Anna's Tribute to Burt Lancaster

Growing up in the slum of East Harlem in one of only a few Irish families in a predominantly Italian neighborhood, young Burt Lancaster was a sensitive boy who was both a rascally street kid while also being extremely bookish, spending entire days in the library. Known around the neighborhood for his beautiful singing voice, he and his father could often be found singing on the steps outside their house on Saturday nights.
Acting found him early, and he made his stage debut in a neighborhood community center, which got him a lot of attention. When the founders of a new theater company came to his house to offer him a place in their school, he climbed out the window and hid on the fire escape, trying to escape his fate, worried that people would laugh at him for being a “sissy”.
Until his calling caught up with him, he was many things-based on his athletic prowess, he got a scholarship at New York University, until he eventually dropped out and ran away to the circus with his best friend, with whom he formed an acrobatic act. In between seasons, he worked at a fair in Coney Island, as a singing waiter, even posed nude for gay magazines when money got tight.
When he arrived in Hollywood after serving in the army during WW2, he was already in his 30s, and he quickly made it his bitch-he made it pretty clear it wasn’t gonna be the other way around. Highly intelligent and intensely independent, he struggled with authority, which sometimes labeled him “difficult”. On the other hand, he was often praised for his professionalism, and he had an extremely generous and loyal side.
A true lover of film, he co-founded Hecht-Hill-Lancaster, one of the first independent production companies, which brought fourth such beloved films as Marty and Sweet Smell of Success. All his life, he fought for the underdog and stood up for minorities-a value his mother instilled in him when she wasn’t beating the living daylights out of him. It is probably that complexity that made him such a fascinating actor and that enabled such a lasting career-from Noir to adventure, from war to romance, from costume drama to Western, he was believable in every role.
Me, I respond to his intensity, his passion, his great sensuality, the vulnerable eyes behind a stoic mask-and that he always gave it his all and kept challenging himself until his health didn't allow it anymore. Last but not least I admire his physical beauty, his panther-like movements, the extraordinary grace of his strong body. Burt Lancaster was one of my first crushes when I got into Classic film, and I doubt that it will ever fade. So it was about time to pay tribute to this actor who brought me so many hours of joy. Working with material from over 50 movies from the 1940s to the 1980s, it took me a whole year to complete it, but here it is now.

[@lala-gj4oo]

i'd forgotten how truly magnificently handsome he was. my grandma's favorite. now i see why. rip burt.

[@andio3500]

What an absolutely beautiful and talented man he was

[@marjoriegarner5369]

Birt was the best there ever was. Magnificent. Miss him so much.

[@domdolittle]

What an actor, our older generation grew up with this outstanding performer, I can't remember a single time where we felt that he lost the plot, he was always spot on with whatever role he was playing... thanks for the memories.

[@lenhummel5766]

Burt was such an intense, fascinating screen presence ! One of the top five actors to ever come out of Hollywood. Very fine tribute. Thank you. our videos are thoughtful and full of feeling.🎯💛🎯💎

[@nohamousa9928]

Great actor and great video thanks 👍👍

[@gregoryblaska1586]

Thank you for including THE LEOPARD and THE SWIMMER. The first is barely known by his fans and the second dismissed as "odd". They are each atypical standouts certainly but they are testimony to how he could push perceived limits of his talent and its decided-by-other's boundaries and still come out on top and succeed. And succeed he does in each MAGNIFICENTLY. It is because of the extreme risking of his image inherent in manifesting each that they remain my favorites of his entire amazing career.

[@MM-pn5ud]

THE BEST

[@ΜιχάληςΑπατσίδης]

Simpy the best very handsome

[@MAOCPAC]

Thank you so very much. Beautiful editing, Mr. Lancaster would be very proud.

[@ritalizicska6620]

Super!!!!❤️

[@skylinerunner1695]

I must applaud your work here, the choice of music, the hours spent sorting through his movies, matching similar scenes from across the decades of his cinematic output. All your painstaking work has resulted in a wonderful short film. Terrific.

[@lucajordan5015]

Burt was the greatest hollywood personality

[@downhilltwofour0082]

One of the best ever!

[@patrickhicks9880]

i like the way you put this together there's something about him that always puts a smile on your face not like the wishy washy stars we have now

[@hitomi1341]

こんなにも素敵なTRIBUTEは初めてです。音楽も素晴らしい。burtは努力家で常にチャレンジしていました。生涯不屈の人です。彼の映画にそれが表れていました。 シーンひとつひとつを大切に思って演出して頂き本当に感謝申し上げます。 "My Lovely Dead Friends"さん　very great TRIBUTE Thank you so much！

[@jamesdaviddupre99]

My mom was a fan. I became one too. He may not have been an Olivier, but his presence & charisma led one's eyes to him in every scene. Burt rocks, as does his buddy Kirk.

[@basiabasia4212]

❤❤❤

[@suechun8871]

Your touch on Hollywood is missed.

[@nicolaemarian7009]

Burt Lancaster was and remains one of the greatest actors in Hollywood ... he was known and appreciated all over the world, including in the "Iron Curtain" countries ... many actors "made" by Hollywood are like actors, some amateur dwarfs besides Burt ... unfortunately in the last 30 years, little by little, the feature films and the great actors have disappeared ... now Netflex, HBO and other TV channels "will bend" in every way of movies and subculture series, where there is nothing but violence, hatred, enmity, beatings. crimes, etc. the "hard subjects" with which stupidity is dizzy, on a planetary level ... after a (short) time when the film was called "the 7th art", follows the "future" of humanity ... the "civilization" of Neanderthal ...

[@albertomichelini4882]

un grande attore che amava anche l'italia.