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...is reportedly a role she hated MGM for forcing her to play. "BUtterfield 8" does oh so much more than tease the Hayes Code (of immorality allowed to be shown in a film). Taylor brilliantly portrays an in-your-face whore. Mind you, she's doing so right at the time when she & Debbie Reynold's husband, Eddie Fisher, became publicly known as the most controversial hottest Hollywood item of adultery. Gloria Wandrous, (Taylor) is the most desirable & accessible call-girl in town: pick up the phone & dial BUtterfield-8. Imagine the child star's 1st Oscar-winning role being a whore from John O'Hara's 1935 semi-true-to-life 'novel', based on the infamous life of New York City's 1920's Starr Faithful. The reason Taylor vociferously rebelled against being cast in this role is due to her strong belief that MGM was casting her as a whore to capitalize on the real-life scandal when Fisher left Reynolds for Taylor. MGM coerced Taylor to do this film to complete her 18 year contract...or else, MGM would prevent her for filming for 2 years & not get to play Cleopatra. Quid pro quo. (This for that). "BUtterfield 8's" producer, Pandro S. Berman, had his hands full with the most desirable actress' temperament: Taylor threatened to be lousy & as difficult as possible to work with. Something must've touched Elizabeth Taylor's senses of professionalism, instead. Perhaps she called upon the outrage of being abused by the studio for which she'd delivered such famous performances, to create an enraged woman who had been sexually abused as a teenager. Maybe being professionally exploited actually put Taylor in a similar predicament as the gin-soaked Gloria who was acting out by becoming a sexual 'professional'. And, what better way to take on gossip columnists about her & Fisher than to go on screen with him & give to the public the most sexually scandalous performance of her career? The contexts of the actress' real life were relevant to her performance. Gloria, is a woman who's searching for salvation in a miserably married man, Weston Leggett (Laurence Harvey). Though he's wealthy, Weston suffers from a more extreme lack of self-esteem & independence. Gloria's 'johns' won't let her transcend their need for her to remain in the social role as their high-paid prostitute. Stereotyped, or even branded, as a whore, Wall Street's bar-vultures control her destiny. Even her best friend, Steve Carpenter (Eddie Fisher), allows his girlfriend to put a hault to his friendship with Gloria. Dr. Treadman (George Voskovec), Gloria's psychiatrist doesn't believe her, much like her mother (Mildred Dunnock) wouldn't, & still pretends that Gloria isn't what she is. The motel manager, Mrs. Thurber (Betty Field), refuses to believe Gloria is capable of 'cleaning up' her life. Thus, Gloria gives up on life itself & she doesn't go quietly. The reticent actress couldn't have been more stunningly beautiful. Nor could Taylor have delivered a more apropos, bravura, Oscar-winning, lead performance~Read full review
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