Burt Lancaster as Elmer Gantry in Elmer Gantry

Best Actor at the 33rd Annual Oscars (1960)

Notable Quote:

“Sin, sin, sin! You’re all sinners!”

Synopsis:

If you just can’t get enough of scamming men who rise to power based on their anti-intellectualism and stoking of evangelical anger … well, this movie is available!

The character:

Elmer Gantry starts the movie as a two-bit conman, but quickly ends up a revivalist preacher, an ominously easy career move. He uses the same exact techniques and way of speaking to sell God as he does to sell a vacuum cleaner. To be fair, he’s very good at it. He’s blatantly an insincere salesman, and yet, he’s so charming in that insincerity that you find yourself pulled in anyway. Elmer also has a real knack with language: I’d stop short of calling it a talent, because he never actually says anything, but the things that come out of his mouth sure sound impressive. I mean, “Even the ossified, petrified, horizontal, perpendicular Presbyterians are against me,” or “Your streets are made unsafe by shameless, diseased hussies, rapacious pick-pockets, and insidious opium-smokers.”

To my mind, the most interesting question about Elmer is the extent to which he’s in on his own con. Obviously, it starts because he sees an opportunity: he’s already a travelling salesman, so he might as well sell the Bible and hang out with this hot lady who seems like she’s going to make it big. But his beliefs morph into more. At the very least, he really enjoys the martyrdom of it all, getting to rail against atheist intellectuals, and parading a monkey around to mock the idea of evolution. But does the enjoyment of fighting against his haters actually translate to a belief in God? Possibly not. It’s a fascinating and delightfully open-ended issue for the audience to grapple with.

The performance:

I’ve only encountered Burt Lancaster once previously, as a harried manager in Airport, where I clocked him as an average guy, nothing more. Can I tell you, he blew me away so much in Elmer Gantry! He’s hammy, and over-the-top in a way that’s perfect for this movie! His delivery reminded me of Peter Finch in Network: scenery-chewing rants that fill the entire screen.

Elmer is really off-putting, and Lancaster makes him someone that we’re delighted to spend almost three hours with, even as we’re disgusted by his actions. He’s affable and roguish, and charmingly sloppy. And he nails one of the central aspects of this character, which is that he’s phony but we like him anyway. Whenever Elmer is engaging is some bullshit sales pitch, yukking it up with his customer, Lancaster gives us this incredible fake laugh that’s both obviously false, and doesn’t feel off-putting. He really gives Elmer such an endearing side that the film completely turns on.

The movie:

See my thoughts in yesterday’s post: for a long film, I have fairly little to say. This movie is best viewed as an experience that washes over you, rather than as something to think too deeply about – much like a tent revival, there’s potentially lots to consider, but you either feel it on a spiritual level or not.

Was the Oscar deserved?

Yes, Burt Lancaster is amazing.