The Richard Burton Diaries (265 page)

206
Richard Dix (1894–1949) and Richard Greene (1918–85) both featured in the 1939 films
Man of Conquest
and
Here I Am Stranger
.

207
‘matric’ refers to the School Certificate examination of the Central Welsh Board. Eventually, in September 1943, after a brief hiatus in his formal education, Richard would pass this examination.

208
‘23rd’ in circle, written in pencil, above deleted ‘16’. It would appear that Richard transposed the entries for the two weeks concerned but only made this obvious on the Monday (the first day of the week to view) in both cases.

209
Mr Mervyn Sanderson, a teacher, who also ran a dancing school.

210
Richard played the part of the American Ambassador Mr Vanhattan in
The Apple Cart
(1929) by George Bernard Shaw (1856–1950), produced and directed by Philip Burton, which would be staged by the Port Talbot Secondary School players in January 1941. In previous years Burton had produced a number of Shaw's plays at the school, including
Captain Brassbound's Conversion, Saint Joan
and
The Doctor's Dilemma. The Apple Cart
was the players’ 14th production. Because of blackout restrictions and safety regulations it had to be staged in the YMCA rather than in the school hall. See also Burton,
Early Doors
, 39–41.

211
Burton (
Richard and Philip
, 15) quotes this as ‘who had been educated’.

212
Whitchurch is an affluent suburb in north-west Cardiff.

213
‘16th’ in circle, written in pencil, above deleted ‘23’.

214
‘Ginger’ was Gerwyn Williams.

215
Both try lines should have been the same length. The maximum permissible was 75 yards.

216
Simeon Jones was an (older) fellow pupil who acted the part of Cutler Walpole in
The Doctor's Dilemma
.

217
Morgan ‘Mog’ Griffiths, a fellow pupil, who was to have the role of King Magnus in
The Apple Cart
.

218
Joe James, a fellow pupil and talented athlete.

219
Gerwyn Williams.

220
This probably refers to the colliery settlement of Ogmore Vale, in the Ogwr valley north of Bridgend.

221
Wing forwards.

222
George Bernard Shaw.

223
Richard's second reference to his father.

224
Interestingly, Bragg (
Rich
, 35, citing Burton) and Burton (
Richard and Philip
, 14) have a comma between ‘wanted’ and ‘the same’, which alters the meaning, and they reverse the order from ‘be not wanted’ to ‘not be wanted’. Obviously this is open to differences of emphasis and interpretation, but it would seem to be potentially a case of editorial transformation on the part of Philip Burton.

225
Cymalog – today written as Cwm Maelwg, a valley behind Margam Castle.

226
This probably refers to
Andy Hardy Gets Spring Fever
(1939), directed by W. S. Van Dyke, starring Mickey Rooney (1920—), or another of the Hardy Family series of films.

227
The Luftwaffe's bombing of London in particular had begun in early September 1940 and continued, barely without a pause, until mid November, when the focus shifted to a wider range of targets. The estimate of 3,800 civilian deaths by early November does not seem excessive. In total 13,596 civilians were killed as a result of enemy action in the London civil defence region (admittedly more extensive than the city itself) in the course of 1940.

228
Anderson shelters for individual households had arrived in the district in September.

229
The Hunchback of Notre Dame
(1939), directed by William Dieterle, starring Charles Laughton (1899–1962).

230
The Revd Gwilym Rees MA, of Cardiff, brother of Dr J. Caerau Rees.

231
Welsh for ‘full of twang’, or ‘speaking posh’. Cassie had been nursing in England.

232
Gethin Matthews is perhaps stretching a point when he argues (
Richard Burton
, 29) that ‘
mae nodiadau Richard yn ei ddyddiadur o 1940 yn dangos yn amlwg ei fod yn rhoi mwy o bwys ar ei ganlyniadau yn y Gymraeg nag mewn unrhyw bwnc arall
’ (Richard's notes in his 1940 diary show clearly that he placed more importance on his results in Welsh than in any other subject’ [my translation]).

233
Garw School, Pontycymer, a colliery settlement in the Garw valley, north of Bridgend.

234
Mr Evans, the physics teacher.

235
Cwrdd mawr
is Welsh for ‘big meeting’, in this context a religious gathering.

236
Auxiliary Fire Service. ‘Nick’ was Mr Jack Nicholas.

237
Philip Burton was Head of Leisan House.

238
Glenys Hare played the part of Queen Jemima in
The Apple Cart
.

239
Roy Vincent, a fellow pupil, also participated in the YMCA dramatic productions.

240
Burton is referring here to the ‘bevy of ... Cabinet Ministers’ who feature in
The Apple Cart
.

241
John Eaton Davies, a fellow pupil from Cwmafan, who later became a teacher.

242
Verdun had been disabled in a mining accident, for which he received compensation.

243
Terminals meaning end of term examinations.

244
Ivor served in the Royal Army Service Corps during the Second World War.

245
Nan Morse was a friend, member of Noddfa Chapel, and lived at 1, Constant Road.

246
Mr Christopher ‘Pop’ Reynolds the headmaster had been absent from school through illness. He would retire in 1943.

247
The Port Talbot YMCA (chairman: P. H. Burton) was by this time located in its new premises (which had opened in April) on Talbot Road. Its Boys’ Club had a membership of about 100 and catered for boys between the ages of 12 and 16.

248
Edwina Dummer: the youngest daughter of Margaret Ann and Edwin Dummer.

249
‘Lord Haw-Haw’ was William Joyce (1906–46), who delivered radio broadcasts of Nazi propaganda to British audiences.

250
Italian troops had invaded Greece on 28 October 1940 and within a week were being repulsed.

251
Trans meaning translation.

252
Philip Burton was co-founder of the YMCA amateur dramatic society, and had produced a number of his own plays under their auspices, including
Granton Street
(1934) and
White Collar
(1938). See Burton,
Early Doors
, 44–51.

253
Richard was received into membership of Noddfa Chapel and took his first communion.

254
George Dear (sometimes Deer) was a fellow pupil, who later became a teacher of English.

255
Edie had a sometimes difficult relationship with her older brother Tom, who disapproved of her smoking.

256
Morwen is Morwen Gronow, the daughter of Elfed's sister Ethel.

257
Milly Gronow was the sister of Elfed's sister Ethel. She suffered from epilepsy.

258
The YMCA had a billiard room with three tables.

259
Indianapolis Speedway
(1939), directed by Lloyd Bacon, also known as
Devil on Wheels
.

1960

1
The Fifth Column
(1960), a television adaptation of the novel by Ernest Hemingway. It screened on 29 January 1960 on CBS in the USA.

2
Maximilian Schell (1930—), actor. Schell was to play a part in finding Maria (1961—), who was to be adopted by Elizabeth Taylor in 1962.

3
George Rose (1920–88), actor, who was to play the part of first gravedigger in the 1964 production of
Hamlet
. Betsy von Furstenberg (1931—), actor.

4
John Frankenheimer (1930–2002), television and film director.

5
Sybil Burton (1929—), Richard's wife.

6
Sally Ann Howes (1930—), actor.

7
L. Harvey is Burton's friend Laurence Harvey (1928–73), actor, who later that year would star in
Butterfield 8
alongside Elizabeth Taylor. Harvey would also appear with Taylor in
Night Watch
(1973). Hugh Griffith (1912–80), actor and friend of Richard's, who had appeared alongside him in
The Last Days of Dolwyn
, in the summer 1951 Stratford productions of
Henry IV (Part I), The Tempest
and
Henry V
, and in
Legend of Lovers
in New York in 1951. Hugh French (1910–76), formerly an actor, by this time an agent for Richard. The Hotel Navarro, on Central Park South, New York.

8
B. Bogart is Lauren ‘Betty’ Bacall (1924—), the widow of Humphrey Bogart, who had died in 1957. The production to which Burton refers may have been
Goodbye, Charlie
, staged on Broadway, in which Lauren Bacall starred.

9
PHB is Philip Burton, Richard's former guardian. Su Str is Susan Strasberg (1938–99). Burton and Strasberg had enjoyed a passionate affair in 1957–8.

10
K refers to Kate Burton, Richard and Sybil's eldest child (born 1957). J. is Jessica Burton, Richard and Sybil's youngest child (born 1959). W is Wendy, their nurse.

11
Peter Brook (1925—), director.

12
Jeanne Moreau (1928—), actor.

13
Peter Brook was to direct Jeanne Moreau in
Seven Days ... Seven Nights
(also titled
Moderato Cantabile
, based on the novel of the same name by Marguerite Duras) in 1960. It is possible that Burton was considering the part of Chauvin, played in due course by Jean-Paul Belmondo (1933—).

14
Berenice Weibel, a friend and neighbour in Céligny.

15
The chalet that Richard and Sybil had built in the grounds of their house in Céligny.

16
Paul Fillistorf, chef and proprietor of Café de la Gare, Céligny.

17
René Weibel, Berenice's husband.

18
Bernard Greenford, Sybil's brother-in-law, and his daughter Claire.

19
Nyon is a small town and port 5 km from Céligny, on the north shore of Lake Geneva.

20
I hope to learn to ski in ten or two days.

21
Villars is a ski resort south-east of the eastern end of Lake Geneva, high above the Rhône valley, in the area known as the Alpes Vaudoises.

22
Bretaye is the name of a col and of one of the main skiing areas around Villars.

23
At rugby union, at Cardiff Arms Park.

24
Dewi Iorwerth Ellis Bebb (1938–96), Welsh rugby player.

25
Norman Morgan (1935—), Welsh rugby player, was actually a full-back, not a back-row forward. He kicked one penalty and converted Bebb's try.

26
A ‘stem Christie’ is a particular kind of skiing turn.

27
Aigle is a Swiss town near the Rhône valley floor.

28
Osian Gwynn Ellis (1928—), Professor of Harp at the Royal Academy of Music, and his wife Rene. Ellis was in Switzerland performing at the invitation of the British Council.

29
The match was played at Twickenham.

30
There is a casino at Divonne-les-Bains, a French spa town and resort 4 km west of Céligny.

31
The Ecumenical Institute located at the Château de Bossey, Bogis-Bossey, 2 km west of Céligny. Burton read poetry, Ellis played the harp.

32
Now the Hôtel du Soleil, Céligny.

33
Garage Fleury et Cie, Rue du Nant, Geneva.

34
Patricia ‘Penny’ Moyes (1923–2000), author of crime novels featuring the character Henry Tibbett (the first,
Dead Men Don't Ski
, was published in 1959). She had also translated Jean Anouilh's
Leocadia
, which as
Time Remembered
, ran on Broadway in 1957–8 with Richard Burton in the role of Prince Albert. Formerly a personal assistant to Peter Ustinov, she lived at Verbier, a ski resort in the Valais above the Vallée de Bagnes east of Martigny. Burton has definitely written Vervier but he may have made an error.

35
Michael Benthall (1919–74), theatre director, and artistic director of the Old Vic, who had directed Burton in
Hamlet
in Edinburgh in 1953 and at the Old Vic in London in 1953–4, also Burton in
Coriolanus
(1953–4),
Henry V
(1955–6), and
Othello
(1955–6).

36
Coppet, 5km south along the shore of Lake Geneva from Céligny.

37
Edouard Koessler was a partner with the Genevan bank Bordier & Cie, where Burton banked. He lived in Céligny.

38
Une barque
is a small boat, so presumably this is a restaurant on a boat on Lake Geneva. There has been but is no longer a La Pergola restaurant at Geneva's Inter Continental Hotel.

39
A Swiss bookstore chain.

40
Hornblower refers to the series of novels by C. S. Forester (1899–1966).

41
Peter Ustinov (1921–2004), actor, author, director, playwright, raconteur. He would act alongside Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor in
The Comedians
(1967) and
Hammersmith is Out
(1972), which he also directed. From 1969 he was a Goodwill Ambassador for UNICEF and enlisted the support of Taylor and Burton for UNICEF ventures.

42
Jim is James Haszard (died 1994), lawyer, interpreter, whom Penny Moyes subsequently married. Versoix is 10km south along the shore of Lake Geneva from Céligny.

43
Tony Richardson (1928–91), director. Richardson and Burton had worked together on the film
Look Back in Anger
, and were now to collaborate on
A Subject of Scandal and Concern
(BBC TV, 1960). They would later fall out bitterly in 1968 over
Laughter in the Dark
. John Osborne (1929–94), playwright, actor, writer. Author of
Look Back in Anger
(play) and co-author of the screenplay for the film starring Burton. Author of
A Subject of Scandal and Concern
, and later involved in the prelude to the film
Divorce His, Divorce Hers
(1973).