Elizabeth Taylor, who was hospitalized six weeks ago for congestive heart failure, has died at the age of 79. Reports ABC News:

Taylor, a two-time Academy Award-winning actress who in later life became notorious for her seven marriages and sometimes eccentric behavior, had reported health problems in recent years and appeared frail in public appearances.

Taylor’s past health setbacks included a fall from a horse during one of her early film shoots, bouts with pneumonia and skin cancer, a tracheotomy, treatment for alcohol and painkiller addictions, and lung, hip, brain and heart surgeries. She has had anywhere from 30 to 40 surgeries, according to biographers.

In addition, she has seen her dramatic life frequently covered by gossip magazines, which have documented evident fluctuations in her weight over the years. [Ed. note: REALLY, OBITUARY? IS THIS A NECESSARY PARAGRAPH?]

But she’s iconic for being one of the most popular actresses of Hollywood’s golden age. Born in London in 1932 to American parents who returned to the U.S. with WWII looming, Taylor bounded into the spotlight at age 12 after starring in the 1944 box office sensation “National Velvet.” She won acclaim as an adult with 1951′s “A Place In The Sun” and went on to score best actress Oscar nominations for “Raintree County,” “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof,” and “Suddenly, Last Summer.”

In 1963, she memorably starred in “Cleopatra.” She later won Oscars for “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” and “Butterfield 8.”

Here at Videogum, we honor her the way we believe she would like to be honored, with this insane YouTube montage of her frolicking on a beach set to a low-tempo party song:

R.I.P. Elizabeth Taylor. You will be missed! You are in heaven now, divorcing the angels.

Comments (64)
  1. These death posts are usually short little blurbs. I’m glad to see that this one was specifically taylored to the deceased.

  2. Bing is being unusually kind and reassuring this morning:

    Thanks, Bing!

  3. Quite arguably the most beautiful actress of all time. RIP.

  4. It’s a bad day to be a drag queen.

  5. She’s stealing husbands in heaven now. RIP, Liz. Most beautiful eyes ever.

  6. Story time:

    Elizabeth Taylor will always make me think of the church in which I was married.

    When my wife and I were looking for a church, we went to check out this quaint little one in downtown Manhattan. It was old, and near where our reception was to be held, so it fit the bill.

    We made an appointment for a Saturday morning, and off we went. We were met by the priest – a very nice man who turned out to be positively flaaaaaaaaaming. We had a nice chat for about an hour…at least half of which was him going on and on about how much he loved Elizabeth Taylor. Hilarious and surreal.

    Anyway, we ended up getting married in that church (by my uncle who is a deacon, not the priest), and whenever I think about my wedding day my thoughts always return to that church, that priest, and the lovely Elizabeth Taylor.

  7. Elizabeth Taylor OR Famous Movie Dogs

    • Hang on! I was in no way comparing Elizabeth Taylor to a dog! There was a picture of Elizabeth Taylor looking beautiful holding the dog who was the original Lassie, but the commenting system ate it.

  8. Feels strange that I just used this for National Pi Day. If you’ve never seen National Velvet, try to watch it when it inevitably comes on AMC in the near future. RIP

  9. Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see

  10. “Giant” is on Netflix watch instantly. I know what we’re all doing today instead of working.

  11. Now she can kick robert vaughan’s balls in heaven

  12. It’s a good thing she was already a total angel:

  13. My mom sent me an email this morning telling me about this and how my grandma’s best friend also passed. I hate sad email mornings!

  14. Is glamour going to be ok? I am worried.

  15. Hm, ABC News… not only did you feel the need to mention her tabloid monitered weight BUT you mentioned it before hastily adding “but she was one of the greatest actresses of the golden age”. Kinda Kanye’d yourself huh? “I’m really happy for you Elizabeth Taylor’s Oscars, and I’mma let you finish but, Elizabeth Taylor had one of the best weight fluctuation stories of all time. OF ALL TIME.”

    Anyway, RIP Liz, you were awesome, even/especially in your kooky later years.

  16. I loved her, I loved her in “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf,” I loved her crazy double rows of eyelashes, and I love that news clip of her screaming “MARRIAGE? Nooooooooooooooooo!!!” in a reporters face:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uCC0hvaNJc8

  17. Does this mean Debbie Reynolds wins? #OriginalAniston

  18. Oh, RIP Liz. I was truly sad when I heard the news.

  19. Having this much hotness on screen at one time should not be allowed.

    • …And I guess, now it isn’t. :(

    • Incidentally, my best friend in high school used to call Cat on a Hot Tin Roof “The Sexuality Test.” Because whether you’re a man or a woman, either Taylor OR Newman is DEFINITELY going to cause some of tingly sensation in your bathing suit area. So if you are confused about yourself, just watch the movie, figure out which one(s) of the two is doing it for you, and self-define your sexual orientation accordingly. NEVER FAILS.

  20. I am always a little mortified by all the reporting on celebrity deaths that goes on through facebook and twitter. Does clicking “like” on a death announcement really send a respectful message? #hmmm

  21. R.I.P. Wilma’s mom in the Flintstone’s movie

  22. Burgin. Always.

    • In retrospect I should have just captioned this photo as follows:

      [Elizabeth Taylor arrives in Heaven and sees two-time husband Richard Burton.]
      “I’m back bitch!” – Liz Taylor
      [Burton feels again that long forgotten sentiment. smashes glass]

  23. Gonna be a big fat hater here and point out that she’s not “frolicking” in that clip – she’s being dragged struggling into the water while she cries “No, no!” so that her thin, white suit will get wet, exposing her body and sexually shaming her in front of a bunch of eagerly-watching dudes.

    That’s about as far from “frolicking” as you can get without getting into a space ship and leaving the solar system entirely.

    • I for one feel refreshed and delighted that we are 56 comments in from that video and no one has said a word about her boobs. Go team!

    • I felt the same way too – it was a disturbing clip. She acted brilliantly as she got out of the water, but I was upset for the character.

  24. Now there has been 58 comments and no one has mentioned that Suddenly Last Summer (from which the bathing suit/boobs clips above was taken) is a HORRIBLE EVIL MOVIE. The message of the film is “Fags are disgusting and deserve to be killed.” Worst thing Tennessee Williams ever did.

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