Lindsay Lohan prepares to unveil to the world her take on Elizabeth Taylor in the new TV biopic Liz & Dick, as Life magazine releases a series of vintage photos of the star.
Elizabeth Taylor, an American film legend who passed away in 2011 at age 79, appeared on the cover of Life magazine 14 times, starting when she was just 15 years old, and already an old pro in the movie business.
During the following decades, many esteemed photographers were eager to capture the smouldering thespian at work, cavorting with her many husbands and paramours and always surrounded by hordes of adoring fans.
Many of the stunning black-and-white shots never made it onto the pages of the magazine, like a picture of the fresh-faced 18-year-old Taylor getting married for the first time in a lily-white princess gown.
Her marriage to Nicky Hilton in 1950 lasted less than a year, and by 1952 the young beauty tied the knot for a second time.
The treasure trove of Life‘s behind-the-scene photos feature images from the set of Cleopatra, where Liz Taylor starred in the larger-than-life title role opposite her two-time husband, Richard Burton as Marc Anthony.
In a note sent in March 1962 from the set of Cleopatra in Rome, a Life reporter wrote that Elizabeth Taylor “looks absolutely relaxed” and visibly enjoying the company of her handsome co-star.
One candid shot in the series shows Elizabeth Taylor as a 13-year-old girl in 1945 signing autographs for a young sailor during a charity event in Los Angeles. By that point, she had already starred in five films.
In another image, the British-born star is depicted wearing a sweatshirt belonging to her football player boyfriend with the words “All American” emblazoned across the front.
A few years later, a Life photographer caught a glimpse of Elizabeth Taylor chatting with her lifelong friend and co-star in A Place in the Sun, Montgomery Cliff, during a break on the Paramount lot.
The release of the photos depicting the quintessential movie icon set the stage for the highly anticipated premiere of Liz & Dick on Lifetime, which focuses on Taylor’s tempestuous relationship with Richard Burton.
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