Noted for his mellifluous baritone voice, [ 2 ] [ 3 ] Burton established himself as a formidable Shakespearean actor in the s and gave a memorable performance as Hamlet in Burton's perceived failure to live up to those expectations [ 5 ] disappointed some critics and colleagues; his heavy drinking added to his image as a great performer who had wasted his talent. Burton was nominated for an Academy Award seven times but never won. In the mids, Burton became a top box-office star.
The couple's turbulent relationship, married twice and divorced twice, was rarely out of the news. Burton was born Richard Walter Jenkins Jr. He remembered his mother to be "a very strong woman" and "a religious soul with fair hair and a beautiful face". Richard lived with Cis, Elfed and their two daughters, Marian and Rhianon, in their three-bedroom terraced cottage on 73 Caradoc Street, Taibach , a suburban district in Port Talbot , which Bragg describes as "a tough steel town, English-speaking , grind and grime".
Richard remained forever grateful and loving to Cis throughout his life, later going on to say: "When my mother died she, my sister, had become my mother, and more mother to me than any mother could ever have been I was immensely proud of her Daddy Ni would occasionally visit the homes of his grown daughters but was otherwise absent. A miner and rugby union player, Ifor "ruled the household with the proverbial firm hand". He was also responsible for nurturing a passion for rugby in young Richard.
From the age of five to eight, Richard was educated at the Eastern Primary School while he attended the Boys' segment of the same school from eight to twelve years old. Richard was bolstered by winning the Eisteddfod Prize and wanted to repeat his success. He chose to sing Sir Arthur Sullivan 's "Orpheus with his Lute" , which biographer Alpert thought "a difficult composition". He requested the help of his schoolmaster, Philip Burton , [ b ] but his voice cracked during their practice sessions.
This incident marked the beginning of his association with Philip. He decided to leave school by the end of and work as a miner as Elfed. He was not fit enough, owing to illness. He worked for the local wartime Co-operative committee, handing out supplies in exchange for war-time ration coupons. He also simultaneously considered other professions for his future, including boxing, religion and singing. It was also during this period that Richard took up smoking and drinking despite being underage.
