(Credit: Oscars – YouTube – Alec Guinness winning Best Actor for "The Bridge on the River Kwai" – Published on October 11, 2013 – 3:01)  

(Credit: BBC/The World of Burton – YouTube – Richard Burton BBC Interview 1977 – Published on December 17, 2013 – 28:47) 

(Credit: Marilyn Monroe History – YouTube – Marilyn Monroe – The Last Interview – Published on November 26, 2013 – 26:57)   

On August 5 and beyond, take a moment to remember the lives and accomplishments of three actors who each died on August 5^th in different years: Richard Burton (1925-1984), Alec Guinness (1914-2000), and Marilyn Monroe (1926-1962). Welshman Richard Burton gained recognition as a talented Shakespearean actor in the 1950s, culminating in Burton’s Broadway performance of Hamlet in 1964.  Burton also had a successful Hollywood movie career in addition to theatrical success, including Desert Rats (1953) and Cleopatra (1963 – co-starring with future wife and actor Elizabeth Taylor) on the big screen and Time Remembered (1958 – nominated for a Tony Award) and the musical Camelot (1960) on the stage. Over his career, Richard Burton was nominated seven times for an Academy Award (six times for Best Actor and once for Best Supporting Actor (for My Cousin Rachel in 1952)) but never won. Burton’s health suffered from excessive drinking and smoking and he died from a cerebral hemorrhage on August 5, 1984 in Céligny, Switzerland. Nonetheless, Burton was renowned for his harmonious, baritone voice.

English actor Sir Alec Guinness had an acting career spanning over sixty years. Guinness also had roots in stage Shakespearean acting with a critically acclaimed, starring role in Hamlet (1938), as Romeo in Romeo and Juliet (1939), and played opposite Laurence Olivier in both Twelfth Night and Henry V in 1937 as Andrew Aguecheek and Exeter respectively.  Guinness also played opposite Sir John Gielgud’s Prospero as Ferdinand in The Tempest.  Guinness also had success playing the role of Herbert Pocket in a theatrical adaptation of Charles Dickens’ novel Great Expectations in 1939, a role which Guinness would reprise in a 1946 film adaptation, working with David Lean. Although Guinness’ relationship with David Lean was difficult at times, he worked with Lean on several films, including Oliver Twist (1948), The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957 – for which Alec Guinness won'the Academy Award for Best Actor as the uncompromising Colonel Nicholson), Lawrence of Arabia (1962), Doctor Zhivago (1965), and A Passage to India (1984). Fans of the original Star Wars film trilogy may remember Sir Alec Guinness portraying Obi-Wan Kenobi for which he was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for Star Wars in 1977. Earlier in his career, Guinness had been nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role for The Lavender Hill Mob (1951), and for the Academy Award for Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium for his screenplay adapted from the novel The Horse’s Mouth by Joyce Cary (1958). Guinness also entertained those of us interested in the Cold War world of espionage with his portrayal of George Smiley in Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy, and Smiley’s People, based on the novels by John Le Carré.

American model and actor Marilyn Monroe (born Norma Jeane Mortenson) became a model for the Blue Book Agency after working in a munitions factory while her first husband, James Dougherty, was serving in the Merchant Marine. She appeared on many magazine covers. Monroe had been signed to a contract with 20^th Century Fox and had bit parts in several films. After getting out of her contract, Marilyn Monroe began to generate interest in her acting career after auditioning for John Huston who cast her in Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer’s (MGM) The Asphalt Jungle (1950) as the young mistress of an older criminal.  Her portrayal brought positive reviews that led to her comedic role in All About Eve (1950) as an aspiring actress. Monroe’s agent negotiated a seven year contract for her with 20^th Century Fox. In 1951, Marilyn Monroe had small parts in four films while studying literature and art appreciation at the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA). Things began to look up in 1952 with growing recognition from roles in Clash by Night (with Barbara Stanwyck), We’re Not Married!, Monkey Business (with Cary Grant and Ginger Rogers), and O. Henry’s Full House.

Film producer Darryl F. Zanuck saw the value in Marilyn Monroe’s acting potential and cast her as a femme fatale in Niagara (co-starring with Joseph Cotten) in 1953, although she needed help working through bouts of stage fright. Monroe demonstrated her acting, dancing, and singing versatility in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953) (co-starring with Jane Russell) in which she sang “Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend”. Monroe’s relationship with 20^th Century Fox was strained after being miscast in a western and having strained relations with the director, Otto Preminger. 20^th Century Fox suspended when she did not turn up for filming with Frank Sinatra in another film in 1953. (Her marriage to baseball legend Joe DiMaggio ended in divorce in 1954.) Monroe got back on track with a film adaptation of a Broadway romantic comedy hit called The Seven Year Itch (1955), followed by the drama Bus Stop (1956 – nominated for a Golden Globe Award) in which Monroe gained credit for playing down her singing and dancing abilities by portraying a character lacking in those abilities. Monroe worked with Laurence Olivier in The Prince and the Showgirl (1957 – winner of the Italian David di Donatello Award; nominated for a BAFTA Award). Expecting a child with third husband Arthur Miller, Monroe suffered a miscarriage in August 1957.

Marilyn Monroe was praised for her performance in Some Like It Hot (1959 – co-starring with Jack Lemmon and Tony Curtis), winning the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy. Tragedy struck Monroe at the conclusion of filming in December 1958 when she endured a second miscarriage. Monroe’s marriage to playwright Arthur Miller was showing signs of stress and she was under the care of a psychiatrist for insomnia during which time Monroe was taking fewer narcotics. Monroe was taken ill during the filming of her last full film, The Misfits (1961), a screenplay by Arthur Miller re-worked out of one of his short stories written during an earlier visit to Nevada. In fact, several of the actors had health issues including Clark Gable who died soon after the completion of filming. Marilyn Monroe and Arthur Miller also separated following the filming of The Misfits and divorced in January 1961. From the point of view of the acting however, Monroe, Clark Gable, and Montgomery Clift received praise for their performances.

Dependency on alcohol and prescription medication wreaked havoc with Marilyn Monroe’s health and she was found dead at home on August 5, 1962 from a “probable suicide” on account of “acute barbiturate poisoning”.

As we remember these three remarkable actors and personalities, consider the follow titles for borrowing from Toronto Public Library collections:

Richard Burton:

Books and eBooks:

Furious love: Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton, and the marriage of the century / Sam Kashner and Nancy Schoenberger, 2010. Book. Adult Non-Fiction. 791.43028 TAY KAS

Also available in Large Print, eAudiobook (Access Online), and eBook (Access Online) formats.  

The Richard Burton diaries / Richard Burton; edited by Chris Williams, 2013. Book. Adult Non-Fiction. 792.02809 BUR BUR

Movies:

Becket [1 videodisc] / Richard Burton, Peter O’Toole et. al., 2007, [1964]. DVD. FEATURE BEC  

The taming of the shrew [1 videodisc] / Richard Burton, Elizabeth Taylor, Michael York et. al., 1999, [1967]. DVD. FEATURE TAM  

Under milk wood [1 videodisc] / Richard Burton, Elizabeth Taylor, Peter O'Toole et. al., 2005, [1972]. DVD. FEATURE UND  

Wagner [3 videodiscs] / Richard Burton, Vanessa Redgrave, Gemma Craven, Laurence Olivier, John Gielgud, Ralph Richardson et. al., 1982. DVD. FEATURE WAG DISC 1-3  

Who's afraid of Virginia Woolf? [Qui a peur de Virginia Woolf?] [2 videodiscs] / Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton, George Segal, Sandy Dennis et. al., 2006, [1966]. DVD. FEATURE WHO DISC 1-2  

Where eagles dare [1 videodisc] / Richard Burton, Clint Eastwood, Mary Ure, Patrick Wymark, Michael Hordern et. al., 2010, [1968]. DVD. FEATURE WHE  

Alec Guinness:

Books and eBooks:

Alec Guinness: the authorized biography / Piers Paul Read, 2003. Book. Adult Non-Fiction. 791.43028 GUI REA  

A commonplace book / Alec Guinness, 2001. Book. Adult Non-Fiction. 792.02809 GUI GUI

Also available in Large Print edition.  

A positively final appearance: a journal 1996-98 / Alec Guinness, 1999. Book. Adult Non-Fiction. 791.43092 GUI GUI / 791.43092 GUINNESS/ 792.02809 GUI

Also available in Large Print edition.

My name escapes me: the diary of a retiring actor; with a preface by John Le Carre / Alec Guinness, 1996. Book. Adult Non-Fiction. 791.4302 GUINNESS  

Movies:

Bridge on the River Kwai [widescreen version] [1 videodisc] / Alec Guinness, William Holden et. al., 2000, [1957]. DVD. FEATURE BRI

Great expectations [1 videodisc] / John Mills, Valerie Hobson, Bernard Miles, Francis L. Sullivan, Martita Hunt, Finlay Currie, Alec Guinness, Ivor Barnard, Freda Jackson, Anthony Wager, Jean Simmons et. al., 1998, [1946]. DVD. FEATURE GRE  

The Lavender Hill mob [1 videodisc] / Alec Guinness, Stanley Holloway, Sidney James et. al., 2002, [1951]. DVD. FEATURE LAV  

Lawrence of Arabia [1 videodisc] / Alec Guinness, Omar Sharif, Peter O'Toole, Anthony Quinn, Jack Hawkins, Anthony Quayle, Claude Rains et. al., 2002, [1962]. DVD. FEATURE LAW

Oliver Twist [1 videodisc] / John Howard Davies, Robert Newton, Alec Guinness, Kay Walsh, Francis L. Sullivan, Henry Stephenson, Mary Clare, Anthony Newley, Josephine Stuart, Ralph Truman, Kathleen Harrison, Gibb McLaughlin et. al., [1998], [1948]. DVD. FEATURE OLI  

Our man in Havana [1 videodisc] / Alec Guinness, Burl Ives, Maureen O'Hara et. al., [2009], [1959]. DVD. FEATURE OUR  

A passage to India [1 videodisc] / Peggy Ashcroft, Judy Davis, James Fox, Alec Guinness, Nigel Havers and Victor Banerjee et. al., 2000, [1984]. DVD. FEATURE PAS  

Smiley’s people [3 videodiscs] / Bill Paterson, Eileen Atkins, Patrick Stewart, Sir Alec Guinness et. al., [2011]. DVD. Drama. 791.4575 SMI DISC 1-3

Star wars. Episode IV, A new hope [2 videodiscs] / Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Peter Cushing, Alec Guinness et. al., c2004, [1977]. DVD. FEATURE STA DISC 1-2

Tinker, tailor, soldier, spy [3 videodiscs] / Alec Guinness, Ian Bannen, Bernard Hepton, Terence Rigby et. al., 2002. DVD. Drama. FEATURE TIN  

Marilyn Monroe:

Books and eBooks:

Joe and Marilyn: legends in love / C. David Heymann, 2013. Book. Adult Non-Fiction. 791.43028 MON HEY  

Dressing Marilyn: how a Hollywood icon was styled by William Travilla / Andrew Hansford with Karen Homer, 2012, c2011. Book. Adult Non-Fiction. 746.92092 TRA HAN  

Marilyn & me: a photographer’s memories / Lawrence Schiller, 2012. Book. Adult Non-Fiction. 791.43028 MON SCH

Also available in eBook format (Access Online).  

Marilyn Monroe: the final years / Keith Badman, 2012, c2010. Book. Adult Non-Fiction. 791.43028 MON BAD

Also available in eBook format (Access Online).  

Marilyn: the passion and the paradox / Lois W. Banner, 2012. Book. Adult Non-Fiction. 791.43028 MON BAN

Also available in eBook format (Access Online).  

My story / Marilyn Monroe, 2000. Book. Adult Non-Fiction. 791.43028 MON MON

Also available in eBook format (Access Online).  

Documentary:  

Love, Marilyn [1 videodisc] / Elizabeth Banks, Ellen Burstyn, Glenn Close, Viola Davis, and Jennifer Ehle, [2013?]. DVD. Documentary. 791.43028 MON LOV

 Movies:

The asphalt jungle [1 videodisc] / Sterling Hayden, Louis Calhern, Jean Hagen, James Whitmore, Sam Jaffe, John McIntire, Marc Lawrence, Barry Kelley, Anthony Caruso, Teresa Celli, Marilyn Monroe, William Davis, Dorothy Tree, Brad Dexter, John Maxwell et. al., c2004, [1950]. DVD. FEATURE ASP

Bus stop [1 videodisc] / Marilyn Monroe and Don Murray, 2001, [1956]. DVD. FEATURE BUS  

How to marry a millionaire [1 videodisc] / Marilyn Monroe, Betty Grable, Lauren Bacall, David Wayne, Rory Calhoun, Cameron Mitchell, Alex D'Arcy, Fred Clark, William Powell et. al., 2001, [1953]. DVD. FEATURE HOW

Howard Hawks' Gentlemen prefer blondes [1 videodisc] / Marilyn Monroe, Jane Russell, Charles Coburn, Tommy Noonan, George Winslow, Elliott Reid et. al., 2001, [1953]. DVD. FEATURE HOW  

The misfits [1 videodisc] / Clark Gable, Marilyn Monroe, Montgomery Clift, Thelma Ritter, Eli Wallach et. al., 2001, [1961]. DVD. FEATURE MIS

Niagara [1 videodisc] / Marilyn Monroe, Joseph Cotten, Jean Peters et. al., 2002, [1953]. DVD. FEATURE NIA  

The prince and the showgirl Le prince et la danseuse [1 videodisc] / Marilyn Monroe and Sir Laurence Olivier, 2012, [1957]. DVD. FEATURE PRI

The seven year itch Sept ans de réflexion [1 videodisc] / Marilyn Monroe, Tom Ewell, Sonny Tufts, Evelyn Keyes, Robert Strauss, Oscar Homolka, Marguerite Chapman, Victor Moore et. al., 2006, [1955]. DVD. FEATURE SEV  

Some like it hot [1 videodisc] / Marilyn Monroe, Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon et. al., 2001. DVD. FEATURE SOM