Burt Lancaster
| Burt Lancaster | |
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| Born | Burton Stephen Lancaster November 2, 1913 New York City, New York, U.S. |
| Died | October 20, 1994 (aged 80) , U.S. |
| Occupation | Actor, director, producer |
| Years active | 1945–1991 |
| Spouse | June Ernst (1935–1946) (divorced) Norma Anderson (1946–1969) (divorced) 5 children Susan Martin (1990–1994) (his death) |
Burton Stephen "Burt" Lancaster (November 2, 1913 – October 20, 1994) was an American film actor, noted for his athletic physique, distinctive smile (which he called "The Grin") and, later, his willingness to play roles that went against his initial "tough guy" image. Initially dismissed as "Mr Muscles and Teeth", in the late 1950s Lancaster abandoned his "all-American" image and gradually came to be regarded as one of the best actors of his generation.
Lancaster was nominated four times for Academy Awards and won once, for his work in Elmer Gantry in 1960. He also won a Golden Globe for that performance, and BAFTA Awards for The Birdman of Alcatraz (1962) and Atlantic City (1980). His production company, Hecht-Hill-Lancaster, was the most successful and innovative star-driven independent production company in 1950s Hollywood, making movies such as Marty (1955), Trapeze (1956), and Sweet Smell of Success (1957).
Lancaster also ventured in directing, with two films: The Kentuckian (in 1955) and The Midnight Man (in 1974).
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Early life
Lancaster was born in New York City, at his parents' home at 209 East 106th Street, between Second and Third Avenues—today the site of Benjamin Franklin Plaza. Lancaster was the son of Elizabeth (née Roberts) and James Henry Lancaster, who was a postman.[1] Both of his parents were Protestants of working-class Irish origin, with Lancaster's grandparents having been immigrants to the U.S. from Belfast and descendants of English immigrants to Ireland.[1] Lancaster's family believed themselves to be related to Frederick Roberts, 1st Earl Roberts; their surname originates from 11th century French immigrants to England with the surname "de Lancastre".[1] Lancaster grew up in East Harlem and spent much of his time on the streets, where he developed great interest and skill in gymnastics while attending the DeWitt Clinton High School.[1] Before he graduated from DeWitt Clinton, where he was a basketball star, his mother was dead of a cerebral hemorrhage. Lancaster was accepted into New York University with an athletics scholarship, but would drop out to focus on his first career choice.
Circus career and military
At the age of 9, Lancaster met Nick Cravat, with whom he would continue to work with through out his life. Together they learned to act in local theater productions and also circus arts at Union Settlement, one of the city's oldest settlement houses.[1] They formed the acrobat duo "Lang and Cravat" and soon joined the Kay Brothers circus. However in 1939, an injury would force Lancaster to give up the profession, with great despair. He would later reunited with Cravat in nine films (The Flame and the Arrow, The Crimson Pirate, Run Silent Run Deep, The Scalphunters, Airport, Valdez Is Coming, Ulzana's Raid, The Midnight Man and The Island of Dr. Moreau). He then found temporary work, first as a salesman for Marshall Fields, and then as a singing waiter in various restaurants, until 1942.
The United States now entering World War II, Lancaster joined the United States Army and performed with the Army's Twenty-First Special Services Division, one of the military groups organized to follow the troops on the ground and provide USO entertainment to keep up their morale. He served with General Mark Clark's Fifth Army in Italy from 1943–1945.
Film career
Acting
Though initially unenthusiastic about acting, he returned from service, auditioned for a Broadway play and was offered a role. Although Harry Brown's A Sound of Hunting was not successful, Lancaster's performance drew the attention of a Hollywood agent, Harold Hecht, who introduced him to Hal Wallis who cast Lancaster in The Killers (1946). (Hecht and Lancaster later formed several production companies in the 50's to give Lancaster greater creative control.) The tall, muscular actor won significant acclaim and appeared in two more films the following year. Subsequently, he played in a variety of films, especially in dramas, thrillers, and military and adventure films. In two, The Flame and the Arrow and The Crimson Pirate, a friend from his circus years, Nick Cravat, played a key supporting role, and both actors impressed audiences with their acrobatic prowess.
In 1953, Lancaster played one of his best remembered roles with Deborah Kerr in From Here to Eternity. The American Film Institute acknowledged the iconic status of the scene from that film in which he and Deborah Kerr make love on a Hawaiian beach amid the crashing waves. The organization named it one of "AFI's top 100 Most Romantic Films" of all time. In the mid-1950s, Lancaster went on challenging himself with varied cinematic roles, and he satisfied longtime aspirations by forming a film production partnership, Hecht-Lancaster Productions (eventually Hecht-Hill-Lancaster Productions) as well, having a pioneering role in the development of independent cinema. His work was recognized in 1960 when he won the Academy Award for Best Actor, a Golden Globe Award, and the New York Film Critics Award for his performance in Elmer Gantry. In 1966, at the age of 52, Lancaster appeared nude in director Frank Perry's film, The Swimmer. This film is generally regarded as one of Lancaster's favourite roles. The film itself was both panned and praised by the critics.
Lancaster made several films over the years with Kirk Douglas, including I Walk Alone (1948), Gunfight at the OK Corral (1957), The Devil's Disciple (1959), Seven Days in May (1964), and Tough Guys (1986), which fixed the notion of the pair as something of a team in the public imagination. Douglas was always second-billed under Lancaster in these films, but with the exception of I Walk Alone, in which Douglas played a villain, their roles were usually more or less the same size.
During the later part of his career, Lancaster left adventure and acrobatic movies behind and portrayed more distinguished characters. This period brought him work on several European productions, with directors such as Luchino Visconti and Bernardo Bertolucci. Lancaster sought demanding roles and, if he liked a part or a director, was prepared to work for much lower pay than he might have earned elsewhere; he even helped to finance movies whose artistic value he believed in. He also mentored directors such as Sydney Pollack and John Frankenheimer and appeared in several TV films.
For his contribution to the motion picture industry, Lancaster has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6801 Hollywood Boulevard.
Directing and producing
Personal life
Marriages and relationships
Lancaster vigorously guarded his private life. He was married three times, his first two marriages ending in divorce — to June Ernst from 1935 to 1946; to Norma Anderson from 1946 to 1969; and to Susan Martin from September 1990 until his death. All five of his children were with Anderson: Bill (who became a screenwriter), James, Susan, Joanna, and Sighle (pronounced Sheila). He was romantically involved with Deborah Kerr during the filming of From Here to Eternity in 1953.[1] He also had an affair with Joan Blondell. In her 1980 autobiography, actress Shelley Winters claimed to have had a long affair with him.
Political views
Lancaster was a vocal supporter of liberal political causes, and frequently spoke out with support for racial minorities. He was also instrumental in the formation of many liberal groups, through financial support. At one point, he was rumored to be a member of the Communist Party, because of his involvement in many liberal causes. He was a vocal opponent of the Vietnam War and political movements such as McCarthyism, and he helped pay for the successful defense of a soldier accused of fragging another soldier during the war.[1] In 1968, Lancaster actively supported the presidential candidacy of antiwar Senator Eugene McCarthy of Minnesota, and frequently spoke on his behalf in the Democratic primaries. In 1985, Lancaster, a longtime supporter of gay rights, joined the fight against AIDS after his close friend, Rock Hudson, contracted the disease. He campaigned for Michael Dukakis in the 1988 presidential election.
Health problems and death
As Lancaster grew older, heart trouble increasingly hindered him from working. He nearly died during a routine gall bladder operation in January 1980. Following two minor heart attacks he had to undergo an emergency quadruple heart bypass in 1983, after which he was in frail health. He suffered a severe stroke in November 1990, which left him partly paralyzed and with restricted speech. Lancaster died in his Century City apartment in Los Angeles from a third heart attack on October 20, 1994. He is buried at Westwood Memorial Park in Westwood Village in Los Angeles.
Filmography and awards
Films
| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1946 | The Killers | 'Swede' Andersen | |
| 1947 | Brute Force | Joe Collins | |
| 1947 | Desert Fury | Tom Hanson | |
| 1948 | I Walk Alone | Frankie Madison | |
| 1948 | All My Sons | Chris Keller | |
| 1948 | Sorry, Wrong Number | Henry Stevenson | |
| 1948 | Kiss the Blood Off My Hands | William Earle 'Bill' Saunders | |
| 1949 | Criss Cross | Steve Thompson, narrator | |
| 1949 | Rope of Sand | Michael (Mike) Davis | |
| 1950 | The Flame and the Arrow | Dardo Bartoli | |
| 1950 | Mister 880 | Steve Buchanan | |
| 1951 | Vengeance Valley | Owen Daybright | |
| 1951 | Jim Thorpe – All-American | Jim Thorpe | |
| 1951 | Ten Tall Men | Sgt Mike Kincaid | |
| 1952 | The Crimson Pirate | Capitan Vallo | |
| 1952 | Come Back, Little Sheba | Doc Delaney | |
| 1953 | South Sea Woman | Master Gunnery Sgt. James O'Hearn | |
| 1953 | From Here to Eternity | 1st Sgt. Milton Warden | New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actor Nominated—Academy Award for Best Actor |
| 1953 | Three Sailors and a Girl | Marine (uncredited) | |
| 1954 | His Majesty O'Keefe | Captain David Dion O'Keefe, narrator | |
| 1954 | Apache | Massai | |
| 1954 | Vera Cruz | Joe Erin | |
| 1955 | The Kentuckian | Elias Wakefield (Big Eli) | Director Nominated—Golden Lion |
| 1955 | The Rose Tattoo | Alvaro Mangiacavallo | |
| 1956 | Trapeze | Mike Ribble | Silver Bear for Best Actor at Berlin[2] |
| 1956 | The Rainmaker | Bill Starbuck, aka Bill Smith, Bill Harley, Tornado Johnson | Nominated—Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Drama |
| 1957 | Gunfight at the O.K. Corral | Marshal Wyatt Earp | |
| 1957 | Sweet Smell of Success | J.J. Hunsecker | |
| 1958 | Run Silent Run Deep | Lt. Jim Bledsoe | |
| 1958 | Separate Tables | John Malcolm | |
| 1959 | The Devil's Disciple | The Rev. Anthony Anderson | |
| 1960 | The Unforgiven | Ben Zachary | |
| 1960 | Elmer Gantry | Elmer Gantry | Academy Award for Best Actor Golden Globe Award for Best Actor - Motion Picture Drama New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actor Nominated—BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role |
| 1961 | The Young Savages | Hank Bell | |
| 1961 | Judgment at Nuremberg | Dr. Ernst Janning | |
| 1962 | Birdman of Alcatraz | Robert Stroud | BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role Volpi Cup Nominated—Academy Award for Best Actor Nominated—Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Drama |
| 1963 | A Child is Waiting | Dr. Ben Clark | |
| 1963 | The Leopard | Prince Don Fabrizio Salina | |
| 1963 | The List of Adrian Messenger | Cameo | |
| 1964 | Seven Days in May | Gen. James Mattoon Scott | |
| 1964 | The Train | Paul Labiche | |
| 1965 | The Hallelujah Trail | Col. Thaddeus Gearhart | |
| 1966 | The Professionals | Bill Dolworth | |
| 1967 | All About People | Narrator | |
| 1968 | The Scalphunters | Joe Bass | |
| 1968 | The Swimmer | Ned Merrill | |
| 1969 | Castle Keep | Maj. Abraham Falconer | |
| 1969 | The Gypsy Moths | Mike Rettig | |
| 1970 | Airport | Mel Bakersfeld | |
| 1971 | Lawman | Bannock Marshal Jered Maddox | |
| 1971 | Valdez Is Coming | Valdez | |
| 1972 | Ulzana's Raid | McIntosh | |
| 1973 | Scorpio | Cross | |
| 1973 | Executive Action | James Farrington | |
| 1974 | The Midnight Man | Jim Slade | Director |
| 1974 | Gruppo di famiglia in un interno (Conversation Piece) | The Professor | David di Donatello for Best Actor |
| 1976 | Buffalo Bill and the Indians, or Sitting Bull's History Lesson | Ned Buntline | |
| 1976 | 1900 (Novecento) | Alfredo's Grandfather | |
| 1976 | The Cassandra Crossing | Col. Stephen Mackenzie | |
| 1977 | Twilight's Last Gleaming | Gen. Lawrence Dell | |
| 1977 | The Island of Dr. Moreau | Dr. Paul Moreau | Nominated—Saturn Award for Best Actor |
| 1978 | Go Tell the Spartans | Maj. Asa Barker | |
| 1979 | Zulu Dawn | Col. Anthony Durnford | |
| 1980 | Atlantic City | Lou Pascal | BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role Boston Society of Film Critics Award for Best Actor David di Donatello for Best Actor Kansas City Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actor Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award for Best Actor National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Actor New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actor Nominated—Academy Award for Best Actor Nominated—Genie Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role Nominated—Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Drama |
| 1981 | Cattle Annie and Little Britches | Bill Doolin | |
| 1981 | La pelle | Gen. Mark Clark | |
| 1983 | Local Hero | Felix Happer | Nominated—BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role |
| 1983 | The Osterman Weekend | Maxwell Danforth | |
| 1985 | Little Treasure | Delbert Teschemacher | |
| 1986 | Tough Guys | Harry Doyle | |
| 1987 | Il Giorno prima | Dr. Herbert Monroe | |
| 1988 | Rocket Gibraltar | Levi Rockwell | |
| 1989 | Field of Dreams | Dr. Archibald 'Moonlight' Graham | |
| 1989 | La Bottega dell'orefice | The Jeweller |
TV
| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1974 | Moses the Lawgiver | Moses | mini-series |
| 1976 | Victory at Entebbe | Shimon Peres | |
| 1978 | The Unknown War | As himself, narrator | 20 episode USA-USSR archival documentary series on WWII |
| 1982 | Marco Polo | TeobaldoVisconti / Pope Gregory X | mini-series |
| 1982 | Verdi | Narrator in American version | mini-series |
| 1985 | Scandal Sheet | Harold Fallen | |
| 1986 | Väter und Söhne - Eine deutsche Tragödie | Geheimrat Carl Julius Deutz | mini-series |
| 1986 | On Wings of Eagles | Lieutenant Colonel Arthur D. "Bull" Simons | mini-series |
| 1989 | I Promessi sposi | Cardinal Federigo Borromeo | mini-series |
| 1990 | The Phantom of the Opera | Gerard Carriere | mini-series |
| 1990 | Voyage of Terror: The Achille Lauro Affair | Leon Klinghoffer | |
| 1991 | Separate But Equal | John W. Davis |
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 Buford, Kate (2008). Burt Lancaster: An American Life. Aurum Press. ISBN 1845133854. http://books.google.com.au/books?id=KFVQPgAACAAJ&dq=kate+buford+burt+lancaster&hl=en&ei=9IFdTJWaNYeYvAPCrt2ZDA&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CCwQ6AEwAA. Retrieved 2010-08-07.
- ↑ "6th Berlin International Film Festival: Prize Winners". berlinale.de. http://www.berlinale.de/en/archiv/jahresarchive/1956/03_preistraeger_1956/03_Preistraeger_1956.html. Retrieved 2009-12-27.
External links
- Burt Lancaster at the Internet Movie Database
- Burt Lancaster at the TCM Movie Database
- Burt Lancaster at Allmovie
- Burt Lancaster at the Internet Broadway Database
- Burt Lancaster at Find a Grave
- Fictional obituary of Burt Lancaster: "What if Eugene McCarthy selected Burt Lancaster as his running mate in 1972 (and won)?
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