2 OF THE MOVIES IN WHICH HOLLYWOOD ACTRESS ELIZABETH TAYLOR, STARRED WERE FILMED IN MONTEREY COUNTY. IN 1944, (THE MOVIE THAT LAUNCHED HER CAREER) NATIONAL VELVET WAS FILMED IN PEBBLE BEACH; AND 20 YEARS LATER IN 1964, THE SANDPIPER WAS FILMED AT A HOME ON THE EDGE OF A CLIFF ABOUT 3 MILES SOUTH OF THE CARMEL HIGHLANDS. DURING THAT TRIP ELIZABETH TAYLOR AND HER THEN HUSBAND (AND CO-STAR) RICHARD BURTON STAYED AT A PRIVATE HOME THAT NOW SERVES AS THE MONTEREY MUSEUM OF ART – LA MIRADA….AND THEY ARE DEPICTED IN A WALL MURAL THERE.
THE MUSUEM HAD ALREADY SCHEDULED AN EVENT TO BE HELD THERE THIS FRIDAY, FEATURING A SCREENING OF “THE SANDPIPER” WHEN THEY GOT THE NEWS THAT TAYLOR HAD PASSED AWAY. THE EVENT IS CALLED THE “LA MIRADA LOUNGE GOES HOLLYWOOD” AND IT IS SCHEDULED TO RUN FROM 6-8 P.M. FRIDAY NIGHT AT 720 VIA MIRADA (NEAR LAGUNTA NIRADA PARK AND FREMONT STREET IN MONTEREY (WHICH IS JUST ACROSS FROM THE CITY OF MONTEREY DOG PARK END OF EL ESTERO PARK)).
“National Velvet,” was the 1944 Oscar-winning film that starred Taylor (as a young equine prodigy) and co-star Mickey Rooney, and it was filmed on the Pebble Beach golf course, with Carmel Bay in the background.
