Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious:
The Making of 'Mary Poppins
Mr. Burton (2025)
Acclaimed as one of the greatest actors of his generation, Richard Burton’s depiction in biopics has primarily focused on his relationship with Elizabeth Taylor. At a result the representation of his career is confined to Cleopatra onwards, which could leave those unfamiliar with Burton’s body of work wondering how he garnered such a thespian reputation. Mr. Burton answers this question, magnificently. In its portrayal of the actor’s journey from a Welsh mining town to the Shakespearean stage, Mr. Burton reveals the discipline, hunger and drive of the high-spirited youth while also foreshadowing the volatile vices that would later diminish of his talent.
Awakening young Richard Jenkins’s love of acting is Port Talbot Secondary School’s English teacher Philip Burton. Pleasantly surprised when his student considers memorising the prologue of Henry V as a prize rather than a punishment, Philip encourages Richard to join his newly formed drama group. After a few successes on stage, Richard declares he wants to be a professional actor, which is hardly the future one envisioned for the son of a drunken miner. Nevertheless, Philip takes Richard under his wing, providing him with lessons in elocution and voice projection. Yet when his help extends to room and board, rumours begin to circulate about the true nature of their relationship.
Toby Jones excels as the Pygmalion-esque Mr. Burton who (unlike Henry Higgins) chooses to inspire, rather than torment, his pupil. “Just pass your exams” he advises his charge. “That’s all the thanks I ask”, and the sincerity with which Jones delivers his performance allows no room for doubt of his intentions. Which makes the hurt he feels all the more impactful when Richard 'exposes his claws'.
In his portrayal of Richard Burton, Harry Lawtey does little to suggest the famed Welsh actor, but that’s the point. What he does present is a character we can empathise with, one whose aspirations and ability to aspirate go hand in hand. Though Lawtey may fail to capture the great rolling sound that, according to Elizabeth Taylor, cracked like wild Atlantic waves, the biopic is none the worse. For at this stage of his life, the actor was still struggling to find his voice.
as Richard Burton
as Anthony Quayle
as Harry Andrews
as Robert Hardy
Biopic dramatises a claim made by journalist Tom Rubython in his book ‘And God Created Burton’ that the actor’s father demanded £50 from Philip Burton to facilitate the schoolteacher becoming Richard’s guardian. This was disputed by Graham Jenkins, Richard’s last surviving brother, at the time of publication, who told Wales Online “It’s nonsense, absolute nonsense. You can take it from me my father had nothing to do with [Philip Burton]; my brother Ifor did all the business, my father was not involved at all.” This would appear to be supported by the following excerpt from Philip Burton’s unpublished memoirs.
…my Commanding Officer brought up an important issue: the question-raising ambiguity of my relationship with Richard: he had another home and his father was still alive; it would be better and easier all round if I adopted him… But when I found that I was twenty days short of being twenrty-one years older than Richard, legal adoption was ruled out. The alternative was that Richard become my legal ward, and for that his father’s signed agreement was necessary. David Jenkins, a brother of Richard and a police officer, undertook to secure this and did so with no difficulty.