The Richard Burton Diaries

by Richard Burton

  Eventually to everyone's relief we were in calm waters at Monte Carlo. R. Hanley and Gaston were there to greet us. Later [...] we had dinner at Rampoldi's.52 By this time K was completely recovered and she and I ate sole meunière with chips, with grapefruit to start with. I still feel odd after so many days in Portofino. It must be lack of exercise. The weather was sticky and warm and no breath of wind. I read and tried to sleep, failed, read again and finally slept about 3.30 am. How I hate that kind of night.

  Friday 23rd We all awoke about 9.30 and had tea on deck – K had orange juice.

  Finally when all forces had been gathered we repaired to La Ferme where we had an elaborate meal which was [...] absurdly delicious.53 [...] we took Kate to swim in the Olympic Pool. I sat with Eliz while K swam. Eventually a friend of E's, and a friend of his, joined us for a drink. E has always called him ‘Little Abner’ so it was rather difficult of myself and Kate to know what he was actually a West Indian called Smatt.54[...]

  Saturday 24th A brilliantly hot day with Kate anxious to swim so we thought we'd kill two birds with one stone and go to La Réserve where K could swim while we ate and drank.55 This we did going by the Riva speedboat. It was very pleasant K swimming in the sea and the pool. Orson Welles gargantuanly fat joined us for a minute or two.56 He said that every film he'd directed in his life had cost him money, that he'd never received any money from any of his films and that Chimes at Midnight had cost him $75,000 personally out of his own pocket.57 He left the table suddenly and dramatically with a sotto voce ‘darling’ to E and a conspiratorial squeeze of my shoulder. I wondered to E how he could possibly make love.

  [...] We ran into Sam Spiegel and Harry Kurnitz and took them up on the hill for a drink and a cool-off.58

  Sunday 25th I am sitting on the after-deck at the moment while K writes her diary beside me. She writes well for a 9 year old and needs no help.

  [...] we went on board the Southern Breeze – a big 190 foot MY – to have lunch with a friend of E's mother and her husband. Mr and Mrs Gus Newman.59 The yacht is very posh and they are obviously stinking rich. Useful people to know and nice with it. Puts our little Oddyseia somewhat in the shabby class.

  Persuaded E to try and get Howard here instead of going there and to travel to Suisse by car if we can find a big limousine.60 Here's hoping.

  Went to the Port bar and played pin ball machine with Kate, home to supper, Sunday papers and this diary.

  Monday 26th – Tuesday 27th – Wednesday 28th, Monte Carlo – San Remy – Talloires [...] K suddenly complained of a pain in her back which the doctor-masseur took care of. We suspect the pain will suddenly disappear when swimming is available.

  As indeed proved on Tuesday evening at Baumanière.61 She was into the pool like a trout and jumping and diving without a care. We had a slightly checkered journey. Before we'd left Monte Carlo the power windows blew a fuse and we had to wait in the Negresco over a beer while the car went into the garage.62 We stopped near a town called Le Luc for lunch at a restaurant called Aux Grillades.63 [...] K slept with E and I slept on a camp bed. Like a log though E says sleeping with K was like trying to embrace an earthquake.

  Yesterday Wednesday we left about 10.30 when we were held up for the second day running. E had forgotten her wig box!! We stopped at the Nougat town of Montelimar for lunch at Relais de l'empereur.64 Very pleasant place with lovely food [...]. With it we had the local wine, which is of course Châteauneuf-du-Pape. And playing word games in the car we got to Talloires to stay at L'Abbaye.65 We dined at Auberge du Pere Bise and I could not eat.66 One of the truly great restaurants.

  [There are no further entries in the diary until late July. During this time Richard and Elizabeth were at the Chalet Ariel, Gstaad.]

  JULY

  Thursday, 20th, Gstaad Arrived here on the 29th June [...] en route we stopped at Domino's (Rolle) for lunch where Maria and Liza were waiting for us. Hugs and kisses all round and so on to Gstaad. K and Liza travelled ahead with Gaston. We followed with Simon and Maria (Simon is the Gstaad taxi-man.) Stopped at Bulle for a drink of vin blanc.67 Maria played ‘Liza's favourite song’ on the Juke-box – ‘Puppet on a String.‘68 [...]

  We have done most of the things we promised each other we'd do. We've eaten raclette, fondue bourgignonne, Steak Diane, Chateaubriands at the madly expensive Palace. We have had the local wines including a rather good one from Sion called Chante Merle Badoud. Sweet and light – not quite a Rosé.

  After much cogitation we decided not to go to the USA or Hawaii at all but to have Ive and Gwen take K to NY and to have Howard and Mara come over to Europe.69 That gives us extra time to relax and also gives K a few more days in Suisse. She and Liza have words now and again but obviously enjoy each other's company.

  Kate, surprisingly, though highly intelligent and very charming is I'm afraid a bit of a tale-bearer or tattle-tail as she would say and oddly ungenerous – not in thought but in deed. She finds it intensely difficult to lend something even when she herself doesn't want it. Where the devil does that come from? Syb was never like that and my family loaded with vices as we are don't number lack of generosity among them. Maybe it will pass.

  On the 5th July we picked the boys up at the school. A horrible day – Michael has definitely been sacked and Chris is everybody's darling winning two prizes, one for Art. I loathed the headmaster. A very big man, Swiss, with an emaciated wife and, as compensation, a lovely chubby baby daughter.70 Ava Gardner was there with Ricardo (Madrid) who tends to be a bit of a know-all.71 He had a son there of 19 who still had not (or just had maybe) graduated. How the hell could Mike be fired and this obvious oaf been allowed to stay on all these years? Mike is lethargic sluggish and graceless but he's very loving and intelligent enough to hold his own in a school as scholastically indifferent as le Rosey. We shall try and get him into Millfield. Fred (Heyman's wife) has talked to Meyer, the head, and we might get him in there.72 [...] He's probably a slow starter like his Uncle Howard.

  Ivor and Gwen arrived on the 13th and we met them at the Airport. K and Liza came with us and we drove to Morges to have lunch with the Yul Brynners.73 I became a trifle stoned largely as a result of drinking ‘Williams’ a pear liqueur which is potent. Mrs Brynner is pretty silly sometimes. Her cynicism sometimes verges on the envious.

  Ivor and Gwen were delighted with Gstaad and the weather was superb the whole time. We took them to the Olden and the Palace and one night July 14 (Bastille Day) we went, at Gaston's invitation, to the Belle Vue hotel where the barmaid did lots of conjuring tricks.74 The kids were bewitched and can now do a few of them themselves.

  Ivor and Gwen left on the 18th with K for NY. We spent the night before in the Beau Rivage hotel and had dinner with Paul and Janine Fillistorf and their son Roger and his wife.75 [...]

  I had woken up in Geneva with a painful left wrist and today as I write it is virtually immovable. I am to see the doctor in an hour's time and for me to see a doctor! The arm from the elbow down seems to be on fire. I hope it's just a sprain and not arthritis again. [...] I can't and nobody else can remember my hitting something or falling etc. [...]

  Maria is being a hell of a nuisance since Gus (the Irish nurse) left. The other kids are too old to play with her [...]. Poor little thing. She cries a lot at night and continually wakes up Nella and Claudye in snivelling hysterics.76 She is a mass of fears. We must get her special treatment.

  I went to the doctor in the village – a fellow about my age I think with receding hair and a very clinical look, much washed. I guessed it was arthritis and it was and is. [...] Scherz of the Palace Hotel called and asked if we would consent to be televised for Swiss TV.77 I said we had guests. [...]

  Victoria Brynner is visiting today – 4 years old approximately and adorable.78 She is playing with Maria.

  Michael is ‘dating’ a girl called Robin Marlowe. He appears to be much struck by her. She seemed dull and mannerless at first but has improved on acquaintance. Her father Stephen Marlowe writes b
ooks and I'm trying to read one of them called The Shining.79 It is set in Classical Greece and is torture to read. I'd rather a second hand book of sermons or thoughts for the day. E is lucky – his book, sent to her, is a thriller-suspense story. [...]

  Vivien Leigh died of TB about a fortnight ago.80 Jayne Mansfield (big blonde semi-star) was beheaded in a car crash.81

  Gianni, Claudye's boyfriend, was here when we arrived and is due again tomorrow. I – we – promised him the Mini-Cooper when he marries Claudye and if he stops motor racing. He is a nice Italian boy who has bright red hair – quite startling anywhere but certainly in Italy. They are obviously dotty about each other.82

  The tennis championship of Suisse is on here at Gstaad and all the big names are here. Emerson, Santana, Osuna etc.83 I shall watch Saturday and Sunday perhaps.

  It seems that the yacht has passed inspection and is now ours and is officially the KALIZMA. Kate Liza Maria (Elizabeth included in Liza). It's going to be fun when it's all fitted out. [...]

  Friday 21st Yesterday was a medicine and diet day. I had 1/2 grapefruit (no sugar) two boiled eggs (substitute salt) a piece of bread (no butter) three times, and nothing else at all except water. Result this morning: Lost 3lbs – I am now 1801/2lbs. It is a sobering thought that the woman who suggested this diet to me – Paula Strasberg, Lee's wife, – is dead.84

  The effect of these pills on the arthritic arm is fantastic – for about an hour you think somebody is carefully and sadistically slitting open all the veins and that your arm is about to fall off. To counteract this I took 1/2 tablets of E's empirin and codeine. It helped a little.

  Last night, loaded with drugs I fell asleep about 1.00 and didn't wake until 10.30 this morning. E had left to sleep in the other room because my snoring was so heavy. Everything so far re the arm is much better.

  Sunday 23rd Yesterday we saw in great trepidation our film of Dr Faustus. It is not 1/2 bad I think and has some moments of genuine quality. There are one or two unalterable vulgarities but generally speaking it is a pretty good achievement to make what appears to be a very expensive film for just over $1 million. Got mildly drunk afterwards in the Olden still sticking vaguely to our diet – hamburger and tomato salad for lunch and a T-bone steak for dinner. My weight (and E's) had dropped 2lbs making me 1781/2 and E 1341/2.

  [...] We went to bed, after feeding MacWhorter and LaRue on barbecued steaks, about 3.0. E very erotic and anche io.85 It thundered and lightninged all night and was very heavy and stuffy. I finally tried to sleep in the guest bedroom, felt lonely, went back to E – finally went back to the guest bedroom and slept with last thoughts of Faustus being a little-regarded failure.

  Monday 24th [...] We went to the Palace for lunch and had two medium sized entrecotes each for the main course with a tomato and onion salad. Washed down with a rosé (two bottles which we shared with R. McWhorter who lunched with us.)

  Afterwards to the tennis where we saw Emerson beat Santana in 3 sets and Emerson and Santana beat McManus and Osborne in 5.86 The latter looks a very promising boy. Powerful serve. [...]

  Afterwards to the Olden, where I had a Gibson and E J. Daniels, and played Yahtsee. E beat me 4 out of 5. For dinner we had poached salmon and the inevitable onion and tomato salad. [...]

  Tuesday 25th Yesterday morning saw the scales drop us 1/2lb each to 177 for me and 132 for E. Still that's better as E says than being 1/2lb up.

  It was a brilliant day until about 5.00 afternoon when rumbling of thunder was heard, the clouds piling black on the peaks and finally torrential, almost tropical rain. Liza had her wart on her finger burnt off. She was terrified of the needle the contents of which, it seemed to me, the doctor took a devil of a long time to inject. She cried a little but was most interested in the actual burning of the wart. As it sizzled under the heat she said it looked like fried chicken.

  [...] I retired early and read Gavin Maxwell's Ring of Bright Water which I read until, and finished at, 2.00 in the morning.87 It is a delightful if, now and again in its description pieces, slightly pretentious book of his two otters. They sound delightful but great nuisances.

  Wednesday 26th Weight 1751/4 for me. 1311/4 E. Lost respectively 13/4 and 3/4lbs.

  [...] We stayed in for lunch and had barbecued lamb chops a slice of onion and a slice of tomato. Taught Robin to play Yahtsee. Drove down to the village with Chris who has a girl-friend – his first – a girl of 13 from Neuchatel called Patrice.88 A nice slow-faced girl solid and Swiss. Speaks no language except French which somehow is surprising in Switzerland. Her mother (so I learn from Chris) has recently been divorced and they are living or vacationing at the Rossli Hotel in town.89

  We went there last night to take the girl home and so met her mother and her aunt. The latter bossy and well-to-do I fancy, broad of face and figure and bespectacled. Patrice's looks are more the aunt's than the mother's who looks like my sister Cis a bit though her face is sharper.

  [...] Mike has been to the Marlowes’ anniversary (of Marlowe's getting custody of the children!) and came home exhilarated about 11. The girl Robin seems to have given him more vitality and zip. Maybe it will help.

  Thursday 27th, Gstaad – London [...] New bookcase arrived and I had it fixed next to the bathroom in guest bedroom and suitably filled it with books. Will have to [...] order another bookcase.

  We left Gstaad at 3.25 arrived at Airport driving like mad at 4.15. [...] Left about 6.15 Arrived 1 hour 20 minutes later. Smooth as silk. Did crossword and drank a lot.

  Dinner at Salisbury with the boys – cold roast pork etc.90 Drunken American actor kept on telling me fulsomely that I had ‘taken on the mantle of (a) Greatness and (b) Olivier.’ I said politely that I wasn't greatly taken with mantles. The boys Mike and Chris, who were with us, enjoyed it greatly. Americans of a certain type are very humourless but rather endearing.

  Home and to bed. The boys and E watched TV. I read Agatha Christie.

  Friday 28th, London Yesterday we had lunch – the whole purpose of the visit was to see him – with R. J. O. Meyer headmaster of Millfield.91 He was disappointing. I had imagined a much wiser, more authoritative man. This man was tall, thin very English nervous in gesture and a compulsive talker. One white liar recognizes another and I found some of his stories a little too highly polished. He made E and Michael very nervous but didn't me – perhaps because my respect was mildly tinged with contempt. Anyway it seems that the boys are acceptable. I think they'll be alright there. What bores headmasters generally are. For 1/2 the year they lord it over children and it must have a distorting effect on their relationship with adults. All their little jokes are laughed at, their little bursts of anger trembled at. Still, he's obviously good at his job. I became a little tetchy once or twice.

  We saw Peter Sellers film Bobo followed by Faustus.92 Bobo is slight but Peter's wife is lovely in it. Sammy Davis Jr came to see F.93 They all seem to be impressed by me but not by the film itself – it is of course a one-man show. Wolf Mankovitz wants his name taken off the titles. We agreed. Silly gesture.

  Today we leave at 12.55 for Rome – 11/2 hours wait – then on to Taormina.94

  Friday 28th, London – Rome – Taormina – Sicily Am reverting back to writing on the day itself – hence two Fridays in this week.

  We left on time and boarded the plane (a woman asked ‘sign my autograph please Mr Taylor.’) I gave her a look that felled her. That's the first time in 5 years that that's happened. Cheek.

  On the plane we found Peter and Sian O'Toole and we proceeded to get drunk.95 Peter is charming but a real fibber. He asked me how many nominations I'd had. I said truthfully FIVE. He said, holding up his fingers to point it, that he'd had four. I know he's only had two. Does he think we're idiots.96

  [...] I'd forgotten it was 50 kms from Catania to Taormina.97 We had insisted on an air conditioned car so were driven by a private citizen. Not one word of English could he speak and I kept on speaking French. An unpleasant journey with me stoned.

  W
e were appalled to find that Michael W. senior could not drive the boys to the airport because ‘he had to look after Maggie.‘98 E furious. He hasn't seen them for a year, contributes and has contributed nothing to their upbringing or education, and couldn't drive them to the airport. Charming but feckless.

  Saturday 29th, Taormina Surrounded by publicity and paparazzi we lived in a blaze of flash lights all day long. At 6.15 we had a press conference with the usual stupid questions and answers. At 9.00 or thereabouts we hied our way to the awards.99 There we picked up the awards (three this time) and sloshed our way steadily through the night ‘till 5.00 in the morning.

  As usual E had the biggest hand and Peter O'Toole Vittorio Gassman and I made idiots of ourselves – Gassman without meaning to. The crowds were enormous both in and outside the amphitheatre. We shall not, unless it's very convenient, come here again. It really is a farce.

  Started ‘Drinking Man's Diet.’ Let's see what happens.

  Noel Coward is to play the witch in Boom! – as a male of course.100 This makes the film very much more interesting from our point of view, and he should be brilliant. It is 16 years or so since I worked with him and that was for $200 for playing the Marquis de something or other in a recording of Conversation Piece.101 E has never worked with him before. He should be good value. [...]

  The Israeli Ambassador to Italy anxious that we go to Israel to celebrate this festival week.102 Might go at the end of the week.

  Sunday 30th A slow day, marking time, with a walk in which we bought sunglasses at a little shop. As we left the crowd which had gathered applauded us. E thought it very sweet, which indeed it was. We dined in somnolence and some self-satisfaction as we compared our ancestors and former wives and husbands.