Tell 'em, Gantry... save 'em from sin... lead 'em to salvation... tell 'em about everything -
but not about your whiskey and your women!

Starring: Burt Lancaster, Jean Simmons, Arthur Kennedy, Dean Jagger, Shirley Jones, Patti Page, Edward Andrews, John McIntire, Hugh Marlowe, Joe Maross, Philip Ober

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★☆☆ - great

"I have here in my pocket - and thank heaven you can't see them - lewd, dirty, obscene, and I'm ashamed to say this: French postcards. They were sold to me in front of your own innocent high school by a man with a black beard... a foreigner." - Elmer Gantry

Why watch this? Gantry is the ultimate grifter, using God's word as a cudgel on the gullible.

Plot Summary: Set in the American Midwest during the Prohibition era, the story follows Elmer Gantry, a smooth-talking, opportunistic salesman who stumbles into a revival meeting hosted by Sister Sharon Falconer. Initially drawn by her charismatic presence and potential for profit, he feigns piety and joins her traveling show as a passionate preacher. Their successful partnership, however, faces challenges when Gantry's past resurfaces, threatening both their burgeoning religious movement and their personal relationship.

Dad's Preview: This drama is Burt Lancaster's finest film, winning him the Best Actor Oscar. He portrays a con man always on the lookout for a way to line his pockets. His gift? He's an incredible salesman, able to stand on the podium and inspire the weak-minded. This film says a lot about the mind of a ruthless narcissist. This type of person has no boundaries and will tell any lie to perpetuate their own success. And they have do not care who gets destroyed in the process.

Bernard Smith; United Artists