Before becoming a star, Burt Lancaster spent years in the air. The tall New Yorker from East Harlem worked as an acrobat in a circus, and his partner was Nick Cravat. This school of balance, risk and precise gesture would later remain visible in the way Lancaster moved in front of the camera.
He was born on November 2, 1913 in New York. He studied at New York University on an athletic scholarship, but left to join the circus. An injury in 1939 put an end to this part of his life. Various jobs followed, service in the US Army during World War II, and a chance audition that led him to Broadway.
The first role made him a star
Lancaster made his film debut at the age of 32 in the 1946 film noir “The Killers“ directed by Robert Siodmak, and co-starring Ava Gardner. The film, based on a story by Ernest Hemingway, was later included in the United States National Film Registry.
His debut immediately showed both sides of the actor. Lancaster had the physical presence of an adventure movie hero, but also the ability to play men marked by guilt, fear, and loneliness. Early in his career, he often played strong and dangerous characters, but gradually began to seek more complex roles.
In 1948, he founded a production company with Harold Hecht. Later, James Hill joined them. The three of them were behind “Marty“ in 1955. The film won the “Oscar“ for best picture and showed that Lancaster did not want to be just a face in front of the camera, but also an active participant in choosing stories.
From the big screen to the “Oscar“
In the 1950s, Lancaster starred in “Trapeze“, “From Here to Eternity“ and “Sweet Smell of Success“. In “From Here to Eternity“ He starred alongside Deborah Kerr, and the scene with the two on the Hawaiian beach became one of the iconic images of American cinema.
His greatest acting recognition came for Richard Brooks's “Elmer Gantry“. In the role of a charismatic and unscrupulous preacher, Lancaster won the “Oscar“ for best actor. He was also nominated for “From Here to Eternity“, “Birdman of Alcatraz“ and “Atlantic City“.
Among his important European projects is Luchino Visconti's “The Cheetah“, where he plays a Sicilian aristocrat in a world that is changing irreversibly. He later worked with Louis Malle in “Atlantic City“, with Bernardo Bertolucci in “1900“ and with Bill Forsyth in “Local Hero“.
The Last Memory is Silent
One of his most human roles came late in his career. In “Field of Dreams“ Lancaster played Archie “Moonlight“ Graham — a man who carries the memory of a brief chance for the rest of his life.
“I didn't realize that this was the only day.“The line belongs to his character, but it also sounds like a brief summary of his entire acting career — a career that began with circus acrobatics and ended with the image of a man who understands the value of wasted time.
The American Film Institute ranks Burt Lancaster as the 19th greatest male star of American cinema. After a stroke in 1990, he gradually retired from the screen. On October 20, 1994, he died in Los Angeles at the age of 80. He left behind more than 70 films, an “Oscar“ and roles in which strength was never just a matter of muscle.
Sources: latimes.com, history.com, apnews.com