A 1978 performance of "Camelot" by Richard Burton, who first performed on Broadway as King Arthur opposite Julie Andrews (as Guenevere) in the original 1960 stage production.
OMG. I cannot believe the nasty comments on here about Richard Burton. He was one of the most outstanding actors of his time. His voice is beautiful. I have always enjoyed his work and that of Richard Harris. HATERS go away.
@James Henderson yes. I never tought he was very good in movies either. Seemed to have been great on stage, according to those who saw him. Well, we will never know.....
A truly gifted actor and story teller with an immensely attractive baritone voice, Richard Burton was one of the great talents of his era - but he also had seriously self destructive vices that shortened his life & diminished his legacy.
@@lakemichigan6598 totally agree. And it's sad that because of his destructive side he took on roles that were far below his talent and he did just for the money.
@@normadesmond6017 Very true - but if you want to see RB at his acting best, see 1965's 'Beckett'. A great historical drama where his Thomas a Beckett and Peter O'Toole's Henry II play off each other brilliantly.
The greats don't need any props. They like them, but they don't need them. Technically though Tony Church did have one prop. He used to pretend his coat was Cordelia.
You can literally read this man's life on his face. True, he drank a lot of his life away, but I'll just bet that he would not change one thing about his life even if he could. Watch him and Elizabeth Taylor in "The Taming Of The Shrew". Talk about a power couple----man they wrote the book! How can you take the Academy Awards too seriously when this magnificent talent never won an Oscar----even an honorary one. What a joke!
You're soooo right but he was a man like so many of us who was controlled at certain points by his demons. He left us too soon, he could have done so much more. What a great talent Richard Burton was.
No one has mentioned the PHRASING he brings to this and all the songs he sang. His Shakespearean training came into play here. No one since has done this song better. Brilliant.
The Welsh men have SUCH really great singing voiced - and most are the most handsome too esp with their Northern Welsh dark hair and mesmerising deep brown eyes - and LOOKS!
Pure genius. After hearing and watching this stirring song sung by Richard Burton, it is hard to hear it from anyone else. Burton owns it. No one like him then or since.
This is hardly a happy song! It is pure tragedy, because before we even sit down for the first act, we know how the story ends. Doubly so today, when the metaphor of Camelot becomes the United States, and we see that magnificent story coming to its eminent, ugly end.
I'm a musician and I can tell you Richard Burton could carry a tune without ever going flat or sharp--in other words, he was always "right on the money", even in some notorious harmonic key changes! He had an excellent sense of pitch. Incredible voice, incredible everything! He'd have made an excellent James Bond back in 1960 when Sean Connery got the part.
I didn’t know he can sing!!!! This is first time I hear his singing voice !! I studied music ,my God!!!!!! What a voice indeed perfect pitch.... each note..... what a shame only decades after I discover oh,..........
A professional musician once told me that I have perfect pitch. I asked,"What does that mean?" He replied."It means you could tune a piano without tuning forks!"
I still cry when I hear Richard Burton sing this. He takes you from the happiness of Camelot in the early days of the Round Table to the sadness of the war against his dear friend. I really feel the sadness in his voice.
I agree,!!! Love to quote those words often when there are precious moments that tug at your heart and nothing else works...today has been one of those brilliantly happy days....because someone I love called and he is the most gorgeous man I have ever known!!! A rare Camelot day! God bless God xxx
Richard Burton was one of the finest actors who ever lived! He could bring Shakespeare. and poetry to life. His voice was mesmerizing! This performance brings tear to my eyes! 🥰👍
...RICHARD DOESN't look bored...he just knows each word, for the last 20 yrs. !! His voice is velvet-Welsh...he lived hard, he loved hard...great sense of humour, a realist from the coal mines of WALES..he will ALWAYS be loved...
I'm not surprised to learn that audiences of the original show spent almost the entire run time with their attention focused on Burton, so that the blocking of the show had to revolve around him. Amazing voice, terrific actor and (after watching him interviewed by Parkinson) a very likeable human being.
What a powerful song. It always brings tears to my eyes as I think of Jack, Jackie, Caroline and John-John Kennedy and that "Camelot" moment in our history.
Me too, Mary-Ann. It was John Kennedy's favorite musical I believe, and it certainly was a sort of 'Camelot' when he was in the White House. I was 11 when he was assassinated. I've never forgotten the feeling of absolute loss and sadness of that day, and those that followed. How could anyone ever forget John John saluting his Father 's casket as it rolled by ?
@@voiceofreason7856 I was 6, yet that day is burned into my memory like it was yesterday. What I also remember is what a grim Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's it was that year. Truthfully, I don't think the country ever recovered from that dark day.
@@williamanthony9090 We didn't. I've been ridiculed repeatedly for saying this, but Kennedy was the last President we as a people trusted. Time has taken away the polish and showed us the warts, but once there was a fleeting wisp of glory that was Camelot.
Thanks for uploading. I saw Burton in Camelot at Lincoln Center many years ago and, as usual, he was wonderful. Even though it was a matinee performance, he gave it his all. I loved when the play ended and the audience sat applauding, he gave us a look like “What? No standing ovation?” We all stood and gave him his ovation.☺️ We could see the amusement on his face.😂.
I've lost track of how many times I have watched this video. It's the most perfect performance of this song. No one ever sang it better than Richard Burton.
I'm not sure why Burton is not given more credit for his singing. It may have been partly because he himself was rather self deprecating about it. But the fact is, he's quite a fine, expressive singer. He's got a good range, excellent pitch and of course his diction is impeccable. His vocal prowess is even more evident in "how to handle a woman", which is quite rangy and more challenging to sing than one might think (which becomes apparent very quickly when trying to sing along with it).
@thomasmclaron5844: Hmmm, not certain about that. There are actors equally talented who didn’t waste their talent on booze, Elizabeth Taylor and bad films that lived to their potential.
I wish I didn’t agree with you. But he threw his talent away. Taylor wasn’t good for him I guess. But there was a deeper classical side to him that we rarely saw. Hope he has another chance. Love you Burton but I could shake you.
Yeah it brought me here , such an emotional film , that poor woman the grief you would go through , bad enough losing her husband but have him die in her hands
Unlike many who have assayed this role over the years, Burton was the only Arthur who could actually carry a tune. You can see his pleasant musicality in a songs such as What do The Simple Folk do? He had a charming voice--and could dance a bit too.
If Richard Burton's voice is dubbed here, as many people say it is, it's the best piece of dubbing I've ever seen. What a magical presence this great actor had, none of the so called 'stars' of today have anything approaching the charisma of a Burton. Harris and O Toole..we'll never see guys like these again.
I was fortunate to see Richard Burton and the original Broadway cast when they came to the McCormack Center in Chicago. It was the first professional production of a play I had ever seen and I was mesmerized by the performers, the sets, and the incredible music. I was hooked!
I agree, and I'm a normal guy. In this performance, he's just beginning to look a bit seedy, as if age and lifestyle are beginning to take their toll. In my opinion this makes him even more attractive.
Growing up I would listen to the original 1960 LP album almost daily. To this day I can remember all the words. Richard Burton was an original...what a voice!
Don't let it be forgot, that once there was a spot, for one brief, shining moment, that was known as CAMELOT as sung by the one and only Richard Burton - I want to go to Heaven just to hear him speak for eternity. I am sure the Good Lord took him so HE could also listen to the majestic language that flowed from his being. He did sing in his Welsh choir!!!! He was one of a kind - an actor, a poet, an orator and there will never be another of his like. Rest in peace Richard - as they say in the "business" we are sure you have a principal role on the center stage in paradise.
What a great actor with such commanding screen presence and now hearing how excellent his singing voice is together with his timing and impeccable enunciation...great stuff
Fantastic! Listening and watching Richard Burton singing "Camelot" is absolutely amazing 👏 👏👏👏 As he begins the Camelot finale: "Each evening, from December to December..." he IS KING ARTHUR 👑 Expressions of both Love AND Sorrow in his voice and on his face is truly breathtaking❣💖❤ Each time he begins to speak, my heart fills with emotion and my eyes are filled with tears ... RIP Sir Richard 🙏🙏💕🤗💘😇
Dear Richard Burton, how I loved every movie he ever made . iv always been a huge fan. God thank you for giving us such a wonderful man with so much talent.
Burton was a very accomplished actor. Unfortunately, he was very self-destructive with his drinking. But no one ever brought King Arthur alive the way he did. He will always be missed.
Loved Burton. So magnificent in bearing, a wonderful actor and so much more than simply his voice ( which was also admittedly spectacular!) There is a comment below about a 'wasted life' and I would argue this ...he rose from extreme poverty,, enjoyed a long and varied career of his choice and gained the respect of his peers. I pass no judgement on his life beyond the footlights and the cameras but simply enjoy the performances left to us as I am sure he would wish us to,
Richard, "the Great"...... what a voice. You just had to hear his distinctive voice to know who it was that spoke. No introduction necessary. I've always enjoyed listening to him.
