Burt Lancaster went from street-wise tough to art-collector liberal-activist, from circus-acrobat hunk to Academy Award winner. By age 18, Lancaster was 6' 2" and blessed with the athletic physique and dynamic good looks that helped make him famous. A stint in the Army introduced Lancaster to acting and led him to Hollywood where his first release, The Killers, propelled him to stardom at age 32. He took control of his own career and seldom faltered. Upon his death in 1994, four-time Academy Award-nominated Lancaster was acknowledged as one of the greatest stars in Hollywood. Lancaster's films include Westerns, costume epics and serious contemporary dramas. He starred in swashbucklers like The Crimson Pirate, and in more risky roles, like the aging alcoholic in Come Back Little Sheba. Other acting triumphs were The Birdman of Alcatraz, From Here to Eternity, The Rainmaker, The Sweet Smell of Success, Elmer Gantry - which earned him an Academy Award - and, Atlantic City. Those interviewed include: directors Sydney Pollack, Ted Post, and Delbert Mann; actors Rhonda Fleming, Virginia Mayo, Terry Moore, Peter Reigert, Earl Holliman, and Jeff Corey; producer James Hill; and biographer Gary Fishgall and others.
