Richard Burton Archives - Criminal Element

For Masochists Only: The Klansman (1974)

By David Cranmer

July 11, 2016

By the time Richard Burton (1925-1984) and Lee Marvin (1924-1987) began filming The Klansman (1974), they were not just actors, but bona fide Hollywood legends. Burton had conquered the stage with theater roles in Camelot (1960) and Hamlet (1964), been nominated for an Academy Award several times, and was a huge box office draw with…

Adventures, Spies, Gangsters, and Thrillers: A Look Back at Four Richard Burton Films

By David Cranmer

November 5, 2014

The public image of Richard Burton (1925-1984), for better or for worse, will forever be intertwined with Elizabeth Taylor (who he married twice) and for a lifetime struggle with alcohol. But at his Hollywood start, Burton established himself as a top Shakespearean actor on par with Laurence Olivier and John Gielgud. Poor film choices—a number…