Film Forum

(1960, Richard Brooks) Evangelists Burt Lancaster and Jean Simmons thump their bibles through the Midwest of the 1920s, in epic adaptation of the Sinclair Lewis novel. Burt’s sole Best Actor Academy Award, with Oscars also going to Shirley Jones (Supporting Actress) and Screenplay. 35mm. Approx. 146 min.

Reviews

“Richard Brooks had wanted to film Sinclair Lewis’s novel for many years and his adaptation admirably conveys the flavor and emotions of the original.”
– Georges Sadoul

“When Lancaster plays a kinetic, broadly exaggerated character like the lecher Gantry, you can’t take your eyes off him, and Simmons is one of the most quietly commanding actresses Hollywood has ever trashed.”
– Pauline Kael

“An entertaining, intelligent movie, thanks largely to the magnetic presence of Lancaster.”
– Geoff Andrew, Time Out (London)