Within hours of veteran actress Elizabeth Taylor‘s death at age 79 Wednesday, Atlanta-based Turner Classic Movies had finalized plans for a on-air tribute. On Sunday, April 10, TCM has rearranged its schedule to air 24 hours of Taylor’s finest films, beginning at 6 a.m. with her first film, the 1943 family flick “Lassie Come Home.” The tribute will end with an April 11 4 a.m. airing of “Ivanhoe” from 1952.
In between, TCM will run Taylor’s best-known films, including “Father of the Bride” and its sequel, “Father’s Little Dividend,” the epic “Raintree County,” the 1958 Tennessee Williams‘ adaptation she should have won her first Oscar for, “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof” and “Giant.”
Weekend daytime TCM host Ben Mankiewicz will provide context and perspective for the afternoon offerings while TCM primetime host and Oscars historian Robert Osborne will introduce Taylor’s two Academy Award-winning performances: 1960’s “Butterfield 8” followed by “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” her 1966 129-minute on-screen screaming match with husband Richard Burton. The film, adapted from the Edward Albee dysfunctional drama, incidentally, also served as Mike Nichols‘ directorial debut. Good thing he started small.
For the complete line-up, go to the official Turner Classic Movies website.
Advertisement
