A Tribute to Elizabeth Taylor

En español  |  Elizabeth Taylor — a child actor and legendary beauty who became a true movie star — died today of congestive heart failure, a condition with which she struggled for several years. Taylor, who celebrated her 79th birthday on Feb. 27, was surrounded by her four children at Cedars-Sinai Hospital in Beverly Hills, Calif.  

A Visit With Elizabeth Taylor

Taylor, a two-time Oscar winner and the first actor to be paid $1 million for a role, had not made a feature film since The Flintstones in 1994. Still, her body of work is her legacy. Here is a list of my favorites from the past 67 years.

National Velvet (1944)

She'd played a handful of small movie roles, and you couldn't help but notice her, but who would have expected 12-year-old Elizabeth would steal this MGM classic right from under Mickey Rooney — who even then was one of the hottest stars in Hollywood? Spunky, athletic and already blossoming into beautiful young womanhood, she entranced audiences as the plucky girl who virtually wills her pet racehorse to a national championship.