply moving and real – No one else in the world could have done what he does. He made me cry. I'm not even ashamed of what I did – but only when I acted with him. He makes us all look better than we are. [Elizabeth Taylor's hand.]
17 Monday
I was supposed to do all kinds of things today – like buy dresses (and things and stuff) Things I would ordinarily have loved and indulged in – buying clothes and jewels. I still have over 5 thou’ to spend on my allowance and 45 thous of insurance money for jewelery – but we did something else – Something more beautiful than anything in the world. My God it was lovely! Then we had a late dinner at ‘Mediterannée’ and talked about all the things we are going to do on our honeymoon – It's almost 5 years long now.35 Better every day! [Elizabeth Taylor's hand.]
18 Tuesday First night of honeymoon (?) by leaving Paris driving ourselves in R.R.36 Followed, for a time by two press. E. has bangs.37 Can't make up mind whether like or not. E called Baron E. Rothschild to make intro to J. Heyman.38 Lunched (pizza) at Bas Bréau Barbizon.39 Lovely. Then went on to Avallon and are staying at ‘La Poste’.40 E. behaving as if it really were the first time for us both to be married to each other. Have to be careful. I might become idolatrous. Wish I knew her well enough to tell her how exciting life is with her about.
The Richard Burton Diaries Page 17