ELIZABETH TAYLOR ARCHIVES: Television Appearances: 1980s

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TV Appearances: 1980s

The 35th Annual Tony Awards
Aired: June 7, 1981 on CBS
Elizabeth was nominated for Best Actress (Play), but lost to Jane Lapotaire for Piaf. Elizabeth received a standing ovation when she walked onstage to award that year’s Best Musical. She took a moment to thank the New York theatre for the warm welcome she had received for The Little Foxes, and proceeded to joke, “This isn’t an acceptance speech!” Elizabeth also talked about the importance of the Broadway musical. When reading the list of nominee, Elizabeth managed to screw up the names of their names. She drew the biggest laugh when she accidentally called James M. Nederlander, “James Needleheimer.” Thankfully the next name on the list was ‘Warner.’ The award went to producer David Merrick for 42nd Street. Aired from the Mark Hellinger Theater in New York.

General Hospital
Aired: Five episodes in November 1981 on ABC
In November 1981, Elizabeth spent two days taping what she called a “camp” appearance on her favourite soap, General Hospital that aired over five episodes. “Someone from General Hospital came to see me when I was doing The Little Foxes in New York, and I agreed to do the soap when I got to L.A.,” Elizabeth explained. In the episode Elizabeth originated the role of the wealthy widow Helena Cassadine, who donates money to the hospital and puts a curse on Luke and Laura’s wedding. For costar Tony Geary, Elizabeth’s role on the show was more than just a guest appearance. “People still see daytime television as the bastard of the industry, but the fact that Elizabeth Taylor chose to come here because she’s a fan must mean we’re doing something right,” said Geary. “It validated General Hospital for me.”

“We were all kind of scared to work with her, but she came on and she was so excited to be with us,” remembered sound engineer Sandy Masone. “She was so gracious. She even invited us back to her house for a party.” Elizabeth was paid $2,000 for her appearance—and donated it to two hospitals in Virginia. Elizabeth’s appearance on General Hospital garnered the highest ratings for any American soap opera, 30 million viewers. Elizabeth’s son, Christopher, and his wife, Aileen, as well as Elizabeth’s publicist, makeup artist, and hairdresser all appeared as extras, making $109.25 a day.

Later, on the TV show Life’s Most Embarrassing Moments, Tony Geary introduced outtakes from Elizabeth’s appearance. The outtakes show a very down-to-earth Elizabeth, who kept on mispronouncing her character’s last name.

Today
Aired: February 26, 1982
Elizabeth appeared on Today, NBC’s morning news program.

Night of 100 Stars
Taped: February 14, 1982
Aired: March 8, 1982 on ABC
Elizabeth appeared on the all-star special, Night of 100 Stars, at Radio City Music Hall, in honour of the Actors Fund’s one hundredth anniversary.

Today
Aired: September 24, 1982
Elizabeth appeared on Today, NBC’s morning news program.

Today
Aired: April 14, 1983
Elizabeth appeared on Today, NBC’s morning news program.

All My Children
Aired: June 4, 1984 on ABC
Elizabeth made an unexpected cameo on All My Children, which aired live, surprising her recent Between Friends costar, Carol Burnett (Verla Grubbs), with her own version of Burnett’s famous Charwoman character. Dressed in rags and holding a mop, Elizabeth/Charwoman said with an English accent, “You’re Vera....Verla Grubbs—I knew your mother!” After a few words and Elizabeth/Charwomen’s exit, Carol/Verla says, “That woman’s pilot light is out.”

Hotel
Episode: Intimate Strangers (Season 2, Episode 1)
Aired: September 26, 1984
Hotel was a primetime soap by Aaron Spelling about the guests and employees at the St. Gregory Hotel in San Francisco. Elizabeth’s longtime friend Roddy McDowall wrote Elizabeth’s role, that of an aging actress named Katherine Cole who is staying in the Royal Suite. Katharine shares several similarities with Elizabeth. For instance, she doesn’t like the term legend, enjoys the company of men, and often wishes for a simpler life instead of that of a famed movie queen. Roddy McDowall also has a role in the episode playing Katherine’s assistant Tony; a man who is overworked and underappreciated. Cole is preparing for her return to the stage (shades of Tennessee Williams—she’s playing a Southerner in a play by a Southern playwright) and is feeling the pressure. Katharine’s return to the stage is thrown into jeopardy when she fires Tony—and begins to realize what she’s lost.

Elizabeth, who looked ravishing in the episode, sports blond hair. The episode took a week to complete.

The 42nd Annual Golden Globe Awards
Aired: January 26, 1985
Liza Minnelli presented Elizabeth with the Cecil B. DeMille Award. Elizabeth was escorted that evening by friend Rock Hudson.

An All-Star Celebration Honoring Martin Luther King Jr.
Aired: January 20, 1986 on NBC
Elizabeth participated in An All-Star Celebration Honoring Martin Luther King Jr., a celebration of the first Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. The live show was split between celebrations at Washington’s Kennedy Center, Atlanta’s Civic Center, and New York’s Radio City Music Hall. The evening, which was hosted by Stevie Wonder, also included Diana Ross, Gregory Hines, Cyndi Lauper, Yoko Ono, Eddie Murphy, Bob Dylan, Quincy Jones, Barbara Walters, Dick Gregory, Joan Baez, Ashford & Simpson, Richard Dreyfuss, The Pointer Sisters, Peter Paul & Mary, Amy Grant, The Alvin Ailey Dancers, Debbie Allen, Andrae Crouch, Wynton Marsalis, Kenny Loggins, Bill Cosby, Neil Diamond, Harry Belafonte, Patti LaBelle, Cicely Tyson, and Coretta Scott King.

The Spencer Tracy Legacy: A Tribute by Katharine Hepburn
Aired: March 1986
According to the DVD, “Hepburn visits key location and adds personal reminiscences to the star-dusted narrative of this acclaimed, movie fan’s gem about the man and his movies. With Frank Sinatra, Elizabeth Taylor, Joanne Woodward and more.” Available as part of the Tracy & Hepburn: The Signature Collection DVD set.

Bob Hope’s High-Flying Birthday
Aired: May 26, 1986 on NBC
Elizabeth appeared in a television special honouring Bob Hope’s eighty-third birthday, as well as the naval aviation’s seventy-fifth anniversary. Bob Hope’s High-Flying Birthday was recorded on the USS Lexington, as well at the Pensacola Naval Aviation Station.

Today
Aired: June 18, 1986
Elizabeth appeared on Today, NBC’s morning news program.

Liberty Weekend
Aired: July 3, 1986 on ABC
Elizabeth appeared on Liberty Weekend, a four night tribute to the one hundredth anniversary of the Statue of Liberty. Elizabeth discussed the theme of the evening, “remember, rejoice, renew” and introduced the 500 member Salute of Liberty All-American Marching Band.

The Barbara Walters Special
Aired: March 30, 1987
Barbara Walters interviewed Elizabeth, who was in full costume on the set of her TV film, Poker Alice, for Walters’ Oscar night special. One of the major topics of conversation was Elizabeth’s weight. A svelte Elizabeth revealed that regardless of what she’s said in the past, she hated being overweight. They also discussed Elizabeth’s life and career, including such leading men as Rock Hudson, Paul Newman, Marlon Brando, Elizabeth’s relationship with George Hamilton, and whether or not she’ll ever marry again.

The 59th Annual Academy Awards
Aired: March 30, 1987 on ABC
Elizabeth presented the Oscar for Best Director to Oliver Stone for Platoon. Aired live from the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion.

Hour Magazine
Aired: August 21-August 25, 1987
Elizabeth appeared on the talk show, Hour Magazine, hosted by Gary Collins, on five consecutive days. The two discussed Elizabeth’s nickname Bessie Mae (given to her by Montgomery Clift), the Betty Ford Center, Elizabeth’s first baseball game only two years before the interview, whether she’ll get married again, and being a mother and grandmother. They also talked about Elizabeth’s new perfume, Passion. On that subject clips were shown from a press preview, a behind the scenes look with the executives from Parfums International on how the perfume was created, as well as a photo shoot for the perfume’s promotion with photographer Gary Bernstein, designer Nolan Miller, makeup artist Francesca Tolot, and hairstylist José Eber.

Today
Aired: February 2, 1988
Elizabeth appeared on Today, NBC’s morning news program.

The Phil Donahue Show
Aired: February 15, 1988
Making the rounds to promote her new book, Elizabeth Takes Off, Elizabeth appeared on the daytime talk show, The Phil Donahue Show, where she was asked questions about her legendary life.

The Oprah Winfrey Show
Aired: February 1988
Elizabeth made her first appearance on Oprah to discuss Elizabeth Takes Off, a book “On Weight Gain, Weight Loss, Self-Image and Self-Esteem.” Oprah revealed during the 20th anniversary celebrations for her groundbreaking TV show that the 1988 interview was one of the most difficult interviews of her career, because so much was off limits. “She later apologized to me, because she realized it was such a painful interview. She was in a lot of pain at the time, but I didn’t know that.” A clip of this interview, as well as commentary from Oprah, appears on the DVD The Oprah Winfrey Show: The 20th Anniversary Collection. Filmed in Los Angeles.

Michael Jackson: The Legend Continues
Aired: 1988 on Showtime
Elizabeth was interviewed for a documentary about her good friend Michael Jackson’s incredible music career. The documentary, hosted by James Earl Jones, also includes interviews with Katharine Hepburn, Sammy Davis Jr., Sophia Loren, Quincey Jones, and more.

America’s All-Star Tribute to Elizabeth Taylor
Aired: Thursday, March 9, 1989 on ABC
In a television special called America’s All-Star Tribute to Elizabeth Taylor, Elizabeth was the second recipient of the America’s Hope Award (named after Bob Hope). The evening, hosted by Charles Bronson, included tributes from Carol Burnett, Mickey Rooney, Dudley Moore, Stevie Wonder, Bob Hope, Ann Miller, June Allyson, Cyd Charisse, Robert Stack, Margaret O’Brien, Kenny Rogers, Beau Bridges, Roddy McDowall, Burt Bacharach, and Carol Bayer Sager. One of the most touching moments of the evening came when Michael Wilding Jr. took the stage to speak about his mother. The America’s Hope Award (designed by Harry Winston jewelers) was presented to Elizabeth by Bob Hope, who commended her humanitarian efforts and legendary film career. Elizabeth, accepting the award, took a moment to speak of her recent health troubles, and discussed the importance of hope. Taped at the McCallum Theatre.

The 3rd Annual Soul Train Music Awards
Aired: April 12, 1989
Eddie Murphy introduced Elizabeth, who spoke on her friend Michael Jackson, that year’s recipient of the Sammy Davis Jr. Award and the Heritage Award. This is the awards show where Elizabeth coined Jackson’s famous nickname, “the true King of Pop, Rock, and Soul.”

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