LIZ TAYLOR HONORED IN N.Y. BY FILM SOCIETY

Elizabeth Taylor was honored here Monday night for the remarkably long, legendary and enduring career that has made her, in the words of writer/director Joseph L. Mankiewicz, “the single most beautiful, perfect flashback I’ve ever seen in my life.”

The occasion was the prestigious Film Society of Lincoln Center’s annual tribute to “a significant film artist . “ Previous honorees included Charlie Chaplin, Alfred Hitchcock, Laurence Olivier, Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward, and Barbara Stanwyck.

As the audience of 2,000 watched clips from Taylor’s 54 films spanning more than 40 years, it was apparent in the uninhibited--often joyful, often silent--reactions that her career as well as her personal life has made a significant impact on a generation of American moviegoers.

Her “pure nature” off-screen was attested to by a lineup of speakers, including Roddy McDowall, Jane Powell, Mike Nichols, Lillian Gish and Mankiewicz, who directed Taylor in “Suddenly Last Summer,” one of her most highly respected performances, and in “Cleopatra,” one of her most highly publicized films.

Stepping onstage at the end of the more than two-hour program to acknowledge a sustained standing ovation and looking more radiant than ever, Taylor, 54, said spiritedly: “I hope you’re not bored. I hate to see myself on screen, so I’ve been dying .

“I was thrilled when I first heard of plans for this evening,” she continued. “Then, I heard who my predecessors were, and I thought, ‘Wait a minute; I’d better send them some of my reviews--they’ve made a mistake.’

“But after watching all the incredible hard work that went into tonight, I guess they really did mean (to honor) me. I feel very special and cared for,” she said seriously.

Finally, motioning up to Mrs. Sara Taylor seated in a box above the stage, she said: “There’s just one person I’d like to thank, first for giving me birth, and for being there for me all of my life--my mother.”