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Burt Lancaster: An American Life
Now in paperback, here is the critically acclaimed, best-selling biography of one of Hollywood's legendary stars. Burt Lancaster is known to audiences around the world as the electrifying performer of Gunfight at the O.K. Corral, From Here to Eternity, and Birdman of Alcatraz, among many others. Kate Buford brings to life his vivid, memorable on-screen presence as well as the off-screen life he kept intensely private. The first writer to win cooperation from Lancaster's widow and close friends, Buford has written the intimate story of one of the last great unexamined Hollywood lives, capturing both the golden boy and the husband, philanderer, and sometime bisexual. Buford's portrait is compelling, comprehensive, intelligent—and definitive.
496 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2000
About the author
Kate Buford
2 books12 followersI was born and grew up in California, and later went to school at Trinity College, Dublin, and Columbia. After a first career as a law librarian on Wall Street, I became a writer. BURT LANCASTER: AN AMERICAN LIFE (Knopf, 2000) was my first book, followed by NATIVE AMERICAN SON: THE LIFE AND SPORTING LEGEND OF JIM THORPE (Knopf, 2010). I live in Virginia and New York.
Writing narrative nonfiction is a grueling but rewarding task. My two biographies are serious, literary treatments of iconic Americans performing in two of the most popular American pastimes: the movies and sports. I relish going deep into the psyches and backgrounds of people who may be widely known in the popular culture but not truly understood or respected.
Both Jim Thorpe and Burt Lancaster lived fascinating, eventful lives that left a formative mark on todays sports and movies, respectively. Their pursuit and achievement of excellencewith all the attendant struggles and triumphsis inspiring. And illuminating: popular culture is who we are, and the more we learn about its pioneers the more we can appreciate these universal passions of our timeand thus, ourselves.
"
Writing narrative nonfiction is a grueling but rewarding task. My two biographies are serious, literary treatments of iconic Americans performing in two of the most popular American pastimes: the movies and sports. I relish going deep into the psyches and backgrounds of people who may be widely known in the popular culture but not truly understood or respected.
Both Jim Thorpe and Burt Lancaster lived fascinating, eventful lives that left a formative mark on todays sports and movies, respectively. Their pursuit and achievement of excellencewith all the attendant struggles and triumphsis inspiring. And illuminating: popular culture is who we are, and the more we learn about its pioneers the more we can appreciate these universal passions of our timeand thus, ourselves.
"
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Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
December 24, 2011
Biographies of Hollywood actors are often quite dull, as are their subjects, once stripped of their god-like screen mystique (Bogie, for example), but Lancaster's biography is a superb account of the life of a complex and intelligent movie star. I always loved Lancaster for his great, effortless physical grace and power, in such films like Trapeze, Brute Force and Crimson Pirate (all exemplars of what Pauline Kael called 'Hunkus Americanus'). At the same time, he was also brilliant in Sweet Smell of Success, one of the most lacerating portraits of the media ever made (and which he also produced, independently) and in the Leopard, by Visconti, a marxist high priest of European Art House. I cannot imagine many other stars (and he was a very big star) being ready to challenge themselves in this way - the nearest I can imagine to Lancaster is someone like Clooney, but he is not even close. Burt's true life story is almost a Hollywood tale by itself -born into the teeming multitudes of East Harlem in 1913, he ran away to join the circus, became an acrobat and then went into the theatre via the FTP (Federal Theater Ptoject) before bursting onto the screen in the noir thriller The Killers (1946, at age 33), opposite Ava Gardner, no less. From then on, he was making films for another forty years and running his own production company [HHL] for much of the time, as well as pursuing many cultural and political interests (a staunch Democrat and supporter of liberal causes such as the NAACP and Aids charities). The book is no hagiography, though, and he is revealed as a inveterate womaniser, a bully on set, and prone to demonic rages; it also touches on his alleged bisexuality (though it does not give salacious details, fortunately). He was a man from the hard streets of early 20C New York who defined by his perfect physique (even in 1968 in The Swimmer, at 55, he looks like Charles Atlas) but someone who really wanted to be an intellectual, it seems.
June 22, 2019
Based upon Ms. Buford’s biography, to say Burt Lancaster was strong-willed is putting it mildly. It would be like claiming Donald “Foghorn Leghorn” Trump fibs a little. The author focuses most of the book on Lancaster’s professional life. His private life was well-guarded by him, so the author’s material dealing with it is mostly skimming the surface. She does mention some of the actor’s many hookups, especially his female costars, but avoids being salacious. This is all well and good if you desire to know the man mainly through his work.
Ms. Buford describes Lancaster’s hardscrabble childhood in a New York slum and time as an adult acrobat in various circuses. His background explains a lot about how the workaholic approached life. The author states, “… Lancaster’s overnight (movie) ascent was a series of convergences, each building on the next, of circumstance, timing, personality, street smarts, popular yearning, and sheer dumb luck.” The actor was well aware of his good fortune and did not hesitate to make the best of it under his terms. For over a decade, there was no bigger male star than Burt Lancaster. At 6’1”, athletic, highly intelligent, strong as an ox, and good-looking with piercing blue eyes, he used his meteoric fame to take risks throughout his career. The dude didn’t seem to know how to play it safe. Much like the two-volume Frank Sinatra by James Kaplan, the ever-increasing power he attained fed Lancaster’s ego and it sure wasn’t pretty to witness. I had heard that he was difficult, but holy Moses, Lancaster’s passion to create movie “art” led to frequent run-ins with directors, producers, and fellow actors. Ms. Buford also describes the many changes that occurred in the movie industry during Lancaster’s lifetime. It was amusing to see the roles he passed up or missed out on that became huge hits for other actors and how his career frequently intersecting with Marlon Brando and Kirk Douglas. The book tries to address rumors about Lancaster being homosexual or bisexual, but ultimately allows various industry people to conjecture without ever resolving the issue. The book was published in 2000 and includes 24 pages of black-and-white photographs.
Ms. Buford’s ‘Burt Lancaster: An American Life’ is a solid interesting biography. It shows the evolution of a man who recognized a lucky break, seized it, and through force of will altered the movie business landscape. He left a lot of victims in his wake. Lancaster was not just some good-looking goofball actor. Ms. Buford does the reader a great service by showing his contributions to not only the movie industry, but also such things as Civil Rights and the fight against AIDS. The actor was a complex individual, driven to continually challenge and improve himself. While reading the book, there are parts of Burt Lancaster I greatly admired, while other parts of his personality made me want to retch. I wouldn’t have minded meeting the older more tempered Lancaster, but the guy he was most of his life was someone I would have avoided like the plague. If you have an interest in this charismatic mover and shaker, you’ll likely find Ms. Buford’s book an enjoyable read.
Ms. Buford describes Lancaster’s hardscrabble childhood in a New York slum and time as an adult acrobat in various circuses. His background explains a lot about how the workaholic approached life. The author states, “… Lancaster’s overnight (movie) ascent was a series of convergences, each building on the next, of circumstance, timing, personality, street smarts, popular yearning, and sheer dumb luck.” The actor was well aware of his good fortune and did not hesitate to make the best of it under his terms. For over a decade, there was no bigger male star than Burt Lancaster. At 6’1”, athletic, highly intelligent, strong as an ox, and good-looking with piercing blue eyes, he used his meteoric fame to take risks throughout his career. The dude didn’t seem to know how to play it safe. Much like the two-volume Frank Sinatra by James Kaplan, the ever-increasing power he attained fed Lancaster’s ego and it sure wasn’t pretty to witness. I had heard that he was difficult, but holy Moses, Lancaster’s passion to create movie “art” led to frequent run-ins with directors, producers, and fellow actors. Ms. Buford also describes the many changes that occurred in the movie industry during Lancaster’s lifetime. It was amusing to see the roles he passed up or missed out on that became huge hits for other actors and how his career frequently intersecting with Marlon Brando and Kirk Douglas. The book tries to address rumors about Lancaster being homosexual or bisexual, but ultimately allows various industry people to conjecture without ever resolving the issue. The book was published in 2000 and includes 24 pages of black-and-white photographs.
Ms. Buford’s ‘Burt Lancaster: An American Life’ is a solid interesting biography. It shows the evolution of a man who recognized a lucky break, seized it, and through force of will altered the movie business landscape. He left a lot of victims in his wake. Lancaster was not just some good-looking goofball actor. Ms. Buford does the reader a great service by showing his contributions to not only the movie industry, but also such things as Civil Rights and the fight against AIDS. The actor was a complex individual, driven to continually challenge and improve himself. While reading the book, there are parts of Burt Lancaster I greatly admired, while other parts of his personality made me want to retch. I wouldn’t have minded meeting the older more tempered Lancaster, but the guy he was most of his life was someone I would have avoided like the plague. If you have an interest in this charismatic mover and shaker, you’ll likely find Ms. Buford’s book an enjoyable read.
January 30, 2026
Burt Lancaster was a physical and intense man and a movie icon. He had success in both artsy and commercial movies. He was the brash American movie actor who once was an athlete and a circus performer. Known as "Mr. Muscles and Teeth", Lancaster was compulsive, intense, driven, and obsessive who chased success.
Born on November 2, 1913 and raised in Harlem Flats, a predominantly Jewish neighborhood in in New York City (NYC), Burton Stephen Lancaster had working-class Protestant parents of Irish and French ancestry. He was raised a Protestant but later abandoned it. He was taught to care and help those less fortunate than himself and spent a lot of time at Union Settlement House, a Christian settlement house. There in 1922, he met Nick Cuccia (Cravat) who was only 5 ft. 2 in. with whom he would have a lifelong friendship. In their teens, they learned to 'play act' in local theater plays and performed basic gymnastic moves. The 6 ft+, blonde, blue-eyed teenager excelled in academics and athletics (gymnastics and basketball) at DeWitt Clinton High School. In late-1929, he lost his father but started at New York University on a Union scholarship that same year. There he met, 'Curly" Brent, a circus performer who trained the two teens on the single horizontal bar. The two had an acrobatic talent which was noted by Bill Peters, a circus owner who had the boys audition for the Kay Brothers' Circus. The duo worked as Lang and Cravat and signed with the Kay Brothers circus. For eight years, the duo toured and honed their acrobatic skills. Among the many famous circus families with whom they performed was the Ernst family. A romance soon began with June Ernst and Burt, leading to marriage in 1935. Burt's acting journey began in 1935 in NYC where he met the avant-garde acting pioneer, Konstantin Stanislavsky, the co-founder of the American Laboratory Theater company in NYC. Burt joined the landmark Group Theater to learn to act. Nick and Burt's acrobat careers would end in the late-1930s when both suffered devasting career-injuries. During the early-1940s, Burt worked as a model, a singing waiter, drove a delivery truck for Marshall Field's, and worked as a meat packer.
Drafted in January, 1943 Lancaster joined the Army's 21st Special Services Division, one of the military entertainment units. The multi-talented and engaging man was popular. He served in the 5th Army in Italy under General Mark Clark from 1943 to 1945. In mid-1944, he met Norma Anderson, his future second wife and the two soon went on a blind date. They waited for his divorce from June and married in 1946. He saw action at the Battle of the Bulge in 1944 where he distinguished himself. He was discharged in October 1945 as an entertainment specialist with the rank of technician fifth grade.
In 1945, fate smiled on Lancaster when a talent scout spotted in uniform coming off an elevator. A talent scout felt he had a mystique and recommended him for a role as a sergeant in a Broadway play, A Sound of Hunting. His raw energy, intensity, and presence was noted. After getting numerous offers from film producers, Lancaster signed with Selznick International Pictures and Paramount Studios. Lancaster's agent was Harold Hecht and director, Hal Wallis would direct the young talent. Within months, Lancaster was cast in The Killers (1946). The film's producer, Mark Hellinger dubbed Lancaster, the 'brawny Apollo." Burt often stayed after the day's shooting to ask about production and acting. He and Norma were married in 1946 but Lancaster strayed. Lancaster's career rocketed quickly with a total of three films by early 1947, starting with Wallis' film, Desert Fury (1947) followed by Brute Force (1947) which brought Lancaster rave reviews and an affair with co-star, Yvonne DeCarlo. While Lancaster and Hecht toured the movie, the studio planned this next film for the 'brawny' star.
The latter half of 1947 brought changes for Lancaster. His affair with DeCarlo took a back seat to his new film, All My Sons which drew the attention of the FBI and HUAC (House Special Committee on Un-American Activities). Arthur Miller, the screenwriter was a suspected Communist who was the subject of governmental monitoring that angered Lancaster. During the filming of the second the crime drama, I Walk Alone (1947), sparks flew between the two. This film also was the first pairing of young Burt Lancaster and Kirk Douglas and their contrasting acting styles: Douglas was calm & cool and Lancaster was intense & emotional. The Lancaster/Wallis quarrel continued even though they had signed an 8-movie contract. Eventually, Lancaster tried to break from Paramount Studios which was Wallis' home studio. After Hellinger's death in December of 1947, Lancaster started his own movie production company, Norma Productions. His first film as producer/actor was Kiss the Blood Off My Hands. He received rave reviews for the emotional depth of his performance.
While Burt balanced being an actor and a film producer, his family grew to three children by 1949 and Norma oversaw the remodeling of the Lancaster's Dutch Colonial in West LA. The Lancaster family was off limits to the media. The three children were beautiful and intelligent, with Jimmy being the handsomest. This did not keep prying eyes from noticing Burt was closest to Jimmy but loved all his children. Jimmy's emotional instability resulted in his enrollment in a special school, Norma's increasing alcoholism. Still, Lancaster kept up the facade but often fled to film. Another casualty was his friendship with Nick Cravat after a failed reunion tour was ended when Cravat was arrested for assault at the theater where the two friends were performing. Although Lancaster returned to acting he would cast Cravat in small roles in his films.
1948 left its mark on Lancaster. First, a DOJ ruling dismantled the movie studio system and ended the Golden Age of Hollywood. While most independent movie producers suffered, Norma Productions survived. Lancaster appeared in the forgettable, Rope of Sand followed by two successful movies, Sorry, Wrong Number opposite Barbara Stanwyck and Criss Cross, his last Hellinger deal film. This cemented his on-screen persona marking his first five years as an actor. The second was the HUAC hearings of early-1949 included Lancaster's name appearing in various pamphlets and suspicion surrounding him. Lancaster survived that but had to deal with 'blacklisted' professionals as he searched for new film projects. Around this time, he became a Liberal and embraced atheism which would shape his professional persona. In mid-1949, he began an 2-year affair with a young Shelley Winters for whom he almost left Norma.
The 1950s were challenging for Hollywood because of HUAC's continued persecution of many in the film industry, the expansion of television programming, and the decrease of those going to the movies. New technological advancements in widescreen, gimmicks, and living color pumped new life into theatrical-release movies. The decade began with disappointment for Lancaster who missed out on the lead role in Darryl Zanuck's Twelve O' Clock High. So, Lancaster decided to produce Hecht's "The Flame and the Arrow", a melodrama for Warner Brothers. Lancaster recruited Cravat to play his mute sidekick to his character who undergoes a moral awakening. The duo's physical and athletic talents was perfect for the movie. The film was a huge success. Lancaster begrudgingly filmed two dramatic films with moderate success. Seeking a 'meatier' role, Lancaster returned to Warner Brothers (WB) to star in Jim Thorpe: All-American (1951), directed by Michael Curtiz. The role of Thorpe, a native American athletic star was the kind of visceral and physical role that was perfect for him. Dealing with nihilism, racism, pride, identity, and self-respect, the actor Lancaster showed that he would and could move from studio to studio during the 1950s, making 23 films for 6 movie studios. Having his own film production company and having bankable success, Lancaster had flexibility. His family faced Billy having polio which mirrored Thorpe's son having influenza (& dying). After the film, Mister 880 (1950), Lancaster's astuteness led to him producing and starring in Ten Tall Men (1951) and The Crimson Pirate (1952), and his reputation landed him a role in Come Back, Little Sheba ( 1952). His professional partnership with Robert Schiffer, make-up artist began with Ten Tall Men. HUAC and the FBI continued to hound Lancaster & Norma Productions because the partnership with Hecht, a HUAC target.
Still, Lancaster filmed two quickies for Warner Bros and then filmed From Here To Eternity (1953), the Pearl Harbor/WWII drama. The film would be his most successful and controversial. His sensual and visceral role of Sergeant Warden and love scenes with Deborah Kerr challenged censors. The powerhouse was a huge box office hit and made Lancaster a superstar and earned him an Oscar nomination while others won several awards and praise. Professionally, Lancaster & Norma Productions parted ways with WB in mid-1953, opening the door for a deal with another studio. Enter Lew Wasserman, the new president of MCA Inc. which had taken control of the United Artists Studio. Wasserman brought many changes such as setting up a corporation, which would employ the actor, would own part of a motion picture in which the actor appeared, and all monies would accrue to the corporation, which was taxed at a much lower rate than was personal income. He used this to lasso James Stewart. Hecht-Lancaster soon signed a two-picture deal, Apache and Vera Cruz, co-starring Gary Cooper. The two 1954 films were directed by Robert Aldrich and the latter was Lancaster's first pairing with an established mega-star. In addition, Hecht-Lancaster Productions agreed to produce seven films over two years, including the Oscar-winning Marty which made them the top independent production companies. Lancaster also produced and directed The Kentuckian (1955). Despite enjoying directing, Lancaster continued to act and produce many successful films, including a circus movie, The Trapeze (1956), his second with Tony Curtis. He would star in three films made at Paramount in the mid-1950s (The Rose Tattoo, The Rainmaker and The Sweet Smell of Success). The third film was the first for the new production company of HHL (Hecht-Hill-Lancaster) when James Hill was brought in to procure stories for future films. This film would the first of five films produced by HHL Productions. The revisionist western, Gunfight at the O.K. Corral (1957) re-united Lancaster and Douglas, the top "tough guy" era actors. Although they were friends off-screen, they were intensely competitive, admiring each other's talents and clashing over egos, billing, and roles. Lancaster was a straightforward and relied on his instincts and life experiences to connect with a character while Douglas was a feisty, stylish with a chip on his shoulder. They duo would film six films together.
Lancaster's loyalties were often tested with his friends, partners and peers (Cravat, Hecht, Douglas, and Hill). Hill's alcoholism, bi-sexual lifestyle, and short-lived rocky marriage to actress Rita Hayworth impacted on Hill's HHL decisions. Lancaster was once again targeted by police because of his 'wild' lifestyle. Douglas' insecurities (stature and Jewish background) did strain their friendship, Lancaster. The 1950s ended with HHL producing Sweet Smell of Success (third film with Curtis), Run Silent, Run Deep (co-starring Clark Gable), "Separate Tables, The Devil's Disciple (the 3rd film with Douglas), and The Unforgiven (the last HHL film). The Sweet Sell of Success (1957) was the first of ten consecutive films for United Artists.
The 1960s was Lancaster's best acting decade, the end of his production company, and drastic changes in his life. By 1960, HHL Productions were constantly over-budget. filming lagged and none made from 1958 to 1960 were profitable. HHL dissolved in 1959 with Hill leaving to start his own company. Lancaster's vow to focus on his acting at age 47 led a run of amazing performances. In his post-HHL phase, he searched for conflicted characters to play. Starting with Richard Brooks' Elmer Gantry, a drama about Evangelism and tent revivals, Lancaster hit gold. Despite criticism from the Catholic Church and the Legion of Decency, the film succeeded and Lancaster won an Oscar win for his portrayal of a religious huckster This led to more successful gambles. First, The Young Savages (1961), directed by John Frankenheimer's about the attempted political exploitation of a murder involving Puerto Rican and Italian gangs in NYC's Spanish Harlem. Lancaster's played Assistant D. A. Hank Bell who grew up in the tenement district but got out to achieve success. His cynical hostility towards the youth offenders will aid his own career aims that leads him to grapple with his personal and social prejudices and commitments was riveting. Second, Judgment at Nuremberg (1961), directed and produced by Stanley Kramer, and written by Abby Mann featured an ensemble and veteran cast. The trial of fictionalized Nazi judges at Nuremberg in 1947 before a US military tribunal led by Chief Trial Judge Dan Haywood (Tracy) is the tale. One of the defendants is Judge Ernst Janning (Lancaster) who along with 3 other Nazi government judges stands accused of crimes against humanity. Janning conquers his denial and takes responsibility for obeying a government he despised. The film was an enormous success. Prior to filming his next film, Lancaster suffered a personal tragedy when his house was among those lost in the November of 1961 wildfires. Finding solace in acting, he threw himself into his next film, Birdman of Alcatraz (1962). The film re-united him with Frankenheimer for a film about the life of Robert Stroud, a 'lifer' in solitary confinement for murder who becomes a respected expert in avian diseases though the study of canaries and sparrows. Lancaster vividly shows Stroud's emergence from an anti-social misanthrope to a humane and intelligent man despite the brutal conditions of his 40-year incarceration. A third Oscar nomination resulted. Next, A Child Is Waiting (1963), which re-united Lancaster and Garland, as the director of a state mental health institution and a new teacher who challenges his methods, respectively. This was his 10th consecutive United Artist film which owed its resurgence to the him. Lancaster gambled with The Leopard (1963), playing a Sicilian noble, Don Fabrizio, Prince of Salina and speaking in Italian. Despite its big budget and international cast, it failed in the US but he was praised for his performance as a complex man seeing the death of aristocracy due to WWII. Lancaster moved his family into a modern house and throw himself into the Civil Rights movement in 1963. Lancaster embraced the concept of freedom in all things and became a full-blooded Liberal. He spent the summer appearing at rallies and raising awareness and money. He remained close to his friends and fulfilled a favor to Douglas (producer/star) with a small role in The List of Adrian Messenger (1963) before re-teaming with Frankenheimer (and Douglas) for Seven Days in May (1964), a taut political thriller. Frederic March was The President, Douglas played Colonel Jigs Casey, and Burt Lancaster played the patriotic but fanatic Right-wing Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General James M. Scott, loosely based on General MacArthur. The clever Lancaster based his interpretation on Senator Eugene McCarthy, his real-life nemesis. Working with a brilliant script penned by Rod Serling, the controversial movie hit a nerve. Lancaster's sinister performance of man who almost starts a nuclear war was lauded. It's premiere was delayed due to JFK's assassination. In 1964, he traveled to France to film The Train, a WWII thriller film directed by Frankenheimer and co-starring Paul Scofield and Jeanne Moreau. His portrayal of a machine-like French Resistance saboteur was lauded. He followed up this with two westerns, The Hallelujah Trail (1965), a and The Professionals (1966). During of the filming of the second film, Burt began an affair with hairdresser, Jackie Bone despite Schiffer's warnings. In response, Norma asked for a separation and they divorced in 1969. Taking a year off, Lancaster learned how to swim for controversial film, The Swimmer (1968). Clashes with filmmaker Frank Perry led to Sydney Pollack coming in to finish filming. Lancaster's portrayal of an upper-class suburbanite trying to 'swim' back to his past home is considered one of his best roles. He finished off the decade with three lackluster films: two Pollack films, an adult western, Scalphunters (1968) and the antiwar comedy, Castle Keep (1969) and another with Frankenheimer, The Gypsy Moths (1969) which re-united him with Kerr.
In 1970, Lancaster became active in Viet Nam protests and agreed to star in Ross Hunter's disaster film, Airport (1970) for 10% of the film's profits. He campaigned for George McGovern in 1971 and served as the chairman of the California ACLU chapter. Lancaster, knew he could now only play older grizzled characters so he sought his own archetypes. He selected stories of men isolated by circumstance and choice in Valdez Is Coming, Lawman, and Ulzana's Raid from 1971 to 1972. He filmed two popular mini-series, Moses The Lawgiver (1975) and Victory at Entebee (1976). During the latter 1970s, he made good films: 1900, The Cassandra Crossing, Twilight's Last Gleaming, The Island of Dr. Moreau, Go Tell The Spartans, and Zulu Dawn. In the late-1970s, he ended his relationship with Jackie; aided the Cravats; set up trusts his five children; and served on the LA Opera board.
His lead role in Atlantic City (1981) garnered him a fourth Oscar nod, losing to Henry Fonda who died in 1982. He also appeared in the play, Boys of Autumn. 1983 brough another film, Local hero and Robert Aldrich's death which reminded him of his mortality. In 1985, he met tv production coordinator, Susan Martin. He had the lead role in Barnum mini-series and re-united with Douglas for Tough Guys in 1986. After missing out on Old Gringo, Lancaster agreed to appear in Kevin Costner's (whom he admired) Field of Dreams (1989). His last lead role was in The Jeweler's Shop (1989) and he appeared in four mini-series in 1990-91. In poor health, Lancaster expressed his love for Susan and proposed marriage. They married in September 1990. Unfortunately, he had a stroke in November and became bed-ridden. Susan would care for him, leaving her career. He died of a heart attack at 80 on October 20, 1994.
Lancaster was the megastar who grappled with life.
Born on November 2, 1913 and raised in Harlem Flats, a predominantly Jewish neighborhood in in New York City (NYC), Burton Stephen Lancaster had working-class Protestant parents of Irish and French ancestry. He was raised a Protestant but later abandoned it. He was taught to care and help those less fortunate than himself and spent a lot of time at Union Settlement House, a Christian settlement house. There in 1922, he met Nick Cuccia (Cravat) who was only 5 ft. 2 in. with whom he would have a lifelong friendship. In their teens, they learned to 'play act' in local theater plays and performed basic gymnastic moves. The 6 ft+, blonde, blue-eyed teenager excelled in academics and athletics (gymnastics and basketball) at DeWitt Clinton High School. In late-1929, he lost his father but started at New York University on a Union scholarship that same year. There he met, 'Curly" Brent, a circus performer who trained the two teens on the single horizontal bar. The two had an acrobatic talent which was noted by Bill Peters, a circus owner who had the boys audition for the Kay Brothers' Circus. The duo worked as Lang and Cravat and signed with the Kay Brothers circus. For eight years, the duo toured and honed their acrobatic skills. Among the many famous circus families with whom they performed was the Ernst family. A romance soon began with June Ernst and Burt, leading to marriage in 1935. Burt's acting journey began in 1935 in NYC where he met the avant-garde acting pioneer, Konstantin Stanislavsky, the co-founder of the American Laboratory Theater company in NYC. Burt joined the landmark Group Theater to learn to act. Nick and Burt's acrobat careers would end in the late-1930s when both suffered devasting career-injuries. During the early-1940s, Burt worked as a model, a singing waiter, drove a delivery truck for Marshall Field's, and worked as a meat packer.
Drafted in January, 1943 Lancaster joined the Army's 21st Special Services Division, one of the military entertainment units. The multi-talented and engaging man was popular. He served in the 5th Army in Italy under General Mark Clark from 1943 to 1945. In mid-1944, he met Norma Anderson, his future second wife and the two soon went on a blind date. They waited for his divorce from June and married in 1946. He saw action at the Battle of the Bulge in 1944 where he distinguished himself. He was discharged in October 1945 as an entertainment specialist with the rank of technician fifth grade.
In 1945, fate smiled on Lancaster when a talent scout spotted in uniform coming off an elevator. A talent scout felt he had a mystique and recommended him for a role as a sergeant in a Broadway play, A Sound of Hunting. His raw energy, intensity, and presence was noted. After getting numerous offers from film producers, Lancaster signed with Selznick International Pictures and Paramount Studios. Lancaster's agent was Harold Hecht and director, Hal Wallis would direct the young talent. Within months, Lancaster was cast in The Killers (1946). The film's producer, Mark Hellinger dubbed Lancaster, the 'brawny Apollo." Burt often stayed after the day's shooting to ask about production and acting. He and Norma were married in 1946 but Lancaster strayed. Lancaster's career rocketed quickly with a total of three films by early 1947, starting with Wallis' film, Desert Fury (1947) followed by Brute Force (1947) which brought Lancaster rave reviews and an affair with co-star, Yvonne DeCarlo. While Lancaster and Hecht toured the movie, the studio planned this next film for the 'brawny' star.
The latter half of 1947 brought changes for Lancaster. His affair with DeCarlo took a back seat to his new film, All My Sons which drew the attention of the FBI and HUAC (House Special Committee on Un-American Activities). Arthur Miller, the screenwriter was a suspected Communist who was the subject of governmental monitoring that angered Lancaster. During the filming of the second the crime drama, I Walk Alone (1947), sparks flew between the two. This film also was the first pairing of young Burt Lancaster and Kirk Douglas and their contrasting acting styles: Douglas was calm & cool and Lancaster was intense & emotional. The Lancaster/Wallis quarrel continued even though they had signed an 8-movie contract. Eventually, Lancaster tried to break from Paramount Studios which was Wallis' home studio. After Hellinger's death in December of 1947, Lancaster started his own movie production company, Norma Productions. His first film as producer/actor was Kiss the Blood Off My Hands. He received rave reviews for the emotional depth of his performance.
While Burt balanced being an actor and a film producer, his family grew to three children by 1949 and Norma oversaw the remodeling of the Lancaster's Dutch Colonial in West LA. The Lancaster family was off limits to the media. The three children were beautiful and intelligent, with Jimmy being the handsomest. This did not keep prying eyes from noticing Burt was closest to Jimmy but loved all his children. Jimmy's emotional instability resulted in his enrollment in a special school, Norma's increasing alcoholism. Still, Lancaster kept up the facade but often fled to film. Another casualty was his friendship with Nick Cravat after a failed reunion tour was ended when Cravat was arrested for assault at the theater where the two friends were performing. Although Lancaster returned to acting he would cast Cravat in small roles in his films.
1948 left its mark on Lancaster. First, a DOJ ruling dismantled the movie studio system and ended the Golden Age of Hollywood. While most independent movie producers suffered, Norma Productions survived. Lancaster appeared in the forgettable, Rope of Sand followed by two successful movies, Sorry, Wrong Number opposite Barbara Stanwyck and Criss Cross, his last Hellinger deal film. This cemented his on-screen persona marking his first five years as an actor. The second was the HUAC hearings of early-1949 included Lancaster's name appearing in various pamphlets and suspicion surrounding him. Lancaster survived that but had to deal with 'blacklisted' professionals as he searched for new film projects. Around this time, he became a Liberal and embraced atheism which would shape his professional persona. In mid-1949, he began an 2-year affair with a young Shelley Winters for whom he almost left Norma.
The 1950s were challenging for Hollywood because of HUAC's continued persecution of many in the film industry, the expansion of television programming, and the decrease of those going to the movies. New technological advancements in widescreen, gimmicks, and living color pumped new life into theatrical-release movies. The decade began with disappointment for Lancaster who missed out on the lead role in Darryl Zanuck's Twelve O' Clock High. So, Lancaster decided to produce Hecht's "The Flame and the Arrow", a melodrama for Warner Brothers. Lancaster recruited Cravat to play his mute sidekick to his character who undergoes a moral awakening. The duo's physical and athletic talents was perfect for the movie. The film was a huge success. Lancaster begrudgingly filmed two dramatic films with moderate success. Seeking a 'meatier' role, Lancaster returned to Warner Brothers (WB) to star in Jim Thorpe: All-American (1951), directed by Michael Curtiz. The role of Thorpe, a native American athletic star was the kind of visceral and physical role that was perfect for him. Dealing with nihilism, racism, pride, identity, and self-respect, the actor Lancaster showed that he would and could move from studio to studio during the 1950s, making 23 films for 6 movie studios. Having his own film production company and having bankable success, Lancaster had flexibility. His family faced Billy having polio which mirrored Thorpe's son having influenza (& dying). After the film, Mister 880 (1950), Lancaster's astuteness led to him producing and starring in Ten Tall Men (1951) and The Crimson Pirate (1952), and his reputation landed him a role in Come Back, Little Sheba ( 1952). His professional partnership with Robert Schiffer, make-up artist began with Ten Tall Men. HUAC and the FBI continued to hound Lancaster & Norma Productions because the partnership with Hecht, a HUAC target.
Still, Lancaster filmed two quickies for Warner Bros and then filmed From Here To Eternity (1953), the Pearl Harbor/WWII drama. The film would be his most successful and controversial. His sensual and visceral role of Sergeant Warden and love scenes with Deborah Kerr challenged censors. The powerhouse was a huge box office hit and made Lancaster a superstar and earned him an Oscar nomination while others won several awards and praise. Professionally, Lancaster & Norma Productions parted ways with WB in mid-1953, opening the door for a deal with another studio. Enter Lew Wasserman, the new president of MCA Inc. which had taken control of the United Artists Studio. Wasserman brought many changes such as setting up a corporation, which would employ the actor, would own part of a motion picture in which the actor appeared, and all monies would accrue to the corporation, which was taxed at a much lower rate than was personal income. He used this to lasso James Stewart. Hecht-Lancaster soon signed a two-picture deal, Apache and Vera Cruz, co-starring Gary Cooper. The two 1954 films were directed by Robert Aldrich and the latter was Lancaster's first pairing with an established mega-star. In addition, Hecht-Lancaster Productions agreed to produce seven films over two years, including the Oscar-winning Marty which made them the top independent production companies. Lancaster also produced and directed The Kentuckian (1955). Despite enjoying directing, Lancaster continued to act and produce many successful films, including a circus movie, The Trapeze (1956), his second with Tony Curtis. He would star in three films made at Paramount in the mid-1950s (The Rose Tattoo, The Rainmaker and The Sweet Smell of Success). The third film was the first for the new production company of HHL (Hecht-Hill-Lancaster) when James Hill was brought in to procure stories for future films. This film would the first of five films produced by HHL Productions. The revisionist western, Gunfight at the O.K. Corral (1957) re-united Lancaster and Douglas, the top "tough guy" era actors. Although they were friends off-screen, they were intensely competitive, admiring each other's talents and clashing over egos, billing, and roles. Lancaster was a straightforward and relied on his instincts and life experiences to connect with a character while Douglas was a feisty, stylish with a chip on his shoulder. They duo would film six films together.
Lancaster's loyalties were often tested with his friends, partners and peers (Cravat, Hecht, Douglas, and Hill). Hill's alcoholism, bi-sexual lifestyle, and short-lived rocky marriage to actress Rita Hayworth impacted on Hill's HHL decisions. Lancaster was once again targeted by police because of his 'wild' lifestyle. Douglas' insecurities (stature and Jewish background) did strain their friendship, Lancaster. The 1950s ended with HHL producing Sweet Smell of Success (third film with Curtis), Run Silent, Run Deep (co-starring Clark Gable), "Separate Tables, The Devil's Disciple (the 3rd film with Douglas), and The Unforgiven (the last HHL film). The Sweet Sell of Success (1957) was the first of ten consecutive films for United Artists.
The 1960s was Lancaster's best acting decade, the end of his production company, and drastic changes in his life. By 1960, HHL Productions were constantly over-budget. filming lagged and none made from 1958 to 1960 were profitable. HHL dissolved in 1959 with Hill leaving to start his own company. Lancaster's vow to focus on his acting at age 47 led a run of amazing performances. In his post-HHL phase, he searched for conflicted characters to play. Starting with Richard Brooks' Elmer Gantry, a drama about Evangelism and tent revivals, Lancaster hit gold. Despite criticism from the Catholic Church and the Legion of Decency, the film succeeded and Lancaster won an Oscar win for his portrayal of a religious huckster This led to more successful gambles. First, The Young Savages (1961), directed by John Frankenheimer's about the attempted political exploitation of a murder involving Puerto Rican and Italian gangs in NYC's Spanish Harlem. Lancaster's played Assistant D. A. Hank Bell who grew up in the tenement district but got out to achieve success. His cynical hostility towards the youth offenders will aid his own career aims that leads him to grapple with his personal and social prejudices and commitments was riveting. Second, Judgment at Nuremberg (1961), directed and produced by Stanley Kramer, and written by Abby Mann featured an ensemble and veteran cast. The trial of fictionalized Nazi judges at Nuremberg in 1947 before a US military tribunal led by Chief Trial Judge Dan Haywood (Tracy) is the tale. One of the defendants is Judge Ernst Janning (Lancaster) who along with 3 other Nazi government judges stands accused of crimes against humanity. Janning conquers his denial and takes responsibility for obeying a government he despised. The film was an enormous success. Prior to filming his next film, Lancaster suffered a personal tragedy when his house was among those lost in the November of 1961 wildfires. Finding solace in acting, he threw himself into his next film, Birdman of Alcatraz (1962). The film re-united him with Frankenheimer for a film about the life of Robert Stroud, a 'lifer' in solitary confinement for murder who becomes a respected expert in avian diseases though the study of canaries and sparrows. Lancaster vividly shows Stroud's emergence from an anti-social misanthrope to a humane and intelligent man despite the brutal conditions of his 40-year incarceration. A third Oscar nomination resulted. Next, A Child Is Waiting (1963), which re-united Lancaster and Garland, as the director of a state mental health institution and a new teacher who challenges his methods, respectively. This was his 10th consecutive United Artist film which owed its resurgence to the him. Lancaster gambled with The Leopard (1963), playing a Sicilian noble, Don Fabrizio, Prince of Salina and speaking in Italian. Despite its big budget and international cast, it failed in the US but he was praised for his performance as a complex man seeing the death of aristocracy due to WWII. Lancaster moved his family into a modern house and throw himself into the Civil Rights movement in 1963. Lancaster embraced the concept of freedom in all things and became a full-blooded Liberal. He spent the summer appearing at rallies and raising awareness and money. He remained close to his friends and fulfilled a favor to Douglas (producer/star) with a small role in The List of Adrian Messenger (1963) before re-teaming with Frankenheimer (and Douglas) for Seven Days in May (1964), a taut political thriller. Frederic March was The President, Douglas played Colonel Jigs Casey, and Burt Lancaster played the patriotic but fanatic Right-wing Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General James M. Scott, loosely based on General MacArthur. The clever Lancaster based his interpretation on Senator Eugene McCarthy, his real-life nemesis. Working with a brilliant script penned by Rod Serling, the controversial movie hit a nerve. Lancaster's sinister performance of man who almost starts a nuclear war was lauded. It's premiere was delayed due to JFK's assassination. In 1964, he traveled to France to film The Train, a WWII thriller film directed by Frankenheimer and co-starring Paul Scofield and Jeanne Moreau. His portrayal of a machine-like French Resistance saboteur was lauded. He followed up this with two westerns, The Hallelujah Trail (1965), a and The Professionals (1966). During of the filming of the second film, Burt began an affair with hairdresser, Jackie Bone despite Schiffer's warnings. In response, Norma asked for a separation and they divorced in 1969. Taking a year off, Lancaster learned how to swim for controversial film, The Swimmer (1968). Clashes with filmmaker Frank Perry led to Sydney Pollack coming in to finish filming. Lancaster's portrayal of an upper-class suburbanite trying to 'swim' back to his past home is considered one of his best roles. He finished off the decade with three lackluster films: two Pollack films, an adult western, Scalphunters (1968) and the antiwar comedy, Castle Keep (1969) and another with Frankenheimer, The Gypsy Moths (1969) which re-united him with Kerr.
In 1970, Lancaster became active in Viet Nam protests and agreed to star in Ross Hunter's disaster film, Airport (1970) for 10% of the film's profits. He campaigned for George McGovern in 1971 and served as the chairman of the California ACLU chapter. Lancaster, knew he could now only play older grizzled characters so he sought his own archetypes. He selected stories of men isolated by circumstance and choice in Valdez Is Coming, Lawman, and Ulzana's Raid from 1971 to 1972. He filmed two popular mini-series, Moses The Lawgiver (1975) and Victory at Entebee (1976). During the latter 1970s, he made good films: 1900, The Cassandra Crossing, Twilight's Last Gleaming, The Island of Dr. Moreau, Go Tell The Spartans, and Zulu Dawn. In the late-1970s, he ended his relationship with Jackie; aided the Cravats; set up trusts his five children; and served on the LA Opera board.
His lead role in Atlantic City (1981) garnered him a fourth Oscar nod, losing to Henry Fonda who died in 1982. He also appeared in the play, Boys of Autumn. 1983 brough another film, Local hero and Robert Aldrich's death which reminded him of his mortality. In 1985, he met tv production coordinator, Susan Martin. He had the lead role in Barnum mini-series and re-united with Douglas for Tough Guys in 1986. After missing out on Old Gringo, Lancaster agreed to appear in Kevin Costner's (whom he admired) Field of Dreams (1989). His last lead role was in The Jeweler's Shop (1989) and he appeared in four mini-series in 1990-91. In poor health, Lancaster expressed his love for Susan and proposed marriage. They married in September 1990. Unfortunately, he had a stroke in November and became bed-ridden. Susan would care for him, leaving her career. He died of a heart attack at 80 on October 20, 1994.
Lancaster was the megastar who grappled with life.
October 15, 2011
Burt Lancaster was a major Hollywood star, won an Oscar and nominated for others, and a political activist. He doesn't come off as a likeable person, though. He could be domineering, a misogynist, and angry. He stayed married to a severe alcholic, but strayed in is marriage. He loved his children, but overwhelmed them with expectations to be like him. He could make great movies and duds.
This books shows us all his sides and profiles one of the most important actors of his generation.
Interesting.
This books shows us all his sides and profiles one of the most important actors of his generation.
Interesting.
January 26, 2019
Big, imposing and rather unexpectedly beautiful, there's a lot in Buford's capacious biography of Burt Lancaster that makes me think of the actor himself. She writes his life with a loving touch, a little entranced as we all are/were with these behemoth, and I loved it. This is a book which delivers something rather potent; a biography that loves its complicated, challenging and confident subject without ever attempting to make excuses for the worst of his behaviour even though Buford is more than a little in love with her subject. But then aren't/weren't we all.
March 14, 2016
Good, solid bio on an actor-producer-multi-hyphenate who was constantly pushing himself towards new horizons - all the way up to the end. This was a substantial, comprehensive book which probably could have been shaved down by a third and still have been good. The only thing about Kate Buford's writing that irked me to no end were her detailed, spoiler-happy rehashes of the plots of Lancaster's movies - most of which ultimately don't add much to his life story.
November 10, 2009
I would have thought this would have been an impossible biography to write. Burt Lancaster was just so large. But this book made me feel as though I knew him in all his facets, or many of his facets. This was a true pleasure to read.
March 5, 2022
So-so biography of a Hollywood legend. Lancaster's early life (from his childhood in East Harlem to his WWII service) is well-documented, as is his early movie career, but then the book rushes through the rest of his numerous movies paying only brief attention to his personal life. We are left with an incomplete portrait dominated by things that most of us already knew: Lancaster was a circus performer, a lifelong fitness nut, a compulsive womanizer, a devoted and loyal friend, father of five children by his second wife, married three times, an autodidact (reportedly read a book a day), produced many of his own movies, won an Oscar for Elmer Gantry, civil rights advocate, and rumored bisexual.
Despite not finding any evidence of Lancaster's bisexuality, Buford teases the subject nearly every chapter. For instance, she writes,
At least? Buford should know that rages, promiscuity, and mood swings were de rigeur for pill-popping and booze guzzling Fifties Hollywood. They didn't signify anything, least of all bisexuality.
Buford's long biography ends with the poignant chapter of Lancaster's third marriage, and his final years after suffering a stroke. In his later years, Lancaster seems to have softened as his body began to fall apart. He died of a heart attack in bed in 1994.
For decades, Lancaster was the vulgar, charming, huckster soul of Hollywood, so it's only fitting that he won his only Oscar for his portrayal of Elmer Gantry. His physical grace, expressive movement, and complete naturalness made him a compelling screen presence. There has never been another movie actor like him. Sad that this biography only skims the surface of a complicated man.
Despite not finding any evidence of Lancaster's bisexuality, Buford teases the subject nearly every chapter. For instance, she writes,
"Lancaster’s rages, promiscuity, and mood swings suggest some kind of conflict or confusion about sexual identity, at least."
At least? Buford should know that rages, promiscuity, and mood swings were de rigeur for pill-popping and booze guzzling Fifties Hollywood. They didn't signify anything, least of all bisexuality.
Buford's long biography ends with the poignant chapter of Lancaster's third marriage, and his final years after suffering a stroke. In his later years, Lancaster seems to have softened as his body began to fall apart. He died of a heart attack in bed in 1994.
For decades, Lancaster was the vulgar, charming, huckster soul of Hollywood, so it's only fitting that he won his only Oscar for his portrayal of Elmer Gantry. His physical grace, expressive movement, and complete naturalness made him a compelling screen presence. There has never been another movie actor like him. Sad that this biography only skims the surface of a complicated man.
April 2, 2026
Interesting bio overall; definitely comprehensive in terms of his career and insightful in many ways about the man himself.
Some quibbles:
(1) The writing is often ponderous--there were too many times I had to re-read and re-read again the same sentence due to length and complexity. So many parentheticals and hyphens and commas!
(2) The author seemed to want Burt Lancaster to be bisexual but evidence she uncovers says almost certainly he wasn't. This was an aspect of his life that should have been left out, given how completely nowhere it goes.
(3) The author gives far more detail about the business side of Lancaster's career than I wanted or needed to know. As far as I can tell he was not particularly actively involved in all of this--the book indicates that this was mostly left to his business partners--it ends up being not germane to his life story.
(4) As other reviewers have pointed out, the author includes too many spoilers about Lancaster's movies. We haven't all seen all of them!
Some quibbles:
(1) The writing is often ponderous--there were too many times I had to re-read and re-read again the same sentence due to length and complexity. So many parentheticals and hyphens and commas!
(2) The author seemed to want Burt Lancaster to be bisexual but evidence she uncovers says almost certainly he wasn't. This was an aspect of his life that should have been left out, given how completely nowhere it goes.
(3) The author gives far more detail about the business side of Lancaster's career than I wanted or needed to know. As far as I can tell he was not particularly actively involved in all of this--the book indicates that this was mostly left to his business partners--it ends up being not germane to his life story.
(4) As other reviewers have pointed out, the author includes too many spoilers about Lancaster's movies. We haven't all seen all of them!
December 20, 2021
Kate Buford's sometimes gossipy, most times overly detailed research project smacks of a writer who could not get inside personal access to the intimacies of Burt Lancaster's life. I am okay with this. I feel better that Lancaster's privacy was protected. I enjoyed greatly the inside look at a star's battle to remain true to his art even while he is learning his art. I suspect any intimate details found here are common knowledge gathered and put into one place along with ad infinitum details of Lancaster's business dealings which are noticeably less interesting. I found the book informed me that the actor's career was a much more thoughtful and interesting journey than I had ever considered and for that, I will watch Burt Lancaster films with more avidity at the growth of his career.
September 7, 2018
Burt Lancaster was one of my favourite actors while I was growing up & I have vivid memories of watching both The Crimson Pirate & The Birdman Of Alcatraz. This biography by Kate Buford is a balanced testament to his long life & career. A nightmare for some directors to work with he was generous with other actors, particularly those less experienced than himself. A serial womaniser he at least seems to have treated them well, unlike others of his ilk. And his liberal values were espoused to the very end. I found this a terrific read. Although a fan of Lancaster's I knew little of his life. I now feel I know everything worth knowing. For Baby Boomer film buffs.
September 10, 2022
This took me an exceptionally long time to get through but I loved nearly every moment of it. I haven't exactly found the right way to rate biographies, but I do believe this one did an excellent job at covering the man Burt Lancaster was and the man he wanted to be. I know that must've been no easy task but I can honestly say that every time I picked this up and read it, I became fully immersed in this universe of Burt Lancaster. It was a very beautiful experience and reaching the end felt like saying goodbye to a very dear friend. I wish we talked more about this talented and genuine human because he truly deserves to be spoken about
September 9, 2026
Tremendous stuff. Captures a complex individual who wasn't the best at what he did but never stopped trying. Lancaster could clearly be a shit, but for every failing there seems to be an example of a life selflessly lived. Buford tells his story unromantically, but with admiration for a man who changed Hollywood, stood by his morals, and looked his whole life like he was hewn from granite by the gods.
September 14, 2017
Lancaster was a major Hollywood star whose sense of justice showed both in his life and on screen, where he often chose projects that challenged the status quo.
May 16, 2018
An appreciative, revealing biography of one of my favorite actors. Buford vividly brings to life all the virtues and considerable flaws of the enigmatic movie star.
August 25, 2020
#80 of 120 books pledged to read during 2020
June 8, 2023
Childhood film hero laid bare
May 30, 2025
My friend, who is an almanac about pre 1960s movies, loves this book. For me, it had too much detail. The author was very thorough in covering Lancaster's life.
October 3, 2020
This was a terrible book!
Burt Lancaster was one of the Hollywood Greats, yet this book read like a telephone listing. There was no heart in it and more importantly no soul. it could have been such a great account, but it was lacking in any real atmosphere and I didn't feel I knew Burt Lancaster any better at the end of the book than I did at the beginning
Burt Lancaster was one of the Hollywood Greats, yet this book read like a telephone listing. There was no heart in it and more importantly no soul. it could have been such a great account, but it was lacking in any real atmosphere and I didn't feel I knew Burt Lancaster any better at the end of the book than I did at the beginning
January 23, 2014
I'm never sure if these movie star bios are meant to bring these legends down to earth, or create even more of a mythic stature by making their ordinary lives seem larger-than-life. I'm a big admirer of Lancaster's work, and that admiration grows even more so as time passes. I lived in Los Angeles when he died, and the day after played a pick-up game of softball next to the Hillside Golf Course where he spent a lot of his free time, especially later in life. I remember thinking about that as I played ball and thought that a nearby flag at half mast was for Lancaster, as well as for Lana Turner who had died that week as well.
This book does both of what I mentioned above, talks about the man's real life in a down-to-earth fashion yet still manages to make him come off as the movie star and mythic persona that he was even with the health ailments, temper, etc. His rocky partnership with Harold Hecht creating an independent production company that paved the road for the star company deals we see still in effect today. It's a life that fully exemplifies the smooth talking, physically impressive actor who created some of the most memorable characters on film - like JJ Hunsecker who is one of the best baddies you love to hate in The Sweet Smell of Success.
The final line of the book sums the man up so perfectly too - but I'm not going to reveal it here obviously but it's a line that will stick with me and something only a star of his stature could say and make it mean something.
Definitely worth reading.
This book does both of what I mentioned above, talks about the man's real life in a down-to-earth fashion yet still manages to make him come off as the movie star and mythic persona that he was even with the health ailments, temper, etc. His rocky partnership with Harold Hecht creating an independent production company that paved the road for the star company deals we see still in effect today. It's a life that fully exemplifies the smooth talking, physically impressive actor who created some of the most memorable characters on film - like JJ Hunsecker who is one of the best baddies you love to hate in The Sweet Smell of Success.
The final line of the book sums the man up so perfectly too - but I'm not going to reveal it here obviously but it's a line that will stick with me and something only a star of his stature could say and make it mean something.
Definitely worth reading.
January 11, 2023
Well written, if often distant. life of the Hollywood legend. Buford brings up something that was hidden from the General public but well known in Hollywood, Burt was Bi-sexual. Otherwise, her account doesn't give us many new facts.
Lancaster had an odd route to stardom. Born in NYC, a Circus performer thoughout the 30s, then working at Macy's and service in a US Army Entertainment troupe. After WW II, he was discovered, and within a couple years was not only a "star" but co-producing his own movies. Few leading men make their first movie at 33, and even fewer do it without almost no broadway or previous movie experience.
Despite all the great details in the book, the real Burt Lancaster remains an elusive figure. You find few romances with his leading ladies. We're told he was a "Wonanizer" but few names are given. We hear little from his friends. Did he have any, other than his old CIrcus partner? His great suppposed Friendship with Kirk Douglas seems to have existed more on the screen, than in real life.
Burt, the human being, doesn't really register on the page.
Maybe, like Oakland there was "no there, there". Just because you're a handome, intelligent, screen-actor, with a forceful personality, doesn't make you deeply interesting or fascinatingly or a thoughtful thinker with opinions on life, the universe, and everything.
One notes that despite his success, Lancaster never had the impact of a Brando, Bogart or Gable. Nor was he female heartrob or a beloved figure like Stewart. He was always good bur rarely great.
Lancaster had an odd route to stardom. Born in NYC, a Circus performer thoughout the 30s, then working at Macy's and service in a US Army Entertainment troupe. After WW II, he was discovered, and within a couple years was not only a "star" but co-producing his own movies. Few leading men make their first movie at 33, and even fewer do it without almost no broadway or previous movie experience.
Despite all the great details in the book, the real Burt Lancaster remains an elusive figure. You find few romances with his leading ladies. We're told he was a "Wonanizer" but few names are given. We hear little from his friends. Did he have any, other than his old CIrcus partner? His great suppposed Friendship with Kirk Douglas seems to have existed more on the screen, than in real life.
Burt, the human being, doesn't really register on the page.
Maybe, like Oakland there was "no there, there". Just because you're a handome, intelligent, screen-actor, with a forceful personality, doesn't make you deeply interesting or fascinatingly or a thoughtful thinker with opinions on life, the universe, and everything.
One notes that despite his success, Lancaster never had the impact of a Brando, Bogart or Gable. Nor was he female heartrob or a beloved figure like Stewart. He was always good bur rarely great.
July 16, 2012
This is a really difficult book to review. It is really well written, but I often felt while reading it that the research was not all it could have been (given the huge list of references at the back this might seem strange). For example Burt made three films with my all time favourite actress Ava Gardner, but she barely gets a mention. In these three was his first film, The Killers, but there is very little detail. Another problem I had with it was with the discussion of his sexuality. It was almost whispered that he was bisexual, and certainly there was no suggestions of who his partners might have been. Considering that his name has appeared in other (possibly more trashy) star biographies it's not that the information isn't out there. However, when towards the end of the book Burt is quoted as not wanting to read Kirk Douglas's autobiography because he can't understand the kiss and tell mentality, it maybe excuses the author from naming names, as she is just respecting his wishes. Anyway, a lot of moans for a book that is nevertheless a good read, especially concerning Lancaster's production company and the importance of this side of his work as the studios began to fade in the fifties.
April 20, 2014
Many movie-goers pictured Burt Lancaster as an athletic hunk with a big smile but, as with many things in Hollywood, the truth is more elusive. He was a college graduate before he became a circus performer and an actor that was always trying to redefine and escape any images that he created. He was also one of the first actors to branch out into independent production and also one of the first to win a production Oscar for a movie he didn't star in (Marty 1955). Unlike many heroic stars at the time, he was politically liberal and was an early and sincere activist against HUAC, and for causes like civil rights, prisoners rights, and for the equality of all people under the law. His early acting ventures in foreign films like Visconti's The Leopard (1963) made him a credible art film figure in Europe long before the Hollywood New Wave. Kate Buford's excellent biography traces the life and career of this legendary man in all his various shades of depth and complexity. A must for cinema fans. - BH.
May 25, 2011
Like watching a newly minted print of The Sweet Smell of Success, you cannot help but reevaluate Lancaster after reading this book. He sometimes plays to the rafters in his broader roles, but he was also one of the first successful independent film producers, carefully followed a plan of one hit film to one that he wanted to do for most of his career (sound like Johnny Depp's business plan to anyone else?), and had a thirst for knowledge and tolerance that was/is admirable. I highly recommend this book followed by a mini film series of the titles that intrigue you (and there will be many).
April 10, 2010
Okay bio of the star-overlong however.
February 19, 2014
An interesting man and a very interesting life
November 30, 2015
Good work about a very important figure in post-WWII Hollywood
February 11, 2020
A great read
Loved this book. What a marvelous portrait of a complicated actor. I've always loved Lancaster but this sent me back to his movies.
Loved this book. What a marvelous portrait of a complicated actor. I've always loved Lancaster but this sent me back to his movies.
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