Melissanonymous

Happy Birthday Burt Lancaster One of Hollywood’s most notable leading men, the Academy Award-winning Lancaster was known for the complexity of his acting, and was adept at playing tough, uncompromising characters, who displayed a surprising degree of sensitivity. The American Film Institute ranks him as the 19th greatest male star of classic Hollywood. The ruggedly handsome actor was born in 1913, in New York. He began acrobatic training, and by the 1930s had joined a circus; however, an injury forced him to quit. After his war service, he was spotted by Hollywood agent, Harold Hecht, and brought to the attention of producer Hal B. Wallis, who signed Lancaster to a contract. His breakthrough came in 1946's “The Killers”, opposite Ava Gardner. Directed by Robert Siodmak, the film was a huge commercial and critical success and is regarded as a classic of the noir genre. It made Lancaster a star overnight. The actor then appeared in “Brute Force”, a prison drama, and “I Walk Alone”, co-starring Lizabeth Scott. This was followed by the edge of your seat thriller, “Sorry, Wrong Number” (1948), with Barbara Stanwyck. Lancaster and Hecht then formed their own company, Norma Productions, and signed a picture deal with Warner Bros. Their first film was 1950's “The Flame and the Arrow”, a swashbuckler in which Lancaster displayed his acrobatic skills and impressive physique. It was Warners' most popular film of the year. In 1951, the actor/producer duo changed the company's name to Hecht-Lancaster Productions, making another swashbuckler: 1952's “The Crimson Pirate”. A parody of the genre, Lancaster emphasised the absurdity of the story with comic spectacles. In 1953, he starred in his biggest hit so far, the classic “From Here to Eternity”, co-starring Deborah Kerr, Montgomery Clift and Frank Sinatra, His steamy beach scene with Kerr has become iconic and much parodied, In 1955, screenwriter James Hill was made an equal partner in Hecht-Lancaster. The company produced “Trapeze” in 1956, with Lancaster again performing many of his stunts. Co-starring Tony Curtis and a sexed-up Gina Lollobrigida, it was a huge box office success. Lancaster re-teamed with Curtis for “Sweet Smell of Success”, one of his best films. “Separate Tables” (1958), a touching boarding house drama with David Niven, Deborah Kerr and Rita Hayworth, received an Oscar nomination for Best Picture, and Niven won for Best Actor. Lancaster then played the title role in “Elmer Gantry” for which he received his only Oscar for his mesmerising portrayal of a conman. He starred in the important and highly praised “Judgment at Nuremberg” (1961), alongside Spencer Tracy, Richard Widmark and Marlene Dietrich. In “Birdman of Alcatraz” (1962), the actor played a murderer incarcerated for life, who begins to collect and study birds. His moving performance earned him another Oscar nod. Lancaster then travelled to Sicily to star in “The Leopard” (1963), Luchino Visconti’s masterpiece, co-starring Alain Delon and Claudia Cardinale. It was one of his favourite films. He had a huge success in “Airport” (1970), with Dean Martin, Van Heflin, Helen Hayes, and Jacqueline Bisset; was top-billed in “Go Tell the Spartans” a Vietnam War film, and had a leading role in the superb “Zulu Dawn” (1979). He turned to character acting in the 1980s, and his final films included “Separate But Equal” (1991), with Sidney Poitier. Lancaster was a supporter of liberal political causes. He frequently spoke out in favour of minorities, and campaigned against the death penalty. Tony Curtis said: "Here's this great big aggressive guy, playing these big tough men, and he has the soul of Socrates and Plato. He was a Greek philosopher with a sense that everybody was equal” - a slight exaggeration, as Greek philosophers thought nothing of the sort. Lancaster died of a heart attack in October, 1994, aged 80.