Editing Richard Burton (section)

=== 1943–1947: Early career and service in the RAF ===
In 1943, Burton played Professor Henry Higgins in a school production of another Shaw play directed by Philip, ''[[Pygmalion (play)|Pygmalion]]''. The role won him favourable reviews and caught the attention of the dramatist, [[Emlyn Williams]], who offered Burton a small role of the lead character's elder brother, Glan, in his play ''[[The Druid's Rest]]''.{{Sfn|Alpert|1986|pp=35–37}} The play debuted at the [[Royal Court Theatre, Liverpool|Royal Court Theatre]], Liverpool on 22 November 1943, and later premiered in [[St Martin's Theatre]], London in January 1944. Burton thought the role was "a nothing part" and that he "hardly spoke at all". He was paid ten pounds a week for playing the role ({{Inflation|UK|10|1944|r=0|fmt=eq|cursign=£}}), which was "three times what the miners got".{{Sfn|Alpert|1986|pp=38–39}} Alpert states that the play garnered mixed critical reviews, but James Redfern of the ''[[New Statesman]]'' took notice of Burton's performance and wrote: "In a wretched part, Richard Burton showed exceptional ability." Burton noted that single sentence from Redfern changed his life.{{Sfnm|1a1=Alpert|1y=1986|1p=39|2a1=Bragg|2y=1988|2p=44}}

Whilst an undergraduate at Exeter College, [[University of Oxford]], Burton featured as "the complicated sex-driven puritan" [[Angelo (Measure for Measure)|Angelo]] in the [[Oxford University Dramatic Society]]'s 1944 production of [[William Shakespeare]]'s ''[[Measure for Measure]]''.{{efn|Originally, Burton was placed as an understudy for the part of Angelo after impressing Coghill by demonstrating and reciting the "[[To be, or not to be]]" [[soliloquy]] from [[William Shakespeare]]'s ''[[Hamlet]]''. The RAF officer who was to play the role of Angelo, was called back to active service and Burton was selected for the role. Philip sent letters of advice to Burton on how to play Angelo and came to London to oversee the rehearsals.{{Sfnm|1a1=Alpert|1y=1986|1p=40|2a1=Bragg|2y=1988|2p=50}}}} The play was directed by Burton's English literature professor, [[Nevill Coghill]], and was performed at the college in the presence of additional contributors to West End theatre including [[John Gielgud]], [[Terence Rattigan]] and [[Binkie Beaumont]]. On Burton's performance, fellow actor and friend, [[Robert Hardy]] recalled, "There were moments when he totally commanded the audience by this stillness. And the voice which would sing like a violin and with a bass that could shake the floor." Gielgud appreciated Burton's performance and Beaumont, who knew about Burton's work in ''The Druid's Rest'', suggested that he "look him up" after completing his service in the RAF if he still wanted to pursue acting as a profession.{{Sfnm|1a1=Alpert|1y=1986|1pp=40–41|2a1=Bragg|2y=1988|2pp=50–51}}

In late 1944, Burton successfully completed his six-month scholarship at Exeter College, Oxford, and went to the RAF classification examinations held in [[Torquay]] to train as a pilot. He was disqualified for pilot training because his eyesight was below par, and was classified as a navigator trainee.{{Sfnm|1a1=Alpert|1y=1986|1p=41|2a1=Bragg|2y=1988|2p=51}} He served the RAF for three years,{{Sfn|Alpert|1986|pp=44}} during which time he was assigned as an [[Aircraftman#History|Aircraftman 1st Class]] to perform an administrative role in a [[Wiltshire]]-based RAF Hospital.{{efn|[[RAF Hospital Wroughton]]}}{{Sfn|Alpert|1986|pp=43}} He was posted for a short time to a temporary [[RCAF Station Carberry|RCAF training base]] in [[Carberry, Manitoba]].<ref>Rosemary Malaher, [http://www.mhs.mb.ca/docs/mb_history/14/carberrytour.shtml Historical Tour: Carberry, Manitoba]. ''Manitoba History'' 14 (Autumn, 1987). Retrieved 21 April 2021.</ref> Burton's habits of drinking and smoking increased during this period; he was involved in a brief casual affair with actress [[Eleanor Summerfield]].{{Sfn|Alpert|1986|pp=41–43}}{{efn|Burton worked with Summerfield in two versions of Emlyn Williams' play, ''[[The Corn Is Green]]'' for [[BBC]].{{Sfn|Alpert|1986|pp=43}} The first one was a radio adaptation which was broadcast on 27 January 1945, while the other was a television adaptation by [[BBC Television]] that was premiered on 15 September 1946. Burton and Summerfield played the roles of Morgan Evans and Bessie Watty respectively in both the versions.<ref name="Burton BBC">{{cite web | url=http://richardburtonmuseum.weebly.com/burton-at-the-bbc.html | title=Richard Burton BBC Radio and Television Recordings | publisher=The Richard Burton Museum | access-date=17 April 2016 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160417053654/http://richardburtonmuseum.weebly.com/burton-at-the-bbc.html | archive-date=17 April 2016 | url-status=dead | df=dmy-all }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/schedules/bbctv/1946-09-15 | title=BBC Television Listings – 15 September 1946 | publisher=[[BBC Genome]] | access-date=17 April 2016 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160417052142/http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/schedules/bbctv/1946-09-15 | archive-date=17 April 2016 | url-status=live}}</ref> According to biographer Alpert, Summerfield's parents didn't approve of Burton when he showed them a photo of himself and Summerfield at "a local pub". Philip too, didn't want Burton "encumbered with a wife while making his way in the {{Sic|theater}}".{{Sfn|Alpert|1986|pp=44}}}} Burton was cast in an uncredited and unnamed role of a bombing officer by [[BBC Third Programme]] in a 1946 radio adaptation of ''[[In Parenthesis]]'', an [[epic poem]] of the [[First World War]] by [[David Jones (poet)|David Jones]].<ref name="Burton BBC"/><ref>{{cite web | url=http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/schedules/third/1946-12-26 | title=BBC Television Listings – 26 December 1946 | publisher=BBC Genome | access-date=17 April 2016 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160417062011/http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/schedules/third/1946-12-26 | archive-date=17 April 2016 | url-status=live}}</ref>{{efn|Burton lent his voice for a different role named Private Thomas in the 1948 radio production of ''In Parenthesis'' by [[Douglas Cleverdon]].<ref>{{cite web | url=http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/schedules/third/1948-11-11 | title=BBC Television Listings – 11 November 1948 | publisher=BBC Genome | access-date=17 April 2016 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160417060054/http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/schedules/third/1948-11-11 | archive-date=17 April 2016 | url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/schedules/third/1948-11-30 | title=BBC Television Listings – 30 November 1948 | publisher=BBC Genome | access-date=17 April 2016 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160417060102/http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/schedules/third/1948-11-30 | archive-date=17 April 2016 | url-status=live}}</ref>}} Burton was discharged from the RAF on 16 December 1947.{{Sfn|Alpert|1986|pp=44}}