Starting over three times: Liz Taylor and Richard Burton's love story. Infopun

They thought their great love could cope even with what was impossible to handle. And they started all over again three times.

"My blind eyes are desperately waiting for the sight of you. You don't realize how fantastically beautiful you have always been..." Burton wrote to his wife. He worshipped Elizabeth's beauty, but couldn't always control his emotions.

Funny compliment

In 1962, Taylor and Burton first met on the set of Cleopatra where they played main roles. By then Burton had earned the reputation of a womanizer, not particularly respectful of women, and everyone knew that he preferred brunettes. Taylor was then married, so she didn't even look in his direction, and at first he tried to ignore her, too, but then he couldn't help succumbing to Elizabeth's charm. One day Burton paid Elizabeth a simple compliment: "Miss Taylor, has anyone ever told you, what a very pretty girl you are?"

Taylor could not but burst out laughing as she was used to sophisticated intellectual courtship. And then there was the shooting of the kissing scene, when they didn't even hear the director shout: "Cut! Cut!"

It was kind of a disaster. Richard was married, Elizabeth was also married, and she was going to stay forever with this her fourth husband. Her then-husband Eddie Fisher had left his family to be with Elizabeth, and to leave him after that would have been inexcusable cruelty. So the actress struggled not to fall in love with Burton. But the more she tried, the more she was attracted to Richard.

The first attempt

Richard divorced first, Elizabeth – three months after him. The couple's wedding was discussed for several years. And then in Toronto Burton was playing Hamlet, and after the performance he brought his Elizabeth to the front of the stage and repeated Hamlet's line to Ophelia: "I say we will have no more marriages."

It was more impressive than the play. Whoever didn't cry at that moment just didn't have a heart.

They lived like in a fairy tale. Marriage brought them not only happiness, but also money. The brand Taylor & Burton was extremely popular and by 1967, each of them had earned $200 hundred million. They could afford anything, and Richard rushed to fulfill every whim of his wife. Once he even beat Onassis. The billionaire wanted to buy a $1 million Cartier diamond, but Burton did it ahead of Onassis.

However, their couple somehow suddenly bored the audience. To support his family, Richard began to accept even questionable from his point of view, roles. And he took to drinking. Burton really hoped to get an Oscar for the role of King Henry VIII in the movie Anne of the Thousand Days, and when he did not, he started drinking a lot more.

The actor honestly struggled with his addiction, but could not do anything. Taylor couldn't take it anymore and left.

Second try

Taylor has found a new man, a charismatic and successful businessman. But when she fell ill and ended up in the hospital, Burton rushed there. He kicked Taylor's new suitor out of the room and screamed, "I'm her husband, and I need a bed here!"

After that, they remarried ... only to divorce again because of Richard's six-week binge that nearly killed him.

Third attempt

Sometime later Taylor and Richard met again. The actress suddenly burst out crying and fell into Richard's arms. That day they decided to get married a third time. And for some reason they both thought that that was it, no more marriages, no more divorces.

However, they divorced nine months later and this time for good. Shortly before his death, Richard wrote a desperate letter to Elizabeth. The actress did not reply.