Birdman of Alcatraz (1962)
Burt Lancaster’s tour-de-force in Birdman of Alcatraz is often cited by fans as the movie for which he should have won his Oscar. Elmer Gantry is a typical Lancaster performance, but Birdman of Alcatraz is quiet, contained, and internal. The powerhouse actor earned a reputation of always having tons of energy and bouncing off the screen with his larger-than-life “Starbuck” persona, but in this movie, he uses his large hands to delicately feed and care for little birds, and he literally can’t bounce off the screen since he’s locked up in a tiny jail cell. All the acting comes from his face, and we feel his anger, resignation, and sorrow. In my favorite scene, he can barely phonate because he’s holding back his tears and doesn’t want Betty Field, a close friend who believes in his innocence, to know how he feels.
Karl Malden plays the warden, in a typical Malden-type role. He’s righteous, stubborn, and gives his intense stare when being told off. He doesn’t give a bad performance, but he also doesn’t put anything special into it to distinguish it from other roles. In some additional typecasting, Whit Bissell plays a doctor, and Neville Brand plays another convict. Edmond O’Brien, Hugh Marlowe, and an early Telly Savalas have important roles, but again, no one really adds much to the screen. I don’t like to admit this, but I was also disappointed by Thelma Ritter’s performance. She plays Burt’s mother, and she has what is supposed to be a big emotional scene in which she pleads for a pardon to save her son’s life. She acts like she doesn’t want the pardon at all!
Perhaps because Burt Lancaster’s performance is so great, he makes everyone look bad in comparison. Or perhaps director John Frankenheimer had his hands full with the prison sets and animal handling, he didn’t focus on directing his actors. Whatever the case, it’s Burt who shines in this movie. It was a tough race for Best Actor that year, and although he didn’t win the coveted Hot Toasty Rag award, the Members of the Board recognized his excellent work.
Want to watch it? Click here to watch it on ok.ru. And thanks "YT Episodes" for posting!
More Whit Bissell movies here!
More Burt Lancaster movies here!
More Thelma Ritter movies here!
Karl Malden plays the warden, in a typical Malden-type role. He’s righteous, stubborn, and gives his intense stare when being told off. He doesn’t give a bad performance, but he also doesn’t put anything special into it to distinguish it from other roles. In some additional typecasting, Whit Bissell plays a doctor, and Neville Brand plays another convict. Edmond O’Brien, Hugh Marlowe, and an early Telly Savalas have important roles, but again, no one really adds much to the screen. I don’t like to admit this, but I was also disappointed by Thelma Ritter’s performance. She plays Burt’s mother, and she has what is supposed to be a big emotional scene in which she pleads for a pardon to save her son’s life. She acts like she doesn’t want the pardon at all!
Perhaps because Burt Lancaster’s performance is so great, he makes everyone look bad in comparison. Or perhaps director John Frankenheimer had his hands full with the prison sets and animal handling, he didn’t focus on directing his actors. Whatever the case, it’s Burt who shines in this movie. It was a tough race for Best Actor that year, and although he didn’t win the coveted Hot Toasty Rag award, the Members of the Board recognized his excellent work.
Want to watch it? Click here to watch it on ok.ru. And thanks "YT Episodes" for posting!
More Whit Bissell movies here!
More Burt Lancaster movies here!
More Thelma Ritter movies here!
Hot Toasty Rag Nominations:
Best Picture of 1962
Best Director: John Frankenheimer
Best Actor: Burt Lancaster
Best Dramatic Screenplay