Cinema expert to give talk on the special partnership between Elizabeth Taylor and co-star

An expert in cinema is to give a talk on the on-screen partnership between Hollywood star Elizabeth Taylor and co-star Montgomery Clift at Dundee Contemporary Arts (DCA) this weekend.

Dr Elisabetta Girelli, Lecturer in Film Studies at the University of St Andrews, who is set to publish a book on Clift, believes the pairing of the two actors deeply affected both their careers.

In addition, their friendship had great repercussions in their private lives.

Dr Girelli said: “The films they made together are not usually available on the big screen, and I am absolutely delighted to see these two Hollywood gems shown at DCA, especially after the sad loss of Elizabeth Taylor last year.

“A Place in the Sun (1951) is the first screen pairing of Taylor and Clift: while it marked Elizabeth Taylor’s entry into adult stardom, after a successful career as a child actress, it also consecrated Montgomery Clift as the hottest male star in 1950s America.

“Suddenly, Last Summer (1959) is one of the most scintillating Tennessee Williams adaptations, a tour de force of melodrama and witty dialogue, dealing with taboo subjects such as homosexuality, incest, and cannibalism.”

In her talk Dr Girelli will discuss the films’ implications for the careers of both Taylor and Clift, and compare it to the third film they made together, Raintree County (1957).

Dates and times:

• A Place in the Sun Saturday 28 January, 1pm.
• Suddenly, Last Summer Sunday 29 January, 1pm.
• Dr Girelli’s talk will take place after Suddenly, Last Summer, at 3.30pm.

ENDS

Issued by the Press Office, University of St Andrews

Contact Fiona MacLeod on 01334 462108/ 0771 414 0559.

Ref: (title 26/01/12)

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