The British actor Richard Burton finally received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame next to that of his two-time wife, Elizabeth Taylor, on Friday, nearly 30 years after his death.
Welsh-born Burton, who died in 1984 from a cerebral haemorrhage at age 58, received the career honour as part of the 50th anniversary of the ancient Egypt movie drama Cleopatra, in which he and his co-star Taylor began their storied and tumultuous love affair.
The couple’s adopted daughter, Maria Burton, accepted the honour of the iconic terrazzo and brass star along Hollywood Boulevard.
The actor and fellow Welshman Michael Sheen spoke at the unveiling and recalled the awe he felt when Burton and Taylor, one of Hollywood’s most famous couples, visited the village where Sheen grew up.
“The same beach that I built my boyhood sand castles [on] and learnt to failingly swim – it was that same beach, that one legendary day, Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor descended from the heavens, like gods from Olympus, in a helicopter ... and landed on those sands,” Sheen said. “They stepped out swathed in luxurious fur coats – it was the 1970s – and walked among us for too short a time.”
Burton, whose star is the 2,941st installed, starred in 11 films with Taylor. The two wed for the first time in 1964 and divorced in 1974. They remarried the following year, but that marriage lasted just nine months.
The couple’s love affair during the filming of 1964’s Cleopatra was made into the television movie Liz & Dick, starring Lindsay Lohan, last year.
TEACHERS' PAY - WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
Pay varies significantly depending on the school, its rating and the curriculum. Here's a rough guide as of January 2021:
- top end schools tend to pay Dh16,000-17,000 a month - plus a monthly housing allowance of up to Dh6,000. These tend to be British curriculum schools rated 'outstanding' or 'very good', followed by American schools
- average salary across curriculums and skill levels is about Dh10,000, recruiters say
- it is becoming more common for schools to provide accommodation, sometimes in an apartment block with other teachers, rather than hand teachers a cash housing allowance
- some strong performing schools have cut back on salaries since the pandemic began, sometimes offering Dh16,000 including the housing allowance, which reflects the slump in rental costs, and sheer demand for jobs
- maths and science teachers are most in demand and some schools will pay up to Dh3,000 more than other teachers in recognition of their technical skills
- at the other end of the market, teachers in some Indian schools, where fees are lower and competition among applicants is intense, can be paid as low as Dh3,000 per month
- in Indian schools, it has also become common for teachers to share residential accommodation, living in a block with colleagues
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Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
