Richard Burton

Acting

Richard Burton

Born November 10, 1925 · Pontrhydyfen, Wales, UK

Died August 5, 1984 · aged 58

Richard Burton CBE (born Richard Walter Jenkins Jr.; 10 November 1925 – 5 August 1984) was a Welsh actor. Noted for his mellifluous baritone voice, Burton established himself as a formidable Shakespearean actor in the 1950s, and he gave a memorable performance of Hamlet in 1964. He was called "the natural successor to Olivier" by critic Kenneth Tynan. A heavy drinker, Burton's perceived failure to…

Known For

Where Eagles DareWhere Eagles Dare · 1968
Where Eagles Dare
7.51968
MovieAdventureWar
World War II is raging, and an American general has been captured and is being held hostage in the Schloss Adler, a Bavarian castle that's nearly impossible to breach. It's up to a group of skilled Allied soldiers to liberate the general before it's too late.
CleopatraCleopatra · 1963
Cleopatra
7.11963
MovieDramaHistory
Determined to hold on to the throne, Cleopatra seduces the Roman emperor Julius Caesar. When Caesar is murdered, she redirects her attentions to his general, Marc Antony, who vows to take power—but Caesar’s successor has other plans.
The Longest DayThe Longest Day · 1962
The Longest Day
7.61962
MovieWarAction
The retelling of June 6, 1944, from the perspectives of the Germans, US, British, Canadians, and the Free French. Marshall Erwin Rommel, touring the defenses being established as part of the Reich's Atlantic Wall, notes to his officers that when the Allied invasion comes they must be stopped on the beach. "For the Allies as well as the Germans, it will be the longest day"
CandyCandy · 1968
Candy
5.11968
MovieAdventureComedy
A high school girl encounters a variety of kookie characters and humorous sexual situations while searching for the meaning of life.
Nineteen Eighty-FourNineteen Eighty-Four · 1984
Nineteen Eighty-Four
6.81984
MovieDramaScience Fiction
Winston Smith is a government employee whose job involves the rewriting of history in a manner that casts his fictional country's leaders in a charitable light. His trysts with Julia provide his only measure of enjoyment, but lawmakers frown on the relationship -- and in this closely monitored society, there is no escape from Big Brother.
The Wild GeeseThe Wild Geese · 1978
The Wild Geese
6.81978
MovieAction
A British multinational company seeks to overthrow a vicious dictator in central Africa. It hires a band of (largely aged) mercenaries in London and sends them in to save the virtuous but imprisoned opposition leader who is also critically ill and due for execution. Just when the team has performed a perfect rescue, the multinational does a deal with the vicious dictator leaving the mercenary band to escape under their own steam and exact revenge.
Exorcist II: The HereticExorcist II: The Heretic · 1977
Exorcist II: The Heretic
4.51977
MovieHorror
Bizarre nightmares plague Regan MacNeil four years after her possession and exorcism. Has the demon returned? And if so, can the combined faith and knowledge of a Vatican investigator and a research specialist free her from its grasp?
Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? · 1966
Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
7.71966
MovieDrama
A history professor and his wife entertain a young couple who are new to the university's faculty. As the drinks flow, secrets come to light, and the middle-aged couple unload onto their guests the full force of the bitterness, dysfunction, and animosity that defines their marriage.

Movies

Where Eagles DareWhere Eagles Dare · 1968
Where Eagles Dare
7.51968
MovieAdventureWar
World War II is raging, and an American general has been captured and is being held hostage in the Schloss Adler, a Bavarian castle that's nearly impossible to breach. It's up to a group of skilled Allied soldiers to liberate the general before it's too late.
CleopatraCleopatra · 1963
Cleopatra
7.11963
MovieDramaHistory
Determined to hold on to the throne, Cleopatra seduces the Roman emperor Julius Caesar. When Caesar is murdered, she redirects her attentions to his general, Marc Antony, who vows to take power—but Caesar’s successor has other plans.
The Longest DayThe Longest Day · 1962
The Longest Day
7.61962
MovieWarAction
The retelling of June 6, 1944, from the perspectives of the Germans, US, British, Canadians, and the Free French. Marshall Erwin Rommel, touring the defenses being established as part of the Reich's Atlantic Wall, notes to his officers that when the Allied invasion comes they must be stopped on the beach. "For the Allies as well as the Germans, it will be the longest day"
CandyCandy · 1968
Candy
5.11968
MovieAdventureComedy
A high school girl encounters a variety of kookie characters and humorous sexual situations while searching for the meaning of life.
Nineteen Eighty-FourNineteen Eighty-Four · 1984
Nineteen Eighty-Four
6.81984
MovieDramaScience Fiction
Winston Smith is a government employee whose job involves the rewriting of history in a manner that casts his fictional country's leaders in a charitable light. His trysts with Julia provide his only measure of enjoyment, but lawmakers frown on the relationship -- and in this closely monitored society, there is no escape from Big Brother.
The Wild GeeseThe Wild Geese · 1978
The Wild Geese
6.81978
MovieAction
A British multinational company seeks to overthrow a vicious dictator in central Africa. It hires a band of (largely aged) mercenaries in London and sends them in to save the virtuous but imprisoned opposition leader who is also critically ill and due for execution. Just when the team has performed a perfect rescue, the multinational does a deal with the vicious dictator leaving the mercenary band to escape under their own steam and exact revenge.
Exorcist II: The HereticExorcist II: The Heretic · 1977
Exorcist II: The Heretic
4.51977
MovieHorror
Bizarre nightmares plague Regan MacNeil four years after her possession and exorcism. Has the demon returned? And if so, can the combined faith and knowledge of a Vatican investigator and a research specialist free her from its grasp?
Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? · 1966
Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
7.71966
MovieDrama
A history professor and his wife entertain a young couple who are new to the university's faculty. As the drinks flow, secrets come to light, and the middle-aged couple unload onto their guests the full force of the bitterness, dysfunction, and animosity that defines their marriage.
Richard Burton: Wild GeniusRichard Burton: Wild Genius · 2025
Richard Burton: Wild Genius
7.52025
MovieDocumentary
The son of a Welsh miner, Richard Burton became a Hollywood star and is considered one of the greatest British actors ever. He lived a big life in a short time. This is his epic story, from the village of Pontrhydyfen to global icon, and from the teacher in Port Talbot spotting his talents and transforming his life to being offered $7 million for seven movies and a scandalous love affair with Elizabeth Taylor that captivated the world.
ZuluZulu · 1964
Zulu
7.41964
MovieDramaHistory
In 1879, during the Anglo-Zulu War, man-of-the-people Lt. Chard and snooty Lt. Bromhead are in charge of defending the isolated and vastly outnumbered Natal outpost of Rorke's Drift from tribal hordes.
To Be HamletTo Be Hamlet · 1985
To Be Hamlet
1985
MovieDocumentary
Documentary examination of the role of Hamlet, in which ten prominent actors who have played the part discuss Hamlet's personality, Shakespeare's play, and the enduring popular fascination it has inspired. The actors interviewed are Laurence Olivier, John Gielgud, Richard Burton, Nicol Williamson, Ben Kingsley, Jean Louis Barrault, Vittorio Gassman, Maximilian Schell, Innocenti Smoktunovsky, and Mandy Patinkin. Includes excerpts from various film and television versions of Hamlet, featuring these actors and others.
The RobeThe Robe · 1953
The Robe
6.91953
MovieDramaHistory
Drunk and disillusioned Roman, Marcellus Gallio, wins Jesus' robe in a dice game after the crucifixion. Marcellus has never been a man of faith like his slave, Demetrius, but when Demetrius escapes with the robe, Marcellus experiences disturbing visions and feels guilty for his actions. Convinced that destroying the robe will cure him, Marcellus sets out to find Demetrius — and discovers his Christian faith along the way.
The Medusa TouchThe Medusa Touch · 1978
The Medusa Touch
6.81978
MovieHorrorThriller
A French detective in London reconstructs the life of a man lying in hospital with severe injuries with the help of journals and a psychiatrist. He realises that the man had powerful telekinetic abilities.
Alexander the GreatAlexander the Great · 1956
Alexander the Great
6.01956
MovieAdventureHistory
An engrossing spectacle set in the 4th-century BC, in which Alexander of Greece leads his troops forth, conquering all of the known world, in the belief that the Greek way of thinking will bring enlightenment to people. The son of the barbaric and ruthless King Philip of Macedonia, Alexander achieved glory in his short but remarkable life.
The Night of the IguanaThe Night of the Iguana · 1964
The Night of the Iguana
7.21964
MovieDramaRomance
A defrocked Episcopal clergyman leads a bus-load of middle-aged Baptist women on a tour of the Mexican coast and comes to terms with the failure haunting his life.
HamletHamlet · 1964
Hamlet
6.91964
Movie
A stage production of Hamlet filmed at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre in New York. It was deliberately staged in the style of a "dress rehearsal", but performed in front of a live audience.
Boom!Boom! · 1968
Boom!
5.91968
MovieDramaThriller
Secluding herself in an island mansion in the Mediterranean with her servants and nurses, the wealthy Flora "Sissy" Goforth prepares for her impending death -- and she isn't the only one who's waiting. Known for his attraction to the dying rich, poet Chris Flanders ingratiates himself with the wilting Sissy. Although her friend explains Flanders' "Angel of Death" nature to her, Sissy embraces the vulture-like Flanders.
The SandpiperThe Sandpiper · 1965
The Sandpiper
6.41965
MovieDramaRomance
A free-spirited single mother forms a connection with the wedded headmaster of an Episcopalian boarding school in Monterey, California.
The Spy Who Came In from the ColdThe Spy Who Came In from the Cold · 1965
The Spy Who Came In from the Cold
7.11965
MovieDramaThriller
British agent Alec Leamas refuses to come in from the Cold War during the 1960s, choosing to face another mission, which may prove to be his final one.
Anne of the Thousand DaysAnne of the Thousand Days · 1969
Anne of the Thousand Days
7.11969
MovieDramaHistory
Henry VIII of England discards his wife, Katharine of Aragon, who has failed to produce a male heir, in favor of the young and beautiful Anne Boleyn.
The Taming of the ShrewThe Taming of the Shrew · 1967
The Taming of the Shrew
6.91967
MovieComedyRomance
Italy, 16th century. Petruchio, a choleric, lying and poor rural landowner from Verona, arrives in Padua in search of fortune and a wife, while Baptista, a wealthy merchant, announces that he will not allow Bianca, his youngest daughter, to marry until the temperamental and unruly Katherina, his eldest daughter, does.
The Assassination of TrotskyThe Assassination of Trotsky · 1972
The Assassination of Trotsky
5.31972
MovieDramaHistory
A Stalinist assassin tracks exiled revolutionary Leon Trotsky to Mexico in 1940.
What's New Pussycat?What's New Pussycat? · 1965
What's New Pussycat?
6.01965
MovieComedyRomance
A playboy who refuses to give up his hedonistic lifestyle to settle down and marry his true love seeks help from a demented psychoanalyst who is having romantic problems of his own.
BecketBecket · 1964
Becket
7.21964
MovieDramaHistory
Thomas Becket, Henry II's longtime advisor, finds his friendship with the debauched king corroding when he is unwillingly appointed as Archbishop of Canterbury in an attempt to gain absolute loyalty from the Church.

TV Shows

Spécial cinémaSpécial cinéma · 1974
Spécial cinéma
9.51974
Series
Marcello Mastroianni, Isabelle Adjani, Alain Delon, Martin Scorsese, Woody Allen... the biggest stars in cinema were welcomed by Christian Defaye on his show Spécial cinéma. Between intimate confessions from actors and immersion in the world of the greatest filmmakers, Christian Defaye took viewers on a journey into the fascinating world of cinema for nearly thirty years.
Great PerformancesGreat Performances · 1971
Great Performances
6.11971
SeriesComedyDocumentary
The best in the performing arts from across America and around the world including a diverse programming portfolio of classical music, opera, popular song, musical theater, dance, drama, and performance documentaries.
BambiBambi · 1948
Bambi
9.01948
Series
The Bambi, often called the Bambi Award and stylised as BAMBI, is a German award presented annually by Hubert Burda Media to recognize excellence in international media and television to personalities in the media, arts, culture, sports, and other fields "with vision and creativity who affected and inspired the German public that year", both domestic and foreign. First held in 1948, it is the oldest media award in Germany. The trophy is named after Felix Salten's book Bambi, A Life in the Woods and its statuettes are in the shape of the novel's titular fawn character. They were originally made of porcelain until 1958, when the organizers switched to using gold, with the casting done by the art casting workshop of Ernst Strassacker in Süßen.
Tony AwardsTony Awards · 1956
Tony Awards
1956
Series
The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes achievement in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ceremony in New York City. The awards are given for Broadway productions and performances, and an award is given for regional theatre.
The Ed Sullivan ShowThe Ed Sullivan Show · 1948
The Ed Sullivan Show
6.81948
SeriesComedy
The Ed Sullivan Show is an American TV variety show that originally ran on CBS from Sunday June 20, 1948 to Sunday June 6, 1971, and was hosted by New York entertainment columnist Ed Sullivan. It was replaced in September 1971 by the CBS Sunday Night Movie, which ran only one season and was eventually replaced by other shows. In 2002, The Ed Sullivan Show was ranked #15 on TV Guide's 50 Greatest TV Shows of All Time.
Here's LucyHere's Lucy · 1968
Here's Lucy
6.71968
SeriesComedy
Lucille Ball's third network sitcom, following I Love Lucy (1951–57) and The Lucy Show (1962–68).
Dinah!Dinah! · 1974
Dinah!
7.01974
Series
Dinah's show premiered 9 September 1974 and continued through to 4 September 1981. She started out the 70's with Dinah's Place which usually featured one guest and was more of a home oriented show about cooking, crafts and occasionally music. This format lasted until May of 1974. When the show came back in October of 1974 the format had changed drastically to a variety talk show which was called Dinah. and went on until 1981. This show was also known as "Dinah and Friends" during the summer of 1976.
Entertainment TonightEntertainment Tonight · 1981
Entertainment Tonight
4.31981
Series
Daily tabloid television news show on entertainment and celebrity news with unprecedented access to Hollywood's biggest stars, exclusive behind-the-scenes looks at upcoming film and television projects, as well as the real story behind Hollywood's latest news.
The American Film Institute Salute to ...The American Film Institute Salute to ... · 1973
The American Film Institute Salute to ...
6.31973
Series
In 1973 the American Film Institute initiated its Life Achievement Award, to be presented to a yearly recipient whose talent has fundamentally advanced the film art; whose accomplishments have been acknowledged by scholars, critics, professional peers and the general public; and whose work has stood the test of time.
Talking PicturesTalking Pictures · 2013
Talking Pictures
6.22013
SeriesDocumentary
A look back at television appearances by legends of the silver screen, using archive footage to tell the story of their lives and careers.
Hallmark Hall of FameHallmark Hall of Fame · 1951
Hallmark Hall of Fame
8.81951
SeriesDrama
Long-running anthology program sponsored by Hallmark Cards. Beginning in 1951 and continuing into 2019, the series received 80 Emmy Awards, 24 Christopher Awards, 11 Peabody Awards, 9 Golden Globes, and 4 Humanitas Prizes. Early seasons were a weekly live drama, eventually transitioning to videotaped and then filmed productions broadcast as occasional specials.
Winston Churchill: The Valiant YearsWinston Churchill: The Valiant Years · 1960
Winston Churchill: The Valiant Years
8.51960
SeriesDocumentary
The Valiant Years was a documentary produced by ABC based on the memoirs of Winston Churchill, directed by Anthony Bushell and John Schlesinger, narrated by Gary Merrill and with extracts from the memoirs voiced by Richard Burton. It ran in the United States from 1960 to 1961, in 27 30-minute episodes and was broadcast in the UK by the BBC from February to August 1961. Its incidental music was written by Richard Rodgers, who won an Emmy for it in 1962. Scriptwriters included Victor Wolfson a dramatist and writer, Quentin Reynolds, William L. Shirer an American journalist, war correspondent and historian, and Richard Tregaskis. One of the program's London-based producers was actor Patrick Macnee, just prior to his being cast as secret agent John Steed in the long-running cult TV series The Avengers.,
Divorce His, Divorce HersDivorce His, Divorce Hers · 1973
Divorce His, Divorce Hers
6.71973
SeriesDrama
The dissolution of an 18-year marriage, seen first from his point-of-view and then from hers.
WagnerWagner · 1983
Wagner
6.81983
SeriesDrama
A huge panorama of Wagner's life and work, from before the 1848 Revolution, through his exile in Switzerland, his rescue by the besotted King Ludwig II of Bavaria to the final triumph at Bayreuth.
Ellis IslandEllis Island · 1984
Ellis Island
5.11984
SeriesDrama
Ellis Island is a television miniseries broadcast in three parts in 1984 on the CBS television network. The screenplay was co-written by Fred Mustard Stewart, adapted from his 1983 novel of the same title. The series tells the story of several immigrants from the late 1800s until the early 1910s, trying to achieve the American Dream and arriving on Ellis Island, hoping for a better life. Ellis Island highlighted numerous important events which occurred up to and during World War I, and many of the characters are based on real persons, such as Irving Berlin.
Sphinx – Secrets of the HistorySphinx – Secrets of the History · 1994
Sphinx – Secrets of the History
4.51994
SeriesDocumentary
This German format is not a series properly speaking, as it has no permanent cast or script continuity, but presents each time a 45 minutes documentary, usually in part presented as a docudrama (not faction, as close to scientific knowledge as possible, but visually attractive), elaborating a specific historical theme, widely varied, often exotic in the sense of a far time (as far back as prehistoric times) and/or place (around the globe), although some episodes fit together well, chronologically or thematically, but always fit to be watched separately. Usually authentic locations are used, as well as scenes from and/or interviews about the scientific research it is based upon.