Richard Burton character jug designed by Eric Griffiths and produced by Royal Doulton of Burslem, England, in 1989 commissioned by UK International Ceramics for the proposed Great Film Stars Collection. Richard Burton (1925-1984) was a Welsh actor, who was nominated seven times for an Academy Award, and was a recipient of BAFTA, Golden Globe
and Tony Awards for Best Actor. Burton was, at one time, the highest-paid actor in Hollywood. Born Richard Walter Jenkins, Burton showed a talent for
English and Welsh literature at grammar school, though his consuming interest was sports. Leaving school at sixteen, he subsequently served in the RAF as a navigator. In 1947, after his discharge, Burton went to London to seek his fortune. His first film was "The Last Days of Dolwyn", for which the reviews
praised him for his "acting fire, manly bearing, and good looks." On the stage he became a critically acclaimed Shakespearean actor. In 1952, Burton successfully made the transition to Hollywood star in the leading role in My Cousin Rachel.
Burton was still juggling theater with film, playing Hamlet at the Old Vic theater in 1953. Then, after winning the Tony Award on Broadway as King Arthur in Camelot, he was cast as Marc Antony in the troubled production of the film Cleopatra. Playing opposite Elizabeth Taylor, they began a life-long affair that
ended in marriage ten years later
after shedding their respective
spouses. A "Cleopatra" filmstrip forms the handle of the jug.
Maker:
Royal Doulton
England
1989
Model #:
Prototype
Great Film Stars Collection
character jug
Size:
large
Height:
8"
