Editing Richard Burton (section)

=== 1960–1969: Broadway, ''Hamlet'' and films with Elizabeth Taylor ===
[[File:Richard Burton and Julie Andrews Camelot.JPG|thumb|right|Burton and Julie Andrews in the original Broadway production of ''Camelot'']]
In 1960, Burton appeared in two films for [[Warner Bros.]], neither of which were successful: ''[[The Bramble Bush]]'' which reunited him with his ''Wuthering Heights'' director Petrie, and [[Vincent Sherman]]'s adaptation of [[Edna Ferber]]'s ''[[Ice Palace (film)|Ice Palace]]''.{{Sfn|Bragg|1988|pp=128–129}} Burton called the latter a "piece of shit".{{Sfn|Alpert|1986|p=86}} He received a fee of $125,000 for both films.{{Sfn|Bragg|1988|pp=128–129}} Burton's next appearance was as the stammering [[Secularism|secularist]], [[George Holyoake]] in BBC's documentary-style television adaptation of John Osborne's ''A Subject of Scandal and Concern''.<ref name="Television">{{cite web | url=http://www.richardburton.com/works/television/ | title=Richard Burton's Works&nbsp;— Television | publisher=The Official Richard Burton Website | access-date=23 April 2016 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160423023858/http://www.richardburton.com/works/television/ | archive-date=23 April 2016 | url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2010/dec/26/philip-french-stammer-kings-speech | title=Philip French: my life as a stammerer | work=The Guardian | date=26 December 2010 | access-date=23 April 2016 | first=Philip | last=French | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160423023725/http://www.theguardian.com/film/2010/dec/26/philip-french-stammer-kings-speech | archive-date=23 April 2016 | url-status=live}}</ref> According to Osborne's biographer Luc Gilleman, the film garnered little attention.{{Sfn|Gilleman|2014|p=85}} Burton returned to the United States for the filming of [[John Frankenheimer]]'s television adaptation of [[Ernest Hemingway]]'s ''[[The Fifth Column and the First Forty-Nine Stories|The Fifth Column]]''. He also provided narration for 26 episodes of ''[[The Valiant Years]]'', an [[American Broadcasting Company]] (ABC) series based on Winston Churchill's memoirs.<ref name="Life">{{cite web | url=http://www.richardburton.com/burton_biog.pdf | title=Richard Burton's Life | publisher=The Official Richard Burton Website | access-date=23 April 2016 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160423081034/http://www.richardburton.com/burton_biog.pdf | archive-date=23 April 2016 | url-status=live}}</ref>

Burton made a triumphant return to the stage with [[Moss Hart]]'s 1960 Broadway production of ''[[Camelot (musical)|Camelot]]'' as [[King Arthur]].{{Sfnm|1a1=Bragg|1y=1988|1p=136|2a1=Monaco|2y=1991|2p=89}} The play, written by [[Alan Jay Lerner]] and [[Frederick Loewe]], had [[Julie Andrews]] fresh from her triumph in ''[[My Fair Lady]]'' playing [[Guinevere]], and [[Robert Goulet]] as [[Lancelot]] completing the love triangle.{{Sfn|Alpert|1986|p=90}} [[Roddy McDowall]] played the villainous [[Mordred]].{{Sfn|Alpert|1986|pp=90–91}} Hart first came up with the proposal to Burton after learning from Lerner about his ability to sing. Burton consulted Olivier on whether he should take the role, which came with a stipend of $4,000 a week. Olivier pointed out this salary was good and that he should accept the offer.{{Sfn|Alpert|1986|p=86}} The production was troubled, with both Loewe and Hart falling ill and the pressure was building, owing to great expectations and huge advance sales. The show's running time was nearly five hours. Burton's intense preparation and competitive desire to succeed served him well.{{Sfn|Alpert|1986|pp=90–93}} He immediately drafted Philip, who revised the musical's script and cut its running time to three hours while also incorporating three new songs.{{Sfnm|1a1=Alpert|1y=1986|1p=133|2a1=Munn|2y=2014|2p=123}} Burton was generous and supportive to everyone throughout the production and coached the understudies himself. According to Lerner, "he kept the boat from rocking, and ''Camelot'' might never have reached New York if it hadn't been for him".{{Sfn|Alpert|1986|pp=90–93}} Burton's reviews were excellent, with the critic from ''Time'' magazine observing that Richard "gives Arthur the skillful and vastly appealing performance that might be expected from one of England's finest young actors".{{Sfn|Alpert|1986|p=94}} Broadway theatre reviewer [[Walter Kerr]] noted Richard's syllables, "sing, the account of his wrestling the stone from the sword becomes a bravura passage of house-hushing brilliance" and complemented his duets with Andrews, finding Burton's rendition to possess "a sly and fretful and mocking accent to take care of the {{sic|humor|nolink=y}} without destroying the man".{{Sfn|Alpert|1986|p=94}}
[[File:The Longest Day Richard Burton 1962.jpg|thumb|left|In ''The Longest Day'' (1962)]]
However, on the whole, the play initially received mixed reviews on its opening at the [[Majestic Theatre (Broadway)|Majestic Theatre]] on Broadway and was slow to earn money.{{Sfn|Alpert|1986|p=94}} Advance sales managed to keep ''Camelot'' running for three months until a twenty-minute extract was broadcast on ''[[The Ed Sullivan Show]]''{{efn|Sullivan wanted an interview with Lerner and Loewe, promising to devote the time entirely to ''Camelot'' to which they agreed.{{Sfn|Alpert|1986|p=94}}}} which helped ''Camelot'' achieve great success, and an unprecedented three-year run overall from 1960 to 1963.<ref name="Camelot">{{cite web | url=http://www.playbill.com/production/camelot-majestic-theatre-vault-0000007848 | title=Camelot | work=Playbill | access-date=23 April 2016 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160423094924/http://www.playbill.com/production/camelot-majestic-theatre-vault-0000007848 | archive-date=23 April 2016 | url-status=live}}</ref> Its success led to Burton being called "The King of Broadway", and he went on to receive the [[Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical]].<ref name="Camelot"/>{{Sfnm|1a1=Alpert|1y=1986|1p=94|2a1=Bragg|2y=1988|2p=134}} The original soundtrack of the musical topped the ''Billboard'' charts throughout 1961 after its release at the end of 1960.<ref>{{cite magazine | url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/1047371/chart-beat | title=Fred discusses Robert Goulet, the Eagles, "High School Musical 2" and more! | magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] | date=8 November 2007 | access-date=23 April 2016 | first=Fred | last=Bronson | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160423130758/http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/1047371/chart-beat | archive-date=23 April 2016 | url-status=live}}</ref> [[John F. Kennedy]], who was then the President of the United States, reportedly enjoyed the play and invited Burton to the [[White House]] for a visit.{{Sfn|Alpert|1986|p=135}} In 1962, Burton appeared as [[Flying officer|Flying Officer]] David Campbell, an RAF fighter pilot in ''[[The Longest Day (film)|The Longest Day]]'', which included a large ensemble cast featuring: McDowall, [[George Segal]], [[Henry Fonda]], [[John Wayne]], [[Mel Ferrer]], [[Robert Mitchum]], [[Rod Steiger]] and [[Sean Connery]].<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/81774/the-longest-day#articles-reviews | title=The Longest Day (1962)&nbsp;— Article | publisher=Turner Classic Movies | access-date=22 September 2015 | first=Paul | last=Tatara | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150928055133/http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/81774/The-Longest-Day/articles.html | archive-date=28 September 2015 | url-status=live}}</ref>{{Sfn|MacKenzie|2016|p=147}} The same year he provided narration for the [[Jack Howells]] documentary ''[[Dylan Thomas (film)|Dylan Thomas]]''. The short won the [[Academy Award for Best Documentary (Short Subject)|Best Documentary Short Subject]] at the [[35th Academy Awards]] ceremony.{{Sfn|Burton|Chibnall|2013|p=423}}<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1963 | title=35th Academy Awards | date=5 October 2014 | publisher=Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences | access-date=26 April 2016 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160426053216/http://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1963 | archive-date=26 April 2016 | url-status=live}}</ref>
[[File:Taylor and Burton Cleopatra.jpg|thumb|right|As Mark Antony in ''Cleopatra'' (1963), with Elizabeth Taylor as the titular character]]
After performing ''Camelot'' for six months, in July 1961, Burton met producer [[Walter Wanger]] who asked him to replace [[Stephen Boyd]] as Mark Antony in director [[Joseph L. Mankiewicz]]'s [[Masterpiece|magnum opus]] ''[[Cleopatra (1963 film)|Cleopatra]]''.{{Sfn|Alpert|1986|p=97}} Burton was paid $250,000 for four months work in the film ({{Inflation|US|250000|1963|r=0|fmt=eq|cursign=$}}). The gigantic scale of the film's troubled production, Taylor's bouts of illness and fluctuating weight, Burton's off-screen relationship with the actress, (which he gave the sardonic nickname "Le Scandale") all generated enormous publicity;{{Sfnm|1a1=Bragg|1y=1988|1pp=138, 140|2a1=Walker|2y=1990|2pp=243–253|3a1=Kashner|3a2=Schoenberger|3y=2010|3pp=11–12, 39, 45–46, 56}}{{efn|The film was initially slated to be helmed by [[Armenian Americans|Armenian American]] film director [[Rouben Mamoulian]]. [[Principal photography]] began in London in 1960 but had to be halted several times due to prevalent weather conditions.{{Sfn|Kashner|Schoenberger|2010|pp=12–13}} [[Elizabeth Taylor]]'s inability to adapt to the English climate resulted in her falling continuously ill, further delaying production.{{Sfn|Kashner|Schoenberger|2010|pp=12–13}} In March 1961, she contracted a near-fatal case of [[pneumonia]], which required a [[tracheotomy]] to be performed. After she recovered, Fox shifted the production to Rome.{{Sfn|Kashner|Schoenberger|2010|pp=12–18}} Mamoulian was fired and [[Joseph L. Mankiewicz]] was hired at Taylor's insistence.{{Sfn|Walker|1990|p=226}}<ref name="TCM Cleopatra">{{cite web | url=https://www.tcm.com/this-month/article/102758 | title=Cleopatra (1963)&nbsp;— Article | publisher=Turner Classic Movies | access-date=28 April 2016 | first=E. Lacey | last=Rice | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160428075659/http://www.tcm.com/this-month/article/102757%7C102758/Cleopatra.html | archive-date=28 April 2016 | url-status=live}}</ref> [[Stephen Boyd]] and [[Peter Finch]], who played [[Mark Antony]] and Julius Caesar respectively, withdrew to concentrate on other pending projects. The duo were replaced by Burton and [[Rex Harrison]].{{Sfn|Kashner|Schoenberger|2010|pp=12–18}} Filming was finally completed in July 1962.{{Sfn|Kashner|Schoenberger|2010|p=39}}}} ''[[Life (magazine)|Life]]'' magazine proclaimed it the "Most Talked About Movie Ever Made".<ref>{{cite journal | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=XEkEAAAAMBAJ | title=LIFE | journal=[[Time Inc.]] | volume=54 | issue=16 | date=19 April 1963 | issn=0024-3019 | location=New York City}}</ref> Fox's future appeared to hinge on what became the most expensive movie ever made until then, with costs reaching almost $40&nbsp;million.{{Sfn|Alpert|1986|p=97}} During filming, Burton met and fell in love with Elizabeth Taylor, who was then married to [[Eddie Fisher]]. According to Alpert, at their first meeting on the set while posing for their publicity photographs, Burton said, "Has anyone ever told you that you're a very pretty girl?" Taylor later recalled, "I said to myself, ''Oy gevalt'', here's the great lover, the great wit, the great intellectual of Wales, and he comes out with a line like that."{{Sfn|Alpert|1986|pp=102–103}} Bragg contradicts Alpert by pointing out that Burton could not stand Taylor at first, calling her "Miss Tits" and opined to Mankiewicz, "I expect she shaves"; he saw her simply as another celebrity with no acting talent. All that changed when, in their first scene together, Burton was shaky and forgot his lines, and she soothed and helped him; it was at this instance, according to Taylor, that she fell for him.{{Sfn|Bragg|1988|pp=145–146}} Soon the affair began in earnest; both Fisher and Sybil were unable to bear it. While Fisher fled the sets for [[Gstaad]], Sybil went first to Céligny and then headed off to London.{{Sfn|Alpert|1986|p=103–104, 107, 109}} Olivier, shocked by Burton's affair with Taylor, [[Telegraphy|cabled]] him: "Make up your mind, dear heart. Do you want to be a great actor or a household word?". Burton replied "Both".{{Sfn|Radner|Luckett|1999|p=245}}<ref>{{cite news | url=http://www.nzherald.co.nz/lifestyle/news/article.cfm?c_id=6&objectid=2042581 | title=Playing Burton at the Herald Theatre | work=[[The New Zealand Herald]] | date=22 May 2002 | access-date=28 April 2016 | first=Peter | last=Calder | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160610094532/http://www.nzherald.co.nz/lifestyle/news/article.cfm?c_id=6&objectid=2042581 | archive-date=10 June 2016 | url-status=live | df=dmy-all }}</ref>

''Cleopatra'' was finally released on 11 June 1963 with a run time of 243 minutes, to polarising reviews.<ref name="TCM Cleopatra"/>{{Sfn|Walker|1990|p=265}}{{efn|The film was initially six hours long and Mankiewicz thought of releasing the film in two parts, both three hours long. Zanuck rejected the idea and edited the film himself by cutting it down to four hours. Alpert observed that the more Zanuck edited the film, the less Burton's screen presence became. Burton and Taylor supported Mankiewicz, with the former saying the director "might have made the first really good epic film". Mankiewicz said of the editing of Burton's scenes, "He gave a brilliant performance, much of which will never be seen."{{Sfn|Alpert|1986|p=124}}}} The ''Time'' magazine critic found the film "riddled with flaws, [lacking] style both in image and in action", and wrote Burton "staggers around looking ghastly and spouting irrelevance".<ref name="TCM Cleopatra"/>{{Sfn|Alpert|1986|p=125}} In a contradictory review, Crowther termed the film "generally brilliant, moving, and satisfying" and thought Burton was "exciting as the arrogant Antony".<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=9F02E0DA1430EF3BBC4B52DFB0668388679EDE | title=The Screen: 'Cleopatra' Has Premiere at Rivoli:4-Hour Epic Is Tribute to Its Artists' Skills | work=The New York Times | date=13 June 1963 | access-date=28 April 2016 | first=Bosley | last=Crowther | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160428090313/http://www.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=9F02E0DA1430EF3BBC4B52DFB0668388679EDE | archive-date=28 April 2016 | url-status=live}}</ref> [[Richard Brody]] of ''[[The New Yorker]]'' commented positively on the chemistry between Burton and Taylor, describing it as "entrancing in the movie's drama as it was in life".<ref>{{cite magazine | url=https://www.newyorker.com/goings-on-about-town/movies/cleopatra | title=Cleopatra | magazine=[[The New Yorker]] | access-date=28 April 2016 | first=Richard | last=Brody | author-link=Richard Brody | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160428091011/http://www.newyorker.com/goings-on-about-town/movies/cleopatra | archive-date=28 April 2016 | url-status=live}}</ref> ''Cleopatra'' grossed over $26 million ({{Inflation|US|26000000|1963|r=0|fmt=eq|cursign=$}}), becoming one of the highest-grossing films of 1963.<ref name="TCM Cleopatra"/> It was not enough to prevent Fox from entering bankruptcy. The studio sued Burton and Taylor for allegedly damaging the film's prospects at the box office with their behaviour, but it proved unsuccessful.{{Sfn|Kashner|Schoenberger|2010|p=46}} ''Cleopatra'' was nominated for nine Academy Awards, winning for [[Academy Award for Best Production Design|Best Production Design]], [[Academy Award for Best Costume Design|Best Costume Design]] and [[Academy Award for Best Visual Effects|Best Visual Effects]].<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1964 | title=36th Academy Awards | date=5 October 2014 | publisher=Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences | access-date=29 April 2016 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160429053203/https://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1964 | archive-date=29 April 2016 | url-status=live}}</ref>

The film marked the beginning of a series of collaborations with Taylor, in addition to making Burton one of the Top 10 box office draws until 1967.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.reelclassics.com/Articles/General/quigleytop10-article.htm | title=Quigley's Annual List of Box-Office Champions, 1932–1970 | publisher=Reel Classics | date=23 October 2003 | access-date=28 April 2016 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160428100859/http://www.reelclassics.com/Articles/General/quigleytop10-article.htm | archive-date=28 April 2016 | url-status=live}}</ref> Burton played her tycoon husband Paul Andros in [[Anthony Asquith]]'s ''[[The V.I.P.s (film)|The V.I.P.s]]'' (1963), an [[ensemble cast]] film described by Alpert as a "kind of ''[[Grand Hotel (1932 film)|Grand Hotel]]'' story" that was set in the VIP lounge of [[London Heathrow Airport]];{{Sfn|Alpert|1986|p=119}} it proved to be a box-office hit despite mixed reviews.{{Sfnm|1a1=Alpert|1y=1986|1pp=119–120|2a1=Bragg|2y=1988|2p=169|3a1=Ryall|3y=2013|3p=27}} It was after ''The V.I.P.s'' that Burton became considerably more selective about his roles; he credited Taylor for this as he simply acted in films "to get rich" and she "made me see what kind of rubbish I was doing".{{Sfn|Alpert|1986|p=120}} Burton divorced Sybil in April 1963 after completing ''The V.I.P.s'' while Taylor was granted divorce from Fisher on 6 March 1964.<ref name="NYTDowd">{{cite news | url=https://www.nytimes.com/learning/general/onthisday/bday/1110.html | title=Richard Burton, 58, is Dead; Rakish Stage and Screen Star | work=The New York Times | date=6 August 1984 | access-date=30 April 2016 | first=Dowd | last=Maureen | author-link=Maureen Dowd | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160430045324/http://www.nytimes.com/learning/general/onthisday/bday/1110.html | archive-date=30 April 2016 | url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Daytona">{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1870&dat=19640306&id=k_knAAAAIBAJ&pg=4677,993740&hl=en|title=Liz Finally Gets Divorce|work=[[The Daytona Beach News-Journal]]|date=6 March 1964|access-date=8 January 2017|archive-url=https://archive.today/20170108110623/https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1870&dat=19640306&id=k_knAAAAIBAJ&sjid=QcoEAAAAIBAJ&pg=4677,993740&hl=en|archive-date=8 January 2017|url-status=live}}</ref> Taylor then took a two-year hiatus from films until her next venture with Burton, ''[[The Sandpiper]]'' (1965).<ref name="NYTDowd"/>{{Sfn|Kashner|Schoenberger|2010|p=112}} The [[supercouple]], dubbed "Liz and Dick" by the press, continued starring together in films in the mid-1960s, earning a combined $88&nbsp;million over the next decade and spending $65&nbsp;million.{{Sfnm|1a1=Kashner|1a2=Schoenberger|1y=2010|1p=193|2a1=Holder|2y=2014|2p=124}} Regarding their earnings, in a 1976 interview with Lester David and Jhan Robbins of ''[[The Ledger]]'', Burton stated that "they say we generate more business activity than one of the smaller African nations" and that the couple "often outspent" the Greek business tycoon [[Aristotle Onassis]].<ref>{{cite news | url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1346&dat=19760615&id=foksAAAAIBAJ&pg=6932,4210848&hl=en | title=Elizabeth Still Amuses, Amazes, Confounds Richard | work=[[The Ledger]] | date=15 July 1976 | access-date=30 April 2016 | first1=Lester David and Jhan Robbins | last1=David | first2=Jhan | last2=Robbins | page=17}}</ref>

In 1964, Burton portrayed [[Thomas Becket]], the [[Archbishop of Canterbury]] who was martyred by [[Henry II of England]], in the [[Becket (1964 film)|film adaptation]] of Jean Anouilh's historical play ''[[Becket]]''. Both Alpert and historian [[Alex von Tunzelmann]] noted Burton gave an effective, restrained performance, contrasting with co-actor and friend [[Peter O'Toole]]'s manic portrayal of Henry.{{Sfn|Alpert|1986|p=130}}<ref name="Becket Guardian">{{cite news | url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2009/jan/01/reel-history-becket | title=Becket: forking Normans and a not so turbulent priest | work=The Guardian | date=1 February 2009 | access-date=30 April 2016 | first=Alex | last=von Tunzelmann | author-link=Alex von Tunzelmann | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160430003234/http://www.theguardian.com/film/2009/jan/01/reel-history-becket | archive-date=30 April 2016 | url-status=live}}</ref> Burton asked the film's director, Peter Glenville, not to oust him from the project like he had done for ''Adventure Story'' before accepting the role of Becket.<ref name="Becket Guardian"/>{{Sfnm|1a1=Alpert|1y=1986|1p=119|2a1=Bragg|2y=1988|2p=172}} Writing for ''[[The Christian Science Monitor]]'', Peter Rainer labelled Burton as "extraordinary".<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.csmonitor.com/2007/0209/p14s01-almo.html | title=Movie Guide | work=[[The Christian Science Monitor]] | date=9 February 2007 | access-date=29 April 2016 | first=Peter | last=Rainer | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160429153556/http://www.csmonitor.com/2007/0209/p14s01-almo.html | archive-date=29 April 2016 | url-status=live}}</ref> [[Kenneth Turan]] of the ''[[Los Angeles Times]]'' appreciated Burton's on-screen chemistry with O'Toole and thought his portrayal of Becket served as "a reminder of how fine an actor Burton was".<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2007-feb-02-et-becket2-story.html | title=Two great actors display their craft | work=[[Los Angeles Times]] | date=2 February 2007 | access-date=30 April 2016 | first=Kenneth | last=Turan | author-link=Kenneth Turan | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160430002851/http://articles.latimes.com/2007/feb/02/entertainment/et-becket2 | archive-date=30 April 2016 | url-status=live}}</ref> The film received twelve Oscar nominations, including Best Actor for both Burton and O'Toole; they lost to Harrison for ''[[My Fair Lady (film)|My Fair Lady]]'' (1964).<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1965 | title=37th Academy Awards | date=5 October 2014 | publisher=Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences | access-date=30 April 2016 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160422061750/https://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1965 | archive-date=22 April 2016 | url-status=live}}</ref> Burton and O'Toole also received nominations for Best Actor&nbsp;– Motion Picture Drama at the [[22nd Golden Globe Awards]], with O'Toole emerging victorious.<ref>{{cite news | url=http://www.goldenglobes.com/winners-nominees/1965 | title=Winners & Nominees 1965 | newspaper=Golden Globes | publisher=Golden Globe Award | access-date=30 April 2016 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160430011721/http://www.goldenglobes.com/winners-nominees/1965 | archive-date=30 April 2016 | url-status=live}}</ref> Burton's triumph at the box office continued with his next appearance as the defrocked clergyman Dr. T. Lawrence Shannon in [[Tennessee Williams]]' ''[[The Night of the Iguana (film)|The Night of the Iguana]]'' (1964) directed by [[John Huston]]; the film was also critically well received.{{Sfnm|1a1=Alpert|1y=1986|1p=136|2a1=Erskine|2a2=Welsh|2a3=Tibbetts|2y=2000|2p=238}}<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/night_of_the_iguana/ | title=The Night of the Iguana (1964) | website=Rotten Tomatoes | date=6 August 1964 | access-date=30 April 2016 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150905233907/http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/night_of_the_iguana/ | archive-date=5 September 2015 | url-status=live | df=dmy-all }}</ref> Alpert believed Burton's success was due to how well he varied his acting with the three female characters, each of whom he tries to seduce differently: [[Ava Gardner]] (the randy hotel owner), [[Sue Lyon]] (the nubile American tourist), and [[Deborah Kerr]] (the poor, repressed artist).{{Sfn|Alpert|1986|p=135}} The success of ''Becket'' and ''The Night of the Iguana'' led ''Time'' magazine to term him "the new Mr. Box Office".{{Sfn|Alpert|1986|p=136}}
[[File:Becket 1964 still 2.jpg|thumb|right|Burton (right) with [[Peter O'Toole]] in ''Becket'' (1964)]]

During the production of ''Becket'', Burton went to watch Gielgud perform in the 1963 stage adaptation of [[Thornton Wilder]]'s 1948 novel, ''[[The Ides of March (novel)|The Ides of March]]''. There he was confronted by Gielgud who asked what Burton planned to do as a part of the celebration of Shakespeare's quatercentenary. Burton told him he was approached by theatrical producer [[Alexander H. Cohen]] to do ''Hamlet'' in New York City. Burton had accepted Cohen's offer under the condition that Gielgud would direct it, which he conveyed to Gielgud. Gielgud agreed and soon production began in January 1964 after Burton had completed his work in ''Becket'' and ''The Night of the Iguana''.{{Sfnm|1a1=Alpert|1y=1986|1pp=131–132|2a1=Croall|2y=2000|2p=442|3a1=Morley|3y=2010|3p=494}}{{efn|O'Toole's version of how Burton came to work in ''Hamlet'' under Gielgud was a little different, but not conflicting according to Alpert. His version has him and Burton deciding they would both play Hamlet under the direction of Gielgud and Olivier in either London or New York City, with two coin tosses made for choice of director and location. Burton won the first toss and chose Gielgud and New York City while O'Toole won the second toss, selecting Olivier and London.{{Sfn|Croall|2000|pp=441–442}}}} Taking into account Burton's dislike for wearing period clothing, as well as fellow actor [[Harley Granville-Barker]]'s notion that the play was best approached as a "permanent rehearsal", Gielgud decided for ''Hamlet'' to be performed in a 'rehearsal' version with an incomplete set with the actors performing wearing their own clothes. Unaccustomed to this freedom, the cast found it hard to select the appropriate clothes and wore different attire day by day. After the first performance in Toronto, Gielgud decreed that the actors must wear capes as he felt it "lacked colour". In addition to being the play's director, Gielgud appeared as the [[Ghost (Hamlet)|Ghost of Hamlet's father]].{{Sfnm|1a1=Croall|1y=2000|1p=444|2a1=Schoch|2a2=Williams|2y=2011|2p=59}} According to Gielgud's biographer Jonathan Croall, Burton's basic reading of Hamlet was "a much more vigorous, extrovert" version of Gielgud's own performance in 1936.{{Sfn|Croall|2000|p=443}} Burton varied his interpretations of the character in later performances; he even tried a homosexual Hamlet.{{Sfnm|1a1=Alpert|1y=1986|1p=146|2a1=Bragg|2y=1988|2p=198}}

When the play debuted at the [[Lunt-Fontanne Theatre]] in New York City, Burton garnered good reviews for his portrayal of a "bold and virile" Hamlet.{{Sfnm|1a1=Alpert|1y=1986|1p=144|2a1=Croall|2y=2000|2p=445}} [[Howard Taubman]] of ''The New York Times'' called it "a performance of electrical power and sweeping virility", noting that he had never known or seen "a Hamlet of such tempestuous manliness".<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.nytimes.com/1964/04/10/theater-richard-burton-as-hamlet.html | title=Theater: Richard Burton as Hamlet | work=The New York Times | date=10 April 1964 | access-date=1 May 2016 | first=Howard | last=Taubman | author-link=Howard Taubman | archive-url=https://archive.today/20240527201857/https://www.webcitation.org/6hAYP4LLM?url=http://www.nytimes.com/1964/04/10/theater-richard-burton-as-hamlet.html%3F_r=0 | archive-date=27 May 2024 | url-status=live | df=dmy-all }}</ref> A critic from ''Time'' magazine said that Burton "put his passion into Hamlet's language rather than the character. His acting is a technician's marvel. His voice has gem-cutting precision."{{Sfn|Alpert|1986|p=144}} Walter Kerr felt that though Burton carried "a certain lack of feeling" in his performance, he appreciated Burton's "reverberating" vocal projections.{{Sfn|Alpert|1986|p=144}} The opening night party was a lavish affair, attended by six hundred celebrities.{{Sfn|Alpert|1986|p=143}} The play ran for 137 performances, beating the previous record set by Gielgud himself in 1936.{{efn|While ''Playbill'' magazine gives the number of performances as 137,<ref name="Hamlet 1964 Playbill">{{cite web | url=http://www.playbill.com/production/hamlet-lunt-fontanne-theatre-vault-0000013102 | title=Hamlet | work=Playbill | access-date=1 May 2016 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160501044751/http://www.playbill.com/production/hamlet-lunt-fontanne-theatre-vault-0000013102 | archive-date=1 May 2016 | url-status=live}}</ref> Croall says it went on for 138 performances.{{Sfn|Croall|2000|p=445}} Alpert and Bragg mention it to be 136 and 134 respectively.{{Sfnm|1a1=Alpert|1y=1986|1p=148|2a1=Bragg|2y=1988|2p=197}}}} The most successful aspect of the production, apart from Burton's performance, was generally considered to be [[Hume Cronyn]]'s performance as [[Polonius]], winning him the only [[Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Play|Tony Award]] he would ever receive in a competitive category. Burton himself was nominated for his second Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play but lost to [[Alec Guinness]] for his portrayal of the poet Dylan Thomas.<ref name="Hamlet 1964 Playbill"/><ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.playbill.com/production/dylan-plymouth-theatre-vault-0000009602 | title=Dylan | work=Playbill | access-date=1 May 2016 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160501044753/http://www.playbill.com/production/dylan-plymouth-theatre-vault-0000009602 | archive-date=1 May 2016 | url-status=live}}</ref> The performance was immortalised in a [[Richard Burton's Hamlet|film]] that was created by recording three live performances on camera from 30 June 1964 to 1 July 1964 using a process called [[Electronovision]];{{Sfnm|1a1=Sterne|1y=1967|1p=127|2a1=Hirschhorn|2y=1979|2p=363}} it played in US theatres for a week in 1964.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.richardburton.com/works/theatre/ | title=Richard Burton's Works&nbsp;— Theatre | publisher=The Official Richard Burton Website | access-date=1 May 2016 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160501053353/http://www.richardburton.com/works/theatre/ | archive-date=1 May 2016 | url-status=live | df=dmy-all }}</ref> The play was also the subject of books written by cast members [[William Redfield (actor)|William Redfield]] and Richard L. Sterne.{{Sfn|Croall|2000|pp=442, 445}}
{{Quote box|bgcolor=#FAE7B5|quote=He had a theory that Hamlet could be played a hundred ways, and he tested every one of them. Within one scene, you might get Heathcliff, Sir Toby Belch, and [[Peck's Bad Boy]].|source=[[Alfred Drake]], who played [[King Claudius]], on how Burton made variations to the character of Hamlet.{{Sfn|Alpert|1986|p=146}}|align=left|width=35%}}
Burton helped Taylor make her stage debut in ''A Poetry Reading'', a recitation of poems by the couple as well as anecdotes and quotes from the plays Burton had participated in thus far. The idea was conceived by Burton as a benefit performance for his mentor Philip, whose conservatory, the [[American Musical and Dramatic Academy]], had fallen short of funds.{{Sfn|Bragg|1988|pp=195–196}} ''A Poetry Reading'' opened at the Lunt-Fontanne on 21 June 1964 to a packed house;{{Sfn|Alpert|1986|pp=147–148}} the couple received a standing ovation at the end of their performance.{{Sfn|Alpert|1986|p=148}} Burton remarked on Taylor's performance, "I didn't know she was going to be this good."{{Sfn|Bragg|1988|pp=195–196}}{{efn|Some of the poems they recited were the [[metaphysical poets|metaphysical poet]] [[Andrew Marvell]]'s "[[To His Coy Mistress]]", [[T. S. Eliot]]'s "[[Portrait of a Lady (poem)|Portrait of a Lady]]", "Snake" by [[D. H. Lawrence]] and the [[Thomas Hardy]] satire "[[The Ruined Maid]]".{{Sfnm|1a1=Alpert|1y=1986|1pp=147–148|2a1=Bragg|2y=1988|2p=196}} Burton also gave a solo performance of the [[St Crispin's Day Speech]] portion from ''[[Henry V (play)|Henry V]]''. The couple ended their recitation with [[Psalm 23]], with Taylor reciting in English and Burton in Welsh.{{Sfn|Bragg|1988|pp=196}}}}

After ''Hamlet'' came to a close in August 1964, Burton and Taylor continued making films together. The first film after their marriage, ''The Sandpiper'', was poorly received but still became a commercially successful venture.{{Sfn|Bragg|1988|pp=198–199}} According to Bragg, the films they made during the mid-1960s contained a lot of innuendos that referred directly to their private lives.{{Sfn|Bragg|1988|p=198}} Burton went on to star opposite Claire Bloom and [[Oskar Werner]] in ''[[The Spy Who Came In from the Cold (film)|The Spy Who Came In from the Cold]]'' (1965), a [[Cold War espionage]] story about a British Intelligence agent, Alec Leamas (Burton), who is sent to East Germany on a mission to find and expose a mole working within his organisation for an East German Intelligence officer, Hans-Dieter Mundt ([[Peter van Eyck]]). [[Martin Ritt]], the film's director and producer, wanted Burton's character to exhibit more anonymity, which meant no display of eloquent speeches or intense emotional moments.{{Sfn|Bragg|1988|pp=200–201}}<ref name="Spy">{{cite web | url=https://www.tcm.com/this-month/article/114179 | title=The Spy Who Came in from the Cold&nbsp;— Article | publisher=Turner Classic Movies | access-date=4 May 2016 | first=Jeff | last=Stafford | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160504151900/http://www.tcm.com/this-month/article/114179%7C0/The-Spy-Who-Came-In-From-the-Cold.html | archive-date=4 May 2016 | url-status=live}}</ref> Bragg believed this decision worried Burton, as he had generated his reputation as an actor with those exact traits, and wondered how the film's would turn out.{{Sfnm|1a1=Alpert|1y=1986|1p=159|2a1=Bragg|2y=1988|2pp=200–201}} Ritt, a non-drinker, was displeased with Burton's drinking habits as he felt it "lacked a certain discipline" and expected the same level of commitment from him as everyone else during filming.{{Sfn|Alpert|1986|p=159}} In spite of their differences, Alpert notes that the film transpired well.{{Sfn|Alpert|1986|p=160}} Based on the 1963 novel [[The Spy Who Came in from the Cold|of the same name]] by [[John le Carré]], ''The Spy Who Came in from the Cold'' garnered positive reviews,<ref name="Spy"/> with Fernando F. Croce of ''[[Slant Magazine]]'' describing Burton's performance as more of "tragic patsy than swashbuckler" and believed his scenes with Werner "have sharp doses of suspicion, cynicism and sadness".<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/review/the-spy-who-came-in-from-the-cold | title=The Spy Who Came in from the Cold | work=[[Slant Magazine]] | date=25 November 2008 | access-date=4 May 2016 | first=Fernando | last=F. Croce | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160504153439/http://www.slantmagazine.com/film/review/the-spy-who-came-in-from-the-cold | archive-date=4 May 2016 | url-status=live}}</ref> [[Dave Kehr]] of the ''Chicago Reader'' called the film "Grim, monotonous, and rather facile", he found Burton's role had "some honest poignancy".<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.chicagoreader.com/chicago/the-spy-who-came-in-from-the-cold/Film?oid=1057486 | title=The Spy Who Came in from the Cold | work=[[Chicago Reader]] | access-date=4 May 2016 | first=Dave | last=Kehr | date=26 October 1985 | author-link=Dave Kehr | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170104000843/http://www.chicagoreader.com/chicago/the-spy-who-came-in-from-the-cold/Film?oid=1057486 | archive-date=4 January 2017 | url-status=live | df=dmy-all }}</ref> ''Variety'' thought Burton fitted "neatly into the role of the apparently burned out British agent".<ref>{{cite web | url=https://variety.com/1965/film/reviews/the-spy-who-came-in-from-the-cold-1200420966/ | title=Review: 'The Spy Who Came in from the Cold' | work=Variety | date=31 December 1965 | access-date=4 May 2016 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160504153427/http://variety.com/1965/film/reviews/the-spy-who-came-in-from-the-cold-1200420966/ | archive-date=4 May 2016 | url-status=live}}</ref> Burton also made a brief appearance the same year in [[Clive Donner]]'s comedy ''[[What's New Pussycat?]]'' as a man who meets the womaniser Michael James (O'Toole) in a bar.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.tcm.com/this-month/article/21392 | title=What's New Pussycat?&nbsp;— Article | publisher=Turner Classic Movies | access-date=4 May 2016 | first=Frank | last=Miller | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160504142709/http://www.tcm.com/this-month/article/21392%7C0/What-s-New-Pussycat-.html | archive-date=4 May 2016 | url-status=live}}</ref>

In 1966, Burton and Taylor enjoyed their greatest on-screen success in [[Mike Nichols]]'s [[Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (film)|film version]] of [[Edward Albee]]'s [[black comedy]] play ''[[Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?]]'',<ref name="Life"/>{{Sfn|Bragg|1988|p=230}} in which a bitter erudite couple trade vicious barbs in front of their guests, Nick (George Segal) and Honey ([[Sandy Dennis]]).<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.afi.com/members/catalog/DetailView.aspx?s=&Movie=22930 | title=Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? | publisher=[[American Film Institute]] | access-date=3 May 2016 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160503111706/http://www.afi.com/members/catalog/DetailView.aspx?s=&Movie=22930 | archive-date=3 May 2016 | url-status=live}}</ref> Burton wanted Taylor for the character of Martha "to stop everyone else from playing it".{{Sfn|Alpert|1986|p=150}} He didn't want anyone else to do it as he thought it could be for Elizabeth what ''Hamlet'' was for him.{{Sfn|Bragg|1988|p=204}} Burton was not the first choice for the role of George. [[Jack Lemmon]] was offered the role initially, but when he turned it down, Warner Bros. president [[Jack L. Warner]] agreed on Burton and paid him $750,000.{{Sfn|Alpert|1986|p=155}} Nichols was hired to helm the project at Taylor's request, despite having never directed a film.{{Sfn|Alpert|1986|p=157}} Albee preferred [[Bette Davis]] and James Mason for Martha and George respectively, fearing that the Burtons' strong screen presence would dominate the film. Instead, it proved to be what Alpert described as "the summit of both Richard's and Elizabeth's careers".{{Sfn|Alpert|1986|p=163}}

The film's script, adapted from Albee's play by [[Ernest Lehman]], broke new ground for its raw language and harsh depiction of marriage.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.tcm.com/this-month/article/276863 | title=Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?&nbsp;— Article | publisher=Turner Classic Movies | access-date=3 May 2016 | first=Margarita | last=Landazuri | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160503083200/http://www.tcm.com/this-month/article.html?id=362076%7C276863 | archive-date=3 May 2016 | url-status=live}}</ref> So immersed had the Burtons become in the roles of George and Martha over the months of shooting that, after it was wrapped up, he and Taylor found it difficult not to be George and Martha, "I feel rather lost."{{Sfn|Alpert|1986|p=175}} Later the couple would state that the film took its toll on their relationship, and that Taylor was "tired of playing Martha" in real life.{{Sfnm|1a1=Alpert|1y=1986|1p=173|2a1=Bragg|2y=1988|2pp=205–206}} ''Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?'' garnered critical acclaim, with film critic [[Stanley Kauffmann]] of ''The New York Times'' calling it "one of the most scathingly honest American films ever made". Kaufman observed Burton to be "utterly convincing as a man with a great lake of nausea in him, on which he sails with regret and compulsive amusement", and Taylor "does the best work of her career, sustained and urgent".<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=9E04E3DA1731E43BBC4C51DFB066838D679EDE | title=Screen: Funless Games at George and Martha's:Albee's 'Virginia Woolf' Becomes a Film | work=The New York Times | date=24 June 1966 | access-date=3 May 2016 | first=Stanley | last=Kauffmann | author-link=Stanley Kauffmann | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160503090744/http://www.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=9E04E3DA1731E43BBC4C51DFB066838D679EDE | archive-date=3 May 2016 | url-status=live}}</ref> In her review for ''[[The New York Daily News]]'', Kate Cameron thought Taylor "nothing less than brilliant as the shrewish, slovenly. blasphemous, frustrated, slightly wacky, alcoholic wife" while noting that the film gave Burton "a chance to display his disciplined art in the role of the victim of a wife's vituperative tongue".<ref>{{cite news | url=http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/movies/review-mike-nicholas-afraid-virginia-woolf-article-1.2019400 | title=Mike Nichols dead at 83: Daily News' original 1966 review of 'Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?' | work=[[The New York Daily News]] | date=21 November 2014 | access-date=3 May 2016 | first=Kate | last=Cameron | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160503091824/http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/movies/review-mike-nicholas-afraid-virginia-woolf-article-1.2019400 | archive-date=3 May 2016 | url-status=live}}</ref> However, [[Andrew Sarris]] of ''[[The Village Voice]]'' criticised Taylor, believing her performance "lack[ed] genuine warmth" but his review of Burton was more favourable, noting that he gave "a performance of electrifying charm".<ref>{{cite news | url=http://www.villagevoice.com/news/whos-afraid-of-andrew-sarris-maybe-mike-nichols-should-be-6716227 | title=Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? | work=[[The Village Voice]] | date=28 July 1966 | access-date=3 May 2016 | first=Andrew | last=Sarris | author-link=Andrew Sarris | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160503092737/http://www.villagevoice.com/news/whos-afraid-of-andrew-sarris-maybe-mike-nichols-should-be-6716227 | archive-date=3 May 2016 | url-status=live}}</ref> Although all four actors received Academy Award nominations for their roles in the film, which received a total of thirteen nominations, only Taylor and Dennis went on to win.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1967 | title=39th Academy Awards | date=4 October 2014 | publisher=Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences | access-date=3 May 2016 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160503083438/https://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1967 | archive-date=3 May 2016 | url-status=live}}</ref> Both Burton and Taylor won their first [[BAFTA]] Awards for Best British Actor and Best British Actress respectively; the former also for his role in ''The Spy Who Came in from the Cold''.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://awards.bafta.org/award/1967/film/british-actor | title=Film&nbsp;— British Actor in 1967 | publisher=British Academy of Film and Television Arts | access-date=4 May 2016 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160504155335/http://awards.bafta.org/award/1967/film/british-actor | archive-date=4 May 2016 | url-status=live}}</ref>

Burton and Taylor next performed a 1966 [[Oxford Playhouse]] adaptation of [[Christopher Marlowe]]'s ''[[Doctor Faustus (play)|Doctor Faustus]]''; the couple did the play to benefit the Oxford University Dramatic Society and as a token of Burton's gratitude to Nevill Coghill.{{Sfn|Bragg|1988|p=206}} Burton starred as the titular character, Doctor Faustus while Taylor played her first stage role as [[Helen of Troy]], a non-speaking part.{{Sfn|Bragg|1988|p=207}} The play received negative reviews but Burton's and Taylor's performances were reviewed constructively. [[Irving Wardle]] of ''The Times'' called it "University drama at its worst" while the American newspaper columnist [[John Crosby (media critic)|John Crosby]], in his review for ''The Observer'', lauded Burton's speech where he asks God to be merciful, stating that: "It takes a great actor to deliver that speech without wringing a strangled sob of laughter out of one. But Burton did it."{{Sfn|Bragg|1988|pp=207–208}} The play nevertheless made $22,000, which Coghill was happy with.{{Sfn|Cottrell|Cashin|1971|p=300}} ''Doctor Faustus'' was [[Doctor Faustus (1967 film)|adapted for the screen]] the following year by both Burton and Coghill, with Burton making his directorial debut. He also co-produced the film with Taylor and Coghill; it was critically panned and was a box office failure.{{Sfnm|1a1=Alpert|1y=1986|1pp=179–180, 187|2a1=Kashner|2a2=Schoenberger|2y=2010|2pp=186–189, 230–232}} The couple's next collaboration was Franco Zeffirelli's lively version of [[William Shakespeare|Shakespeare]]'s ''[[The Taming of the Shrew (1967 film)|The Taming of the Shrew]]'' (1967).{{Sfn|Cottrell|Cashin|1971|pp=300–302}}<ref name="Taylor Guardian">{{cite news | url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2011/mar/23/elizabeth-taylor-obituary | title=Elizabeth Taylor obituary | work=The Guardian | date=23 March 2011 | access-date=6 May 2016 | first=Ronald | last=Bergan | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160506123826/http://www.theguardian.com/film/2011/mar/23/elizabeth-taylor-obituary | archive-date=6 May 2016 | url-status=live}}</ref> The film was a challenge for Burton, who had to chase Taylor on rooftops, noting that he was "permitted to do extreme physical things that wouldn't have been allowed with any other actress". Zeffirelli recalled that Taylor, who had no prior experience performing in a Shakespeare play, "gave the more interesting performance because she invented the part from scratch". Of Burton, the director felt he was, to an extent, "affected by his knowledge of the classics".{{Sfn|Cottrell|Cashin|1971|pp=300–302}} ''The Taming of the Shrew'' also became a notable critical and commercial success.{{Sfnm|1a1=Cottrell|1a2=Cashin|1y=1971|1p=311|2a1=Kashner|2a2=Schoenberger|2y=2010|2p=181}} He had another quick collaboration with Zeffirelli narrating the documentary, ''[[Florence: Days of Destruction]]'', which was about the [[1966 flood of the Arno]] that devastated the city of [[Florence]], Italy; the film raised $20&nbsp;million for the flood relief efforts.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://blogs.library.duke.edu/preservation/2012/02/15/florence-days-of-destruction-a-film-by-franco-zeffirelli/ | title=Florence: Days of Destruction (A Film by Franco Zeffirelli) | publisher=[[Duke University Libraries]] | date=15 February 2012 | access-date=5 May 2016 | first=Beth | last=Doyle | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160505062953/https://blogs.library.duke.edu/preservation/2012/02/15/florence-days-of-destruction-a-film-by-franco-zeffirelli/ | archive-date=5 May 2016 | url-status=live}}</ref> By the end of 1967, the combined box office gross of films Burton and Taylor had acted in had reached $200&nbsp;million.<ref name="kashner201007">{{cite news | url=https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/features/2010/07/elizabeth-taylor-201007?currentPage=all | title=A Love Too Big To Last | access-date=24 March 2011 | first1=Sam | last1=Kashner | first2=Nancy | last2=Schoenberger | date=July 2010 | work=[[Vanity Fair (magazine)|Vanity Fair]] | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100818194540/http://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/features/2010/07/elizabeth-taylor-201007?currentPage=all | archive-date=18 August 2010|ref=none}}</ref> According to biographers John Cottrell and [[Fergus Cashin]], when Burton and Taylor contemplated taking a three-month break from acting, Hollywood "almost had a nervous breakdown" as nearly half the U.S. cinema industry's income for films in theatrical distribution came from pictures starring one or both of them.{{Sfn|Cottrell|Cashin|1971|p=314}} Later collaborations from the Burtons like ''[[The Comedians (1967 film)|The Comedians]]'' (1967), which was based on [[Graham Greene]]'s [[The Comedians (novel)|1966 novel of the same name]], and the Tennessee Williams adaptation ''[[Boom! (1968 film)|Boom!]]'' (1968) were critical and commercial failures.{{Sfnm|1a1=Alpert|1y=1986|1p=187|2a1=Kashner|2a2=Schoenberger|2y=2010|2pp=228–232, 238–240}}

In 1968, Burton enjoyed a commercial blockbuster with [[Clint Eastwood]] in the World War II action film ''[[Where Eagles Dare]]'';<ref name="kashner201007"/> he received a $1&nbsp;million fee plus a share of the film's box office gross.{{Sfn|Bragg|1988|p=253}} According to his daughter Kate Burton, "He did that one for us kids, because we kept asking him, 'Can you do a fun movie that we can go see?{{'}}"<ref>{{cite web | url=https://variety.com/2013/film/people-news/richard-burton-receives-his-star-on-walk-of-fame-819384/#!1/look-back-in-anger-1959/ | title=Richard Burton Receives His Star on Walk of Fame | work=Variety | date=1 March 2013 | access-date=5 May 2016 | first=Robert | last=Hofler | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160505073455/http://variety.com/2013/film/people-news/richard-burton-receives-his-star-on-walk-of-fame-819384/ | archive-date=5 May 2016 | url-status=live}}</ref> Eastwood thought the script "terrible" and was "all exposition and complications".{{Sfn|McGilligan|2002|p=172}} He asked the film's producer [[Elliott Kastner]] and its screenwriter [[Alistair MacLean]] to be given less dialogue, later remarking "I just stood around firing my machine gun while Burton handled the dialogue."{{Sfn|McGilligan|2002|p=172}}<ref name="Eagles">{{cite news | url=http://www.walesonline.co.uk/lifestyle/showbiz/richard-burton-classic-eagles-dare-2023177 | title=Richard Burton classic Where Eagles Dare funds new literary prize | work=[[WalesOnline]] | date=3 October 2012 | access-date=4 May 2016 | first=Robin | last=Turner | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160504113843/http://www.walesonline.co.uk/lifestyle/showbiz/richard-burton-classic-eagles-dare-2023177 | archive-date=4 May 2016 | url-status=live}}</ref> Burton enjoyed working with Eastwood and said of the picture that he "did all the talking and [Eastwood] did all the killing".<ref name="Eagles"/> Burton's last film of the decade, ''[[Anne of the Thousand Days]]'' (1969) for which he was paid $1.25&nbsp;million, ({{Inflation|US|1250000|1969|r=0|fmt=eq|cursign=$}})<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.tcm.com/this-month/article/21410 | title=Anne of the Thousand Days&nbsp;— Article | publisher=Turner Classic Movies | access-date=4 May 2016 | first=Genevieve | last=McGillicuddy | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160504133952/http://www.tcm.com/this-month/article/21410%7C0/Anne-of-the-Thousand-Days.html | archive-date=4 May 2016 | url-status=live}}</ref> was commercially successful but garnered mixed opinions from reviewers.{{Sfn|Harper|Smith|2011|p=211}}<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/anne_of_the_thousand_days/ | title=Anne of the Thousand Days | website=Rotten Tomatoes | date=18 December 1969 | access-date=4 May 2016 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150325004019/http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/anne_of_the_thousand_days | archive-date=25 March 2015 | url-status=live}}</ref> Noted British film critic [[Tom Milne]] of ''Time Out'' magazine believed that Burton "plays throughout on a monotonous note of bluff ferocity".<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.timeout.com/us/film/anne-of-the-thousand-days | title=Anne of the Thousand Days | work=[[Time Out (magazine)|Time Out]] | access-date=4 May 2016 | first=Tom | last=Milne | author-link=Tom Milne | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160504132124/http://www.timeout.com/us/film/anne-of-the-thousand-days | archive-date=4 May 2016 | url-status=live}}</ref> Conversely, [[Vincent Canby]] of ''The New York Times'' appreciated Burton's portrayal of the English monarch, noting that he "is in excellent form and voice—funny, loutish and sometimes wise".<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=9907EFDA1F39EF34BC4951DFB766838B669EDE | title=Screen: A Royal Battle of the Sexes:'Anne of 1,000 Days' Bows at Plaza Burton Cast as Henry Miss Bujold Stars | work=The New York Times | date=21 January 1970 | access-date=4 May 2016 | first=Vincent | last=Canby | author-link=Vincent Canby | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160504132138/http://www.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=9907EFDA1F39EF34BC4951DFB766838B669EDE | archive-date=4 May 2016 | url-status=live}}</ref> ''Anne of the Thousand Days'' received ten nominations at the [[42nd Academy Awards]], including one for Burton's performance as [[Henry VIII of England]], which many thought to be largely the result of an expensive advertising campaign by [[Universal Pictures|Universal Studios]].{{Sfn|Wiley|Bona|1986|p=434}}<ref>{{cite web | url=https://variety.com/2003/film/awards/oscar-s-dubious-campaigning-1117896175/ | title=Oscar's dubious campaigning | work=Variety | date=23 November 2003 | access-date=4 May 2016 | first=Keith | last=Collins | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160504052222/http://variety.com/2003/film/awards/oscar-s-dubious-campaigning-1117896175/ | archive-date=4 May 2016 | url-status=live}}</ref> The same year, ''[[Staircase (film)|Staircase]]'' in which he and his ''Cleopatra'' co-star Rex Harrison appeared as a bickering homosexual couple, received negative reviews and was unsuccessful.{{Sfn|Bragg|1988|p=280}}<ref>{{cite web|first=Frank|last=Miller|title=Staircase&nbsp;— Article|url=https://www.tcm.com/this-month/article/159647|publisher=Turner Classic Movies|access-date=29 September 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160503150417/http://www.tcm.com/this-month/article/159647%7C0/Staircase.html |archive-date=3 May 2016|url-status=live}}</ref>