The Richard Burton Diaries (217 page)

Saturday 25th, Chobe
Read and read as usual. Went to see potential water bore. Beautiful location. Am continually surprised by ignorance of people who live here as to primitive geology, flora, fauna etc. [...] Engrossed by Zulus. What a bureaucratic logistical mess on our part thrilling with personal bravery on both sides.
⁸⁹

Sunday 26th
Stayed at home. Fritz's birthday (35). All went out on boat 4.30pm. Sans me. Just as well. All got sloshed except me naturally. Fritz especially falling down etc. Much baring of the soul. Was quiet and polite. Hard work. [...] Looking forward to Europe. First time since we arrived. Miss books – I mean mine – and children. Will doubtless miss Chobe as soon as we get home. [...]

Monday 27th
Drank a lot. Don't remember anything, if at all.

Tuesday 28th
Drank some more.

Wednesday 29th
Ditto. Must stop!

Thursday 30th
Shook and shivered all day long today. Read very dense history of Africa. Lost five days behind me. [...]

Friday 31st
Felt inexplicably terrible last [night]. Slept badly. Actors’ dreams. Went out on the tiny out-board motorboat. Very uncomfortable. Saw little but all made up for by a superb sunset. Read about Africa again.
Africa in History
by B. Davidson.
⁹⁰
Africa now coming out of ears. Gavin upset about something. Long letter about how brilliant he is and how we don't appreciate him. [...] Off to Victoria Falls to stay for two days.
⁹¹
Then J'burg. Then home. [...]

NOVEMBER

Saturday 1st, Chobe – Victoria Falls
[...] Flew to Victoria Falls. Very plush hotel called ‘Elephant Falls.‘
⁹²
Naturally. Must write a thesis or at least article on subject of new hotels and why they won't learn from the failures of the older ones. [...] Air conditioning merely a noise and the hotel
is not even finished yet
. Took pills for bed dutifully but hopelessly awake. Put me into a fury that would not abate!

Sunday 2nd, Victoria Falls
E practically sloshed all day on and off mostly because we got into bitter arguments about wording of invitation cards re my birthday party. At one point after I had been peculiarly destructive she went off in tears to ‘Shen Buddhist's’ room. I let her stay there for an hour or so and alternately read and wrote, very difficult stuff the latter because I know what I want to write but cannot decide on its form. Have decided that it must take two forms in two books. It means a year's work and a lot of research (which I will pay for). Finally went into SL. Budd's room where E was tearless but still sloshed. Later news came from Lantz that E's article accepted, bought for, by
LH Journal
for 25,000!
⁹³
[...] E screamed with delight and I mentally with relief. It would have hurt her if opposite and my judgement would have been suspect. [...]

Monday 3rd, Victoria Falls – Johannesburg
Flew to J'burg. And off to the Landrost, where I spent the rest of the day reading.
⁹⁴

Tuesday 4th, Johannesburg
Booze.

Wednesday 5th
Booze.

Thursday 6th
Booze.

Friday 7th
Started antabuse. Absolute torture. Read books all day long and tried to sleep fitfully. [...]

Saturday 8th
Big pull out from booze. Talked to Liza on phone. Very sweet. Doctors all over me taking blood tests, intravenous feeding etc. I look terrible and feel diabolical. Arranged for return of ring I bought E. Amicably arranged eventually.
⁹⁵
Really must now never drink again except possibly a glass of wine with dinner.

Sunday 9th
Feel better but curiously muted. Leave tonight for London. Started but for once will not finish a massive book by John O'Hara.
⁹⁶
How that man wrote and wrote and wrote and he might easily have stopped with
Samarra
and no one would have noticed.
⁹⁷

Monday 10th, Johannesburg – London
Lots of press. Usual fatuities. Long long journey. Found impossible to sleep. Thought I would sleep today for party tonight but out of question. Felt very nervous. Party well attended but felt remote from everything. Was glad to get away at 1.30? All sloshed. Still failed to sleep.

Tuesday 11th, London
Heaps of presents. Can't be bothered opening them. Lots of lovely books including five copies of one. E as nervous as I am. Tomorrow evening present awards for
Evening News
.
⁹⁸
Briefed by three gents about 5pm. All sounds simple. [...]

Wednesday 12th
Did TV. Went alright. E looking splendid. Presented award to Albert Finney – a chap I've ever [
sic
] seen – but called him ‘uniquely remarkable’.
⁹⁹
Touch of hyperbole but better than the truth. Rather shabby affair and very provincial. [...]

Thursday 13th
Had Antabuse and then tried one small vodka. Antabuse works! V. sick unto throws-up and the trots. Didn't feel right for hours. E went to have X-rays. Spots still there but inert as before. Thank God. She very ashamed of me with antabus and vodka. Quite right too. Saw A. Finney for first time in film
Orient Express
. Very amusing and obviously enjoyed by the cast. Tom very sick (75) and wife Hyral has terminal C.
¹⁰⁰
Harvey Orkin died.
¹⁰¹
Loved that man. [...]

Friday 14th
Saw F. R. Hauser and Alex Cohen at 10.
¹⁰²
Stayed about one hour. Said I would read play
Kean
again down in the country.
¹⁰³
Frank seems much the same. [...] Am thinking of coming back here to live. Haven't told E this though! Must find out about tax. Decision made to fire Gavin. When? Quite impossible PR man and useless secretary. Gets into panics about everything.
No sense of humour either. [...] Slept like top but have cold caught from baby Naomi.
¹⁰⁴
E's very bad. Had dinner at Scott's.
¹⁰⁵
[...]

Saturday 15th
E very bad cold. But went to Hackney anyway to open bazaar for youth club ‘Pedro’ one of Sheran's good works.
¹⁰⁶
Lots of people. Very depressing. I have forgotten the class from which I come. Except that mine is Welsh – no difference. Thought of four to a room. Must go back there on an ordinary night. Do they have ping-pong, billiards etc. If not must buy same. Started to learn German. Not easy. No help from Latin or very little so far. Did two of twenty-six lessons. [...] Saw
Match of the Day
.
¹⁰⁷
[...]

Sunday 16th, Pusey
¹⁰⁸
[...] Still learning German. Liza here incl Lord Blandford (James) and Cliff Press Sarah Munster, Peggy Munster (Very young former Peggy – Simon's Aunt Peggy (70) no longer an invalid. (Manor House Bampton.)
¹⁰⁹
Played and beat Sheran at Scrabble. Not easy. Did some German. Very cold. Walked with Liza and her alley-dog Tramp. Mutual admiration. [...]

Monday 17th
Terrible weather. Stayed in all day. Francis Warner came in the morning stayed for lunch. Thinking of doing
Timon of Athens
. Found to my surprise that I'd never read it. Good sign. Had not read
Coriolanus
either. Oxford tomorrow. [...]

Tuesday 18th, Pusey – Wales
Oxford all day. Lunched at Bear, Woodstock.
¹¹⁰
With David Masters (Finance) Elizabeth Sweeting, Francis Warner and Prof (bald) lady from St Anne's.
¹¹¹
Terrible weather. Very wet cold. Froze all day. Visited Taylor-Burton.
¹¹²
Bought £17,500 piece of land for Buckminster Fuller Building.
¹¹³
Cheap. Everything very shabby. Clothes cars etc. Students unattractive. Beer warm. Depressing. Glad to get to bed. [...]

Wednesday 19th, Wales
Drove to Neath Castle Hotel.
¹¹⁴
Terrible. Moved to ‘Executive’ Hotel, Aberavon.
¹¹⁵
Pretty bad too but had a bath to go with it. Tonight a suite. Meanwhile saw Tom in Cwmavon. Looks very ill. His wife in hospital with cancer. Weather wild and Welsh. Had beer and felt very ill. E nagged all day about Elisheba. Said I was ice cold. I'm not but hopeless to prove.
¹¹⁶

Thursday 20th
Sober and well. Weather good! No rain! Talbot very dramatic at night with huge furnaces going. Overall feeling of grime however despite clarity of air. Saw Dill Dummer and daughter. Told me Charlie Hock is in hospital.
¹¹⁷
Same age. ‘But age with his stealing steps.‘
¹¹⁸
Went to hospital see Hyral. Cancer ward. Hyral must realize she has it. Too intelligent not to. Tom better. Suite nice. Feel comfy for first time. Going to see Michael tomorrow. 2
¹
/
₂
hours drive over Black Mountains.
¹¹⁹
Wild horses. Faggots and peas lunch. Fish and chips dinner [...].

Friday 21st
Sober. Good Weather. [...] Drove to Michael's farm. Over Black Mountains. Wild Wales. Stopped for sust in Red Lion fifteenth century pub.
¹²⁰
Black Mountains beautiful. Sheep cows wild ponies. M's place surprisingly well kept.
¹²¹
Huge fire. Ate there. Jo's cooking.
¹²²
Divine impertinent boy yclept Ben. Hell on wheels. Very bright. Am going to invest £3000 in farm. [...] Inexpressibly pleased by atmosphere at farm. M. very sweet.
¹²³
[...] Bad cold myself. Pontrhydyfen tomorrow.

Saturday 22nd, Wales
Went to Pontrhydyfen. Lunched (Bara Lawr
¹²⁴
) with Hilda. Half of Pontrhydyfen must have visited the house. Saw house where I was born. They've tarted it up. E still very ill. Puzzling. Gareth the villain was there with utterly spoiled child (‘bratu') otherwise fine boy.
¹²⁵
[...] Must earn some ready cash. Trusts inadequate. Looking forward to Switzerland and books and peace. Must write a book. Means another visit to Wales. Autobiog should make some money. Good Yarn! [...]

Sunday 23rd, Wales – London
[...] Went to Tom's lunch. T. H. J. (Tom)
¹²⁶
very much better. Left for London 2pm. [...] Gavin must go and E must do the sending. Woe is me. Aaron going mad. Three films next year. Plus play. All TV. Very satisfactory. Lots of time off. Huge publicity re visit to Wales. Am feeling very fit and plan to ski over holidays. Can I now stop smoking? Can I diet? Liabilities £9000 car E. Loan £3000 Michael. Intake £150,000. Should manage. Money from writing too hope. German sporadic but coming along. Before long I will write though in that language. Wanna go home.

Monday 24th, Dorchester [Hotel, London]
[...] Unusual 24 hours in which I slept 18–20 on and off. [...] E unhappy about something. [...] Talks about sex a lot. Just like Sara (Mom) sometimes. She in a quandary about piece of writing anent our marriage for which L's H. Journal has offered $25000. She very sensitive to criticisms. Warned her. Think she might expand into a book. Good idea! She is also upset that people might think I wrote it. Furious. She must get work soon as L. Olivier has offered TV film. She must do it. Do something. Have to fire Gavin today. Ugh. Liza to have car. Chosen Austin Mini. Long to drive it myself. Also MG should be ready. [...]

Tuesday 25th
Cold, E in great form until about 8pm. Was then in terrible pain from neck and hands. Sent urgently for Tina Thatcher. Came within
¹
/
₂
hour. Manipulated neck. Greater pain. Tears. Unusual. Worried to death. Colds still bad. E very beautiful despite pain. Very sleepy (me) all day. Bought German cassettes. Hugo in 3 months. [...] Plucked up courage and fired Gavin verbally. Took it very well. Palliated pill with note asking him to work for us when we start independent TV. [...] Talked with Aaron. Sounded very coherent.

DECEMBER 1975–JUNE 1980

Richard Burton ceased keeping his 1975 diary at the end of November. With one exception, he did not resume his personal record until late June 1980.

After spending some time in a London clinic in December, Richard, together with Elizabeth, flew to Gstaad for Christmas. But their second marriage was already failing, and Richard became enchanted with Susan Hunt, wife of Formula 1 world champion, James Hunt (1947–93). The Hunts’ marriage was itself in disarray. When Burton flew to New York early in 1976 to prepare for a return to the Broadway stage in the part of Martin Dysart in the Peter Shaffer play
Equus
, he was joined by Susan. Elizabeth stayed in Gstaad, and had a fling with businessman Peter Darmanin.

Burton first appeared in
Equus
, succeeding Anthony Perkins (1932–92) in the part, in late February 1976. By this time he had met Elizabeth at the Lombardy Hotel in New York to tell her that he wanted a divorce. James Hunt agreed that he and Susan would divorce also. By mid-August both divorces had been processed and Richard and Susan married in Arlington, Virginia, on 21 August 1976. In October Elizabeth became engaged to US Republican Senator John Warner (1927—) and they married that December.

Following a successful, if brief, run in
Equus
, Richard filmed
Exorcist II: The Heretic
in Hollywood and then made a film version of
Equus
in Toronto in the autumn. He and Susan bought properties in Antigua and in Puerto Vallarta. Before the year was over he recorded
Chronicle of an English Crown (Vivat Rex)
, a 26-episode series for BBC radio about the history of the English monarchy. On 8 March 1977, while aboard a jet flying from Antigua to Switzerland, Burton made what was the only surviving diary entry of that year. Although one cannot be certain that it was part of a longer sequence, the fact that Burton did not therein comment on either beginning or ending this new diary suggests it may well have been one of a number of such entries, the rest of which have not survived.