Elizabeth Taylor Stunned at the Glamorous 1963 ‘Cleopatra’ Premieres—See the Rare Photos
Elizabeth Taylor’s 'Cleopatra' premieres in London and Paris were pure Old Hollywood magic
The 1963 film Cleopatra was a trailblazing project for a number of reasons. Elizabeth Taylor, who was already a well-established film star, snagged the lead role with ease as the movie’s producer, Walter Wanger, always envisioned her in the title role. The Academy Award winner negotiated herself a million-dollar salary, which at the time was unprecedented—although she ended up earning nearly $7 million due to significant production delays.
Cleopatra was also the film that first connected Taylor and Richard Burton, which sparked one of Hollywood’s most scandalous affairs, a divorce for each of them, and not one but ultimately two marriages. All of that began on set in 1962.
Despite the film becoming the highest-grossing film of 1963 and winning four Academy Awards, Cleopatra was not a box-office success due to the massive production costs, which hit nearly $44 million. Nonetheless, the film’s two premieres were glamorous events. Although Taylor and Burton didn’t attend the New York City premiere on June 12, 1963, they did make it to a UK screening of the film in August of that year.
Get a glimpse at the stunning but rare photos of the actress at the film premieres for Cleopatra.
The Dominion theater features ‘Cleopatra’
On July 31, 1963, the Dominion Theater in London premiered Taylor and Burton’s film, Cleopatra. As noted, despite missing the initial premiere in New York City, both actors attended this screening. The photo above features the outside of the Dominion as folks head inside for the viewing. The billboard atop the theater shows Taylor as Cleopatra, Burton as Mark Antony and Rex Harrison as Julius Caesar.
Elizabeth Taylor arrives
The star of the film, Elizabeth Taylor, arrives at The Dominion Theatre for the premiere. The reason that the actress opted out of attending the New York premiere was due to exhaustion and the intense public scrutiny she was receiving at the time for her affair with Richard Burton.
During the film’s production, Taylor became severely ill with pneumonia, which halted filming and nearly led to her death.
Elizabeth Taylor with guests
During the London premiere of Cleopatra, Taylor posed for photos and spoke with those in attendance. The photo above shows Taylor, surrounded by a few guests, smiling. She is dressed in a white gown with matching white gloves and a feathered hat.
A packed subway
Folks gather on the Paris Métro on the way to the Paris premiere of Cleopatra on October 25, 1963. The Subway car is full of those getting ready to attend the film screening, dressed in gowns and tuxedos.
A royal attendee
Grace Kelly, actress and Princess of Monaco, attends the Paris premiere of Cleopatra with her husband, Prince Rainier of Monaco. The royals are seen leaving the Paris Métro as they head towards the Rex movie theater for the screening.
Kelly and Taylor were longtime friends, having met while both were working for MGM and traveling in the same circles. Their friendship continued long after Kelly left Hollywood and became a Princess and they supported one another for years to come.
Another princess in town
Grace Kelly wasn’t the only princess who attended the Parisian film premiere of Cleopatra. Princess Soraya of Iran was also there, along with her then-boyfriend, actor Maximillian Schell. The photo above shows Soraya looking at Schell as he engages in conversation with someone else.
Princess Soraya was previously married to the Shah of Iran, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, but after their divorce, Soraya lived a glamorous life in Paris.
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