This is a spectacular movie which focuses on the early evangelical movement in the United Sates. Some critics think it is crudely based on the lives of evangelists, Aimee Semple McPherson and Billy Sunday, but it is based on a novel by Sinclair Lewis (1927) which caused a public furor. His book was banned in Boston and other cities, and clergy denounced from pulpits across the country. He wrote this book after his research at several churches in Kansas City. The theme of the movie is corruption and fraud perpetrated in the name of God, but there are no foul words, no nakedness, no illicit sex or alcohol among church members, but there is greed and ambition.
Burt Lancaster, as the lead character Elmer Gantry, offers a brilliant performance that is captivating: Some critics said that he was born to do this role. Sometimes he acts like a crazy drunk, a flamboyant salesman, a womanizer, a penniless drifter who cons others for his own enjoyment. We see Gantry as a disillusioned and misguided middle aged human being with no particular aim in life. While travelling in the Midwest, he comes across the public prayer meeting of evangelist, Sharon Falconer (Jean Simmons). Sister Sharon is the leading preacher of a new movement, a kind of revival of faith movement, or evangelism, or church without walls. She is very feminine, tender, and vulnerable and yet she can put her foot down when she has to make firm decisions about her preaching or her style of spreading the message of God. She is on a fast track to make to the top as the messenger of God, and it is then Gantry meets her and cons her into believing that he is a man of God and he can help her movement. Sharon is hesitant and her right-hand man, William Morgan (Dean Jagger) expresses his displeasure especially when he finds about the shadowy past of Elmer Gantry. But Gantry squirms his way into the movement as the new leading man; he impresses Sharon Falconer with his style of preaching. Soon he will be making deals with crooked men and gamblers.
Jean Simmons offers a great performance as Sharon Falconer, but she is strongly overshadowed by the brilliance of Burt Lancaster who won the Academy award in the best actor category in 1960 beating a heavy weight like Spenser Tracy (Inherit the wind), another movie about Biblical teachings.
Gantry sees his end coming when his past catches up with him. His involvement with a young woman named Lulu Bains (Shirley Jones) becomes scandalous and his reputation and the movement is discredited, but when the air clears and later Lulu claims that she framed Elmer, the movement gains its strength again, but it is too late for Sharon Falconer when the church catches fire . It is at end of the movie, we see humanity in all its beauty, love and forgiveness in the spirit of Biblical teachings.
The rest of the cast is also superb. Patti Page is poignant as Sister Rachel, who leads the choir of the ministry, and falls in love with Gantry, but in vain, her voice is never heard, since he is more focused on expanding the ministry and building the coffers of the movement. Jean Simmons does her best to speak with a Midwestern accent, since Falconer is supposed to be from Kansas. Shirley Jones as Lulu Bains is beautiful and seductive was also honored with an Academy award in the best supporting actress category. My favorite moment in the movie is when Gantry enters a black church, barefoot, filthy, with two suit cases in his hands (after a fight with drifters on goods-train). Then he joins the startled congregation in singing the prayer; "I am on my way, Glory, Hallelujah, I am on my way." You may watch part of this video on YouTube.
Burt Lancaster, as the lead character Elmer Gantry, offers a brilliant performance that is captivating: Some critics said that he was born to do this role. Sometimes he acts like a crazy drunk, a flamboyant salesman, a womanizer, a penniless drifter who cons others for his own enjoyment. We see Gantry as a disillusioned and misguided middle aged human being with no particular aim in life. While travelling in the Midwest, he comes across the public prayer meeting of evangelist, Sharon Falconer (Jean Simmons). Sister Sharon is the leading preacher of a new movement, a kind of revival of faith movement, or evangelism, or church without walls. She is very feminine, tender, and vulnerable and yet she can put her foot down when she has to make firm decisions about her preaching or her style of spreading the message of God. She is on a fast track to make to the top as the messenger of God, and it is then Gantry meets her and cons her into believing that he is a man of God and he can help her movement. Sharon is hesitant and her right-hand man, William Morgan (Dean Jagger) expresses his displeasure especially when he finds about the shadowy past of Elmer Gantry. But Gantry squirms his way into the movement as the new leading man; he impresses Sharon Falconer with his style of preaching. Soon he will be making deals with crooked men and gamblers.
Jean Simmons offers a great performance as Sharon Falconer, but she is strongly overshadowed by the brilliance of Burt Lancaster who won the Academy award in the best actor category in 1960 beating a heavy weight like Spenser Tracy (Inherit the wind), another movie about Biblical teachings.
Gantry sees his end coming when his past catches up with him. His involvement with a young woman named Lulu Bains (Shirley Jones) becomes scandalous and his reputation and the movement is discredited, but when the air clears and later Lulu claims that she framed Elmer, the movement gains its strength again, but it is too late for Sharon Falconer when the church catches fire . It is at end of the movie, we see humanity in all its beauty, love and forgiveness in the spirit of Biblical teachings.
The rest of the cast is also superb. Patti Page is poignant as Sister Rachel, who leads the choir of the ministry, and falls in love with Gantry, but in vain, her voice is never heard, since he is more focused on expanding the ministry and building the coffers of the movement. Jean Simmons does her best to speak with a Midwestern accent, since Falconer is supposed to be from Kansas. Shirley Jones as Lulu Bains is beautiful and seductive was also honored with an Academy award in the best supporting actress category. My favorite moment in the movie is when Gantry enters a black church, barefoot, filthy, with two suit cases in his hands (after a fight with drifters on goods-train). Then he joins the startled congregation in singing the prayer; "I am on my way, Glory, Hallelujah, I am on my way." You may watch part of this video on YouTube.
Reference: Elmer Gantry – DVD, starring Burt Lancaster
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