Elizabeth Taylor Remembered for Sultry Roles, Turbulent Life

March 23, 2011

Actress Elizabeth Taylor and her husband, former secretary of the U.S. Navy John Warner, at the 42nd New York Film Critics Circle Awards dinner in New York, Jan. 30, 1977

ollywood legend Elizabeth Taylor has died in Los Angeles at the age of 79. Her publicist says the actress had been hospitalized for six weeks and died of congestive heart failure early Wednesday. The screen icon is remembered for several Oscar-winning performances and a tempestuous personal life.

Elizabeth Taylor was born to American parents in London, where her father owned an art gallery. On the brink of World War II, the family moved to Los Angeles, where Elizabeth drew the attention of studio talent scouts. She landed her first film role at the age of 10, appearing in the 1942 comedy

There’s One Born Every Minute

.

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The child actress quickly rose to stardom in such films as

Lassie Come Home

,

The White Cliffs of Dover

, and

National Velvet

, a story about racing and a girl who loves horses.

National Velvet

was a hit, and Taylor went on to appear opposite major stars in a string of films in the 1940s and early 1950s, when she was celebrated for her beauty. Her performances in

Raintree County