A statue of Elizabeth Taylor was sculpted from

redwood Sequoioideae, popularly known as redwoods, is a subfamily of coniferous trees within the family Family (from la, familia) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affini ...

by the artist Edmund Kara for the 1964 film '' The Sandpiper''. The film starred Taylor and Richard Burton who had recently become her fifth husband. The piece was sculpted from a 2,200 lbs trunk of redwood; the finished piece weighed 712 lbs. The piece is depicted in the film as having been sculpted by

Charles Bronson Charles Bronson (born Charles Dennis Buchinsky; November 3, 1921 – August 30, 2003) was an American actor. Known for his "granite features and brawny physique," he gained international fame for his starring roles in action, Western, and war ...

's character, Cos Erickson, who is love with Taylor's character, Laura Reynolds. Bronson's role was originally intended for

Sammy Davis Jr. Samuel George Davis Jr. (December 8, 1925 – May 16, 1990) was an American singer, dancer, actor, comedian, film producer and television director. At age three, Davis began his career in vaudeville with his father Sammy Davis Sr. and the ...

, but the implications of an interracial relationship between Taylor and Davis's character saw Davis's casting quashed by

Martin Ransohoff Martin Nelson Ransohoff (July 7, 1927 – December 13, 2017) was an American film and television producer, and member of the Ransohoff, Ransohoff family. Early life and education Ransohoff was born on July 7, 1927 in New Orleans, New Orleans, ...

, the producer of ''The Sandpiper''. A short promotional film called ''A Statue for the Sandpiper'' was made in 1965 that depicts Kara at work on the piece. The film was set in the

Big Sur Big Sur () is a rugged and mountainous section of the Central Coast of California between Carmel and San Simeon, where the Santa Lucia Mountains rise abruptly from the Pacific Ocean. It is frequently praised for its dramatic scenery. Big Sur ha ...

region of California; the area had long been Kara's home. Kara was photographed at work on the sculpture by

Walter Chappell Walter Landon Chappell (June 8, 1925 – August 8, 2000) was an American photographer and poet, primarily known for his black and white photography of landscapes, nature, and the human body. Early life Chappell was born in Portland, Oregon in 1 ...

. Taylor herself never posed or sat for Kara, but a plaster life-cast of her face was provided for him to work from. Kara's friend, the jazz singer Stella Brooks, posed as Taylor's body double for Kara's sculpture. Upon its completion the sculpture was shipped aboard the to Paris, France, for the film's premier. Production of the film had moved to Paris to preserve Burton and Taylor's status as tax exiles. The producer of the film, Martin Ransohoff, had booked a first class stateroom for the sculpture's passage, with an accompanying security guard. The prohibitive weight of the sculpture eventually necessitated its shipping in the hold of the ship. The sculpture was subsequently publicly unveiled in a Parisian art gallery by Burton.

References

{{coord missing, United States 1964 sculptures Cultural depictions of Elizabeth Taylor Statues in the United States Wooden sculptures in the United States *statue