- Burt Lancaster, Il Gattopardo/The Leopard, Italy-France, 1962. In Russia, he had all the great roles – Ivan The Terrible, Alexander Nevsky, Maxim Gorky (twice), Rimsky-Korsakov, Don Quixote, even FDR – but the veteran was too old at 60 to be Prince Don Fabrizio Salina. And, surprise, surprise, it was Fox recommending Lancaster to Visconti. “They wanted Olivier, but he was too busy. When I was suggested, Visconti said, ‘Oh, no! A cowboy!’ But I had just finished Judgment at Nuremberg, which he saw, and he needed $3 million, which 20th Century-Fox would give them if they used an American star, and so the inevitable occurred. And it turned out to be a wonderful marriage.” Visconti chose Burt again for Gruppo di famiglia in un interno (Conversation Piece), 1974. “Each time I was playing Visconti,” said the cowboy.
Birth year: 1903Death year: 1966Other name: Casting Calls: 1