10 Best Burt Lancaster Movies, Ranked
Burt Lancaster is among the most recognizable and celebrated actors from Hollywood's Golden Age, named the 19th greatest classic actor by the American Film Institute. Performing as a circus acrobat throughout the 1930s, Lancaster rose to international fame following World War II, thanks to his performance in the seminal 1946 film noir The Killers.
In a career spanning over 40 years, Lancaster conquered numerous dramas and acted alongside some of the time's most iconic figures. Nominated four times for the Best Actor Oscar and winning once, Lancaster built a rich and versatile legacy, including multiple acclaimed pictures that have become certified classics of American cinema.
10 'Sorry, Wrong Number' (1948)
Lancaster joins the legendary Barbara Stanwyck in the 1948 noir thriller Sorry, Wrong Number. The plot follows Leona Stevenson, a spoiled and imperious woman in a wheelchair who accidentally overhears a plot to kill a woman over the phone. Unable to reach her husband, she must untangle the web of lies alone before it's too late.
Sorry, Wrong Number is mostly a showcase for the mighty Stanwyck, who delivers a stunning performance that earned her a fourth Oscar nomination. However, Lancaster is equally impressive, playing Leona's husband, Henry, with a subtle yet convincing menace. Lancaster is second fiddle to Stanwyck, but he never allows Henry to seem inconsequential despite an already crowded plot.
9 'Conversation Piece' (1974)
The Italian drama Conversation Piece stars Lancaster opposite Helmut Berger. Co-written, directed, and produced by Luchino Visconti, the film centers on a reclusive American professor in Rome who must confront the changing times when he rents the apartment above his to a decadent countess.
A classic exploration of the generational gap and the clash cultures, anchored by a rich and introspective performance from Lancaster. The actor is thoughtful and pragmatic as the mature unnamed professor, expertly navigating the film's themes of mortality and maturity. Conversation Piece is not Visconti's best film, but it's a superior effort and a worthy showcase for Lancaster.
8 'Birdman of Alcatraz' (1961)
A largely fictionalized version of Robert Stroud's life, Birdman of Alcatraz stars Lancaster as the notorious criminal sentenced to solitary confinement after killing a guard. The plot chronicles his study of birds from prison, his publishing of the seminal book Diseases of Birds, and his rise as a respected, if controversial, ornithologist before his transfer to Alcatraz.
Birdman of Alcatraz commits the most egregious crime a biopic can make: it alters history to make its subject more sympathetic. The film softens the rough edges of Stroud's persona, largely thanks to Lancaster's despondent take on the character. Still, his performance succeeds as a work of fiction, if not a legitimate portrayal of the real man.
7 'Atlantic City' (1980)
Lancaster's career received a sudden and considerable boost in the '80s thanks to his performance in Louis Malle's romantic crime movie Atlantic City. The revered actor stars opposite Susan Sarandon in the story of a young woman who joins an aging small-time mobster in a dangerous plot to achieve success in an overly-corrupt city.
A critical success, Atlantic City was one of the few films nominated for the Big Five Oscars at the 1981 ceremony; however, it didn't win any. Still, it's a landmark film in Lancaster's career; the actor turns in one of his most heartfelt performances as the past-his-prime criminal Lou Pascal, a role that ranks among his most memorable.
6 'The Leopard' (1963)
In his first collaboration with Luchino Visconti, Lancaster plays Don Fabrizio Corbera in the director's 1963 masterpiece The Leopard. The film co-stars French icon Alain Delon and follows Corbera, an aging Sicilian nobleman struggling to keep up with his quickly reforming country and opportunistic nephew.
Although critically panned at the time, The Leopard is now highly-regarded, particularly for its now-iconic ballroom scene. Lancaster delivers a pensive and earnest performance as the stubborn Corbera, a man holding on to an idea that is no longer real - perhaps it never was. The Leopard is a thoughtful story about the clash between tradition and modernity, with Lancaster at the center of the dilemma.
5 'Elmer Gantry' (1960)
On his second try, Burt Lancaster won the Academy Award for Best Actor, claiming the coveted statuette for his performance in Richard Brooks' 1961 drama Elmer Gantry. Lancaster plays the titular character, a charming con man pretending to be a preacher to earn the love of a beautiful evangelist.
A refreshingly honest story about opportunism, cynicism, and the danger of blind faith and false prophets, Elmer Gantry pulls very few punches. Lancaster owns every scene, elevating the film with his ferocious and increasingly nasty portrayal of the conniving Gantry. Although less reprehensible than his book counterpart, Lancaster still makes Gantry morally complex, a poisoned apple hiding numerous sins behind a dashing smile. It's not an overstatement to call Elmer Gantry Lancaster's finest on-screen effort; the Best Actor Oscar has seldom been more deserved.
4 'Sweet Smell of Success' (1957)
The 1957 film noir Sweet Smell of Success features Lancaster starring opposite the iconic Tony Curtis. The plot follows corrupt newspaper columnist J. J. Hunsecker, who uses his influence and connections to ruin the reputation of his sister's new lover, whom he deems unworthy of her.
A scathing depiction of the power and corruption of the press, Sweet Smell of Success features one of Lancaster's most unsavory performances. The actor relishes every minute he's on-screen as the loathsome Hunsecker, crafting a portrayal of ruthless ambition that instantly stands out amid his filmography. Hunsecker is one of cinema's all-time great villains, and Lancaster exploits the role for everything it has.
3 'Judgment at Nuremberg' (1961)
Stanley Kramer's 1961 courtroom drama Judgment at Nuremberg united an all-star cast, including some of the classic era's most recognizable names, from Spencer Tracy and Burt Lancaster to Marlene Dietrich and Judy Garland. The plot dramatizes the Judges' Trial of 1947, where four German judges who served during the Nazi regime stood trial accused of war crimes.
Lancaster is chilling as the defendant Ernst Janning, crafting an impressive portrayal that defies characterization. Avoiding playing Janning as outright evil, Lancaster creates something more complex and challenging, a thought-provoking portrayal of complicity that remains striking today.
2 'The Killers' (1946)
Few film noirs are as iconic or influential as Robert Siodmak's seminal 1946 masterpiece The Killers. In his film debut, Lancaster stars opposite an unforgettable Ava Gardner in the story of a detective investigating the death of a man, The Swede, who didn't resist his own murder.
It's hard to believe The Killers was Lancaster's first time on-screen. The actor is a natural, convincingly playing the hapless Swede and portraying his descent into despair with compelling precision. The Killers indeed belongs entirely to Gardner, playing one of cinema's most iconic femme fatales; however, Lancaster fairs valiantly opposite her, making it easy to understand why the film launched him into stardom.
1 'From Here to Eternity' (1953)
When people think of Burt Lancaster, chances are they picture him emerging from the sea before rolling around the sand while passionately making out with Deborah Kerr. It makes sense; it's one of cinema's most enduring scenes, a bold display of passion groundbreaking for its time. However, there's more to his performance in Fred Zinneman's revered romantic war drama From Here to Eternity.
Set in the days leading up to the Pearl Harbor attack, the plot revolves around the experiences of three soldiers. Lancaster plays Sgt. Milton Warden, who's engaged in a torrid affair with the captain's wife, Karen. Sweeping and epic, From Here to Eternity is a bonafide classic; it has aged poorly, but Lancaster's intense performance and electrifying chemistry with Deborah Kerr remain as lauded today as they were in 1953.
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