On Elizabeth Taylor An opinionated guide

Review by Booklist Review

What makes a star a legend? In the case of Elizabeth Taylor, it was a combination of arresting beauty, iconic film roles, and a front-page-monopolizing personal life. Add a shrewd business sense and game-changing philanthropic initiatives, and the result is a woman with a historic impact on cinema and culture. Spanning more than 50 years, Taylor's acting career, launched when she was a preternaturally beautiful child star, included soaring heights (Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?) and mortifying lows (The Flintstones). Her personal life was equally as tumultuous: seven husbands, many serious illnesses, and, of course, possession of some of the world's most extravagant jewelry. Film historian Kennedy admits to a lifelong fascination with Taylor, and his concise, chronological biography is dedicated to delineating Taylor's entire career, including feature films, TV movies, stage productions, and countless guest appearances on TV series, talk shows, documentaries, and fundraisers. With Taylor's infamous peccadilloes providing backstory content, Kennedy's reference-level filmography will delight fans and entice new converts to the Taylor bandwagon.

From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.

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Review by Publisher's Weekly Review

Film historian Kennedy (Roadshow!) methodically catalogs the film, stage, and TV appearances of an "ineffable" star whose 65-year career was often overshadowed by "her beauty and not-so-private life." Beginning with a 12-year-old Taylor's breakthrough role in 1944's National Velvet, Kennedy embarks on a scrupulous career overview that accounts for megahits (1963's Cleopatra), flops (1976's Victory at Entebbe was "so badly rendered" as to "insult not just the audience but... the survivors of the highjacking"), and all manner of oddities in between, including a bewildering silent cameo in 1960's Scent of Mystery and a 1981 spot on General Hospital. In the process, Taylor comes into view as one of the last great actors of the studio system, whose output skewed toward dramas exploring "the contours of... emotional instability." She was capable of subtle expression changes or "full-throttle hysteria," according to Kennedy, who also notes that Taylor's lack of formal film training was belied by her "mesmerizing" intuitive ability to "come alive when the camera approached." Readers seeking a comprehensive biography of Taylor should look elsewhere, but those in the mood for a deep dive into the nooks and crannies of her oeuvre will be gratified. This belongs on the bookshelves of those who can't get enough of Hollywood's golden age.(Apr.)

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Review by Library Journal Review

Elizabeth Taylor (1932--2011) is often called the last great movie star from Hollywood's Golden Age. Her career spanned more than 50 years, starting with her first film appearance at 10 in 1942's There's One Born Every Minute and concluding with the 2001 TV movie These Old Broads. She was a formidable actress with outstanding work in Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Suddenly, Last Summer, Giant, A Place in the Sun, and more. Her career was often overshadowed by her very public private life, scandals, illnesses, and fondness for perfume and jewelry. But many also remember how much she did as an AIDS activist. Film historian Kennedy (Roadshow!: The Fall of Film Musicals in the 1960s) focuses strictly on Taylor's work, acting style, and intuitive understanding of the camera and her audience. He gives an astute chronological analysis of her 67 films, each with a synopsis, production history, reception by audiences and critics, and box office performance. VERDICT An entertaining, informative read that comprehensively examines the work of one of the most memorable film stars who had undeniable talent and appeal.--Phillip Oliver

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