Puerto Vallarta Remembers Elizabeth Taylor
On March 27, Puerto Vallarta residents and visitors will gather at the Los Arcos Amphitheater at 7 pm in memory of Elizabeth Taylor, who was one of Vallarta's greatest promoters.
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Puerto Vallarta, Mexico - Elizabeth Taylor, considered one of the last, if not THE LAST, major star to have come out of the old Hollywood studio system, died of congestive heart failure in Cedars-Sinai Hospital in Los Angeles on Wednesday, March 23, 2011.

The legendary actress, famed for her beauty, her jet-set lifestyle, her charitable endeavors and her many marriages, is an iconic figure in Puerto Vallarta's history.

In 1964, when celebrated movie director John Huston hand-picked the isolated cove of Mismaloya as one of the locations for filming The Night of the Iguana, rumors of an affair between Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor, both still married to their previous spouses, began to circulate.

The paparazzi began following Dick and Liz, and their news and pictures turned what was once a small fishing village on Mexico's Pacific Coast into a world-famous tourist destination.

The couple fell in love with Puerto Vallarta and Burton bought Casa Kimberley, a 22,000-square-foot hacienda tucked up in the hills of Gringo Gulch, as a surprise birthday gift for Elizabeths 32nd birthday in February 1964, just a few months after filming completed and a month before their marriage.

A couple of years later, when Dick and Liz married, he bought the house across the street, and the two casas were connected by a pink second-story bridge (a replica of Venice's Rialto Bridge) that arches over the street. When Richard misbehaved, Elizabeth reportedly sent him to stay in his casa - the "doghouse" - until he made amends.

In 1990, several years after Burton died, Taylor sold the Casa Kimberley complex, saying the "memories made her too sad..." She could never bring herself to spend the night there again after he was gone.

It has been over four decades since Elizabeth Taylor came to this seaside getaway while Richard Burton was filming The Night of the Iguana. Time, however, hasn't diminished the interest travelers have in these famous lovers - or the city's fond memories of them.

On Sunday, March 27th, all Puerto Vallarta residents and visitors are invited to gather at the Los Arcos Amphitheater at 7 pm for a Velada Luctuosa (sorrowful evening) in memory of Elizabeth Taylor, who was not only a great actress but also one of Vallarta's greatest promoters.

Initiated by Ignacio Guzmán García of the Puerto Vallarta Tourism Commission, in coordination with Municipal Art and Culture Deputy Director, Mónica Venegas, La Velada Luctuosa is the first of various events planned to honor the memory of Elizabeth Taylor, to demonstrate the city's gratitude for her contribution to the image and development of Puerto Vallarta as a world-class tourist destination.

The program includes presentations by local musicians and poets, as well as speeches by local columnists and Elizabeth Taylor's godchild, renowned photographer Sergio Toledano. Images of the actress during her time here in Puerto Vallarta will be projected and white balloons will be released during a moment of silence.

Taylor's children, who also lived in this city, have been invited to participate in Sunday's ceremony, but their attendance has not yet been confirmed.

City councilman Nacho Guzmán encourages all Puerto Vallarta citizens and visitors to attend this homage to Elizabeth Taylor, as well as to sign the book of condolences that will be placed on the walkway in front of City Hall.