«OHHH ELIZABETH TAYLOR OHHH SHE'S SO GLAMOROUS» -ANDY WARHOL

One of the great stars I met was Elizabeth Taylor, then just married to her third husband, film producer Michael Todd. Not only was she a true beauty, she was also down to earth and fun. She'd been a movie star since the age of seven and knew how to behave like one. We dined at a restaurant on Sunset Strip called La Rue and she was dressed to the nines (as was I) in satin, mink stole and diamonds. I'd admired her since childhood. She deserved the accolades for her beauty, sheer star power and the epic quality of her lifestyle.Then I met Ava Gardner - dangerously gorgeous and a headline-making superstar who often downgraded herself by saying she couldn't act. Well, she could. She had true talent and that indispensable star power.
The public was more savvy then. Actors didn't become stars unless they truly had the real X factor. There were loads of Marlene Dietrich or Hedy Lamarr wannabes, but the real versions made it because they were truly exceptional

Joan Collins
The Daily Mail
Dec 29 2009