List of the best Burt Lancaster movies: Sweet Smell of Success(1957), The Leopard(1963), The Killers(1946), Seven Days in May(1964), Birdman of Alcatraz(1962), Elmer Gantry(1960), The Swimmer(1968), From Here to Eternity(1953), Brute Force(1947), Come Back, Little Sheba(1952), Criss Cross(1948), Local Hero(1983) ... ...
Drama
USA
1957
96 Minutes
Burt Lancaster Tony Curtis Martin Milner Barbara Nichols Susan Harrison Sam Levene Jeff Donnell
writer publicist pretty woman sister guitarist uneasy tense new york city shady dealings romance morality siblings newspapers quest fall 1950s
Powerful but unethical Broadway columnist J.J. Hunsecker coerces unscrupulous press agent Sidney Falco into breaking up his sister's romance with a jazz musician.
Drama, History
Italy|France
1963
165 Minutes
Prince Don Fabrizio Salina
Burt Lancaster Claudia Cardinale Alain Delon Paolo Stoppa Rina Morelli Romolo Valli Terence Hill Pierre Clémenti Lucilla Morlacchi Giuliano Gemma Evelyn Stewart
prince nephew beautiful woman mayor soldier wife spectacular confident sicily mansion ballroom family home class distinctions civil war politics family wealth marriage transformation love
The Prince of Salina, a noble aristocrat of impeccable integrity, tries to preserve his family and class amid the tumultuous social upheavals of 1860's Sicily.
Crime, Drama
USA
1946
105 Minutes
Ole "The Swede" Andersen, Pete Lund
Burt Lancaster Ava Gardner Edmond O'Brien Albert Van Dekker Sam Levene Virginia Christine John Miljan Vince Barnett Charles D. Brown Donald MacBride
gas station attendant detective insurance investigator hitman femme fatale boxer dark brooding gritty powerful small town diner brentwood, n.j. city robbery crime deception love murder mystery
Hit men kill an unresisting victim, and investigator Reardon uncovers his past involvement with beautiful, deadly Kitty Collins.
Mystery & Thriller
USA
1964
118 Minutes
Gen. James Mattoon Scott
Burt Lancaster Kirk Douglas Fredric March Ava Gardner Edmond O'Brien Martin Balsam George Macready Whit Bissell Hugh Marlowe
president military officer assistant mistress tense intricate suspenseful washington, d.c. white house office army base texas politics deception political coup cold war discovery rivalry pursuit 1960s
United States military leaders plot to overthrow the President because he supports a nuclear disarmament treaty and they fear a Soviet sneak attack.
Biography, Drama, Crime
USA
1962
148 Minutes
Robert Stroud
Burt Lancaster Karl Malden Thelma Ritter Betty Field Neville Brand Edmond O'Brien Hugh Marlowe Telly Savalas James Westerfield Chris Robinson
prisoner warden guard mother wife moving touching leavenworth prison alcatraz island missouri solitude prison new love redemption rise transformation 1960s
A surly convicted murderer held in permanent isolation redeems himself when he becomes a renowned bird expert.
Drama
USA
1960
145 Minutes
Elmer Gantry
Burt Lancaster Jean Simmons Dean Jagger Shirley Jones Arthur Kennedy Patti Page Edward Andrews John McIntire Joe Maross Everett Glass Michael Whalen
con artist preacher prostitute fiery passionate america church revival tent deception faith religion love rise revenge 1960s
A fast-talking traveling salesman with a charming, loquacious manner convinces a sincere evangelist that he can be an effective preacher for her cause.
Drama
USA
1968
94 Minutes
Burt Lancaster Janet Landgard Janice Rule Tony Bickley Marge Champion Bill Fiore Kim Hunter Joan Rivers
advertising executive old flame babysitter friend housewife bleak dreamy disturbing suburbia connecticut swimming pool failure family dysfunction suburban life midlife crisis lost loves quest discovery fall 1960s
A man spends a summer day swimming as many pools as he can all over a quiet suburban town.
Drama
USA
1953
118 Minutes
1st Sgt. Milton Warden
Burt Lancaster Montgomery Clift Deborah Kerr Frank Sinatra Donna Reed Ernest Borgnine Philip Ober Jack Warden Mickey Shaughnessy Harry Bellaver George Reeves
soldier sergeant military officer victim wife passionate powerful sad barracks honolulu beach military injustice love adultery forbidden love underdog sacrifice 1940s
In Hawaii in 1941, a private is cruelly punished for not boxing on his unit's team, while his captain's wife and second-in-command are falling in love.
Mystery & Thriller
USA
1947
98 Minutes
Burt Lancaster Hume Cronyn Charles Bickford Yvonne De Carlo Ann Blyth Ella Raines Anita Colby Sam Levene Howard Duff Art Smith Roman Bohnen
prisoner warden guard wife criminal dark gritty prison doctor's office prison escape illness violence escape quest 1940s
At a tough penitentiary, prisoner Joe Collins plans to rebel against Captain Munsey, the power-mad chief guard.
Drama
USA
1952
99 Minutes
Doc Delaney
Burt Lancaster Shirley Booth Terry Moore Richard Jaeckel Philip Ober Lisa Golm Walter Kelley
husband wife college student dark emotional family home suburbia midwest marriage alcoholism love mother/child relationship forbidden love transformation 1950s
An emotionally remote recovering alcoholic and his dowdy, unambitious wife face a personal crisis when they take in an attractive lodger.
Crime, Drama
USA
1948
87 Minutes
Steve Thompson, Narrator
Burt Lancaster Yvonne De Carlo Dan Duryea Stephen McNally Richard Long Esy Morales Tom Pedi Percy Helton Alan Napier Griff Barnett Meg Randall
An armored truck driver and his ex-wife conspire with a gang to have his own truck robbed on the route.
Comedy
UK
1983
110 Minutes
Burt Lancaster Peter Riegert Denis Lawson Fulton Mackay Norman Chancer Peter Capaldi Rikki Fulton Alex Norton Jenny Seagrove Jennifer Black Christopher Rozycki
businessperson fisherman boss innkeeper marine biologist charming amusing endearing heartwarming scotland small town small-town life culture clash meaning of life friendship oil business love transformation 1980s
An American oil company sends a man to Scotland to buy up an entire village where they want to build a refinery. But things don't go as expected.
Drama
France|Canada
1980
104 Minutes
Lou
Burt Lancaster Susan Sarandon Kate Reid Michel Piccoli Hollis McLaren Robert Joy Al Waxman Robert Goulet Moses Znaimer Angus MacInnes Sean Sullivan
pretty woman mobster husband drug dealer criminal engaging spirited new jersey waterfront atlantic city, n.j. aspirations gambling drug trafficking crime romance aging quest underdog 1970s
In a corrupt city, a small-time gangster and the estranged wife of a pot dealer find themselves thrown together in an escapade of love, money, drugs and danger.
Adventure
USA|UK
1952
104 Minutes
Producer
Burt Lancaster Nick Cravat Eva Bartok Torin Thatcher Christopher Lee James Hayter Leslie Bradley Margot Grahame Noel Purcell Frederick Leister Eliot Makeham
pirate resistance leader daughter lieutenant crew member love interest airy lighthearted spirited caribbean island ship revolution piracy romance seafaring reward schemes discovery adventure
During the 1700s, pirate Captain Vallo seizes a British warship and gets involved in various money-making schemes involving Caribbean rebels led by El Libre, British envoy Baron Jose Gruda, and a beautiful courtesan named Consuelo.
Western
USA
1957
122 Minutes
Burt Lancaster Kirk Douglas Rhonda Fleming Jo Van Fleet John Ireland Lee Van Cleef Frank Faylen Kenneth Tobey DeForest Kelley Earl Holliman Dennis Hopper
lawman gunslinger sheriff thief criminal love interest intense brooding thrilling tombstone, ariz. o.k. corral gambling house family home wild west showdown justice unusual friendship o.k. corral rivalry quest
Lawman Wyatt Earp and outlaw Doc Holliday form an unlikely alliance which culminates in their participation in the legendary Gunfight at the O.K. Corral.
Drama
USA
1963
102 Minutes
Dr. Matthew Clark
Burt Lancaster Judy Garland Gena Rowlands Steven Hill Bruce Ritchey Gloria McGehee Paul Stewart Lawrence Tierney Elizabeth Wilson Barbara Pepper John Marley
teacher principal mentally challenged son mother father melodramatic emotional mental institution family home mental retardation parenthood education growing up transformation 1960s
Psychologist Dr. Matthew Clark is the head of the Crawthorne State Training Institute, one of the first boarding schools for developmentally challenged children. Dr. Clark is sympathetic ... See full summary »
Comedy
USA
1950
90 Minutes
Steve Buchanan
Burt Lancaster Dorothy McGuire Edmund Gwenn Millard Mitchell Minor Watson Howard St. John
secret service agent counterfeiter neighbor salesman old man crafty endearing lighthearted amusing new york city counterfeit money investigation secret life friendship community pursuit discovery 1940s
Gentle romantic comedy about a Secret Service Agent trying to catch a cold case counterfeiter and a United Nations translator.
Western
USA
1972
103 Minutes
Burt Lancaster Bruce Davison Jorge Luke Richard Jaeckel JoaquĂn MartĂnez Lloyd Bochner Karl Swenson Douglass Watson Gladys Holland Margaret Fairchild Aimee Eccles
tracker scout apache lieutenant farmer brooding emotional powerful arizona american southwest farm wilderness native americans military prejudice disillusionment violence revenge rivalry pursuit
After fierce war chief Ulzana and a small war party jump the reservation bent on murder and terror, an inexperienced young lieutenant is assigned to track him down.
Adventure
USA
1950
88 Minutes
Dardo Bartoli
Burt Lancaster Virginia Mayo Robert Douglas Aline MacMahon Frank Allenby Nick Cravat Lynne Baggett Gordon Gebert
archer wife leader rebel niece tyrant spirited thrilling melodramatic italy castle village kidnapping rebellion father/son relationship estrangement freedom marriage underdog revenge
Dardo, a Robin Hood-like figure, and his loyal followers use a Roman ruin in Medieval Lombardy as their headquarters as they conduct an insurgency against their Hessian conquerors.
Drama
USA
1956
121 Minutes
Burt Lancaster Katharine Hepburn Wendell Corey Lloyd Bridges Earl Holliman Cameron Prud'Homme Wallace Ford
woman sheriff con artist farmer brother suitor charming lighthearted small town ranch kansas great depression marriage love poverty con game love transformation 1930s
During the Depression, a con-man promises rain to a desperate drought-ridden Kansas town and marriage to a local desperate spinster.
Crime, Drama
USA
1947
98 Minutes
Frankie Madison
Burt Lancaster Lizabeth Scott Kirk Douglas Wendell Corey Kristine Miller Jorge Rigaud Marc Lawrence Mike Mazurki Mickey Knox Roger Neury
bootlegger ex-convict nightclub owner ex-girlfriend partner brooding dark tense melodramatic new york city nightclub prison partnership greed business bootlegging love triangle deception rivalry rise
Frankie Madison leaves prison expecting a share from his ex-partner. But Prohibition bootlegging didn't prepare Frankie for Big Business.
Biography
USA
1951
107 Minutes
Burt Lancaster Charles Bickford Steve Cochran Phyllis Thaxter Dick Wesson Jack Big Head Suni Warcloud Al Mejia Hubert Jay Kerns Nestor Paiva Jim Moss
athlete coach wife spirited touching pennsylvania boarding school football field aspirations ambition olympic games love sports football underdog rise fall 1930s
The triumph and tragedy of Native American Jim Thorpe, who, after winning both the pentathlon and decathlon in the same Olympics, is stripped of his medals on a technicality.
Drama
USA
1956
105 Minutes
Producer
Burt Lancaster Gina Lollobrigida Tony Curtis Katy Jurado Thomas Gomez Johnny Puleo Minor Watson Jean-Pierre KĂ©rien Gerard Landry Sidney James
trapeze artist acrobat woman ex-lover intense touching paris circus love triangle acrobatics seduction second chance mentorship love transformation rivalry 1950s
A crippled circus acrobat is torn emotionally between two ambitious young trapeze artists, one a talented young American and a less-gifted but beautiful Italian.
Adventure
USA
1949
104 Minutes
Burt Lancaster Paul Henreid Claude Rains Peter Lorre Corinne Calvet Sam Jaffe John Bromfield Mike Mazurki Kenny Washington Edmond Breon Josef Marais
A man abused by a sadistic mining company cop before he could tell where on their desert property he'd found diamonds decides to steal them instead.
Western
USA
1971
90 Minutes
Executive Producer
Burt Lancaster Susan Clark Jon Cypher Barton Heyman Richard Jordan Frank Silvera HĂ©ctor Elizondo Phil Brown
constable rancher henchman gunslinger widow gutsy brutal intense arizona territory ranch desert small town retribution guilt race relations murder revenge 1870s
A Mexican-American sheriff must resort to violence against a powerful rancher in order to get just compensation for the pregnant Indian widow of a wrongly killed black man.
Drama
USA
1973
91 Minutes
Farrington
Burt Lancaster Robert Ryan Will Geer Gil Green John Anderson Paul Carr Colby Chester Ed Lauter Walter Brooke Sidney Clute Deanna Darrin
ex-cia agent secret service agent oil baron conservative mercenary gunman tense chilling dark brooding texas dallas desert mansion parking garage assassination plot john f. kennedy conspiracy new world order secret mission
Rogue intelligence agents, right-wing politicians, greedy capitalists, and free-lance assassins plot and carry out the JFK assassination in this speculative agitprop.
Western
USA
1960
125 Minutes
Ben Zachary
Burt Lancaster Audrey Hepburn Lillian Gish Audie Murphy John Saxon Charles Bickford Albert Salmi Joseph Wiseman June Walker Kipp Hamilton Arnold Merritt
native american rancher racist brother adopted daughter mother tense gripping thrilling texas ranch racism family feud secret old west rivalry discovery 1860s
The neighbors of a frontier family turn on them when it is suspected that their adopted daughter was stolen from the local Kiowa tribe.
Comedy, Western
USA
1965
152 Minutes
Burt Lancaster Lee Remick Jim Hutton Brian Keith Martin Landau Donald Pleasence Pamela Tiffin John Anderson
colonel teamster drunk editor indian lighthearted amusing playful madcap denver desert liquor greed kidnapping battle sandstorms quest pursuit 1860s
On its way to Denver, a cargo of whiskey destined for the miners, is sought after by the Temperance League, the U.S. Cavalry, the local Indians and the miners themselves.
Western
USA
1954
91 Minutes
Burt Lancaster Jean Peters John McIntire Charles Bronson John Dehner Paul Guilfoyle Ian MacDonald Walter Sande Morris Ankrum Monte Blue
native american warrior squaw scout army officer gripping gutsy powerful train american west escape journey oppression native americans betrayal escape pursuit 1880s
Refusing to let himself be re-settled on a Florida reservation, Massai, an Apache warrior, escapes his captors and returns to his homeland to become a peaceful farmer.
Comedy
USA
1953
99 Minutes
Master Gunnery Sgt. James O'Hearn
Burt Lancaster Virginia Mayo Chuck Connors Arthur Shields Barry Kelley Leon Askin Veola Vonn Bob Sweeney Hayden Rorke
AWOL marine Sgt. Jim O'Hearn is court-martialed for a variety of offenses that carry 143 years in the stockade or the death penalty but refuses to aid in his own defense.
Drama
USA
1969
110 Minutes
Mike Rettig
Burt Lancaster Deborah Kerr Gene Hackman Scott Wilson William Windom Bonnie Bedelia
skydiver rookie aunt uncle love interest performer engaging gripping intense melodramatic kansas small town family home airplane unlikely romance marital problems affair performance skydiving love
Three skydivers and their travelling thrill show barnstorm through a small midwestern town one Fourth of July weekend.
Crime, Drama
USA
1974
117 Minutes
Director
Burt Lancaster Susan Clark Cameron Mitchell Morgan Woodward Harris Yulin Robert Quarry Joan Lorring Larry Dobkin Ed Lauter Mills Watson
An ex-con, once a cop, now working as security in a college, decides to investigate the murder of one of the students, a daughter of a senator.
Western
USA
1955
104 Minutes
Director
Burt Lancaster Dianne Foster Diana Lynn John McIntire Una Merkel John Carradine John Litel Rhys Williams Walter Matthau Donald MacDonald Edward Norris
frontiersman frontier woman schoolteacher indentured servant son father emotional tender spirited kentucky frontier texas journey family father/son relationship frontier life friendship adventure discovery love
A Kentucky widower bound for 1820's Texas with his young son is thwarted in his efforts by a corrupt constable, a long-standing family feud, and a beautiful indentured servant.
Comedy
USA
1986
103 Minutes
Harry Doyle
Burt Lancaster Kirk Douglas Alexis Smith Charles Durning Dana Carvey Darlanne Fluegel Eli Wallach Monty Ash Billy Barty
Two elderly gangsters are released from prison only to find they have trouble fitting in as old men who still take no guff from anyone.
Mystery & Thriller, Drama, Romance
Italy|Austria|West Germany|Canada
1988
90 Minutes
Burt Lancaster Ben Cross Olivia Hussey Daniel Olbrychski Andrea Occhipinti Jo Champa Melora Hardin Jonathan Crombie
young man young woman husband wife jeweler tender moving emotional jewelry shop family home marital problems new romance fidelity faith engagement marriage love discovery temptation 1980s
The Jeweller sells wedding rings to a young couple and teaches them some precious truths about the meaning of love and marriage. He also helps another couple fight for their troubled marriage, rebuilding their relationship.
Adventure
USA
1953
92 Minutes
Captain David Dion O'Keefe, Narrator
Burt Lancaster Joan Rice Andre Morell Abraham Sofaer Archie Savage Benson Fong Teresa Prendergast Lloyd Berrell Charles Horvath Philip Ahn Guy Doleman
sea captain trader medicine man chief slave trader love interest confident spirited boat fiji island hong kong village yap, caroline islands david dean o'keefe ambition island life imperialism ritual slave trade
A Yankee sea captain has adventures in paradise trying to become an entrepreneur in Micronesia.
Action
USA
1951
97 Minutes
Sergeant Mike Kincaid
Burt Lancaster Jody Lawrence Gilbert Roland Kieron Moore George Tobias John Dehner Nick Dennis Mike Mazurki Gerald Mohr Ian MacDonald Mari Blanchard
mercenary daughter thief outlaw sheik beautiful woman cheeky playful lighthearted stockade desert camp kidnapping behind enemy lines french foreign legion espionage love armed conflict transformation adventure
During the Riff War in Morocco, the French Foreign Legion's outpost of Tarfa is threatened by Khalif Hussein's tribes but Sergeant Mike Kincaid devises a plan of survival until the arrival of French reinforcements.
Western
USA
1951
83 Minutes
Burt Lancaster Robert Walker Joanne Dru Sally Forrest John Ireland Carleton Carpenter Hugh O'Brian
foreman rancher brother rival mother wife tense thrilling colorado ranch jail household adoption jealousy sibling rivalry framed illegitimate child infidelity rivalry revenge
The sons of a Colorado cattle baron, one biological and the other adopted, resent one another and fight for control of their father's cattle empire.
Horror
USA
1977
98 Minutes
Burt Lancaster Michael York Barbara Carrera Nigel Davenport Richard Basehart Nick Cravat Fumio Demura Bob Ozman Gary Baxley John Gillespie David S. Cass Sr.
english gentleman doctor manservant creature assistant creepy tense outlandish island laboratory compound beach medical experiments romance shipwreck fear mutation investigation escape metamorphosis
A shipwrecked survivor discovers a remote island owned by a crazed scientist who is carrying out sinister experiments on the island's inhabitants.
Comedy, Western
1968
102 Minutes
Burt Lancaster Shelley Winters Ossie Davis Telly Savalas Dabney Coleman Paul Picerni Armando Silvestre Nick Cravat
trapper slave native american thief outlaw amusing offbeat thrilling mexico american west slavery friendship escape race relations violence greed quest pursuit revenge 1860s
A fur trader (Burt Lancaster) and a cultured slave (Ossie Davis) have run-ins with Indians and marauders.
Drama
1985
100 Minutes
Harold Fallen
Burt Lancaster Pamela Reed Lauren Hutton Robert Urich Peter Jurasik Bobby Di Cicco
The publisher (Burt Lancaster) of a tabloid hires a desperate newswoman (Pamela Reed) to dig up gossip about a Hollywood couple.
Mystery & Thriller, Drama
1961
110 Minutes
Hank Bell
Burt Lancaster Dina Merrill Shelley Winters Edward Andrews Vivian Nathan Larry Gates Telly Savalas Pilar Seurat Jody Fair Roberta Shore Milton Selzer
assistant district attorney district attorney teen boy wife mother gripping intense powerful disheartening office spanish harlem new york city gangs lawyers turf war paternity juvenile crime mystery pursuit growing up
An assistant district attorney discovers one of the hoodlums he must prosecute is the son of a former love.
Biography
1986
100 Minutes
Phineas Taylor `'P.T.'` Barnum
Burt Lancaster Hanna Schygulla Laura Press John Roney Sandor Raski Patty Maloney
entertainer circus performer singer entrepreneur dwarf showman charming inspiring circus united states rags to riches show business business p.t. barnum fame american dream rise transformation 19th century
Aging showman P.T. Barnum (Burt Lancaster) recalls promoting Jenny Lind (Hanna Schygulla), George Washington's nanny and General Tom Thumb.
Drama
USA
1961
186 Minutes
Dr. Ernst Janning
Spencer Tracy Burt Lancaster Richard Widmark Marlene Dietrich Maximilian Schell Judy Garland Montgomery Clift William Shatner Ed Binns Kenneth MacKenna Werner Klemperer
judge defendant lawyer military officer nazi widow dark disturbing courtroom nuremberg, germany world war ii nazism genocide court battles quest wretched excess 1940s
In 1948, an American court in occupied Germany tries four Nazis judged for war crimes.
Drama
USA
1958
99 Minutes
David Niven Burt Lancaster Deborah Kerr Rita Hayworth Wendy Hiller Gladys Cooper Cathleen Nesbitt Felix Aylmer Rod Taylor Audrey Dalton May Hallatt
manager retiree major general ex-wife ex-husband daughter tender endearing intricate melodramatic england seaside hotel secret vacation loneliness love relationships discovery love
The stories of several people are told as they stay at a seaside hotel in Bournemouth which features dining at "Separate Tables."
Mystery & Thriller
USA
1948
89 Minutes
Barbara Stanwyck Burt Lancaster Ann Richards Wendell Corey Ed Begley Leif Erickson William Conrad
heiress husband father-in-law old flame hit man hypochondriac intense dark suspenseful family home office dance hall subway staten island, n.y. new york city murder plot college sweethearts class distinctions infidelity pharmaceuticals
While on the telephone, an invalid woman overhears what she thinks is a murder plot and attempts to prevent it.
War
USA
1958
93 Minutes
Clark Gable Burt Lancaster Jack Warden Brad Dexter Nick Cravat Mary LaRoche Don Rickles Eddie Foy III
commander military officer sailor enemy thrilling patriotic submarine military base pacific ocean world war ii vengeance rebellion naval warfare obsession pursuit revenge rivalry 1940s
A U.S. sub commander, obsessed with sinking a certain Japanese ship, butts heads with his first officer and crew.
Western
USA
1954
94 Minutes
Joe Erin
Gary Cooper Burt Lancaster Denise Darcel Cesar Romero George Macready Ernest Borgnine Charles Bronson Sarita Montiel
countess veteran gunslinger outlaw secret agent emperor gritty tense thrilling mexico small town desert unlikely allies gold teamwork rebellion greed betrayal quest rivalry
During the Mexican Rebellion of 1866, an unsavory group of American adventurers are hired by the forces of Emporer Maximilian to escort a countess to Vera Cruz.
Drama
USA
1955
117 Minutes
Anna Magnani Burt Lancaster Marisa Pavan Ben Cooper Virginia Grey Jo Van Fleet Sandro Giglio Mimi Aguglia Florence Sundstrom Dorrit Kelton
widow truck driver daughter boyfriend husband melodramatic passionate brooding louisiana house church truck romance grief betrayal secret deception love transformation fall
A Sicilian seamstress who idolizes her husband must deal with several family crises upon his sudden death.