Philip Burton

Philip Henry Burton (30 November 1904 – 28 January 1995) was a Welsh teacher of English, who became an acclaimed radio producer and theatre director. In his later life, he emigrated to the United States where he helped found the American Musical and Dramatic Academy in New York City. Despite Burton's successes in many fields, it is for his role in helping his one-time pupil Richard Burton to pursue his career as an actor, that he is best remembered.

Early history Philip Henry Burton was born in 1904 in Mountain Ash, Glamorgan, South Wales. His father, Henry, was English, and came to Wales to work as a collier, but died in a pit accident when Burton was 14. He attended Caegarw Elementary School then Mountain Ash Intermediate School. Aged just 16, Burton gained a scholarship to study at the University College of Wales, Cardiff, from where he graduated in 1925 with a double honours degree in History and Mathematics.

After leaving university, Burton became a teacher at the Port Talbot Secondary School, where he taught English (and, briefly, Games and Maths) and developed the school's drama activities. He also taught for the Workers' Educational Association and chaired the Port Talbot branch of the YMCA, as well as founding its Drama Society. He was a leading light as an actor in the Society, both in its Port Talbot productions and in drama competitions, and he was soon attracting attention in the national press: his portrayal of Othello was “perfect in make-up, appearance and art…Othello had a tremendous personality. There was action in every muscle. He was the only true Othello I ever saw…whose noble bearing and character personified manhood at its best.”

Burton's first play for the BBC, Granton Street, his first feature, Margam Abbey, and his first appearance as an actor, in Antigone, were all broadcast in 1937, the last two being produced by T. Rowland Hughes, a features producer with the BBC in Cardiff. Four more programmes with Hughes came in 1938 and 1939, and then Burton continued, both as a scriptwriter and actor, to work with Hughes throughout the War years.

Burton was a prolific scriptwriter for the BBC. Between 1937 and 1953, he wrote some forty-five radio scripts, as well as fourteen scripts for television. Most of the radio scripts were written whilst he was in full-time work, either as a teacher (1937-1945) or features producer (1945-1952).

In 1938 Burton was awarded a scholarship by the Guild of Graduates of the University of Wales to visit America for six months to study school camps and drama, broadcasting and theatre.

During the Second World War, Burton was Commanding Officer (eventually Acting Flight Lieutenant) of the Port Talbot ATC, 499 Squadron, for which he was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 1944 New Year Honours.

Relationship with Richard Burton Philip Burton had a frustrated dream of being an actor, and as a teacher looked for a young protégé through whom he could achieve acting success. He found such a talent in Owen Jones, who went on to appear in films during the 1930s as well as appearing on stage in Hamlet with Laurence Olivier. Jenkins called the experience "the most hardworking and painful period" in his life. Burton failed in his attempt to adopt Jenkins, but nonetheless Jenkins became his legal ward and took his surname to become Richard Burton. Later when Burton had moved to New York, Richard called him at short notice to direct the first production of Camelot, after its original director, Moss Hart, was taken ill. After Richard Burton's death in 1984, Taylor maintained the friendship with Burton, including visiting him in hospital during the long illness before his death.

Later career Burton left Port Talbot Secondary school in 1945, perhaps disappointed that he was not appointed to the headship of the school.

Philip Burton left the BBC in Wales in 1949 when he was promoted to Chief Instructor at the BBC Staff Training School in London. The following year, he was appointed to the Welsh committee of the Arts Council.

He resigned from the BBC in 1952 to become a freelancer. One of his first contracts was to write the first twelve episodes of The Appleyards, the first ever soap opera on BBC television. Freelancing also gave Burton more time for return trips to America.

In 1954, the year after Dylan Thomas' death, the first British production of Under Milk Wood was performed, on BBC Radio. Richard Burton took the lead as First Voice, Philip Burton took the role of the Reverend Eli Jenkins and Sybil Williams (Richard Burton's wife) played Myfanwy Price.

Later that year, Burton moved to New York City, where he helped establish the American Musical and Dramatic Academy and became its first director. He also set up a touring company, the Philip Burton Drama Quartet. Burton soon became a popular figure on the American lecture circuit, and published two books on Shakespeare, The Sole Voice: Character Portraits from Shakespeare and You, My Brother.

Burton was gay and had at least one long term relationship while in the US. Burton had become an American citizen in 1964, and in the 1970s went to live in Key West, Florida, where he continued his programme of talks and lectures, as well as taking an active part in Key West community activities. He died in Haines City, Florida on the 28 January 1995.

In 2025 Angela V John published a biography of Burton "Behind the Scenes" for Parthian Books.

On 10 November 2025, the centenary of the birth of Richard Burton, a blue plaque was unveiled at the Port Talbot house where the Burtons lived.

Works by Philip Burton

Books and articles Untitled, Dylan Thomas Memorial Number (1953), Adam International Review, and also in E. Tedlock (1960) Dylan Thomas : The Legend and the Poet, Heinemann. Early Doors: My Life and the Theatre (1969), Dial Press. The Sole Voice: Character Portraits from Shakespeare (1970), Dial Press. You, My Brother (1973), Random House. The Green Isle (1974) Dial Press. Richard and Philip:The Burtons (1992), Owen. Dylan Thomas, in Dylan Remembered 1935-1953 pp236-238,(2004), ed. D.N. Thomas, Seren.

Audio The Dylan Thomas I Knew, (1991), Screen and Sound Archive, National Library of Wales (SSA/NLW). Dylan Thomas, (n.d.), original recordings, Colin Edwards archive, (SSA/NLW).

Published plays White Collar: A Play in Three Acts (1938), W. H. Smith. Granton Street: A Play in Three Acts (1934), F.S. Powell, re-published in 2017 by Alun Books, with an Introduction by A. V. John.

BBC radio and television scripts See BBC Genome at Philip Burton BBC

Portrayals

In 2025, Mr Burton, a British biographical drama film starring Harry Lawtey as the young Richard Burton and Toby Jones as Philip Burton was released.