Burt Lancaster

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Biography

Recent Role:
Host on Circus of the Stars
Gender:
Male
Born:
11-2-1913
Died:
10-20-1994 (Heart Attack)
Birthplace:
New York, New York, USA
Birth Name:
Burton Stephen Lancaster
AKA:
Hecht-Hill-Lancaster, Lancaster
Burt Lancaster was an Oscar-winning American film actor.



Burt's father was a postal worker, James Henry Lancaster. His mother was Elizabeth Roberts. His grandparents were immigrants to the USA from Belfast. He grew up in East Harlem and was very interested in gymnastics from an early age. He joined the circus and worked as an acrobat until he was injured and had to give up the profession. In World War II he joined the Army and performed with the USO. His first movie was the killers from 1946.



More Burt was a liberal activist and spoke out in support of minorities and forming liberal groups. He was opposed to the Vietnam War and was almost Black Listed. He was also a supporter of Gay Rights and joined the fight against Aids.



Burt was married three times and had five children. His first wife was June Enst to whom he was married from 1935 to 1946. His second wife was Norma Anderson to whom he was married from 1946 to 1969. Norma divorced him because he was a womanizer. Together with Norma, he had five children, Billy (who is a screenwriter), James, Susan, Joanna and Sighle. Burt’s third wife was Susan Marin, whom he married in September 1990.



Burt won an Oscar for Best Actor for his 1960 movie Elmer Gantry. He was nominated for three other movies: From Here to Eternity (1953), Birdman of Alcatraz (1962) and Atlantic City (1981). In addition to that he won the NYFCC award for Best Actor for his 1953 movie From Here to Eternity and the NYFCC award for Best Actor for his 1960 movie Elmer Gantry.

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    10 Perfect
    One of my favorite actors. hide show

    When I was ten years old, I attended a costume party which opened with the screening of a movie. The Crimson Pirate. That was the first movie I had ever seen with Burt Lancaster. Burt Lancaster played the part of the swashbuckling Captain Vallo and I was fascinated, by his comic performance, his acrobats and the plot. I went home after the party and told my Grandmother that the best part of the costume party was the screening of the Crimson Pirate which I thoroughly enjoyed. My Grandmother, who was in her youth a humanitarian activist, much like Burt Lancaster, was extremely pleased that I enjoyed such an old movie and told me all about Burt's humanitarian activities which were just as important to him as acting, if not more. From then on, I kept a lookout for his name in the TV Guide and made a point of taping and watching anything that he appeared in. Over the next couple of years, I think I saw close to twenty five Burt Lancaster films and as an adult I think I've actually managed to watch almost all of them. Throughout the years my opinion of Burt Lancaster has never changed. He's a great actor, granted in some films his acting is not as brilliant as his acting is in other films, for example as an adult, I actually did not find The Crimson Pirate to be quite as entertaining as I found it to be when I was ten years old, but I did and still do, enjoy his more mature films, such as From Here to Eternity and the Birdman of Alcatraz. What can I say, he will always remain one of my favorite actors.

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