MUSEUM OF MODERN MYTHOLOGY AND POP CULTURE

BURT LANCASTER

1913-1994. This versatile, larger than life actor grew up in East Harlem, New York. Naturally athletic, Burt ran off and joined the circus as an acrobat and trapeze artist. After a tour of Army duty during World War II, Burt auditioned for a play in New York, A Sound of Hunting. It wasn't long before the 1946 movie The Killers propelled him to instant stardom. Burt Lancaster was a star who, like Jock Mahoney, actually did his own stunts, trained by his early days as a circus performer. Burt was also a film producer, and a truly great actor, taking on demanding roles that earned him accolades from producers, directors, and audiences. Nominated for four Academy Awards, Burt won for his title role in the 1960 drama, Elmer Gantry.

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