The Richard Burton Diaries

by Richard Burton

  Tuesday 8th A tedious day. Sally sick with migraine. [...] Spent a tedious 1/2 hour with the notary public – female, gaunt, 50, and appallingly freckled. Spoke like an automaton. [...] Pope arrives tomorrow. Must that silly old sod travel quite so much? He must cost each country he visits a bloody fortune. Everything here, for instance, stops for the whole day. No planes, no shops, no anything, and all for an idiot who says it's a sin for a man to lust after his own wife!

  Wednesday 9th Slept 9–10 hours – not sure. Poolside until 3pm. Having another boring go at Noel. The more one steeps oneself in the play – the other parts as well – one realizes with dismay that a man one loved so much had such a slight mind. The Pope duly arrived at 2 o'clock and should leave at 2am. Thank whatever God may be for town completely disrupted. Police all over. Took us nearly 35 minutes to go to a place which normally would take 10 minutes. Went [to] Leslie Gerson's (American Consul). Goat was the first course. Watched Sally's face. She ate with gusto. So was the rest of the grub. Sally is going to try and steal her cook. The latter is intelligent and reads and understands French.

  Thursday 10th Awoke at 6am. Found the BBC World Service but fell asleep on the sofa with the wireless on my belly. Sally knew – she was still in bed – that I must be asleep because the programme that followed the news was Top of the Pops.29 Hardly my style. [...]

  Friday 11th Very early again and brilliant weather. Too hot so into the pool every 15 minutes so it seemed. Malary (lawyer) turned up twice – once at 11.30 and again at 4.30.30 Legally he's not allowed to say anything but pretty sure that everything's OK. Did TV interview. Appalling M.U. girl made me or tried to make me look like Roger Moore.31 Ghastly. 5 minutes was it took [sic] – I mean – the actual interview but that hearty lady maquseuls slapped my sun burnt face a round as if she were playing handball.32 [...] NY tomorrow. Don't know whether glad or sorry.

  Saturday 12th Arrived NY on time. What a change in weather. [...] Had dinner with D. Rowe-Beddoe, plus Madeline, plus Valerie, Brook and Lisa Rowe-Beddoe.33 Everyone drank except me. ET phoned in middle of dinner. Noise of clientele so loud that I could only get half of what she said. Will phone her or she me tomorrow sometime. Doesn't know a word says she.

  Sunday 13th, New York, Lombardy [Hotel] Sunny day. Talked to Kate and coming over Monday night. Working off Broadway. Irish play.34 Maria came over with baby.35 Went with them to see ET who's using Rock Hudson's flat in Beresford.36 Little or no library. Horrid flat. E's face OK but figure splop! Also drinking. Also has not yet read the play! That's my girl! Became very sentimental. ‘Please don't marry Sally for my sake for a long time’ ‘I have no dates.’ She is very lonely. Buffman using her as is everybody else except us.37 Feel sorry for her. A mass of mess. Poor thing. ‘I have no dates’ means ‘nobody wants me for myself.’ True too!

  Monday 14th Began rehearsals. Arrived at 11.30 to find, as usual, that ET couldn't get there ‘til noon. They had tried to phone me, they said, to stop my coming so early. Too late, tho! I was there. Director not very inspired. Perhaps he'll get more inventive. Kathryn Walker (Sybil) competent but not competition.38 [...] ET still drinking. Wine only she says. Honest Jack Daniels not too distant. ET bad. Couldn't even read the lines properly. Doubtless she'll come up to scratch eventually. ET as exciting as a flounder temporarily. [...] This is going to be a long long seven months. ET beginning to bore which I would not have thought possible all those years ago. How terrible a thing time is.

  Tuesday 15th ET only 15 minutes late but then spent 15 minutes more doing her eyebrows. She stinks of garlic – who has garlic for breakfast? She is also on something or other because there are lines here and there which she can't say at all. Very worrying. It's appalling, but I'd not mind if she found she couldn't do it and we had to get someone else. She is also terribly low in energy. Tells me twice an hour how lonely she is. I pity that poor Buffman. Kate, Val, Alka, Lisa (Rowe-Beddoe) all here at one time.39 K. unhappy I think. She and Lisa stayed for dinner. [...]

  Wednesday 16th [...] ET one hour late today. Two veganin stuck in her throat and in trying to shift them (with Fernet Branca) she vomited. Then her car wouldn't start so mine was sent for her. On the white wine today. Bought me a quite unnecessary Cartier scarf ‘Le Must.’ Rehearsals with her very hard work. Stick it out Rich. Bought some books for bedtime. Dashiell Hammett, life of Kafka, and also Mark Twain and thrillers.40 Michael Innes tonight but not for long. [...]

  Thursday 17th St Pat's parade sent us off early to get through Fifth Avenue.41 Result being we were at working theatre (the Cort) at about 11.20.42 Ready for midday. ET had phoned earlier in her ‘lolo little voice’ full of brave self-pity to say she was very very sick and had the trots and vomits and she was very sorry but couldn't come to work. Sally and I exchanged looks directed at heaven. Anyway I worked ‘til 4.30 straight. Without the book for the most part. [...]

  Friday 18th Non-stop rain. Ran through the whole play or rather stumbled through it. All day. ET beginning to learn her lines. Kathryn Walker seems to know hers. J. Cullum, surprisingly is very hesitant. There are three or four exchanges that I'm a bit hazy on too. [...] By the end of next week I'll be itching for a real audience God willing. They are the only directors I can truly depend on. Milton alright but states the obvious with irritating predictability. Looking forward to Boston now.43 Hope Sally will like it.

  Saturday 19th Apparently according to Ron we might easily have won.44

  Stumbles through the whole thing. I was the only one not holding a book though for some reason I couldn't remember the second act too well largely I think because of the staging. Went to Laurent for dinner. One large Martini, shared a lovely 1968 Lafitte, two brandies and was only mildly pissed.

  Sunday 20th [...] Went to ET's for brunch. Eggs Benedict, chips, peas. All had Mimosas (Buck's Fizz) except me. Brook with us. Ran through second act with ET abysmal. She was quite crocked by this time and couldn't even read the lines let alone remember them. Sally spent her time in the next room with Chen Sam – also fried – and told Sally she is dying of leukemia. What a frightful liar she is. Among other fairy tales she told Sally of she'd nursed me through a bad bout of malaria in Botswana. I've never had malaria. ET gave me the terrors again. She is such a mess.

  Monday 21st ET no better. Sally saw her have a Fernet Branca at 12.30pm then she drank white wine quite openly – lines getting better but not much. I mean her text not her outline. Because she's struggling for words it makes for a very long day. Again she is terribly lacking in energy. Everything is an effort – even to get up from a chair. Talked to Kate on blower. She comes to the theatre tomorrow at 12 noon. Liza called and Sally talked to her. Gave birthday present to Lisa Rowe-Beddoe. $200 and a card chosen by Sally. Photo-call tomorrow. Gawd help us. Still I have Sally and will see Kate and Bob Wilson.

  Tuesday 22nd Fury recollected in relative tranquilum. ET impossibly sloshed all day long. So much so she couldn't even read the lines. Same at dinner with the Sime Hornbys who are over on a flying visit.45 They both sloshed and silly too – long and silly arguments over pronunciations of words. I won every one in the end – words in the play I mean. Had forgotten how ill-educated and stupid Sheran Cazalet is. Food good. La Lavendu yclept. But small and table not big enough for six. ET in hating and hatable mood – Buffman – an iron mouse. God were we glad to get home. Sally mentioned that Simon the Satyr did come on a bit strong.

  Wednesday 23rd Worked from 12 noon ‘til 7pm without ceasing. ET had an eternal costume fitting (21/2 hours) so worked without her. Less sloshed but didn't know a single word of second act which Brook and I went over with her endlessly on Sunday last. Have been forced to promise to go to a memorial service (as ‘one of the stars’) for Tennessee Williams.46 Did two films of his – both goodish I believe.47 I didn't even like the chap. As a matter of fact I hardly ever saw him sober though we were together for months. A self-pitying pain in the neck. Also he made pass at my Chris when Chris was eight.48

  Thursday 24th Usual d
ay struggling with ET who is slowly getting the part in some sort of shambling shape. [...] I am still the only one without a book. I am immensely surprised at the lack of preparation but still we have four weeks before Broadway.49 Very sunny.

  Friday 25th No rehearsals – went for costume fitting. Usual tedium but Theoni Aldredge and tailor very sweet.50 Did whole play at home and called ET in the a.m. to say that I wasn't going to Tennessee Williams’ memorial – apparently a lot of crying went on. Geraldine Fitzgerald sang ‘Danny Boy'!51 Sounded awful – I mean the idea of it all. Kate went and came here to the hotel to give us a blow by blow. Funny child.

  Saturday 26th Rehearsed from 11.30–7. ET a bit better in first act but still stuttery. So am I in bits. Long day and felt intensely nervous all day long. J. Breslin came for 10am coffee and to my surprise interviewed me.52

  Sunday 27th ET tremendously better in first act – still rocky in second and reads third. For the first time in this piece I enjoyed rehearsals. Hope it continues. Home to the Sunday Times crostic. Did it quickly. Sally watching Thorn-Birds.53 OK she says.

  Monday 28th Kate here for dinner and is staying the night. Little sweetheart is suffering from pangs of disprised love.54 I could kill the man. He's a stage-manager or something.55 Rehearsals from 12–7. [...] Sally looking very tired tonight, though she bravely kept a good front up. I keep worrying that she's lost too much weight. She says it has plateau'd out. Hope so. 11.30 start tomorrow. [...]

  Tuesday 29th [...] Technical people in front so all of us hyped up a bit. Everybody coming along well. Only worry is John Cullum who hasn't got hold of the essential ‘squareness’ of Victor. Katie and Sally to lunch together. ET's lethargy disappearing fast. She will be good I hope. So will I, I hope. Milton doesn't understand Coward. Suppose he's happier with American writers. [...]

  Wednesday 30th Rehearsals ad nauseam. At very awkward stage and director is mildly irritating with continual and (it seems to me) sometimes idiotic suggestions. I don't think he understands comedies of manners at all and especially Noel. Suggested that I should play it with ‘Welsh fire’ and ET as Elizabeth (American) Taylor. I almost fell off my chair. I can't wait for a paying audience to teach me, in a few performances or so, what they want. Saw beloved Katie in Irish play Winners. She brilliant. Funny and moving.

  Thursday 31st Most curious occurrence. Director went to lunch and came back exactly as if he were completely under the influence of booze (I thought). No smell on breath so I thought it must be ‘speed’ which is a habit he had once so he'd told me. ET and Brook thought he'd gone bonkers. We muttered under our breaths (ET and I) but said nothing. Thank God ET understands enough Welsh to know when I'm telling her to control her temper. He stopped us every two lines or four sometimes one word. I nearly went mad. On top of all which ET lost a cap off her teeth. That means four teeth lost in the last five-six months in Sally's and my presence.

  APRIL

  Friday 1st Started 11. Mr Katselas the director made the mistake of insulting Kathryn first and ET second whereupon I turned on the heat. I blistered and blasted him. Theoni (dress designer) told me that director was almost certainly high on Scientology.56 So ignorant am I that I didn't know what it meant. I'm still not quite sure. Anyway, end result was – so far – we did it our way and not his. Result: we went through it like whipped cream. He was very quiet for the rest of the day though ET continued to be sullen.

  Saturday 2nd Two runs-through today and the difference in performances was sensational in comparison with a mere 11/2 days ago. The play and players began to invent. J. Cullum now spot on. Odd man out is me at the moment. I suspect I'm too dangerous to play Noel. My bloody voice is too rich or something. Well, I'll see what I can do.

  April 1983 – August 1984

  Richard Burton ceased keeping his 1983 diary in early April. This was the last diary he compiled. On 8 May Private Lives opened on Broadway, and ran (in Philadelphia, Washington and Los Angeles) until October. It was not a success. On 3 July Richard and Sally married at the Frontier Hotel, Las Vegas. In late November Richard appeared in a televised event paying tribute to Frank Sinatra. On New Year's Eve 1983 Richard and Sally were amongst the guests of President Duvalier at his palace on Haiti.

  In May 1984 Burton played the role of O'Brien in the film 1984, based on the novel by George Orwell. This involved filming in London and in Wiltshire. Shortly after this Richard worked alongside daughter Kate in the TV mini-series Ellis Island, also filmed in England. Thereafter Sally and Richard returned to Céligny. On 3 August they entertained John Hurt who had taken the lead role of Winston Smith in 1984.57 The following morning Hurt left Burton reading the poetry of William Blake. On the morning of 5 August Richard, though breathing, did not awake. He had suffered a cerebral haemorrhage and died at 1.15p.m. in hospital in Geneva.

  In accordance with his wishes Richard Burton was buried on 9 August in Céligny's Protestant cemetery. Two days later a memorial service was held at Bethel Baptist Chapel in Pontrhydfyen. On 24, 28 and 30 August respectively further memorial services were held at the Wilshire Theater in Beverly Hills, the Lunt-Fontanne Theater in New York and at St Martin-in-the-Fields, Trafalgar Square, London.

  When he died Richard Burton left an estate valued at approximately £3.5 million. This was largely divided amongst his widow Sally, and his daughters Kate, Jessica and Maria. Smaller sums went to surviving family members, to Liza Todd, Christopher Wilding, Bob Wilson, Ron Berkeley, Valerie Douglas and Philip Burton.

  BIBLIOGRAPHY

  Archival Sources

  Richard Burton Collection, Richard Burton Archives Swansea University

  RWB 1 / 1: Diaries

  RWB 1 / 2: Correspondence

  RWB 1 / 3: Printed Items

  RWB 1 / 4: Photographs

  RWB 1 / 5: Film, Television and Audio Recordings, Documentaries and Interviews

  RWB 1 / 6: Film Posters

  RWB 1 / 7: Programmes and Scripts

  RWB 1 / 8: Screenplays and Scripts

  RWB 1 / 9: Press Cuttings and Publicity Material

  RWB 1 / 10: Framed Prints and Pictures

  RWB 1 / 11: Objects

  RWB 1 / 12: Miscellaneous

  Works of Reference

  Chambers’ Slang Dictionary

  Collins Robert French–English English–French Dictionary

  Encyclopedia of Wales

  Halliwell's Film Guide

  Halliwell's Who's Who in the Movies

  Oxford Companion to Classical Civilization

  Oxford Companion to English Literature

  Oxford Companion to the Theatre

  Oxford Dictionary for Writers and Editors

  Oxford Dictionary of Foreign Words and Phrases

  Oxford Dictionary of National Biography

  Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable

  Oxford Dictionary of Quotations

  Oxford Guide to Style

  Shakespeare, William, Complete Works, ed. Jonathan Bate and Eric Rasmussen (Houndmills: Macmillan, 2007)

  Shorter Oxford English Dictionary

  Virgin Film Guide

  Welsh Academy English–Welsh Dictionary

  Y Geiradur Mawr

  Newspapers and Magazines

  Esquire

  Glamorgan Gazette

  Guardian

  Life

  Look

  New York Times

  Observer

  Port Talbot Guardian

  Sunday Express

  Sunday Times

  Time

  The Times

  Vogue

  Wayfarer

  Western Mail

  Audio Recordings

  David Copperfield (1950)

  Conversation Piece (1951)

  Under Milk Wood (1954)

  Homage to Dylan Thomas (1954)

  The World of Dylan Thomas (1955)

  Fifteen Poems by Dylan Thomas (1955)

  The English Poets (1955)

  Brad (1958)

  The Love Poems of John D
onne (1958)

  The Poetry of Thomas Hardy (1958)

  The Rape of Lucrece and Other Poems (1960)

  The Rime of the Ancient Mariner (1960)

  King Henry V (1961)

  Camelot (1961)

  Coriolanus (1962)

  Henry V (1963)

  Hamlet (1964)

  Zulu (1964)

  ‘A Married Man’, Baker Street (1965)

  The Days of Wilfred Owen (1966)

  The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus (1966)

  The Little Prince (1974)

  A Personal Anthology: The Hound of Heaven and Other Poems (1978)

  The War of the Worlds (1978)

  ‘All on a Summer's Day’, BBC, 31 December 1981

  ‘Thanksgiving Service for the Life of Richard Burton’, BBC, 30 August 1984

  ‘Tribute to Richard Burton’, BBC, 3 September 1984

  Burton at the BBC (1995)

  The Richard Burton Poetry Collection (2010)

  Interviews

  Richard Burton: My Time Again, BBC, 19 August 1965

  24 Hours, BBC, 2 February 1966

  Acting in the Sixties, BBC, 1 April 1967

  Burton and Taylor at Oxford, BBC, 25 October 1967

  Parkinson, BBC, 23 November 1974

  Dick Cavett Show, PBS, 25 July 1980

  Kane's Classics, BBC, 9 April 1998

  Films and Television Appearances

  The Last Days of Dolwyn (1949)

  My Cousin Rachel (1952)

  The Desert Rats (1953)

  The Robe (1953)

  Prince of Players (1955)

  The Rains of Ranchipur (1955)

  Alexander the Great (1956)

  Sea Wife (1957)

  Bitter Victory (1957)

  Look Back in Anger (1959)

  The Tempest (1960)

  A Subject of Scandal and Concern (1960)

  Dylan Thomas (1962)

  The Longest Day (1962)

  Cleopatra (1963)

  The VIPs (1963)

  Becket (1964)

  The Night of the Iguana (1964)

  Hamlet (1964)

  What's New Pussycat? (1965)