TCM Pick of the Day: Friday, February 13th
by John Nolte
7am PST - Elmer Gantry (1960) – A young drifter finds success as a traveling preacher until his past catches up with him. Cast: Burt Lancaster, Jean Simmons, Arthur Kennedy, Dean Jagger Dir: Richard Brooks C-147 mins, TV-PG
Smart, sophisticated and complex look at religion and those who spread it. Honest, but never cynical, critical, but never unfair, “Elmer Gantry” is as satisfying a look at faith, the faithful and their shortcomings as has ever been depicted on the big screen.
Lancaster towers in the title role of a Saturday night sinner who finds his way back to Jesus every Sunday morning. Great characters are riddled with contradictions and who Elmer Gantry truly is remains a mystery even after the fade, but that’s what makes him so fascinating. You don’t need me to tell you Lancaster won the Oscar in a career-defining role; you need only watch the film.
Shirley Jones also took home a statue for her against-type portrayal of a vindictive prostitute, the criminally under-appreciated Jean Simmons (she of the greatest female speaking voice ever) is just as good in a role almost as complex, and the great Arthur Kennedy supports doing what he always did better than anyone: sneer, spread cynicism, and ultimately find some kind of redemption.
Director Richard Brooks won an Oscar for adapting the novel by Sinclair Lewis, and the above clip is one of my all-time favorite screen moments. In the three scenes prior, everything we learn about Gantry tells us he’s a drunken, womanizing, bum who lies to his mother and uses faith as a tool of seduction. Then, with no one looking other than God, he walks into a church.
What a movie.
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33 Comments
"Elmer Gantry"
"The Apostle" (Robert Duvall as an honest but all-too-human fundamentalist preacher)
"Saving Grace" (Tom Conti as a Pope who slips away from the Vatican going incognito amongst his "flock")
My three choices for the best and fairest portrayals of "Faith", in all it's human aspects, that Hollywood has produced.
Of course, if you believe in miracles, "Song of Bernadette" rocks!
"The Rain Maker". THAT's my favorite!
That final scene of him in his wagon? Just him, arms outspread, rapture exploding from within him like a supernova – ahh, man! The whole film was incredible but that last scene just can't be beat.
But, you know, 'Elmer Gantry' is awesome too.
Burt Lancaster conveyed vitality and the joy of being alive.
That’s very appealing, and not so common (it seems to me).
However, one of his great performances (arguably one of his best)
was as an old worn out loser, a pathetic never-was taking refuge in his pretensions, in the film Atlantic City, in 1980.
He was nominated for the Best Actor Oscar for that one.
It’s got a fine screenplay by John Guare.
“You should have seen the Atlantic Ocean back in those days.
It was something then.”
What a sly, concise depiction of what sad folly some nostalgia may be.
Another unforgettable Lancaster role is in “The Swimmer.” I’m not big on existential but that and “Vanishing Point” are major exceptions.
No mention of Elmer Gantry would be complete without mentioning Shirley Jones as his smokin’ hawt(!!!) girlfriend/hooker! Yowsa!
Sorry, got carried away there for a second. Must be my latent heterosexuality.
I’d love to see the whole movie, but both times I rented it from Netflix (and yes, I reported the first one), it froze up about 2/3 of the way through. Must have been a bad transfer. Bummer.
Hated The Swimmer, even with Joan Rivers and that woman who played the beautician in the Dawn dishwashing liquid commercial (“You’re soaking in it now!”).
Ah, Mr. Lancaster! When a movie star FILLED the screen! One of my Favorites with Mr. Lancaster was “The Professionals” (Again directed by Richard Brooks) With Burt Lancaster, Lee Marvin, Woody Strode, Robert Ryan and Jack Palance in that movie, Claudia Cardinale needed a testosterone patch just to keep up.
Ha! I gotta agree with Carolyn. i loved Elmer Gantry, but seeing the energy, radiance and vitality of Lancaster's Starbuck changed my life. It set the ideal for what is possible (post redemtion, of course). Strength, enthusiasm, energy, pure love of life. He really set the virility bar high for all us barely post-adolescent dudes…but it gave us something to shoot for.
No kiddin', Jimmy.
Wha hoppen?
hey, sorry…I just looked up The Rainmaker on IMDB…and…no, I'm not that old, lol. Let me rephrase my previous comment: He really set the virility bar high for all us pre-adolescent dudes. Ha! (I was six when the movie came out)
my comments have been not making it to the board for past few days…tried the test and what do you know?
Now that I have nothing to add,,,everything will make it through. Should I try to resubmit my original comment?
Curious if anyone else has had any difficulties?
This looks looks some new commenting format as well…feel like I'm in an old 'Twilight Zone'…ah the little woman just came home…think I'll visit with her for awhile. Sorry for any confusion I may have caused. Carry on.
Clearly a new commenting format. OK then…
As I wrote earlier today, 'Elmer Gantry' is a dandy indeed.
Adding to the above list is one of my favorite Lancaster movies , 'The Young Savages' (1961) which I believe was not only the feature film debut for director John Frankenheimer but it also marked the first collaboration between these two great men. A few years after they went on to make 'The Birdman of Alcatraz' and later, 'The Train'.
For some reason I always felt 'The Young Savages' was always a gritty little drama that ranked right up there with Richard Brooks classic, 'Blackboard Jungle'.
But that's just me.
I love Jean Simmons! Not only was she elegantly beautiful, but her voice (as you note) is fantastic. She used to narrate something called Mysteries of the Bible on the History Channel which always captured my interest, largely because of her great voice work — plus some interesting takes on Biblical stories.
I was really impressed with Elmer Gantry. It was much more nuanced than I've come to expect from movies about religious people. But then, my views are shaped by more modern movies where the religious figure is always a fraud; their followers are always simpletons or angry hypocrites; and some stylized liberal is always the hero who exposes them.
Elmer Gantry was the first movie Patti Page did. I wrote her autobiography which just came out – http://www.misspattipage.com . Director Richard Brooks didn't want her and her scenes were cut down, probably because of his relationship with Jean Simmons, who may have felt threatened by the presence of a legendary beautiful singer. Or maybe it could be that they found out Patti was a lifelong Republican. Brooks didn't want Shirley Jones as Lulu Bain, either, yet she stole the show from Simmons.
Does anyone know whether Lancaster was doing his own singing?
If so, he's good! Really nice voice.
Plus Shirley Jones was smoking hot sexy in this role.
What about his first movie – The Killers? Great movie and Lancaster was such a mix of cocky and vulnerable. Then there's The Crimson Pirate where Lancaster swashbuckles with the best of them. He was so larger than life, but could play restrained just as well (Field of Dreams).
I have to second Sgt. Rock's nomination of 'The Apostle' as an accurate portrayal of faith. I can't claim expertise in many areas, but with a grandfather, uncle, late father and stepdad all southern fundamentalist preachers, the fervor, sincerity, and failings of Duvall's character strike me as dead on.
If playing restrained in Field of Dreams qualifies, what of his oil baron in Local Hero ?
"The Professionals" is one of the best westerns of all time. Talk about real men and no pretty boys.
You know, watching this film right this very minute, I realize all over again why Burt Lancaster deserved his Oscar for Best Actor. Memorable performance.
A fabulous restrained performance from Lancaster can be found in a tough little revenge grinder called, "Valdez is Coming."
Elmer Gantry starts strong and finishes almost as strongly. I am particularly impressed at how fairly the characters were portrayed. Sister Sharon truly believes in her calling. Elmer is a con man for Jesus, but within that narrow sphere he is an honorable man who doesn’t steal or screw around. The Secular Humanist, personified by the news- paper man, would like to believe, has respect for Jesus’ teachings, but cannot make that leap of faith. The prostitute, played far against type by Shirley Jones (Marion the Librarian), is a cliché of the whore with a heart of gold, but well played. Even though George Babbitt (played by TV’s Mr. Wilson), a smug, self-satisfied little Republican, is a buffoon, he nevertheless does the right thing for his own self-interest. A fine film.
Two Lancaster movies that don't get much screening anymore – both fabulous. One at the beginning of his career- Sorry, Wrong Number (does he attempt to warn his wife at the end to save himself from a murder rap or save her?) and one at the end, Go Tell The Spartans, little known, excellent.
Lancaster was incapable of turning in a bad performance, as the remarks above prove. Every role was embued with a physical and/or emotional dynamism that was unique. My favorite Lancaster role was in Vera Cruz, battling Cary Cooper for Mexican gold and Linda Darnell. Charming, deceptive, violent.
Elmer Gantry starts strong and finishes almost as strongly. I am particularly impressed at how fairly the characters were portrayed.
Indeed so, but it just occurred to me, Art, that we may have Richard Brooks to thank for that, since he wrote the script. What Sinclair Lewis wrote in the book may have differed from the script, as far as the characters and their personalities go.
Burt Lancaster had a smile that would light up the dead of night.
If you want a very restrained, subtle Lancaster performance, Atlantic City is up at (or near) the top of the list.
Yeah Flownover, in Local Hero BL was hilarious and very appealing. Charming film. Under-rated, in that it is not as widely remembered as it deserves to be.
John, thanks for the tip on Valdez Is Coming. I've got to check it out.
Cory's recommendation of Go Tell the Spartans reminds me — that film gives Burt Lancaster some monologues in which his charisma really shines.
Come to think of it, there's a similarity between Burt Lancaster's performances and those of Robert Duvall,
another of my big favorites.
They both tend to exude a dynamic energy that commands your attention, both are well-known for the electrifying effect they have when they are 'going all out' (loudly), and both can be mesmerizing when they are being very quiet and restrained (Duvall, mute in his debut in To Kill A Mockingbird, comes to mind, or his work in Tender Mercies).
Come to think of it, Robert Duvall could have done a great job playing Vincent Hanna in HEAT. Imagine…
PS: I'm the same guy who posted as CW earlier, but now the new website protocol requires an ID which is at least three letters long…
Don't forget Tough Guys, with Kirk Douglas, Dana "How The Hell Did He Get Here" Carvey, and of course the irreplaceable Eli Wallach.
Art-
Your synopsis is brilliantly concise and informative. I'd like to read your take on every movie I've ever seen! : )
John-
Help! I can't stop playng this clip! It's been two days! Glory Hallelujah, I'm on my way!
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