Burt Lancaster: Daring To Reach VHS
A one-time circus acrobat who went on to become one of Hollywood's most beloved actors, Burt Lancaster was also one of the first stars to buck the studio system and form his own production company. Hear from friends and colleagues, including Sydney Pollack, Rhonda Fleming and Earl Holliman, and see clips from such Lancaster classics as "From Here to Eternity," "Elmer Gantry," "Atlantic City" and others. 62 min.
The Killers(1946) VHS
Ernest Hemingway's short story served as the basis for this tough crime saga of a down-and-out boxer (played by the debuting Burt Lancaster) who is executed by two small-time criminals. Insurance investigator Edmond O'Brien looks into the pug's policy and uncovers his involvement with crooks and beautiful, double-crossing Ava Gardner. Directed by Robert Siodmak; remade in 1964. 103 min.
Brute Force(1947) VHS
Director Jules Dassin's powerful, noir-flavored prison drama stars Burt Lancaster as an embittered inmate who launches a desperate breakout scheme with his cellblockmates and Hume Cronyn as a power-crazed guard who revels in brutalizing the prisoners. Script by Richard Brooks; with Charles Bickford, Sam Levene, Ann Blyth, Howard Duff (his film debut). 95 min.
Sorry, Wrong Number(1948) VHS
Classic suspense thriller stars Barbara Stanwyck in her Oscar-nominated role as a woman who accidentally hears her own murder being planned over the telephone, and must stop the plot before she's permanently disconnected. With Burt Lancaster, Ann Richards, Wendell Corey. 89 min.
All My Sons(1948) VHS
Powerful performances by Edward G. Robinson and Burt Lancaster drive this screen adaptation of the Arthur Miller drama. Robinson is a successful arms manufacturer who may have been responsible for sending defective parts to the military during World War II, and surviving son Lancaster, whose brother was killed in combat, sets out to find the truth. Louisa Horton, Mady Christians also star. 94 min.
Criss Cross(1949) VHS
Memorable "noir" thriller stars Burt Lancaster as an armored car driver whose affair with ex-wife Yvonne De Carlo forces him to help her husband, gangster Dan Duryea, in a heist. Slickly staged by director Robert Siodmak, the film also features Tony Curtis in his film debut, playing a gigolo. 98 min.
The Flame And The Arrow(1950) VHS
Rousing adventure saga set in medieval Italy stars a swashbuckling Burt Lancaster as the leader of a rebel army tangling with Hessian troops whose leader (played by Robert Douglas), has welcomed Lancaster's ex-wife (Lynne Baggett) into his arms. Things get really nasty when Lancaster kidnaps Douglas' niece (Virginia Mayo). With Nick Cravat, Norman Lloyd. 88 min.
Vengeance Valley(1951) VHS
Offbeat sagebrusher in which Burt Lancaster becomes embroiled in a nasty feud with bad boy half-brother Robert Walker when he's accused of fathering an illegitimate child. Hoping to control Lancaster's stake in the family ranch, Walker joins forces with the woman's brothers to track down his sibling. Joanne Dru, John Ireland also star. 83 min.
Come Back, Little Sheba(1952) VHS
Moving melodrama, based on William Inge's play, stars Shirley Booth in an Academy Award-winning role as the frumpy, neglected wife of alcoholic doctor Burt Lancaster. Terry Moore is the boarder whose presence brings the couple to a dramatic change in their unhappy lives. 99 min.
The Crimson Pirate(1952) VHS
One of the all-time great buccaneer sagas, loaded with spectacular stunts, derring-do and good-natured fun. Burt Lancaster and Nick Cravat are the rugged privateers caught between two different sides in a struggle between islands in the Mediterranean. Eva Bartok, Torin Thatcher co-star. 104 min.
From Here To Eternity(1953) VHS
Classic drama of the men and women at a Pearl Harbor Army base shortly before the Japanese attack won eight Oscars, including Best Picture, Director and both supporting roles. Montgomery Clift is the rebellious officer, Burt Lancaster and Deborah Kerr the surf-swept lovers. With Donna Reed, Frank Sinatra, and Ernest Borgnine; directed by Fred Zinnemann. 118 min.
His Majesty O'Keefe(1953) VHS
A colorful adventure starring Burt Lancaster as an American who helps the natives of a South Seas island modernize their technology and is soon considered a god by the tribe. After assimilating into the new environment, he marries a beautiful native girl and finds his new home threatened by white traders. Joan Rice and Andre Morell co-star. 92 min.
Vera Cruz(1954) VHS
Exciting frontier saga stars Gary Cooper and Burt Lancaster as rival gunfighters involved in a plot to overthrow the Emperor of Mexico in the 1860s. Co-stars Cesar Romero, Denise Darcel and Charles Bronson; Robert Aldrich directs. 94 min.
Apache [DVD](1954) DVD
One of the first Western films to show life from the Indians' point of view, with Burt Lancaster starring as an Apache warrior who continues to fight the Army for his peoples' rights after Geronimo's defeat. Jean Peters, John McIntire and Charles Buchinsky (Bronson) also star; Robert Aldrich directs. 87 min. Standard; Soundtracks: English mono, French, Spanish; Subtitles: French, Spanish; theatrical trailer; scene access.
The Rose Tattoo(1955) VHS
Anna Magnani won an Oscar for her portrayal of a Sicilian-born widow in a small Louisiana fishing town whose faithfulness to her late husband is tested by the attentions of truck driver Burt Lancaster. With Ben Cooper, Marisa Pavan. 117 min.
The Kentuckian(1955) VHS
Spirited adventure saga set in the 1820s, with Burt Lancaster (who also directed) as a widower who takes his young son with him on a journey from his native Kentucky to Texas. Along the way he visits his well-meaning relatives, frees and befriends a female bondslave and is confronted by a nasty saloon owner. Donald MacDonald, Diana Lynn and Walter Matthau (in his film debut) co-star. 103 min.
The Rainmaker(1956) VHS
A charismatic con man blows into a drought-stricken town and transforms it and the local spinster, more with audacity and idealism than from his unproved weather-changing powers. Katharine Hepburn and Burt Lancaster star. 121 min.
Gunfight At The O.K. Corral(1957) VHS
Superbly mounted, landmark western that authentically depicts the famous showdown between Wyatt Earp and "Doc" Holliday and the Clanton Gang, while exploring the friendship between the rugged marshal (Burt Lancaster) and the dentist turned gunfighter (Kirk Douglas). Co-stars Rhonda Fleming, John Ireland; directed by John Sturges and written by Leon Uris. 122 min.
Sweet Smell Of Success(1957) VHS
A publicity-hungry New York press agent (Tony Curtis) desperate for success tries to ingratiate himself with a powerful columnist (Burt Lancaster) by breaking up an affair between the writer's sister and a jazz musician. Powerful drama of the high cost of fame, co-scripted by Clifford Odets, also stars Martin Milner, Susan Harrison, Barbara Nichols. 96 min.
Run Silent, Run Deep(1958) VHS
Exciting, expert submarine epic, starring Clark Gable and Burt Lancaster as feuding Naval officers who find themselves going head-on against a Japanese submarine during World War II. This precursor to ``The Hunt for Red October'' is a tense thriller, co-starring Jack Warden and Don Rickles. 93 min.
Separate Tables [DVD](1958) DVD
Exceptional version of the Terence Rattigan plays dealing with the hopes and heartbreaks of the occupants of a British seaside resort. Tremendous performances from Burt Lancaster, Rita Hayworth, Deborah Kerr and Oscar-winners David Niven and Wendy Hiller. 98 min. Widescreen (Enhanced); Soundtracks: English mono, French, Spanish; Subtitles: French, Spanish; audio commentary; theatrical trailer.
The Devil's Disciple(1959) VHS
George Bernard Shaw's barbed play is transformed into a sparkling satire of British colonialism set in New Hampshire in 1777. Kirk Douglas is a rowdy revolutionary who seeks help from local pastor Burt Lancaster in getting revenge for the death of his father by the leader of the British forces (Laurence Olivier). With Janette Scott and Eva La Galliene. 82 min.
The Unforgiven(1960) VHS
Sprawling, star-laden saga of two families in 1850's Texas in conflict with the neighboring Indians over suspected half-breed Audrey Hepburn. John Huston directs an impressive cast that features Burt Lancaster, Audie Murphy, Lillian Gish, Charles Bickford and Doug McClure. 125 min.
Elmer Gantry(1960) VHS
A potent melodrama whose theme became ironically more timely as the years passed, Richard Brooks' adaptation of the Sinclair Lewis story stars Burt Lancaster as the silver-tongued salesman who joins evangelist Jean Simmons' entourage as a preacher, until his own vices doom him. Academy Awards went to Brooks, Lancaster, and Shirley Jones as Gantry's call girl ex-lover. 146 min.
Judgment At Nuremberg(1961) VHS
Stanley Kramer's masterful, emotional depiction of the Nazi War Trials in Nuremberg is highlighted by Abby Mann's Academy Award-winning script and a stellar cast that includes Spencer Tracy, Marlene Dietrich, Burt Lancaster, Maximilian Schell, Richard Widmark, Montgomery Clift and Judy Garland. 186 min.
The Young Savages(1961) VHS
Powerful drama from director John Frankenheimer ("The Manchurian Candidate") in which New York assistant D.A. Burt Lancaster is assigned to prosecute three teenage gang members for the stabbing death of a blind Puerto Rican youth. As Lancaster digs deeper into the case, he confronts political opportunism, racial prejudice and his own marital problems. Dina Merrill, Shelley Winters, Edward Andrews also star.
Birdman Of Alcatraz(1962) VHS
Fascinating true story of Robert Stroud, the convict who spent his years in prison becoming a renowned authority on bird life. Burt Lancaster is superlative in the title role, and able support is given by Edmond O'Brien, Karl Malden, Thelma Ritter and Telly Savalas. Directed by John Frankenheimer. 143 min.
The List Of Adrian Messenger(1963) VHS
Stylish, unusual mystery from director John Huston has ex-British army officer George C. Scott out to catch a murderer before he can check the final name off his "death list." The heavily disguised guest stars include Tony Curtis, Kirk Douglas, Burt Lancaster, Robert Mitchum and Frank Sinatra. 98 min.
A Child Is Waiting(1963) VHS
John Cassavetes directs Judy Garland in this touching tale about an overly involved teacher in a school for the mentally retarded and her wisely objective supervisor. The fine cast includes Burt Lancaster, Gena Rowlands and real-life handicapped children. 104 min.
Seven Days In May(1964) VHS
Sensational political thriller about a noble but weak president (Fredric March) whose nuclear disarmament treaty with the Soviets motivates a right-wing general (Burt Lancaster) to plot to overthrow the government. Kirk Douglas plays Lancaster's assistant, who accidentally learns of the coup and must stop it. With Ava Gardner, Edmond O'Brien. John Frankenheimer directs Rod Serling's script. 118 min.
The Train(1965) VHS
In this riveting World War II tale, Burt Lancaster plays a railway engineer who enlists the help of members of the French Resistance to stop a train filled with art treasures that's being routed to Germany by the Nazis. Paul Scofield, Jeanne Moreau and Michel Simon also star in John Frankenheimer's exciting wartime thriller. 133 min.
The Professionals(1966) VHS
Lusty, rousing tale about four soldiers of fortune (Burt Lancaster, Lee Marvin, Robert Ryan, Woody Strode) in the 1917 West hired by a cattle baron to rescue his kidnapped wife from a Mexican bandit. With Jack Palance, Claudia Cardinale, Ralph Bellamy. 117 min.
The Swimmer(1968) VHS
Burt Lancaster stars as a middle-class exec who decides one afternoon to "swim" home through his neighbors' pools, encountering several truths about his life and some women from his past along the way. Unusual and emotional drama, based on John Cheever's short story, also features Kim Hunter, Janice Rule, Janet Landgard and Joan Rivers. 94 min.
The Scalphunters(1968) VHS
Rousing Western adventure with Burt Lancaster as a not-too-bright fur trapper who teams with a runaway slave, played by Ossie Davis, to find the gang that swiped a batch of valuable pelts. Telly Savalas and Shelley Winters also star in this action-packed tale that features a brutal brawl in the mud. 103 min.
Big Game America(1968) VHS
The first 50 years of the National Football League are recounted in this early NFL Films production, narrated by Burt Lancaster. See clips from memorable moments featuring the legends of the game, plus Don Meredith wired for sound in his final game. 51 min.
Castle Keep(1969) VHS
Unusual WWII story from Sydney Pollack starring Burt Lancaster as a one-eyed U.S. Army major who leads a squad of misfit soldiers to an art-filled Belgian castle for some rest and relaxation. But the Americans are soon forced into helping the castle's owner, a count, when the Nazis attack. Peter Falk, Jean-Pierre Aumont, Al Freeman, Jr. and Bruce Dern also star.
Airport [DVD](1970) DVD
The grand-daddy of them all mixes a blizzard, a bomb and a plane filled with passengers into a great drama. Dean Martin, Burt Lancaster, Jacqueline Bisset, Helen Hayes and George Kennedy star. 137 min. Standard; Soundtrack: English; production notes; scene access.
Valdez Is Coming [DVD](1971) DVD
Rugged, guns-a-blazin' Western tale, adapted from an Elmore Leonard story, starring Burt Lancaster as a Mexican-American sheriff who kidnaps the wife of a wealthy rancher who has disgraced him. Susan Clark, Richard Jordan and Hector Elizondo also star. 90 min. Widescreen; Soundtracks: English mono, French, Spanish; Subtitles: French, Spanish; theatrical trailer; scene access.
Lawman [DVD](1971) DVD
Provocative Western drama starring Burt Lancaster as a marshal who discovers that those responsible for hiring him to capture a group of murderous ranchers have turned against him. Robert Ryan, Lee J. Cobb, Sheree North and Robert Duvall also star. 95 min. Widescreen (Enhanced); Soundtracks: English Dolby mono, Spanish Dolby mono, French Dolby mono; Subtitles: Spanish, French; theatrical trailer.
Ulzana's Raid [DVD](1972) DVD
A pair of Cavalry officers are sent out to track down a band of renegade Indians who have been killing settlers, but the men disagree on how to deal with them. Alternately brutal and thought-provoking Western drama stars Burt Lancaster, Bruce Davison, Richard Jaeckel; Robert Aldrich directs. 103 min. Standard; Soundtrack: English mono; Subtitles: English, Spanish, French; scene access.
Scorpio(1973) VHS
Expert globe-trotting espionage story stars Alain Delon as a hired assassin who is told that his associate, super CIA operative Burt Lancaster, is a double agent. A cat-and-mouse game around the world ensues, involving other agents and pitting crafty veteran Lancaster against young, slick Delon. Paul Scofield, John Colicos and Gayle Hunnicutt also star. 114 min.
Executive Action(1973) VHS
Before Oliver Stone's "JFK," there was this underrated drama, based on the writings of Mark Lane, that explores the conspiracy theories behind the Kennedy assassination. Burt Lancaster, Robert Ryan, Will Geer star. 91 min.
Scorpio [DVD](1973) DVD
Expert globe-trotting espionage story stars Alain Delon as a hired assassin who is told that his associate, super CIA operative Burt Lancaster, is a double agent. A cat-and-mouse game around the world ensues, involving other agents and pitting crafty veteran Lancaster against young, slick Delon. Paul Scofield, John Colicos and Gayle Hunnicutt also star. 114 min. Widescreen; Soundtracks: English mono, French; Subtitles: English, French; theatrical trailer; scene access.
Moses(1975) VHS
One of the most exciting of all Bible epics is this look at the life of the Israelite leader (Burt Lancaster), from his conflict with Pharaoh, the Exodus from Egypt and the reception of the Ten Commandments from God. Co-stars Anthony Quayle, Irene Papas. 141 min.
Buffalo Bill And The Indians, Or Sitting Bull's History Lesson(1976) VHS
More than one myth about the "winning of the West" is deflated in director Robert Altman's satiric historical drama that stars Paul Newman as the flamboyant Buffalo Bill Cody, frontier marksman-turned-"Wild West Show" pitchman. With Joel Grey, Harvey Keitel, Burt Lancaster, and Geraldine Chaplin as Annie Oakley; scripted by Alan Rudolph. 123 min.
1900(1976) VHS
Bernardo Bertolucci's sweeping epic of early 20th-century Italy stars Robert De Niro as a weak-willed landowner who becomes a pawn of the Fascists and Gerard Depardieu as a Marxist insurgent farm worker. Grand drama also stars Burt Lancaster, Dominique Sanda, Donald Sutherland, Stefania Sandrelli. 255 min.
Victory At Entebbe(1976) VHS
Exciting re-creation of the July 4, 1976 Israeli commando raid on the Ugandan airport where hijacked hostages were being held by Palestinian terrorists. Kirk Douglas, Richard Dreyfuss, Linda Blair, Elizabeth Taylor, Anthony Hopkins, Burt Lancaster, Theodore Bikel and Helen Hayes are featured in this all-star account of the rescue. 119 min.
The Cassandra Crossing(1977) VHS
Sophia Loren, Ava Gardner, Richard Harris and Burt Lancaster are four members of an all-star passenger list on board a trans-European train that has been contaminated with an infectious plague by terrorists. Co-stars Martin Sheen and O.J. Simpson as Father Haley. 132 min.
The Island Of Dr. Moreau(1977) VHS
Burt Lancaster stars in the title role as H.G. Wells' deranged scientist, who uses his remote island as a base for experiments in creating half-human, half-animal monstrosities. Michael York is a shipwrecked sailor caught in Moreau's mad schemes, and Barbara Carrera is one of his subjects. 104 min.
Go Tell The Spartans(1978) VHS
Powerful, overlooked Vietnam War drama set in 1964 during the early days of U.S. involvement. Burt Lancaster plays a cynical military advisor commanding a group of combat experts and recruits who disagrees with his higher-ups regarding the approach to stop the Viet Cong. Craig Wasson, Marc Singer and Evan Kim also star. 114 min.
Atlantic City [DVD](1980) DVD
Burt Lancaster shines as an aging small-time gangster who feels out of place amid the changing resort town, until a stash of drugs belonging to the mob and a chance to save waitress/casino dealer student and lemon-freshened love interest Susan Sarandon gives him renewed vigor and a will to live. Director Louis Malle's offbeat thriller also stars Kate Reid, Robert Joy, Hollis McLaren. 104 min. Widescreen (Enhanced); Soundtracks: English Dolby Digital mono, French Dolby Digital mono; Subtitles: English; scene access.
Local Hero(1983) VHS
Wonderfully understated comedy from Bill Forsyth about an American oil executive sent to a Scottish seacoast village to close a land deal, a village filled with offbeat residents and quirky humor. Peter Riegert, Burt Lancaster, Denis Lawson, Jenny Seagrove star; music by Mark Knopfler. 112 min.
Scandal Sheet(1985) VHS
Cynical look at the seedy world of tabloid newspapers with Burt Lancaster as the publisher of a popular supermarket tab and Pamela Reed as the legit reporter who gets a rude indoctrination into sleazy journalism. With Lauren Hutton, Robert Urich. 120 min.
Control(1986) VHS
What begins as a psychological experiment involving a group of people put in a fallout shelter turns into an all-too-real struggle to survive in this gripping drama. Burt Lancaster, Kate Nelligan, Ben Gazzara star. 83 min.
Tough Guys(1986) VHS
That's what movie fans have been calling Burt Lancaster and Kirk Douglas for years, and you'll see why in this rousing, light-hearted tale of two aging ex-cons who find adjusting to the outside world their toughest challenge yet. With Charles Durning, Dana Carvey, Darlanne Fluegel. 103 min. This tape is previously viewed. Manufacturer: Touchstone Home Video. Box condition: C. Tape appearance: B.
Rocket Gibraltar(1988) VHS
Heartfelt drama of an elderly man (Burt Lancaster) who, faced with imminent death, uses his birthday party as a chance to reunite his family and, with his grandchildren's help, to fulfill his dream of being set out to sea in a Viking ritual funeral boat. With John Glover, Suzy Amis, Patricia Clarkson, Macaulay Culkin. 100 min.
Field Of Dreams [DVD](1989) DVD
Iowa farmer Kevin Costner, heeding a voice only he hears, plows under his crops to build a baseball diamond that will become the "home field" to an all-star team of long-gone players. Part sports drama, part fantasy and part father-son story, this beautifully filmed adaptation of W.P. Kinsella's novel "Shoeless Joe" also stars Amy Madigan, James Earl Jones, Burt Lancaster and Ray Liotta. 106 min. Widescreen; Soundtracks: English 2.0, French; Subtitles: Spanish; commentary by director Phil Alden Robinson, more; "making of" documentary; production notes; biographies; film highlights; theatrical trailer.
The Phantom Of The Opera [DVD](1990) DVD
The first version of Gaston Leroux's famous story to be filmed in the Paris Opera House, this sumptuous production features Charles Dance as the masked musician who secretly trains singer Christine (Teri Polo). Burt Lancaster also stars as Carriere, the opera manager who has cared for Christine and who must save her when the Phantom kidnaps her. Tony Richardson ("Tom Jones") directs. 175 min. Standard; Soundtrack: English stereo; scene access.
Separate But Equal(1991) VHS
Powerful, Emmy Award-winning true-life story, set in 1950s South Carolina, stars Sidney Poitier as NAACP lawyer Thurgood Marshall, who takes a tense and potentially groundbreaking segregation case from a small town to the Supreme Court. Co-stars Burt Lancaster as the opposing attorney and Richard Kiley as Chief Justice Earl Warren. 194 min.