Burt Lancaster movies

[Fabbs]

Just saw Birdman of Alcatraz for the 1st time. Very good.
How would you compare other Burt movies? Here to Eternity? Which one did you like the best? Not like?

[Bender]

haven't seen Birdman, but I want to. Haven't seen Eternity either.

Last Burt Lancaster movie I saw was The Crimson Pirate, a pretty good old pirate swashbuckler movie...

ST may not be the best place to discuss these movies. Many here have probably never seen one of his movies.

[mrsmaalox]

Birdman is an excellent film, but I can't rate it as my favorite Burt Lancaster film. And as acclaimed as Eternity is, the character he played didn't hold much appeal for me. There are several of his films that are included in my "All Time Favorite Movies" list. His greatest performance, I believe, was in Elmer Gantry. My personal favorite is Sorry, Wrong Number mainly because of my favorite actress, Barbara Stanwyck. After those two the Burt Lancaster films I hold in highest regard are Jim Thorpe--All American; Come Back Little Sheba; The Rose Tattoo; Judgement at Nuremberg

[Jimcs50]

Atlantic City. Susan Sarandon showed her tits.

[Viva Las Espuelas]

Atlantic City. Susan Sarandon showed her tits.
boy are those big

[Viva Las Espuelas]

one day i'll see ben hur and ten commandments

[Bender]

one day i'll see ben hur...
one of my favorite movies ever

[Fabbs]

Last Burt Lancaster movie I saw was The Crimson Pirate, a pretty good old pirate swashbuckler movie...

ST may not be the best place to discuss these movies. Many here have probably never seen one of his movies.
True, probably not enough overdone specialFX and mindless violence for most.

But mrsmaalox reviews are very helpful so the thread was worth it to me. :toast
The Crimson Pirate might be one of his obscure ones?

[Fabbs]

Birdman is an excellent film, but I can't rate it as my favorite Burt Lancaster film. [/i]
Eternity the character he played didn't hold much appeal for me.
Me either. When he left her hanging on marrying i just couldn't buy it. Along with the tired old stereotype of guy who gets as much tail as he can is a stud, girl who does is a ho. A movie of contradictions. Of all the romanaces (Burt and Boss' wife, Prewitt and Donna Reed), they'd take turns falling for each other then take turns rejecting the others idea of commitment (marriage). Altho i did have someone tell me thats the way it was in the military. They never did state why Donna Reed was a ho. That should have been filled in, esp when she talked of buying her mother in Oregon a house. Why did she turn down Prews proposal? "Because you're a soldier". Huh?
Why was it so hard for Prewitt to just tell someone (military) the reason he didn't want to box was because he accidently blinded his buddy? Too far fetched that he would keep putting up with the extra duty crap, esp after the fight.

Movie sponsored by the alchohol and tobacco industry, sheesh. A drink and/or a smoke in every scene in those 40s and esp post war and 50s movies. Barf.

Elmer Gantry yet to view
Sorry, Wrong Number ytv
[i]Jim Thorpe--All American ytv
Come Back Little Sheba ytv
The Rose Tattoo: Liked viewing it, but the pace of uber slow followed by the 30 second climax i did not like. Was as if they ran out of budget money and so cut the ending wayy short.

Judgement at Nuremberg have in house just need to X out 4 hours.

[Fabbs]

My personal favorite is Sorry, Wrong Number mainly because of my favorite actress, Barbara Stanwyck.
Just saw Double Indemnity.
Liked it.

The other movies on your list are not stocked at the library. Not sure why not.
I've tinkered with getting Netflix, esp since now one can do the computer download thing and avoid mailing discs.

[Sportcamper]

Perhaps my favorite Burt Lancaster film is Tough Guys...He is one of the few men of Hollywood who could play the lead tough guy for 50 years…The Phantom of the Opera, Tough Guys, Airport, Birdman of Alcatraz, Apache...:tu


BTW- ST has some of the most knowledgeable film & TV Fans/Critics on the Internet…

[DarkReign]

On Sundays, Ive been watching the Turner Classic Movies channel ad nauseum.

I used to dislike black+white flicks on general principal, but now its like there is this whole library full of excellent, all-time great films I have been ignoring for far too long.

Watched 12 Angry Men again this weekend. Last weekend I watched Judgment at Nuremberg, f-ing great flick.

EDITED: ...and holy shit! By total coincidence, Judgement at Nuremberg actually stars Burt Lancaster.

[mrsmaalox]

I was going to mention TCM as well. I check their schedule online every month and plan with that. Same with IFC. Those movies will be the only time my tv will be on during the day. If you catch Burt Lancaster as the Star of the Month, you'll see his movies all evening on Mondays.

[mrsmaalox]

True, probably not enough overdone specialFX and mindless violence for most.

I guess it just depends on what you are comfortable with. My favorite films are dialogue driven, not visually driven----flashing lights and explosions of color are not relaxing to me.

There's another thread right now that argues the validity of comparing decades of films for quality. Because it's all a matter of taste I think it's absolutely valid. I am terminally stuck in the 1940's film-wise. In my opinion, there is no other decade to compare. I find black and white to be revealing and very graceful. And speaking of grace, the music is amazing. The dialogue is over the top in innuendo and pacing; I love that some of the funniest things I have ever heard are said while the actors are standing perfectly still. The acting is superb, and without knowing the exact year I can tell the difference in a 40's performance by my favorites (Cary Grant, Barbara Stanwyck, Joan Fontaine, Laurence Olivier) from one of any other decade. You don't see a difference in acting methods by actors in recent decades, they change characters but not style.

I love movies from every decade, but I'll always gravitate to the 1940's. Probably because that's when my mother grew up and she and her sisters made it a point to share their favorites with us. My cousins and I all share the same love of 1940's films.

[Kamala]

Tough Guys with Kirk Douglas in the 80s is a guilty pleasure.

[midnightpulp]

one day i'll see ben hur and ten commandments

You're confused Burt Lancaster with Charlton Heston. And for my money, Chuck can't hold Burt's nuts.

Anyhow, best Burt Lancaster movies are (in no particular order):

Elmer Gantry
Criss Cross
Atlantic City
The Sweet Smell of Success
From Here to Eternity
The Leopard

I haven't personally seen, but know they are among his best:

Birdman
The Train
Seven Days in May

[Johnny RIngo]

Watched Apache a few days ago. It's interesting seeing a Western from an Indian's point of view but Burt Lancaster seemed so out of place playing a Native American.

[Fabbs]

My personal favorite is Sorry, Wrong Number mainly because of my favorite actress, Barbara Stanwyck.
How is The Furies with Barbara Stanwyck and Walter Huston?

[mrsmaalox]

How is The Furies with Barbara Stanwyck and Walter Huston?

Well anything with Stanwyck is my favorite movie ya' know. This is good stubborn father butting heads with his strong-willed daughter. He's a rich New Mexico rancher and has a huge dowry to marry her off with but she loves his mortal enemy, likes Mexicans, and is smarter at the family business than he is. Stanwyck and Huston are great of course. But who I enjoyed the most was Judith Anderson as the dad's golddigger girlfriend. I don't know if you know her, but she is my favorite female villain (Mrs. Danvers) from the 40's. Seeing her as the "love interest" was funny; she is of course still a villain. Oh and Robert Ryan always delivers.

I think you should see it, I like it a lot :)

[Fabbs]

^^like it.
Great camera work, good cast, good show. Made you feel like you were there.

Plot was real, however i was totally let down when Stanwycks character Vance Jeffords asked Juan Herrera
http://www.henrydarrow.com/gilbert_roland.jpg
to give up the fight against she and his peoples battle against her evil egomanical father, TC Jeffords. TC and his band of ass kissing demons were just about to blow up the hilltop home of the Herreras, when Mom Herrera had TC lured right in her gunsights. Vance intervenes by batting her eyes at Juan and thus Juan gets mom and family to stop and let TC go. After Juan mercifully lets TC go, sure enough TC hangs Juan. That part sucked for me, Juans overdevotion to Vance above everything and everyone, including his own Herrera family. She must have given Juan some good stuff thus are we to believe he was just so pussywhipped by her? Actually the way they wrote it you cannot tell whether or not they ever swapped DNA. Was Juan just smitten by her personality?

Small sidepoint the incesty looks between Vance and TC at the start of the show. WTF was up with that? I know she was his daughter and i know she reminded him of his deceased wife but that was skeevy. Did Stanwyck and him have some elbow rubbing off camera? eeesh.

Did Stanwyck play in another movie that seems to have been shot in that exact same house? One where she is the owner of a home that ends up having nothing but outlaws living there in hiding?

[Fabbs]

Just saw Ball of Fire with Stanwyck and Gary Cooper.

Great setup, very creative script. One too many flip flops by Sugarpuss on loving Bertram Potts, otherwise this was great.

[Bender]

haven't seen very many stanwyck movies, except for Double Indemnity... and I don't see how many could be better than that one. One on tonight called Stella Dallas... might watch it.

Ps: interesting review on the furies... I'll try to catch it sometime.

[mrsmaalox]

Just saw Ball of Fire with Stanwyck and Gary Cooper.

Great setup, very creative script. One too many flip flops by Sugarpuss on loving Bertram Potts, otherwise this was great.

Great play on "Snow White and the Seven Dwarves" huh? Gary Cooper at his absolute yummiest nerdness :lol Cooper and Stanwyck team up on "Meet John Doe" for something a little more socially conscious, but wonderful too.

[mrsmaalox]

haven't seen very many stanwyck movies, except for Double Indemnity... and I don't see how many could be better than that one. One on tonight called Stella Dallas... might watch it.

Ps: interesting review on the furies... I'll try to catch it sometime.

Heyyy Bender, long time no see :)

In case you decide to check out "Stella Dallas", be sure to wipe your mind clean of "Double Indemnity" first! It's a sappy tearjerker and nothing else. But it demonstrates one more extreme in Stanwyck's range and probably the only role I've seen her in where she plays a character who just isn't very intelligent. I think Stanwyck is wunnerful :spin

[Bender]

I'll watch the occasional sappy movie.... but I prefer the darker, gritty, film-noir types of movies usually.

been keeping track of what's on TCM and IFC... and DVRing what I want to see later...

[Isitjustme?]

The Swimmer is his best movie:

http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/swimmer/

[quentin_compson]

Good Lancaster movies I've seen are:

The Killers
Sorry, Wrong Number
From Here to Eternity
Vera Cruz
The Unforgiven
Judgment at Nuremberg
The Train
Atlantic City
Local Hero
The Leopard
Gruppo di famiglia in un interno

Both his Viscontis are not among my favourite Viscontis, but of course they're still good movies.

[Capt Bringdown]

What a great thread, Burt Lancaster...and Barbara Stanwyck too!
Some of my favorite Lancasters:
The Sweet Smell of Success
Brute Force
Criss Cross
Seven Days In May
Local Hero
Sorry, Wrong Number
The Train
The Midnight Man
Elmer Gantry
The Professionals

I've downloaded The Leopard and The Swimmer, but haven't got around to those yet.

As for Barbara Stanwyck, I love her work with Fred MacMurray (another one of my faves):
Remember The Night(wonderful Christmas/romance)
There's Always Tomorrow

Some other Stanwyck goodies:
Crime Of Passion (with Sterling Hayden)
Witness To Murder (with George Sanders)
Clash By Night (with Robert Ryan & Marilyn Monroe)

I recently watched an early Stanwyck film, Night Nurse (1931), which was fun but a bit creaky, but still she looks so gorgeous as did her co-star, Joan Blondell. Getting into pre-code films at the moment, they're really good.

[mrsmaalox]

I recently watched an early Stanwyck film, Night Nurse (1931), which was fun but a bit creaky, but still she looks so gorgeous as did her co-star, Joan Blondell. Getting into pre-code films at the moment, they're really good.

Babyface is my favorite pre-code Stanwyck film. But I think Ann Dvorak is the greatest pre-code girl---check out Scarface 1932, and Three On A Match 1932.

[quentin_compson]

I haven't really seen that many Barbara Stanwyck movies. Those I can think of are:

Meet John Doe
Double Indemnity
The Two Mrs. Carrolls
Sorry, Wrong Number
Jeopardy
Executive Suite

But hell, even if she hadn't made another film besides Double Indemnity, she still would be an icon. One of the greatest noirs, and Stanwyck's performance has a lot to do with that.

[Fabbs]

Dial M for Murder by Al Hitchcock. Did it yesterday.

Pretty good. The part with the key was way too drawn out and convuluded but otherwise good flick.

[Fabbs]

Walter Huston and Humpy Bogart in Treasure of the Sierra Madre.
Great plot setup. Huston was great as the old prospector with the correct viewpoint on most everything. Good lesson in the end. Pursue greed like Humpy did with a heartless vengence, end up dead. Be generous and kind, end up rewarded.

[Bender]

yeah Treasure of the SM was one of Bogart's best.

caught two Stanwyck movies recently: Cry Wolf - ok, but not great. bonus points for co-starring Errol Flynn. Ball of Fire - really enjoyable, co-starring Gary Cooper as a nerdy professor.

[Giuseppe]

Good Lancaster movies I've seen are:

The Train

Great movie. I liked Lancaster's work because he did a lot of his own stunts, especially in this movie. Sliding down the hill (in one sequence) you can see it's him actually performing the hazardous part. Incredible.

Other Lancaster favorites of mine:

Elmer Gantry
Come Back, Little Sheba
Airport (it's cheesy, but, he's wonderful)

[Giuseppe]

yeah Treasure of the SM was one of Bogart's best.

caught two Stanwyck movies recently: Cry Wolf - ok, but not great. bonus points for co-starring Errol Flynn. Ball of Fire - really enjoyable, co-starring Gary Cooper as a nerdy professor.

There's an early Stanwyck I love: "Forbidden" (1932). She plays the part of a woman who is in love with a married man (Adolph Menjou). He's an up & coming politician seeking higher office. She is content to be the woman behind the man. He's a good man and is portrayed as such. In a riveting part they're in a cab going cross town. She's at her wit's end and they argue, almost violently as she's trying to break away physically & emotionally. The cab stops, she breaks free of his arms, maniacally flee's the cab and runs into the nearby park. It's raining in sheets. She is shown sitting on a park bench, alone, crying in sobs. He enters the frame from the left, sits down next to her and holds her close, the rain running off his hat.

It's gets better. Her boss (Ralph Bellamy) at the newspaper where she writes an advice column is trying to trace down the illicit affair of her lover. He has no idea it's Stanwyck. He's always loved her, but, she doesn't want him. As he gets closer to finding out she marries him in order to keep him at bay and occupied. Nonetheless he finally gets the proof and confronts her in their apartment.

- "What are you going to do?" - Stanwyck

- "I'm going to destroy him." - Bellamy - Turns and he walks thru the door and into the next room."

- "No you won't." - Stanwyck - pulls a .38 and empties it into the door killing the man on the other side.

They show it once in a blue moon on TCM. If you get a chance, don't miss it. The ending is Hollywood tear jerker materiel, but, it's still a treat.

[IronMaxipad]

Criterion released The Sweet Smell of Success earlier this year on blu-ray. One of my favs. The transfer looks great and since it's criterion you know it's stacked with features. Barnes and noble is having their biannual 50% off criterion sale till Aug. 1. thinking of picking this up.

http://i55.tinypic.com/2pr5pv5.jpg
http://www.blu-ray.com/movies/Sweet-Smell-of-Success-Blu-ray/13132/#Review

[Giuseppe]

Criterion released The Sweet Smell of Success earlier this year on blu-ray. One of my favs.

That is a solid motion picture. It's got the taboo of incest lurking about twixt Lancaster & his sister. And the actress who portrays the sister is a doll.

[DeadlyDynasty]

I haven't really seen that many Barbara Stanwyck movies.

But hell, even if she hadn't made another film besides Double Indemnity, she still would be an icon. One of the greatest noirs, and Stanwyck's performance has a lot to do with that.

This. Edward G. Robinson was classic in it as well, but Stanwyck was amazing.

[Giuseppe]

This. Edward G. Robinson was classic in it as well, but Stanwyck was amazing.

Yep, that one stays with you.

Neff (MacMurray) knows from the beginning he'll never get away with it, but one look at Stanwyck in the white towel, his imagination wild at her claim that she was sunbathing, then the ankle chain and he's finished & fucked, just like that. He was just marking time anyway. Same thing at the end when he's collapsed at the office door. He's bled out, but, still insists he'll get up & cross the border into Mexico.

"You're not going anywhere, Walter." - Robinson

Grim business.

[mrsmaalox]

Don't know if you guys noticed, but today is Burt Lancaster day on TCM. Caught "Jim Thorpe All American" earlier this morning and "Sweet Smell of Success" just started. "Brute Force" and "The Killers" coming up later :tu

[Bender]

got DVR set for the killers, flame and the arrow, and seven days in may. Caught this heads up too late at work to catch brute force on dvr. I should have started goofing off sooner :(

[Giuseppe]

I've tried The Killers numerous times and I just can't see the goodness. Brute Force has a television movie feel about it, but, it's tolerable.

[Fabbs]

Don't know if you guys noticed, but today is Burt Lancaster day on TCM. Caught "Jim Thorpe All American" earlier this morning and "Sweet Smell of Success" just started. "Brute Force" and "The Killers" coming up later :tu
More notice next time please. :lol
Where do these rank on MMs list?

[mrsmaalox]

More notice next time please. :lol
Where do these rank on MMs list?

Yea I know, I was lucky to have caught it myself ;)

Well of the 4 films I managed to see, Jim Thorpe was my favorite, because I've just always loved it.

It was my second time seeing Success and it was better than I remembered----Lancaster was absolutely sinister and I loved the "desperation" of Tony Curtis' character.

First time catching Brute Force and man, it was brutal and surprisingly good. Hume Cronyn was really great as a sadisitic prison guard. Lancaster is so tough and his body just amazing. It spends a lot of time explaining how each of the 4 main prisoners ended up there (very cliche---they are all innocent and were double crossed by some heartless, greedy dame :rolleyes). It's not the typical prison break movie, but it was so familiar I wonder some other prison break movie was a remake or based on this one. Anyone know?

And it was my second time seeing The Killers, and it was still a struggle. The story unfolds in good flashbacks, but there seem to be many holes and chapters put together without any "linkage". I'm not sure that description gets across what I'm trying to say. But really, I think the popularity and reputation of the film is based on the fact that it's the first time Burt Lancaster and Ava Gardner were featured as leads in a film, and they were both just overwhelmingly gorgeous!

I think I still prefer Lancaster in less tough guy mode and more "psychologically flawed" as in Come Back Little Sheba and Sorry, Wrong Number.

[mrsmaalox]

Oh well, I'm starting out behind the power curve again today......there appears to be Burt Lancaster swashbucklers playing all day today on TCM! I've never seen one and chances are I won't get to today cuz I've got a full schedule. I suppose I should have tried to figure out how to use that new DVR machine thingy on my shelf before today----there must be a "start" or "record" button here somewhere ;)

[bus driver]

stoker ace is pretty good, it was on the other day

[Fabbs]

Guns of Navarone

Some good acting and okay script but all in all I was left -meh-.

[Giuseppe]

Guns of Navarone

Some good acting and okay script but all in all I was left -meh-.

Me too.

[Fabbs]

Elephant Walk (1954) Liz Taylor when she really did look good.

Pretty good plot. Drags on a bit 3/4ths of the way till the end. However, all in all a good show. Vieworthy.

This guy as "Appuhamy", the sterotypical Indian main servant of English Mastah:
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_1lDkgkbkQmA/TTO433-maiI/AAAAAAAACH0/bTUKe2Ag_J0/s1600/appuhamy.jpg
Guy appeared in an unbelievable # of movies and t.v. shows.

[Fabbs]

http://www.vanguardia.com.mx/XStatic/vanguardia/images/espanol/519628_13.jpg
http://lh6.ggpht.com/_j4ajgI87LtU/RiPBBxzzv3I/AAAAAAAAEE8/ONEu9cZ9e6M/ElephantWalk.jpg