Lost for decades: film of Liz Taylor

Liz Taylor who arrived at Bamburgh to watch Richard Burton filming Becket LONG-LOST film footage has been discovered which shows Hollywood stars Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor on the beach in Northumberland.

An amateur videographer was able to capture the clip of the couple at Bamburgh in 1963.

A film crew had arrived to shoot the movie Becket, released the following year.

Burton played the lead role of the Archbishop of Canterbury Thomas Becket, while Taylor was spotted on set.

At the time the couple, who married for the first time in 1964, were at the height of their fame having starred in Cleopatra and The VIPs together.

The footage shows how Bamburgh Castle was used as a backdrop for the film, before giving a glimpse behind the scene.

In it the narrator explains how Taylor was not in Becket, but arrived on set in her Rolls Royce to great fanfare.

She is seen riding a horse alongside her soon-to-be husband.

Crowds gathered on the dunes watching the filming, with Oscar winner Peter O’Toole another high-profile member of the cast.

The clip was released as part of the North East Film Archive’s Search & Res- cue campaign. The initiative is a call to everyone to help the NEFA find and care for forgotten footage from our region.

It is part of the North East on Film project, supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund.

North East Film Archive manager Graham Relton said: “These films are an absolutely fantastic record of our region over the decades. People love to see the places they know, where they grew up, and first went to work – or first met the love of their lives.

“Over the decades, millions of feet of film footage must have captured North East families, friends communities, work, sport, people having fun and everyday life. Let’s preserve all of that for future generations.”

The archive is looking for film and videotape collections that capture life in the North East.

Julie Ballands, North East on Film delivery manager, added: “We’re looking for amateur collections which may be hidden away in lofts and garages.

“Films and videos that document the social history of the region including fashions, cars and buildings are all important. We know there is much more out there so we urge the public to get in touch.”

Further information is available online at www.yorkshirefilmarchive. com/search-rescue. Find out more at www.northeastfilmarchive.com.