Cheap Elmer Gantry (DVD) (Burt Lancaster, Jean Simmons) (Richard Brooks) Price

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Customer Reviews of Elmer Gantry

One of Lancaster's Top 2 Performances
Most viewers consider this Lancaster's best film that he never would top again in his lengthy film career. I think that he at least equalled or topped it when he was an older man, playing a "has been," in "Atlantic City." Both roles have in common that he is presented to us as a con man, who is taking people for their money, but is not a caricature of such a person. With many layers of complexity, Lancaster gives us Elmer Gantry, a charismatic preacher in early 20th century America who takes the country by storm in his revivalist act. Jean Simmons plays the devout leader of this traveling religious tent show but there is an air of Christian martyrdom about her that is missing from Gantry's preacher persona. Even Gantry though will be shaken to his core as events unfold around him yet he is always a man who lands on his feet. A superb screenplay with wonderful performances all the way around, Sinclair Lewis himself, the novelist, probably would have approved of this version of his work.

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Move It On Over Kathryn Kuhlman, Kenny Hagin & Benny Hinn!
Burt Lancaster as Elmer Gantry & Jean Simmons as Sister Sharon Falconer. Elmer is a slick salesman who falls head over heals (HA, pun intended) for the self ordained healing prophetess preacher woman who certainly must have been modeled on Amy Semple-MacPherson's Four Square Gospel Church in exsistence today.

THE best Upton Sinclair novel in my humble opinion, with a top notch screenplay that follows the novel fairly well, given what you could actually film in 1960. The book itself is much more dicey & really delves into the character of Elmer and his weaknesses for booze, unfaithfulness of all kinds, and sex and is a great study into the mind of a master manipulator.

This film has a timeless quality given the New WORD FAITH MOVEMENT goin on. Call it "Name It & Claim It" Message or The "Health & Wealth" Gospel but Elmer & Sister Sharon could go up against the 1950/60's Kathryn Kuhlman, 1970/80's Kenneth Hagin or Kenneth Copeland, or our new millenium savior, Benny Hinn, ANY OL' DAY! A TRUE GEM of a film, not to be missed!

In MY TOP 25 FILMS of ALL TIME.

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love is the evening and the morning star!
Elmer Gantry, (Burt Lancaster), is a travelling evangelist with one eye on the Lord and one eye on the ladies! Elmer put's his amazing gift of the gab to use by preaching in tent meetings. Along the way he meets Sister Falconer, (Jean Simmons), who takes him under her wing, there working relationship soon turns personal.

Elmer Gantry is one of the greatest, (in my opinion), movies ever made. Burt Lancaster won his only oscar for his dynamic manic performance as the charlatan with a heart of gold. His preaching style is bombastic, his personal life morally bankrupt. It's really eerie how he resembles a number of "Evangelists", that I have come across in person or on the television. Elmer Gantry truly represents a lot of the tele-evangelists that have come and gone over the last 50 years or so as does Sister Falconer.

Watching Burt Lancaster in full flight as he belts out his sermons and slides across the platform is a true joy to behold. It's a really great actor in his prime, and wonderfully entertaining.

All in all it's a great romp with fantastic dialogue, wonderful performances and it's controversial theme packs a punch even today when Tele-evangelist, whilst know less popular, are still racking in the big bucks and filling stadiums with willing followers. To the Christian, let this film be a lesson for all of us, there are wolves in sheeps clothing around.

Thanks for reading and enjoy and maybe be educated by this wonderful film.