Elmer Gantry
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Movie Reviews of Elmer Gantry
Movie Review: Fantastic Movie
Summary: 5 Stars
One of the best acting jobs in the history of movies. A must see.Movie Review: The All Inclusive Tent
Summary: 4 Stars
This is a review of the United Artists film ELMER GANTRY (1960) directed by Richard Brooks and released as an MGM DVD in 2001. Based on the novel by Sinclair Lewis, Elmer Gantry, dynamically played by Burt Lancaster, is the story of a born salesman who turns his hand to tent revival preaching. Gantry is heavily influenced by the success and personal charisma of Sister Sharon Falconer, played by Jean Simmons, a character apparently modeled on the real life Aimee Semple McPherson , a tent show'radio revivalist on the west coast in the 1920s.
The fictional preacher Gantry is on his way to the top with his energy charged tent meetings and charismatic public conversions of sinners until an old girlfriend, who he left in the lurch years ago and is now a fallen woman runs into him. The woman, Lulu Bains, played by Shirley Jones, sets him up in a blackmail then publicity sting to show the public what a hypocritical womanizing sinner their fast rising young preacher really is. The prostitute's scheme also shows Sister Falconer once and for all that her fair haired boy, now suitor, is not the divine powerhouse he had once possibly seemed to be.
The climax of ELMER GANTRY is almost like divine retribution straight out of the good book, and maybe a little overdone. But on the whole I think ELMER GANTRY is a very fine film with excellent performances all around, a well made example of the late classic era of Hollywood film making with beautiful cinematography by John Alton, whose solo shots of the different characters are very much like oil portraits. ELMER GANTRY is a well written and produced film, with an Oscar winning performance by Burt Lancaster.
I give ELMER GANTRY Four and One Half Stars
Movie Review: What A Performance!
Summary: 4 Stars
Before I rave about Burt Lancaster's most outstanding--and subsequent signature--role, I have to get off my chest all the things that bothered me about ELMER GANTRY. Things like mindless stereotypes--from Bible-thumping Midwestern nimrods to ecclesiastical hypocrites. (Like we've never seen any of this before?) Jean Simmons is more convincing as an instructor at a charm school than as an evangelist under a chautauqua tent, while Shirley Jones's soiled dove role is a case study in contrived predictability. And while we're on the subject of predictability, let's be sure to mention Arthur Kennedy as the skeptical, cynical reporter (truly groundbreaking, I know).
But put all of the above aside; I thoroughly enjoyed this 1960 classic because Burt Lancaster is literally larger than life as he romps through every shot with the tenacity of a pit bull. Lancaster, grinning ear to ear, oozes charming believability, whether he's playing Elmer Gantry the charlatan, Elmer Gantry the hard-drinking womanizer, or Elmer Gantry the fire-and-brimstone condemner of souls. His energy and vitality, his roguish charm and overconfidence, devour every scene. If ever there was an Oscar-worthy performance, this one is it, and ELMER GANTRY is darn worth seeing because of it. Here Lancaster aptly shows he was the original bad boy.
--D. Mikels, Author, Walk-On
Movie Review: win heaven as you can
Summary: 4 Stars
Elmer Gantry is an impostor, lustful, drunk man. Summing up, until there, nothing unusual, but he's more than all these, because ordinary people, good or bad, doesn't pretend to make business from religion. Surely they haven't the necessary oratory talent, but Gantry surpass almost all in this, and in defrauding in these peculiar way he's a deliberate, qualified sinner. But perhaps Gantry isn't so bad. We see: he lies, but his public I think wishes to be deceived and in these strange way, he gives illusion and hope. No doubt the hope and illusion he gives are a fraud but however he does give these and in life there isn't much of all that. Elmer Gantry puts fire in his words it doesn't matter what these words says -usually nothing- but he has enthusiasm ad that ever has been a scarce quality. We truly don't know what is the Christianism of Gantry; these minuteness are irrelevant for him, but I think defrauding people is paradoxically the way he has to love these people and you know, one of the few things Devil can't do is to love. For that I think Elmer Gantry at last is a good man who has some bad habits, but, who has not some in this life? No human is perfect and Gantry is simply human and that is much.Movie Review: Powerful - Provacitive
Summary: 4 Stars
My husband said this was THE best movie Burt Lancaster did! We had just seen "From Here to Eternity", which I thought was very good. I was amazed at the acting, more so Jean Simmons, but Lancaster was VERY good! If you haven't seen this movie, I'd recommend it -- via Amazon you don't have to be up at 3:30 a.m. to watch it and no commercials! -- Vicki M