‘To begin at the beginning…” Or how about – “Broadsword, calling Danny Boy...”

Those lines are arguably two of the most famous in all of literature, and cinema; originating from the contrasting worlds of Dylan Thomas prose, to the ‘Boys Own’ adventure writings of Alistair MacLean. And first spoken in deep, rich tones by a former coalminers son called Richard Jenkins, who later conquered the entertainment world as...Richard Burton.

I confess that I have always found Richard Burton’s story endlessly fascinating, and down the years, I’ve devoured several books (including his own revelatory self-penned diaries) that chronicled his life and career trajectory: from the humble Welsh valleys, all the way to Hollywood & Broadway superstardom.

A precociously gifted young man with a thirst for knowledge, poetry and literature (not forgetting a vast thirst for alcohol and an equal lust for women) Burton was tutored through his teacher Philip Burton’s mentorship, that would fire up his compulsive passions for the classics, as together they mapped out a future career for this young man of almost Shakespearean proportions.

As he grew older, Burton would often ruminate on how his life was shaped and formed by elements out with his control. From the rugged coal dust deprivations of the Welsh mining town of his birth, to the giddy and gaudy heights of stage and screen fame, Burton cut a swathe through all convention...usually with a strong bottle of liquid close to hand.

One very clever party trick that Burton had up his sleeve (and one that he utilised to impress the great and the good of Hollywood) was that he could effortlessly recite large chunks of Shakespeare’s Henry V – backwards! This particular skilled feat was just one small example of Burton’s prodigious memory and intellect.

That example gives a brief insight into Burton’s unique gifts and poetic soul that fatalistically carried with it, an almost Faustian foreboding.

So what was that strange, mystifying alchemy that brought a young boy out of dark impoverishment, that eventually guided him towards a life beyond his wildest dreams? Was it a mixture of raw talent, charisma, intelligence, ambition; or does that very question remain partially unanswered?

I guess that many peoples prior knowledge to the life and work of Richard Burton doesn’t stretch any further than the media circus surrounding his passion, notoriety and marriages to Elizabeth Taylor. Their combustible coupling (first ignited on the set of the epic, Cleopatra) captured the public’s unceasing fascination like few others, and defined an era in which the paparazzi probed incessantly into their public and private lives.

Perhaps the one film that magnified their unique drawing power came with the 1966 release of Who’s Afraid Of Virginia Woolf. The two stars bicker, bite, snarl and swear, belittling each other physically and emotionally during the course of the film; whilst also expressing the underlying desire and love they truly felt for one another.

Yet, this particular cinematic triumph, would eventually sow the seeds of their mutual destruction. Burton’s professional jealousy (he would never win an Oscar) towards his wife (fuelled by copious amounts of alcohol) would fester deep within him, with the result that their relationship would never fully recover.

So an emotional collision between The Prince Of Players & The Queen Of Hollywood, was always going to end badly. A volcanic story of two fiery cinematic deities, who loved and hated with equal intensity; amidst the echoing sound of rattling jewellery, the rustling of divorce papers, and the clinking of empty gin and vodka bottles.

Richard Burton was the man who wanted it all, and in many ways, he achieved all that life could give him – yet at a price.

In his prime he could outdrink anyone, earning vast sums of money, living the kind of ostentatious lifestyle most people could only dream of, while romancing and seducing countless women and numerous female co-stars (it was claimed that only Joan Collins and Julie Andrews failed to succumb to his magnetic charms).

Yet, on the other hand, there was another Richard Burton, a quieter more thoughtful and reflective soul, who embraced literature, poetry, reading (he loved nothing more than spending hours within his private library) while yearning to be taken seriously as a writer of note.

Not forgetting that throughout his many years of fame, he was enormously generous and loyal to his family and friends.

He was a true Welshman...and a man who would not yield.