Mike Durrett: CONFIDENTIAL

Remembering Elizabeth Taylor



Elizabeth Taylor: "What's My Line?" Mystery Guest (1954) via YouTube
 
My favorite Elizabeth Taylor movies are the early ones, starting with, in a small role, the wonderful "Lassie Come Home" (1943) and, in full a-star-is-born mode, "National Velvet" (1944). The others I like are "Little Women" (1949), "Father of the Bride" (1950), "Father's Little Dividend" (1951), "A Place in the Sun" (1951), and "Giant" (1956).

Elizabeth Taylor is connected to two milestones in my life, working at the Emory Theatre in Atlanta, GA. When I wasn't selling popcorn, I was in training to become a professional motion picture machine operator, a dream for this boy, age 11-12.

  • I accomplished my first big deal reel-to-reel change-over from one projector to the next during our showings of her movie "The V.I.P.s" (1963).
  • Throughout the weeks of "Cleopatra" (1963), I was taught how to thread the 35mm film into the machines with precision.

Cropped screenshot of Elizabeth Taylor from th...Image via WikipediaI have clear, fond memories of those days and I especially recall the final footage of "Cleopatra" reel #2. Cleo undergoes a nude body massage, exposing heretofore uncharted-by-Mikey bosom.

Although the scene doesn't last long, I never missed observing the end of reel #2 each time we ran the epic. I didn't know exactly why I was fascinated with her flesh. I just knew I was fascinated. Exactly.

Plus, I wondered, "Is 48 B.C. her bra size?" They said she was in 48 B.C.

I grasped nothing of ancient history, nor ancient lingerie.

Nevertheless, my training with Elizabeth Taylor was not only professional, but also enlightening!

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