Bert Lancaster is an American actor best known for his films The Leopard, The Nuremberg Trials, and Family Portrait in the Interior. The performer was awarded the Golden Globe and Oscar. He starred in more than ninety films.
For all the time of film activity, the talented actor managed to try on and embody amazing images.
Childhood and youth
At the very beginning of November 1913, Bert Lancaster was born in Los Angeles. The boy's father was a postman, his mother led the house. Since the family was not in any way connected with the film world, the child did not even think about a film career from early childhood.
The future celebrity was fascinated by sports. The boy's physical characteristics greatly contributed to this. For many years he loved baseball. Often, Lancaster sacrificed school lessons as a sacrifice.
Sports activities led to the decision to teach physical education. But Bert got bored of college very quickly. After the expulsion, the young man went to circus acrobats. He managed to create his own troupe. True, it did not exist for long.
The end of a career that began so well was put by a serious hand injury. Temporarily Bert worked as a supervisor in a supermarket, then became a manager of a concert bureau. The Second World War made serious adjustments to the plans for the future.
A young man at the front began to participate in a pop brigade, raising the morale of American soldiers. The participants visited Australia, North Africa, Italy. The young actor was trusted only with acrobatic performances.
The aspiring performer in the post-war years was noticed by the assistant of the theater producer. Lancaster accepted his invitation. As a result, Bert took part in the play for the first time.
The path to the cinema world
The young man's debut was the Broadway production of The Sounds of the Hunt. In it, Lancaster got the role of a charming military man. The performance caused a storm of indignation from critics. However, they unanimously spoke positively about the debutant.
"Sounds of the Hunt" has become a kind of ticket to the cinema and theatrical world. After the performance, Bert received several invitations to act in films at once.
The decisive young man stopped his choice on "Desert Fury". True, the drama with a criminal bias did not gain audience success. But the novice actor who did an excellent job with the game was noted by other directors.
The first notable role came to Lancaster in 1946. The picture “The Assassins” by Robert Siodmak appeared in the portfolio of the charming artist. In it, Bert got the image of a brave, but too naive hitman.
The character was liked by many viewers. The following year, Bert was offered a similar character in the film Brute Force. But this time the young actor was playing the already innocent convict convict. The dramas Sorry, Wrong Number and Criss-Cross were successful.
During his way up the ladder of success, the performer was given mainly the role of physically strong people who found themselves in extreme conditions and were forced to get out of them on their own.
In the fifties, Lancaster was very often filmed. Among the most successful films was the film "Fire and Arrow". The actor managed to play the role of the Italian Robin Hood, who defended the disadvantaged in the twelfth century.
The circus past of the performer contributed to the independent performance of acrobatic stunts. There were plenty of them in the picture.
Success and recognition
The image of the Massai Indian became another confirmation of the actor's talent. He played a difficult character in the adventure film "Apache" by Robert Aldrich.
The picture told about the problems of the indigenous population of the States, oppressed by white Americans. The viewer was captivated by an exciting plot, and the abundance of tricks with chases brought the tape to the highest grossing.
The 1953 film project "From Now and Forever" presented celebrities with an Oscar nomination. After the movie, Bert received the title of America's sex symbol. The performer did not part with this title for many years. One of the most sensual scenes in film history is still called the passionate kiss of the hero with his partner in the picture.
In 1960, the star performer received an Oscar for the film Elmer Gantry. Bert got the image of a wandering charlatan who fell in love with a mysterious stranger he met on the way.
Critics highly appreciated the psychology in the works of the star in the film dramas "The Nuremberg Trials" and "Seven Days in May". Lancaster's vial was firmly established and weary. Wanting to change his mind about himself, the actor began cooperation with directors from Europe.
Bert became one of the favorite performers of Visconti and Bertolucci. The audience was shocked by his incarnation of the hereditary aristocrat of Sicily in the film "Leopard".
After sixty years of work in the cinema, Bert did not stop. In the period 70-80s, his main achievement was shooting in the "Unknown War".
The film covered events on the Eastern Front. The painting was a joint work of the USSR and the USA. Bert acted as the narrator.
Personal life
The performer got married several times. His first wife was the gymnast June Ernst. In 1946, the lovers became spouses. A few years later, the husband and wife divorced: the reason was the wife's jealousy and the conflicts she organized.
Norma Anderson came to Lancaster's attention in 1943. He met her during his performances with the front-line brigade. The actor has not yet been a movie star. The wedding took place in 1946. The relationship lasted until 1969. In the marriage, the newlyweds managed to acquire five children.
Throughout his life, Bert had an excellent relationship with them. The performer was able to decide on marriage again in 1990. Susan Martin became his chosen one. She did not belong to the cinema world. Before the wedding, the lovers lived in a civil marriage for several years.
Together they remained until Bert's death. Susan took care of her sick husband herself. In 1983 Lancaster suffered several microinfarctions, because of them he had to undergo an operation. In 1988, the actor insisted on his participation in an anti-colorization campaign for paintings from the 30s and 40s.
The performer did not look at his own health problems and went to participate. In 1990, Bert suffered a severe stroke. As a result, he was partially paralyzed and lost his speech. He never returned to the shooting.
Lancaster passed away in October 1994. The actor strictly forbade memorial services on his own, since he never liked sad ceremonies.
