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I loved the guy's work and his 'politics'. His politics were his films, I think. I greatly admired his under-appreciated work in 'The Swimmer'. And I was quietly pleased for him that he won The New York Film Critics award and an Oscar nomination for his 'Atlantic City', so late in his life.
AND, let's not forget 'FIELD OF DREAMS'.
I even love his corniest line of dialogue from 'Airport'. At film's end, he tells Jean Seberg: "You've been bragging so long about your scrambled eggs - I guess it's time I found out how good they really are."
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The Siodmark film, the films noirs, and a few comedy swashbucklers like 'Crimson Pirate', also 'Moses the Lawgiver' (but make sure it's the full 6-hour deal), 'Sweet Smell of Success', 'The Swimmer', 'Elmer Gantry', 'The Rainmaker', 'Castle Keep', 'Local Hero', 'Rose Tatoo', 'The Train' .... the list is endless.
He was a very complex character, often lost his temper on set, but had a strange 'aesthetic' side. He held Oscar Wilde-esque poetry-reading sessions with groups of young students.
I reckon a lot of the 'egotistical' reputations some great actors in Hollywood acquired were simply the result of a kind of honesty and fearlessness in the face of the sillinesses of the industry itself.
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Cruise was fine, Neo, but not as good as Lancaster.
I thought she meant Tom there for a moment. Which would make it an understatement.
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The guy on the left in the top photo from "The Crimson Pirate" is Nick Cravat, Lancaster's acrobatic partner, who appeared in nine films with him, and had bit roles in some of Lancaster's other films. And oh yes, does anybody remember Cravat as the Gremlin in The Twilight Zone episode "Nightmare at 20,000 Feet"?
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Burt's finest performance IMO is not featured as of yet in this thread...
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General James Mattoon Scott: And if you want to talk about your oath of office, I'm here to tell you face to face, President Lyman, that you violated that oath when you stripped this country of its muscles - when you deliberately played upon the fear and fatigue of the people and told them they could remove that fear by the stroke of a pen. And then when this nation rejected you, lost faith in you, and began militantly to oppose you, you violated that oath by not resigning from office and turning the country over to someone who could represent the people of the United States.
President Jordan Lyman: And that would be General James Mattoon Scott, would it? I don't know whether to laugh at that kind of megalomania, or simply cry.
General James Mattoon Scott: James Mattoon Scott, as you put it, hasn't the slightest interest in his own glorification. But he does have an abiding interest in the survival of this country.
President Jordan Lyman: Then, by God, run for office. You have such a fervent, passionate, evangelical faith in this country - why in the name of God don't you have any faith in the system of government you're so hell-bent to protect?
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SEVEN DAYS IN MAY gets better every time I see it, and I first saw it in NYC on its opening run. Ran it on DVD a couple of months ago, then immediately re-ran it with Frankenheimer's commentary track.
Always glad to see THE SWIMMER included, because of my personal sentiment about being there on the shoot as a go-fer, my first professional movie job. (Those of you who already knew this, pls. forgive my mentioning it again.)
JUDGMENT AT NUREMBERG is a great picture whether you "need" to see it or not. It's enough that there will always be those who DO need to see it. Lancaster stepped in to that particular role when Olivier had to bow out of it. (6/15/10 -- Oops, I see now that someone already mentioned this factoid.)
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Burt's finest performance IMO is not featured as of yet in this thread...
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General James Mattoon Scott: And if you want to talk about your oath of office, I'm here to tell you face to face, President Lyman, that you violated that oath when you stripped this country of its muscles - when you deliberately played upon the fear and fatigue of the people and told them they could remove that fear by the stroke of a pen. And then when this nation rejected you, lost faith in you, and began militantly to oppose you, you violated that oath by not resigning from office and turning the country over to someone who could represent the people of the United States.
President Jordan Lyman: And that would be General James Mattoon Scott, would it? I don't know whether to laugh at that kind of megalomania, or simply cry.
General James Mattoon Scott: James Mattoon Scott, as you put it, hasn't the slightest interest in his own glorification. But he does have an abiding interest in the survival of this country.
President Jordan Lyman: Then, by God, run for office. You have such a fervent, passionate, evangelical faith in this country - why in the name of God don't you have any faith in the system of government you're so hell-bent to protect?
The next to last scene where Fredric March castigates Burt Lancaster is a classic!
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RE: Seven Days in May:
The next to last scene where Fredric March castigates Burt Lancaster is a classic!
John Frankenheimer agreed and said it was one of the finest scenes ever for both actors!
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Perhaps our most compelling film actor. He demands your attention, every time! I'm partial to Come Back Little Sheba, for some reason.
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His scenes as Doc Graham in Field of Dreams always get me a little choked up.
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