Burt Lancaster

Burton Stephen "Burt" Lancaster (November 2, 1913 – October 20, 1994) was an American

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 film actor

Actor

An actor or actress is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...

 and star, noted for his athletic physique, distinct 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

Elmer Gantry (film)

Elmer Gantry is a drama film about a con man and a female evangelist selling religion to small town America. Adapted by director Richard Brooks, the film is based on the 1927 novel by Sinclair Lewis and stars Burt Lancaster and Jean Simmons...

in . He also won a Golden Globe for that performance, and BAFTA Awards for The Birdman of Alcatraz

Birdman of Alcatraz (film)

Birdman of Alcatraz is a 1962 film starring Burt Lancaster and directed by John Frankenheimer. It is a fictionalized version of the life of Robert Stroud, a federal prison inmate known as the "Birdman of Alcatraz" because of his life with birds....

and Atlantic City

Atlantic City (film)

Atlantic City is a Canadian/French romantic/crime/drama directed by Louis Malle. Filmed in late 1979, it was released in France and Germany in 1980 and in the United States in 1981. The script was written by John Guare...

.

Early life

Lancaster was born in New York City

New York City

New York is the most populous city in the United States, and the center of the New York metropolitan area, which is among the most populous urban areas in the world. A leading global city, New York exerts a powerful influence over worldwide commerce, finance, culture, fashion and entertainment...

, the son of Elizabeth (née

Married and maiden names

A married name is the family name adopted by a person upon marriage, and in speaking of the many cultures where the practice is traditional for women, the maiden name is the family name that the married name replaces....

 Roberts) and James Henry Lancaster, who was a postman. Both of his parents were Protestant

Protestantism

Protestantism is a branch within Christianity, containing many denominations with some differing practices and doctrines, that principally originated in the sixteenth-century Protestant Reformation. It is considered to be one of the major divisions within Christianity, together with the Roman...

s of working-class Irish

Irish people

The Irish people are a Western European ethnic group who originate in Ireland, in north western Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolgs, Tuatha Dé Danann and the Milesians The Irish...

 origin, with Lancaster's grandparents having been immigrants to the U.S. from Belfast

Belfast

Belfast is the capital of and the largest city in Northern Ireland, a constituent country of the United Kingdom. It is the seat of devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly. It is the largest urban area in the province of Ulster, and the second largest city on the island of...

 and descendants of English

English people

The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity as a people is of early medieval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn....

 immigrants to Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland is a part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and it is situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland. It shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...

. Lancaster's family believed themselves to be related to Frederick Roberts, 1st Earl Roberts

Frederick Roberts, 1st Earl Roberts

Field Marshal Frederick Sleigh Roberts, 1st Earl Roberts, VC, KG, KP, GCB, OM, GCSI, GCIE, PC was a distinguished Anglo-Irish soldier and one of the most successful commanders of the Victorian era...

; their surname originates from 11th century French

French people

French people can refer to:* The legal residents and citizens of France, regardless of ancestry. For a legal discussion, see French nationality law.* People whose ancestors lived in France or the area that later became France....

 immigrants to England

England

England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the North Sea to the east, with the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...

 with the surname "de Lancastre". Lancaster grew up in East Harlem and spent much of his time on the streets, where he developed great interest and skill in gymnastics

Gymnastics

Gymnastics is a sport involving performance of exercises requiring physical strength, flexibility, agility, coordination, balance and grace. Artistic gymnastics is the best known and most popular of the gymnastics sports governed by the Fédération Internationale de Gymnastique...

 while attending the DeWitt Clinton High School

DeWitt Clinton High School

DeWitt Clinton High School is an American high school located in the New York City borough of the Bronx.-History:Clinton opened in 1897 at 60 West 13th Street at the northern end of Greenwich Village under the name of Boys High School, although this Boys High School was not related to the one in...

. Later, he worked as a circus acrobat

Acrobatics

Acrobatics is the performance of extraordinary feats of balance, agility and motor coordination. It can be found in many of the performing arts, as well as many sports...

 until an injury forced him to give up the profession. During World War II

World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including all great powers, organized into two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

, Lancaster joined the United States Army

United States Army

The United States Army is the branch of the United States Military responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military and is one of seven uniformed services...

 and performed with the USO

United Service Organizations

The United Service Organizations Inc. is a private, nonprofit organization that provides morale and recreational services to members of the U.S. military, with programs in over 135 centers worldwide. Since 1941, it has worked in partnership with the Department of Defense , and has provided support...

.

Career

Though initially unenthusiastic about acting, he returned from service, auditioned for a Broadway

Broadway theatre

Broadway Theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, is the theatre associated with the 40 large professional theaters with 500 seats or more located in the Theatre District, New York in Manhattan, New York City...

 play and was offered a role. Although Harry Brown

Harry Brown (writer)

Harry Peter McNab Brown, Jr. was an American poet, novelist and screenwriter.-Life:Born in Portland, Maine, he was educated at Harvard University, where he was friends with American poet, Robert Lowell...

's A Sound of Hunting was not successful, Lancaster's performance drew the attention of a Hollywood agent who had him cast in the 1946 motion picture The Killers

The Killers (1946 film)

The Killers is a American film noir. It is based in part on the short story of the same name by Ernest Hemingway. The film was directed by Robert Siodmak and features Burt Lancaster in his screen debut, as well as Ava Gardner, Edmond O'Brien, and Sam Levene...

. 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

The Flame and the Arrow

The Flame and the Arrow is a 1950 adventure film made by Warner Bros. and starring Burt Lancaster, Virginia Mayo and Nick Cravat. It was directed by Jacques Tourneur and produced by Harold Hecht and Frank Ross from a screenplay by Waldo Salt. The music score was by Max Steiner and the...

and The Crimson Pirate

The Crimson Pirate

The Crimson Pirate is a 1952 adventure film directed by Robert Siodmak. It stars Burt Lancaster as Captain Vallo, the eponymous pirate and is set in the Caribbean late in the 18th century on the fictional islands of Cobra and San Pero.-Plot:In the Caribbean, late in the 18th century, Captain Vallo...

, a friend from his circus years, Nick Cravat

Nick Cravat

Nick Cravat real name Nicholas Cuccia was an American film actor. "Cravat" is actually a stage name that he selected based on a character in a play he had seen and rather liked. Life-long friend and trapeze partner of Burt Lancaster, they performed as "Lang and Cravat"...

, played a leading role, and both actors impressed audiences with their acrobatic prowess.

In 1953, Lancaster played one of his best remembered roles with Deborah Kerr

Deborah Kerr

Deborah Kerr, born Deborah Jane Kerr-Trimmer, CBE was a British stage, television and film actress...

 in From Here to Eternity

From Here to Eternity

From Here to Eternity is a 1953 drama film based on the novel of the same name by James Jones. It deals with the troubles of soldiers, played by Burt Lancaster, Montgomery Clift, Frank Sinatra, and Ernest Borgnine stationed on Hawaii in the months leading up to the attack on Pearl Harbor...

. The American Film Institute

American Film Institute

The American Film Institute is an independent non-profit organization created by the National Endowment for the Arts, which was established in 1967 when President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the National Foundation on the Arts and the Humanities Act...

 acknowledged the iconic status of the scene from that film in which he and Deborah Kerr make love on a Hawaii

Hawaii

Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states, and is the only state made up entirely of islands. It is located on an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of Australia. The state was admitted to the Union on August...

an 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 (ultimately Hill-Hecht

Harold Hecht

Harold Hecht , born in New York City, was an American film producer.Harold Hecht started his involvement with the New York stage at age 16. He appeared in numerous classical stage productions and later danced with the companies of the Metropolitan Opera and Martha Graham...

-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

Academy Award for Best Actor

Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role is one of the Academy Awards of Merit presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize an actor who has delivered an outstanding performance while working within the film industry...

, a Golden Globe Award

Golden Globe Award

The Golden Globe Awards are presented annually by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association to recognize outstanding achievements in the entertainment industry, both domestic and foreign, and to focus wide public attention upon the best in motion pictures and television...

, and the New York Film Critics Award for his performance in Elmer Gantry

Elmer Gantry (film)

Elmer Gantry is a drama film about a con man and a female evangelist selling religion to small town America. Adapted by director Richard Brooks, the film is based on the 1927 novel by Sinclair Lewis and stars Burt Lancaster and Jean Simmons...

. In 1966, at the age of 52, Lancaster appeared nude in the film, The Swimmer

The Swimmer (film)

The Swimmer is a 1968 film directed by Frank Perry and starring Burt Lancaster. A surreal, allegorical tale, it is based on the short story of the same name by John Cheever, adapted by Eleanor Perry .-Plot:...

.

Lancaster made several films over the years with Kirk Douglas

Kirk Douglas

Kirk Douglas is an American actor and film producer recognized for his prominent cleft chin, his gravelly voice and his recurring roles as the kinds of characters Douglas himself once described as "sons of bitches". He is the father of Hollywood actor and producer Michael Douglas...

, including I Walk Alone

I Walk Alone

I Walk Alone is a 1948 film noir starring Burt Lancaster, Lizabeth Scott, and Kirk Douglas. The film was the directorial debut of Byron Haskin...

(1948), Gunfight at the OK Corral (1957), The Devil's Disciple (1959), Seven Days in May

Seven Days in May

Seven Days in May is a political thriller novel written by Fletcher Knebel and Charles W. Bailey II and published in . The novel was made into a motion picture in , with screenplay by Rod Serling, directed by John Frankenheimer, and starring Burt Lancaster and Kirk Douglas...

(1964), and Tough Guys

Tough Guys

Tough Guys is a 1986 comedy starring Burt Lancaster, Kirk Douglas, Eli Wallach and Dana Carvey. The movie was directed by Jeff Kanew. Lancaster and Douglas made several films together over the decades, including I Walk Alone , Gunfight at the OK Corral , The Devil's Disciple , and Seven Days in...

(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

Film director

A film director, or filmmaker is a person who directs the making or production of a film. Some also consider a film producer to be a filmmaker....

 such as Luchino Visconti

Luchino Visconti

Luchino Visconti di Modrone, Count of Lonate Pozzolo was an Italian theatre, opera and cinema director and writer, best known for films such as The Leopard and Death in Venice . He died in Rome of a stroke at the age of 69...

 and Bernardo Bertolucci

Bernardo Bertolucci

Bernardo Bertolucci is an Italian film director and screenwriter, probably best known for such films as Last Tango in Paris, The Last Emperor, Stealing Beauty, and The Dreamers.-Early years and background:...

. 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

Sydney Pollack

Sydney Irwin Pollack was an American film director, producer and actor. Born in Lafayette, Indiana to Russian Jewish immigrants, Pollack studied with Sanford Meisner at the Neighborhood Playhouse in New York City, where he later taught acting...

 and John Frankenheimer

John Frankenheimer

John Michael Frankenheimer was an American filmmaker. He is known for making The Manchurian Candidate , Birdman of Alcatraz , The Train, and Seven Days in May ....

 and appeared in several TV films.

For his contribution to the motion picture industry, Lancaster has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame

Hollywood Walk of Fame

The Hollywood Walk of Fame is a sidewalk along Hollywood Boulevard and Vine Street in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA, that serves as an entertainment museum...

 at 6801 Hollywood Blvd.

Personal life

Lancaster vigorously guarded his private life. He was married three times: to June Ernst from 1935 until 1946; to Norma Anderson from 1946 to 1969, which also ended in divorce; and to Susan Martin in September 1990. All five of his children were with Anderson: Bill

Bill Lancaster

William 'Bill' Henry Lancaster was an American screenwriter. He was the son of Burt Lancaster and Norma Anderson. He was born in Los Angeles, California, developing polio at an early age, leaving one of his legs shorter than the other...

 (who became a screenwriter), James, Susan, Joanna, and Sighle (pronounced Sheila). He was romantically involved with Deborah Kerr

Deborah Kerr

Deborah Kerr, born Deborah Jane Kerr-Trimmer, CBE was a British stage, television and film actress...

 during the filming of From Here to Eternity

From Here to Eternity

From Here to Eternity is a 1953 drama film based on the novel of the same name by James Jones. It deals with the troubles of soldiers, played by Burt Lancaster, Montgomery Clift, Frank Sinatra, and Ernest Borgnine stationed on Hawaii in the months leading up to the attack on Pearl Harbor...

 in 1953.

Lancaster was an unabashed liberal

Liberalism

Liberalism is the belief in the importance of individual freedom. This belief is widely accepted today throughout the world, and was recognized as an important value by many philosophers throughout history...

, who 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

Communist Party USA

The Communist Party of the United States of America is a Marxist-Leninist political party in the United States.During the first half of the 20th century it was the largest and most widely influential communist party in the country, and played a prominent role in the U.S...

, because of his involvement in many liberal causes. He was a vocal opponent of the Vietnam War

Vietnam War

The Vietnam War or the Second Indochina War was a Cold War military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1959 to 30 April 1975...

 and political movements such as McCarthyism

McCarthyism

McCarthyism is the politically motivated practice of making accusations of disloyalty, subversion, or treason without proper regard for evidence...

, and he helped pay for the successful defense of a soldier accused of fragging another soldier during the war. In 1968, Lancaster actively supported the presidential candidacy of antiwar Senator Eugene McCarthy

Eugene McCarthy

Eugene Joseph "Gene" McCarthy was an American politician, poet, and a long-time member of the United States Congress from Minnesota. He served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1949 to 1959 and the U.S. Senate from 1959 to 1971.In the 1968 presidential election, McCarthy was the first...

 of Minnesota

Minnesota

Minnesota is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. The twelfth largest state by area in the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.2 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the...

, and frequently spoke on his behalf in the Democratic

Democratic Party (United States)

The Democratic Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. It is the oldest political party in continuous operation in the United States and it is one of the oldest parties in the world. In the U.S...

 primaries. In 1985, Lancaster, a longtime supporter of gay rights, joined the fight against AIDS

AIDS

Acquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus ....

 after his close friend, Rock Hudson

Rock Hudson

Rock Hudson was an American film and television actor, recognized as a romantic leading man during the 1960s and 1970s, most notably in several romantic comedies with his most famous co-star, Doris Day...

, contracted the disease. He campaigned for Michael Dukakis

Michael Dukakis

Michael Stanley Dukakis served as Governor of Massachusetts from 1975–1979 and from 1983–1991, and was the Democratic presidential nominee in 1988. He was born to Greek immigrants of partly Vlach origin in Brookline, Massachusetts, also the birthplace of John F. Kennedy, and was the longest...

 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

Stroke

A stroke is the rapidly developing loss of brain function due to disturbance in the blood supply to the brain. This can be due to ischemia caused by thrombosis or embolism or due to a hemorrhage...

 in November 1990, which left him partly paralyzed

Paralysis

Paralysis is the complete loss of muscle function for one or more muscle groups. Paralysis can cause loss of feeling or loss of mobility in the affected area.-Causes:Paralysis is most often caused by damage to the nervous system, especially the spinal cord...

 and with restricted speech. Lancaster died in his Century City apartment in Los Angeles

Los Ángeles

Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the municipality of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123.445 inhabitants...

 from a third heart attack on October 20, 1994, at the age of 80. He is buried at Westwood Memorial Park in Westwood Village in Los Angeles

Los Ángeles

Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the municipality of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123.445 inhabitants...

.

Filmography and awards

Year	Film	Role	Notes
1946	The Killers The Killers (1946 film) The Killers is a American film noir. It is based in part on the short story of the same name by Ernest Hemingway. The film was directed by Robert Siodmak and features Burt Lancaster in his screen debut, as well as Ava Gardner, Edmond O'Brien, and Sam Levene...	'Swede' Andersen
1947	Brute Force Brute Force (1947 film) Brute Force is a brooding, brutal film noir, starring Burt Lancaster, Hume Cronyn and Charles Bickford. It was directed by Jules Dassin, with a screenplay by Richard Brooks and the cinematography by William H. Daniels....	Joe Collins
	Desert Fury Desert Fury Desert Fury is a 1947 Paramount Pictures color film noir drama film starring Lizabeth Scott, John Hodiak and Burt Lancaster, with Mary Astor and Wendell Corey....	Tom Hanson
1948	I Walk Alone I Walk Alone I Walk Alone is a 1948 film noir starring Burt Lancaster, Lizabeth Scott, and Kirk Douglas. The film was the directorial debut of Byron Haskin...	Frankie Madison
	All My Sons All My Sons All My Sons is a 1947 play by Arthur Miller. The play was twice adapted for film; in 1948, and again in 1986.The play, which opened on Broadway at the Coronet Theatre in New York City on January 29, 1947, closed on November 8, 1947 and ran for 328 performances, was awarded the 1947 Tony Award for...	Chris Keller
	Sorry, Wrong Number Sorry, Wrong Number Sorry, Wrong Number is a classic 1948 suspense film noir which tells the story of a woman who overhears a plot for murder. It stars Barbara Stanwyck, Burt Lancaster, Ann Richards, Wendell Corey, Ed Begley, Leif Erickson and William Conrad....	Henry Stevenson
	Kiss the Blood Off My Hands Kiss the Blood Off My Hands Kiss the Blood Off My Hands is a 1948 black-and-white film noir, directed by Norman Foster. The film features Burt Lancaster, Joan Fontaine, and others.-Plot:...	William Earle 'Bill' Saunders
1949	Criss Cross Criss Cross (1949 film) Criss Cross is a film noir, directed by Robert Siodmak from a novel by Don Tracy. This black and white film was shot partly on location in the Bunker Hill section of Los Angeles. The film was written by Daniel Fuchs. Franz Planer's cinematography creates a black-and-white film noir world...	Steve Thompson / Narrator
	Rope of Sand Rope of Sand Rope of Sand was a 1948 adventure film directed by William Dieterle, produced by Hal B. Wallis, starringBurt Lancaster, Paul Henreid, Claude Rains, Peter Lorre, Corinne Calvet, Sam Jaffe, and John Bromfield....	Michael (Mike) Davis
1950	The Flame and the Arrow The Flame and the Arrow The Flame and the Arrow is a 1950 adventure film made by Warner Bros. and starring Burt Lancaster, Virginia Mayo and Nick Cravat. It was directed by Jacques Tourneur and produced by Harold Hecht and Frank Ross from a screenplay by Waldo Salt. The music score was by Max Steiner and the...	Dardo Bartoli
	Mister 880 Mister 880 Mister 880 is a 1950 film directed by Edmund Goulding and starring Burt Lancaster, Dorothy McGuire, Edmund Gwenn, and Millard Mitchell. It is based on an article by St. Clair McKelway that was first published in The New Yorker and later collected in McKelway's book True Tales from the Annals of...	Steve Buchanan
1951	Vengeance Valley Vengeance Valley Vengeance Valley is a Western film starring Burt Lancaster, based on the novel by Luke Short. Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer failed to renew the copyright on this film in 1978, so it is now in public domain.-Main cast and characters:...	Owen Daybright
	Jim Thorpe -- All-American Jim Thorpe -- All-American Jim Thorpe -- All-American is a 1951 biographical film produced by Warner Bros. and directed by Michael Curtiz, honoring Jim Thorpe, the great Native American athlete who won medals at the 1912 Olympics and distinguished himself in various sports, both in college and on professional teams.The film...	Jim Thorpe Jim Thorpe Jacobus Franciscus "Jim" Thorpe * Gerasimo and Whiteley. pg. 28 * , americaslibrary.gov, accessed April 23, 2007. was an American athlete...
	Ten Tall Men Ten Tall Men Ten Tall Men is a 1951 adventure film about the French Foreign Legion. It starred Burt Lancaster, Jody Lawrance and Gerald Mohr.-Plot:Sergeant Mike Kincaid learns of an impending attack on a Foreign Legion fort from a Rif prisoner. He volunteers to lead nine Legionnaires, among them Corporal Luis...	Sgt Mike Kincaid
1952	The Crimson Pirate The Crimson Pirate The Crimson Pirate is a 1952 adventure film directed by Robert Siodmak. It stars Burt Lancaster as Captain Vallo, the eponymous pirate and is set in the Caribbean late in the 18th century on the fictional islands of Cobra and San Pero.-Plot:In the Caribbean, late in the 18th century, Captain Vallo...	Capitan Vallo
	Come Back, Little Sheba Come Back, Little Sheba (1952 film) Come Back, Little Sheba is a 1952 drama film made by Paramount Pictures which tells the story of a loveless marriage that is rocked when a young woman rents a room in the couple's house...	Doc Delaney
1953	South Sea Woman South Sea Woman South Sea Woman is a 1953 action comedy drama film directed by Arthur Lubin and starring Burt Lancaster.Jeanine Basinger and Jeremy Arnold's book The World War II Combat Film: Anatomy of a Genre calls the film a significant mixture of genres: tongue-in-cheek adventure, Flagg and Quirt style service...	Master Gunnery Sgt. James O'Hearn
	From Here to Eternity From Here to Eternity From Here to Eternity is a 1953 drama film based on the novel of the same name by James Jones. It deals with the troubles of soldiers, played by Burt Lancaster, Montgomery Clift, Frank Sinatra, and Ernest Borgnine stationed on Hawaii in the months leading up to the attack on Pearl Harbor...	1st Sgt. Milton Warden	New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actor New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actor The New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actor is one of the awards given by the New York Film Critics Circle to honor the finest achievements in filmmaking.... Nominated — Academy Award for Best Actor Academy Award for Best Actor Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role is one of the Academy Awards of Merit presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize an actor who has delivered an outstanding performance while working within the film industry...
	Three Sailors and a Girl Three Sailors and a Girl Three Sailors and a Girl is a musical film made by Warner Bros.. It was directed by Roy Del Ruth, and written by Devery Freeman and Roland Kibbee, based on play "The Butter and Egg Man" by George S. Kaufman.-Cast:*Jane Powell as Penny Weston...	Marine (uncredited)
1954	His Majesty O'Keefe His Majesty O'Keefe His Majesty O'Keefe is a 1954 adventure film starring Burt Lancaster. The film was directed by Byron Haskin and Otto Heller and included choreography by Daniel Nagrin...	Captain David Dion O'Keefe/Narrator
	Apache Apache (film) Apache is a 1954 western film starring Burt Lancaster.-Plot:Following the surrender of Geronimo, Massai, the last Apache warrior is captured and scheduled for transportation to a Florida reservation. Instead, he manages to escape and heads for his homeland to win back his girl and settle down to...	Massai
	Vera Cruz Vera Cruz (film) Vera Cruz is a 1954 American war film starring Gary Cooper, Burt Lancaster, Denise Darcel, Sara Montiel and Cesar Romero. The Technicolor Western was directed by Robert Aldrich from a story by Borden Chase. It is...	Joe Erin
1955	The Kentuckian The Kentuckian The Kentuckian is a 1955 adventure film directed by Burt Lancaster, who also starred. It also marked the feature film debut of Walter Matthau. The picture is an adaptation of the novel The Gabriel Horn by Felix Holt.-Plot:...	Elias Wakefield (Big Eli)	Nominated — Golden Lion Golden Lion Il Leone d’Oro is the highest prize given to a film at the Biennale Venice Film Festival. The prize was introduced in 1949 by the organizing committee and is now regarded as one of the film industry's most distinguished prizes...
	The Rose Tattoo The Rose Tattoo The Rose Tattoo is a Tennessee Williams play. It opened on Broadway in February 1951, and a film adaptation was released in 1955. It tells the story of an Italian-American widow in Louisiana who has allowed herself to withdraw from the world after her husband's death, and expects her daughter to...	Alvaro Mangiacavallo
1956	Trapeze Trapeze (film) Trapeze is a 1956 circus film directed by Carol Reed and starring Burt Lancaster, Tony Curtis and Gina Lollobrigida, making her debut in American films....	Mike Ribble	Silver Bear for Best Actor Silver Bear for Best Actor The Silver Bear for Best Actor is the Berlin International Film Festival's award for achievement in performance by an actor.- Awards :- External links :*...
	The Rainmaker The Rainmaker (1956 film) The Rainmaker is a 1956 film directed by Joseph Anthony and adapted by N. Richard Nash from his play of the same name. The film tells the story of a middle-aged woman, suffering from unrequited love for the local town sheriff; however, she falls for a con man who comes to town with the promise that...	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 Gunfight at the O.K. Corral (1957 film) Gunfight at the O.K. Corral is a 1957 movie starring Burt Lancaster as Wyatt Earp and Kirk Douglas as Doc Holliday about the famous Gunfight at the O.K. Corral in Tombstone, Arizona Territory. The movie was based on a real event which took place on October 26, 1881...	Marshal Wyatt Earp Wyatt Earp Wyatt Berry Stapp Earp was an American officer of the law in various Western frontier towns, farmer, teamster, buffalo hunter, gambler, saloon-keeper, miner and boxing referee. He is best known for his participation in the Gunfight at the O.K. Corral, along with Doc Holliday, and two of his...
	Sweet Smell of Success Sweet Smell of Success Sweet Smell of Success is a 1957 American film noir made by Hill-Hecht-Lancaster Productions and released by United Artists. It was directed by Alexander Mackendrick and stars Burt Lancaster, Tony Curtis, Susan Harrison and Martin Milner. The screenplay was by Clifford Odets, Ernest Lehman and...	J.J. Hunsecker
1958	Run Silent Run Deep	Lt. Jim Bledsoe
	Separate Tables Separate Tables (film) Separate Tables is a 1958 American drama film based on two one-act plays by Terence Rattigan that were collectively known by this name. It was directed by Delbert Mann, and adapted by Rattigan, John Gay and an uncredited John Michael Hayes....	John Malcolm
1959	The Devil's Disciple The Devil's Disciple (film) The Devil's Disciple is a 1959 film adaptation of the George Bernard Shaw play of the same title. The Anglo-American film was directed by Guy Hamilton and starred Burt Lancaster, Kirk Douglas, and Laurence Olivier....	The Rev. Anthony Anderson
1960	The Unforgiven The Unforgiven (1960 film) The Unforgiven is an American western film released in 1960. The film was directed by John Huston and starred Burt Lancaster, Audrey Hepburn, Audie Murphy, Charles Bickford and Lillian Gish...	Ben Zachary
	Elmer Gantry Elmer Gantry (film) Elmer Gantry is a drama film about a con man and a female evangelist selling religion to small town America. Adapted by director Richard Brooks, the film is based on the 1927 novel by Sinclair Lewis and stars Burt Lancaster and Jean Simmons...	Elmer Gantry	Academy Award for Best Actor Academy Award for Best Actor Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role is one of the Academy Awards of Merit presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize an actor who has delivered an outstanding performance while working within the film industry... Golden Globe Award for Best Actor - Motion Picture Drama Golden Globe Award for Best Actor - Motion Picture Drama The Golden Globe Award for Best Actor - Motion Picture - Drama was first awarded by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association as a separate category in 1951... New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actor New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actor The New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actor is one of the awards given by the New York Film Critics Circle to honor the finest achievements in filmmaking.... Nominated — BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role Best Actor in a Leading Role is a British Academy Film award presented annually by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts to recognize an actor who has delivered an outstanding leading performance in a film.- Winners and nominees :...
1961	The Young Savages The Young Savages The Young Savages is a 1961 crime drama film directed by John Frankenheimer, and screenplay written by Edward Anhalt. It was based on a novel by Evan Hunter-Synopsis:...	Hank Bell
	Judgment at Nuremberg Judgment at Nuremberg Judgment at Nuremberg is a fictionalized film account of the post-World War II Nuremberg Trials, written by Abby Mann and directed by Stanley Kramer, starring Spencer Tracy, Burt Lancaster, Richard Widmark, Marlene Dietrich, Maximilian Schell, Judy Garland, Montgomery Clift, Werner Klemperer, and...	Dr. Ernst Janning
1962	Birdman of Alcatraz Birdman of Alcatraz (film) Birdman of Alcatraz is a 1962 film starring Burt Lancaster and directed by John Frankenheimer. It is a fictionalized version of the life of Robert Stroud, a federal prison inmate known as the "Birdman of Alcatraz" because of his life with birds....	Robert Stroud	BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role Best Actor in a Leading Role is a British Academy Film award presented annually by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts to recognize an actor who has delivered an outstanding leading performance in a film.- Winners and nominees :... Volpi Cup Volpi Cup The Volpi Cups are awards given to actors at the Venice Film Festival. Awards for best actor and best actress have been given since 1935. In the mid-1990s awards were also given to supporting actors and actresses, and in 1993 an award was given to an entire cast... Nominated — Academy Award for Best Actor Academy Award for Best Actor Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role is one of the Academy Awards of Merit presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize an actor who has delivered an outstanding performance while working within the film industry... Nominated — Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Drama
1963	A Child is Waiting A Child is Waiting A Child is Waiting is a 1963 American drama film written by Abby Mann and directed by John Cassavetes. Burt Lancaster portrays the director of a state institution for mentally handicapped and emotionally disturbed children, and Judy Garland is a new teacher who challenges his methods.-Plot:Jean...	Dr. Ben Clark
	The Leopard (Gattopardo, Il) The Leopard (film) The Leopard is an award-winning 1963 film by Italian director Luchino Visconti, based on Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa's novel of the same name.-Production:...	Prince Don Fabrizio Salina
	The List of Adrian Messenger The List of Adrian Messenger The List of Adrian Messenger is a black and white thriller about a retired British colonel investigating a series of apparently unrelated deaths...	Cameo
1964	Seven Days in May Seven Days in May Seven Days in May is a political thriller novel written by Fletcher Knebel and Charles W. Bailey II and published in . The novel was made into a motion picture in , with screenplay by Rod Serling, directed by John Frankenheimer, and starring Burt Lancaster and Kirk Douglas...	Gen. James Mattoon Scott
	The Train The Train The Train is a 1964 war movie written by Franklin Coen and Frank Davis and directed by John Frankenheimer. It stars Burt Lancaster, Paul Scofield and Jeanne Moreau.-Plot:...	Paul Labiche
1965	The Hallelujah Trail The Hallelujah Trail The Hallelujah Trail is a 1965 Western spoof directed by John Sturges and starring Burt Lancaster, Lee Remick, Brian Keith, Donald Pleasence, and Martin Landau, amongst others.-Plot synopsis:...	Col. Thaddeus Gearhart
1966	The Professionals The Professionals (film) The Professionals is a 1966 American Western film directed by Richard Brooks. A kidnap-rescue adventure set in about 1917, it features a small group of experts heading into Mexico to free the Mexican-born wife of a wealthy Texan from several hundred bandits. The film is based on the novel A Mule...	Bill Dolworth
1967	All About People	Narrator
1968	The Scalphunters The Scalphunters The Scalphunters is a 1968 American Western film starring Burt Lancaster, Ossie Davis and Telly Savalas. The film was directed by Sydney Pollack, with the score written by Elmer Bernstein...	Joe Bass
	The Swimmer The Swimmer (film) The Swimmer is a 1968 film directed by Frank Perry and starring Burt Lancaster. A surreal, allegorical tale, it is based on the short story of the same name by John Cheever, adapted by Eleanor Perry .-Plot:...	Ned Merrill
1969	Castle Keep Castle Keep Castle Keep is a 'firmly pro- and anti-war' 1969 American war film directed by Sydney Pollack, starring Burt Lancaster, Patrick O'Neal, Jean-Pierre Aumont, and Peter Falk.- Plot :...	Maj. Abraham Falconer
	The Gypsy Moths The Gypsy Moths The Gypsy Moths is a 1969 American film starring Burt Lancaster, based on the novel of the same name by James Drought. It is the story of three barnstorming skydivers and their effect on a midwestern American town...	Mike Rettig
1970	Airport Airport (film) Airport is a 1970 film based on the 1968 Arthur Hailey novel of the same name. This film, which earned over $100,000,000 at the box office at a time when achieving that milestone was rare, focuses on an airport manager trying to keep his airport open during a snowstorm, while a suicidal bomber...	Mel Bakersfeld
1971	Lawman Lawman (film) Lawman is a 1971 American Western film starring Burt Lancaster, Robert Ryan, Lee J. Cobb, and Robert Duvall.The film is about the quest of a lone peace officer, Marshal Jered Maddox , to bring several men to justice...	Bannock Marshal Jered Maddox
	Valdez Is Coming Valdez Is Coming Valdez Is Coming is a 1971 American western film starring Burt Lancaster, Susan Clark and Jon Cypher. The film is based on the Elmore Leonard novel of the same name.-Plot:...	Valdez
1972	Ulzana's Raid Ulzana's Raid Ulzana's Raid is a brutal 1972 Western starring Burt Lancaster, Richard Jaeckel and Bruce Davison. It was directed by Robert Aldrich based on a script by Alan Sharp....	McIntosh
1973	Scorpio Scorpio (film) Scorpio is a 1973 spy film directed by Michael Winner. It is about a Central Intelligence Agency agent, named Cross , a successful but retiring assassin, who is training "Scorpio" to replace him. Cross is teaching him as much about protecting himself from his patrons and never trusting anyone, as...	Cross
	Executive Action	James Farrington
1974	The Midnight Man The Midnight Man (1974 film) The Midnight Man is a 1974 detective film starring Burt Lancaster and Susan Clark.-General information:Burt Lancaster shared directing credit with Roland Kibbee, and shared writing credit with Kibbee and author David Anthony upon whose novel The Midnight Lady and the Morning Man the movie was based...	Jim Slade
	Gruppo di famiglia in un interno (Conversation Piece) Conversation Piece (film) Conversation Piece is an award-winning 1974 film by Italian director Luchino Visconti.The film features an international cast including the American actor Burt Lancaster, the Austrian Helmut Berger and the Italians Silvana Mangano and Claudia Cardinale and the French actress Dominique Sanda in a...	The Professor	David di Donatello for Best Actor David di Donatello for Best Actor The David di Donatello is a major Italian film award given by Italian Film Academy.-1960:*Vittorio Gassman - La grande guerra *Alberto Sordi - La grande guerra -1964:*Marcello Mastroianni - Ieri, oggi, domani...
	Moses the Lawgiver Moses the Lawgiver Moses the Lawgiver was a 1975 TV mini-series directed by Gianfranco De Bosio and starring Burt Lancaster, with screenplay by Vittorio Bonicelli and Anthony Burgess, and music by Ennio Morricone.- Cast :* Burt Lancaster as Moses* Anthony Quayle as Aaron... (TV mini-series)	Moses Moses Moses was, according to biblical texts, a religious leader, lawgiver, and prophet, to whom the authorship of the Torah is traditionally attributed. Also called Moshe Rabbeinu in Hebrew Moses was, according to biblical texts, a...
1976	' 'Buffalo Bill and the Indians, or Sitting Bull's History Lesson Buffalo Bill and the Indians, or Sitting Bull's History Lesson Buffalo Bill and the Indians, or Sitting Bull's History Lesson is a 1976 revisionist Western directed by Robert Altman and based on the play Indians by Arthur Kopit. It stars Paul Newman as Bill, with Geraldine Chaplin, Will Sampson, Joel Grey, and Harvey Keitel.The film was poorly received at the...	Ned Buntline
	1900 (Novecento) 1900 (film) 1900 is a 1976 Italian epic film directed by Bernardo Bertolucci, starring Robert De Niro, Gérard Depardieu, Dominique Sanda, Donald Sutherland, Alida Valli and Burt Lancaster...	Alfredo's Grandfather
	Victory at Entebbe Victory at Entebbe Victory at Entebbe is a made-for-television film from 1976 based on an actual event: Operation Entebbe and the freeing of Israeli hostages at Entebbe Airport in Uganda... (TV)	Shimon Peres Shimon Peres ' is the ninth and current President of the State of Israel. Peres served twice as Prime Minister of Israel and once as Interim Prime Minister, and has been a member of 12 cabinets in a political career spanning over 66 years...
	The Cassandra Crossing The Cassandra Crossing The Cassandra Crossing is a 1976 British disaster film directed by George Pan Cosmatos and starring Richard Harris, Ava Gardner, Sophia Loren, Martin Sheen, Burt Lancaster, Lee Strasberg and O. J...	Col. Stephen Mackenzie
1977	Twilight's Last Gleaming Twilight's Last Gleaming Twilight's Last Gleaming is a 1977 film directed by Robert Aldrich, starring Burt Lancaster and Richard Widmark. It is loosely based on the 1971 novel, Viper Three, by Walter Wager...	Gen. Lawrence Dell
	The Island of Dr. Moreau The Island of Dr. Moreau (1977 film) The Island of Dr. Moreau is the second movie version of the H. G. Wells science fiction novel about a scientist who attempts to convert animals into people, starring Burt Lancaster, Michael York, Barbara Carrera, and Richard Basehart...	Dr. Paul Moreau	Nominated — Saturn Award for Best Actor Saturn Award for Best Actor The Saturn Award is an award presented annually by the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films to honor the top works in science fiction, fantasy, and horror in film, television, and home video. The Saturn Awards were devised by Dr. Donald A. Reed, who felt that films within those genres...
1978	Go Tell the Spartans Go Tell the Spartans Go Tell the Spartans is a low-budget, critically-acclaimed 1978 American war film based on Daniel Ford's 1967 novel Incident at Muc Wa, about U.S. Army military advisors during the early part of the Vietnam War in 1964, a time period when Ford was a correspondent in Vietnam for The Nation magazine...	Maj. Asa Barker
1979	Zulu Dawn Zulu Dawn Zulu Dawn book and war film about the Battle of Isandlwana between British and Zulu military units in 1879 in South Africa. The book was written by Cy Endfield, who co-wrote the screenplay for the film with Anthony Story...	Col. Anthony Durnford Anthony Durnford Anthony William Durnford was a career British Army officer who served in the Anglo-Zulu War. Breveted colonel, Durnford is mainly known for his presence at the defeat of the British army by the Zulu at the Battle of Isandlwana.-Background:Durnford was born in to a military family at Manor...
1980	Atlantic City	Lou Pascal	BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role Best Actor in a Leading Role is a British Academy Film award presented annually by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts to recognize an actor who has delivered an outstanding leading performance in a film.- Winners and nominees :... Boston Society of Film Critics Award for Best Actor Boston Society of Film Critics Award for Best Actor -1980s:-1990s:-2000s:... David di Donatello for Best Actor David di Donatello for Best Actor The David di Donatello is a major Italian film award given by Italian Film Academy.-1960:*Vittorio Gassman - La grande guerra *Alberto Sordi - La grande guerra -1964:*Marcello Mastroianni - Ieri, oggi, domani... Kansas City Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actor Kansas City Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actor The Kansas City Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actor is an award given by the Kansas City Film Critics Circle to honor the best achievements in acting.-1960s:-1970s:-1980s:-1990s:-2000s:... Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award for Best Actor Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award for Best Actor The Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award for Best Actor is one of the annual awards given by the Los Angeles Film Critics Association.-1970s:-1980s:-1990s:-2000s:... National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Actor National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Actor The National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Actor is an annual award given by the National Society of Film Critics to honour the best leading actor of the year.-1960s:-1970s:-1980s:-1990s:-2000s:... New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actor New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actor The New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actor is one of the awards given by the New York Film Critics Circle to honor the finest achievements in filmmaking.... Nominated — Academy Award for Best Actor Academy Award for Best Actor Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role is one of the Academy Awards of Merit presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize an actor who has delivered an outstanding performance while working within the film industry... Nominated — Genie Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role Genie Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role The Genie Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role is awarded by the Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television to the best Canadian actor.-1st Genie Awards:* Christopher Plummer, Murder by Decree... Nominated — Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Drama
1981	Cattle Annie and Little Britches	Bill Doolin Bill Doolin William "Bill" Doolin was an American bandit and founder of the Wild Bunch, an outlaw gang that specialized in robbing banks, trains and stagecoaches in Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Kansas during the 1890s.- Early life :...
	La pelle	Gen. Mark Clark Mark Clark Mark Clark or Clarke may refer to:*Mark A. Clark , Arizona state legislator*Mark Wayne Clark , United States World War II general*Mark Clark , Major League Baseball player...
1982	Marco Polo Marco Polo Marco Polo was a merchant from the Venetian Republic who wrote Il Milione, which introduced Europeans to Central Asia and China. He learned about trading whilst his father and uncle, Niccolò and Maffeo, voyaged through Asia and met Kublai Khan. In 1269, they returned to Venice to meet Marco for... TV mini-series	TeobaldoVisconti / Pope Gregory X
	Verdi (TV mini-series)	Narrator in American version
1983	Local Hero Local Hero Local Hero is a Scottish film starring Peter Riegert, Denis Lawson, Peter Capaldi and Burt Lancaster. It was directed by Bill Forsyth and produced by David Puttnam....	Felix Happer	Nominated — BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role Best Actor in a Supporting Role is a British Academy Film award presented annually by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts to recognize an actor who has delivered an outstanding supporting performance in a film...
	The Osterman Weekend The Osterman Weekend (film) The Osterman Weekend is a 1983 suspense thriller film directed by Sam Peckinpah, based on the novel of the same name by Robert Ludlum. The film stars Rutger Hauer, John Hurt, Burt Lancaster, Dennis Hopper, Meg Foster and Craig T. Nelson...	Maxwell Danforth
1985	Scandal Sheet	Harold Fallen
	Little Treasure	Delbert Teschemacher
1986	Väter und Söhne - Eine deutsche Tragödie (TV mini-series)	Geheimrat Carl Julius Deutz
	On Wings of Eagles On Wings of Eagles On Wings of Eagles is a 1983 thriller novel written by British author Ken Follett. Set against the background of the Iranian revolution, it tells the story of the rescue of Paul Chiapparone and Bill Gaylord from prison in Tehran by a team of Electronic Data Systems executives led by retired Col.... (TV mini-series)	Lieutenant Colonel Arthur D. "Bull" Simons Arthur D. Simons Colonel Arthur D. "Bull" Simons was a US Army Special Forces officer, best known for leading the"Son Tay raid", an attempted rescue of American prisoners of war from a North Vietnamese prison at Son Tay.-Early life:Arthur David Simons was born in New York City, moving to Missouri in his youth...
	Barnum	Phineas Taylor 'P.T.' Barnum P. T. Barnum Phineas Taylor Barnum was an American showman, businessman, and entertainer, remembered for promoting celebrated hoaxes and for founding the circus that became the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus. His successes may have made him the first "show business" millionaire...
1986	Tough Guys	Harry Doyle
1987	Il Giorno prima	Dr. Herbert Monroe
1988	Rocket Gibraltar Rocket Gibraltar Rocket Gibraltar is an American film released in 1988, directed by Daniel Petrie and starring Burt Lancaster and Patricia Clarkson. In the movie, an aging patriarch reunites his entire family for his birthday, but personal and social problems abound....	Levi Rockwell
1989	Field of Dreams Field of Dreams Field of Dreams is a 1989 American fantasy/drama film, directed and adapted by Phil Alden Robinson from the novel Shoeless Joe by W. P. Kinsella...	Dr. Archibald 'Moonlight' Graham
	La Bottega dell'orefice	The Jeweller
	I Promessi sposi (TV mini-series)	Cardinal Federigo Borromeo
1990	The Phantom of the Opera The Phantom of the Opera (1990 miniseries) The Phantom of the Opera is a 1990 television miniseries based loosely on Gaston Leroux's novel and directed by Tony Richardson.- Story :...	Gerard Carriere
	Voyage of Terror: The Achille Lauro Affair (TV)	Leon Klinghoffer
1991	Separate But Equal Separate but equal Separate but equal is a set phrase that was commonly used in the United States to describe systems of segregation giving different "colored only" facilities or services for blacks, with the declaration that the quality of each group's public facilities were to remain equal... (TV)	John W. Davis

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