Flavorwire

We were saddened to hear the news that Elizabeth Taylor died overnight at the age of 79. While she was known as much in recent years for her private life and questionable marriage record as she was for her films, Taylor was one of the best actors of her generation, and her performances in the 1950s and 1960s defined a string of the era’s finest films. In celebration of a fine career, here’s a selection of her best roles.

National Velvet (1944)

Taylor’s first role was in There’s One Born Every Minute at the age of ten, but this was her best childhood role. She plays a girl who disguises herself as a jockey to sneak into the Grand National to ride a horse that she’s saved from the knacker’s yard to victory. Apparently Taylor was given the horse as a birthday present after filming finished. Result.