However , on the whole the play initially received mixed reviews on its opening at the Majestic Theatre on Broadway and was slow to earn money . Advance sales managed to keep '' Camelot '' running for three months until a twenty-minute extract was broadcast on '' The Ed Sullivan Show '' which helped '' Camelot '' achieve great success , and an unprecedented three-year run overall from 1960 to 1963 . Its success lead to Burton being called " The King of Broadway " , and he went on to receive the Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical . The original soundtrack of the musical topped the '' Billboard '' charts throughout 1961 after its release at the end of 1960 . John F. Kennedy , who was then the President of the United States , reportedly enjoyed the play and invited Burton to the White House for a visit . In 1962 Burton appeared as Officer David Campbell , an RAF fighter pilot in '' The Longest Day '' , which included a large ensemble cast featuring : McDowall , George Segal , Henry Fonda , John Wayne , Mel Ferrer , Robert Mitchum , Rod Steiger and Sean Connery . The same year he provided narration for the Jack Howells documentary '' Dylan Thomas '' . The short won the Best Documentary Short Subject at the 35th Academy Awards ceremony
35th Academy Awards
35th Academy Awards
Richard Burton