Elmer gantry is a satirical novel written by sinclair lewis in 1926 that presents aspects of the religious activity of america in fundamentalist and evangelistic circles and the attitudes of the 1920s public toward it. The title role was played by burt lancaster, who won an academy award along with costar shirley jones. Universally recognized as a landmark in american literature, elmer gantry scandalized readers when it was first published, causing sinclair lewis to be invited to a jail cell in new hampshire and to his own lynching in virginia. Based on the book by sinclair lewis, elmer gantry burt lancaster is a slicktalking, boozing salesman who falls for a evangelical revivalist named sister sharon falconer jean simmons and joins up with the traveling church, using his sales techniques to boost. The novel was denounced by many religious leaders and banned in some u.
Even the hollywoodization of sinclair lewis elmer gantry couldnt cover up all the hypocrisy of organized religion that lewis gleefully portrayed in his book. This is a list of film versions of sinclair lewis s novels, adapted from stephen r. Elmer gantry was made into a lively and impressive film in 1960 starring burt. Elmer gantry elmer gantry, american film drama, released in 1960, that was an adaptation of sinclair lewis s novel of the same name and featured academy award winning performances by burt lancaster and shirley jones. Pages can include considerable notesin pen or highlighterbut the notes cannot obscure the text. Lewis had long wanted to write a novel about what he called the religion racket.
Also appearing in elmer gantry are arthur kennedy as an h. A novel written by sinclair lewis and published in 1927, elmer gantry was brought to the screen by director and writer richard brooks in 1960. His portrait of a goldentongued evangelist who rises to power within his churcha saver of souls who lives a. Thanks to this bestselling novel and the 1960 film, elmer gantry is synonymous today with the sort of evangelical huckster whos familiar to americans and the world, but when sinclair lewis wrote it in 1927, it shocked the country with its cynical depiction of american religion. Elmer gantry by sinclair lewis, first edition abebooks. Sinclair lewis as set down in the good book elmer gantry in which this author. Lewis, was a physician and a stern disciplinarian who had difficulty relating to his sensitive, unathletic third son. Feb 22, 2008 elmer gantry, a flawed preacher for the ages elmer gantry, the traveling evangelist who loved whiskey, women and wealth, was conceived by sinclair lewis in a bestselling 1927 novel and continues. As adapted by writerdirector richard brooks this 1960 film becomes a period piece of the late 1920s, using only one hundred or so pages of the. In elmer gantry, burt lancaster gives one of the alltime great screen performances. It was instantly condemned by the church and billy sunday called the author satans cohort. The first edition of the novel was published in 1925, and was written by sinclair lewis. It took several years for any hollywood studio to take a chance with sinclair lewis novel, and when it finally did arrive on the screen, producerdirector richard.
This tale of a hypocritical preacher who prefers money, booze and women over saving souls is today considered a classic. See all books authored by sinclair lewis, including it cant happen here, and main street, and more on. The main characters of this fiction, classics story are. Gantry burt lancaster drops into the revival tent for his first experience of the phenomenal sister sharon falconer jean simmons in elmer gantry, 1960, from the sinclair lewis novel view the tcmdb entry for elmer gantry 1960. Elmer gantry, the traveling evangelist who loved whiskey, women and wealth, was conceived by sinclair lewis in a bestselling 1927 novel and. Elmer gantry and millions of other books are available for amazon kindle. Unsurprisingly, the book and the author were not very popular with the clergy or evangelical christians. In filming sinclair lewis contentious 1927 study of a scandalous evangelist, elmer gantry, richard brooks has framed a big story and bold religioso subject for the oldfashioned rectangular. Burt lancaster and shirley jones in elmer gantry burt lancaster and shirley jones in elmer gantry 1960.
The book, it may be recalled, followed elmer gantry all over the country for a long period of time. Pastores list, a guide to films based on works of sinclair lewis, which appears in the sinclair lewis society newsletter spring 1998. Elmer gantry 1927 by sinclair lewis, about a con man and an evangelist selling religion in a small american town. In elmer gantry, elmer himself is less a character than a contrivance, an easy target who in our age might be a tv personality to serve his ambition to have an ever bigger christian pulpit leading to what becomes, late in the book, his ultimate goal. Its not hard to figure out how lewis expects that challenge to be received.
Publication date 1927 topics iiit collection digitallibraryindia. Regardless, this movie stands the test of time, because the human condition regarding religion hasnt changed. Accessories such as cd, codes, toys, and dust jackets may not be included. Elmer gantry, novel by sinclair lewis, a satiric indictment of fundamentalist religion. Elmer gantry is a satirical novel written by sinclair lewis in 1926 that presents aspects of the religious activity of america in fundamentalist and evangelistic. Elmer gantry, american film drama, released in 1960, that was an adaptation of sinclair lewis s novel of the same name and featured academy awardwinning performances by burt lancaster and shirley jones. Aug 11, 2019 elmer gantry is aggressive, controversial, and all too relevant. Lewis skillfully uses chapter breaks to move the story forward, often skipping months and even years to get to the.
Film clip courtesy of mgm consumer productssee all videos for this article. United artists, 1960 watching the gop convention is like watching a bad sequel to elmer gantry. Written by sinclair lewis and later produced as a film starring burt lancaster and jean simmons. Universally recognized as a landmark in american literature, elmer gantry.
The book was published in multiple languages including english, consists of 428 pages and is available in hardcover format. I first read it some years ago during the height of the televangelist scandals, and while the vernacular seemed a bit quaint, the story itself was as fresh as the daily headlinesso topical that for a while there i regarded lewis as something of a prophet. Pdf arrowsmith book by sinclair lewis free download 428. Sinclair lewiss 1927 fictional portrait of a bogus and amoral itinerant midwestern. Prueba prime hola, identificate cuenta y listas identificate cuenta y listas devoluciones y pedidos prueba prime carrito. Burt lancaster, jean simmons, shirley jones, arthur kennedy directed by. Lewis took a daring stand, and his work brought about the deconstruction of the myth regarding smalltown america. All the while i was reading lewiss satirical account of evangelism in the american heartland of the early 20th century, i kept wondering how a screenwriter would manage the timeline. Sinclair lewis ferocious 1927 satire, elmer gantry, traces the career of a young man who is sent to a theological seminary by his pious mother but initially has no interest in becoming a minister. Sinclair lewis elmer gantry, which shocked, amused, confounded, but rarely bored readers back in. This was followed by the two novels considered by many to be his finest, babbitt 1922 and arrowsmith 1925, which was awarded the pulitzer prize in 1926, but declined by lewis. Babbitt, the main character in sinclair lewis 1922 novel babbitt, is a minor character in elmer gantry. In 1926, sinclair lewis wrote elmer gantry, a fictional novel about a minister who is a hypocrite. Jean simmons also starred as sharon falconer elmer gantry was once a college athlete who decided to.
The book related gantrys picaresque wanderings from one ministry to another, always. It might have been supposed that lewis s form of sociological realism, in which he wove innumerable details from contemporary life into his narrative, would date badly and that his books. The first american writer to win the nobel prize for literature 1930, sinclair lewis lived and worked in dc during what would be his most productive period. In 1930, following elmer gantry 1927 and dodsworth 1929, sinclair lewis became the first american author to be awarded the nobel prize for distinction in world. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. Jim had a resolute tenor, and as to elmer gantry, even more than his bulk, his thick black hair, his venturesome black eyes, you remembered that arousing barytone. Sinclair lewis worldfamous satire of religious hypocrisy and the excesses of the. In my opinion, elmer gantry is sinclair lewis finest novel, and thats saying a lot. First edition, second issue of lewis controversial bestseller, signed by him on the front pastedown. He had, in fact, got everything from church and sunday school, except, perhaps, any longing whatever for decency and kindness and reason. The 1960 film of the same name was by richard brooks and starred burt lancaster and jean simmons in the lead roles. The book has been awarded with pulitzer prize for novel 1926. Our second classic of 2014 is elmer gantry, a melodrama that takes aim at revivalist religion, based upon a satirical novel by sinclair lewis.
Sinclair lewis books list of books by author sinclair lewis. Pages contain marginal notes, underlining, and or highlighting. Sinclair lewis has 173 books on goodreads with 187673 ratings. Born february 7, 1885, in the village of sauk centre, minnesota, sinclair lewis began reading books at a young age and kept a diary. In my copy of elmer gantry, one sentence is underlined six times. Sinclair lewis, elmer gantry signet classics sinclair lewis won the nobel prize for literature in 1930, the first american to do so, for his ability to create, with wit and humour, new types of.
Mencken, sinclair lewis controversial novel of religious hypocrisy was an instant bestseller sales were further stimulated when boston banned it and the evangelist billy sunday dubbed lewis satans cohort a satire of american religious life, elmer gantry may be seen as a cautionary tale for born again america parker. In 1927, american novelist sinclair lewis published elmer gantry. Possible ex library copy, with all the markingsstickers of that library. Menckenstyle atheistic journalist, and edward andrews as george babbitt, a character borrowed from another sinclair lewis novel. Oct 02, 2012 elmer gantry is a fast talking, hard drinking traveling salesman who always has a risque story and a hip flask to entertain cronies and customers alike.
Adapted by director richard brooks, the film is based on the 1927 novel of the same name by sinclair lewis and stars burt lancaster. Elmer gantry by sinclair lewis goodreads share book. He wrote his classic books main street 1920, babbitt 1922, arrowsmith 1925, and elmer gantry 1927 while living in the capital. Adapted by director richard brooks, the film is based on the 1927 novel of the same name by sinclair lewis and stars burt lancaster, jean simmons, arthur kennedy, shirley jones and patti page elmer gantry was nominated for five academy awards in 1961, including best. Sinclair lewis elmer gantry, which shocked, amused, confounded, but rarely bored readers back in 1927, has been lifted from the pages of the justifiably controversial novel and impressively. The title role was played by burt lancaster, who won an academy award along with costar shirley jones who played lulu bains and brooks screenplay. Elmer gantry, is initially attracted by booze and easy money though he eventually renounces tobacco and alcohol and chasing women. Unsurprisingly, the book and the author were not very popular. Gantry burt lancaster drops into the revival tent for his first experience of the phenomenal sister sharon falconer jean simmons in elmer gantry, 1960, from the sinclair lewis novel. Elmer gantry represents a challenge to believers to take that statement seriously by going beyond ones upbringing and embracing lewiss version of honest encounters with scripture. Elmer gantry is a 1960 american drama film about a con man and a female evangelist selling religion to smalltown america. Lancaster portrayed the title character, a charlatan evangelist who joins a ministry headed by.
This site is like a library, use search box in the widget to get ebook that you want. Elmer gantry was nominated for five academy awards in 1961, including best picture and best. Elmer gantry by lewis, sinclair and a great selection of. His character is the one most responsible for bringing sister sharons revival to his home town of zenith and just so happens to be the brothels landlord. His portrait of a goldentongued evangelist who rises to power. Elmer gantry, american film drama, released in 1960, that was an adaptation of sinclair lewiss novel of the same name and featured academy awardwinning performances by burt lancaster and shirley jones. Welcome to the rncs elmer gantry tent revival religion. Elmer gantry download ebook pdf, epub, tuebl, mobi. For a film directed in 1960, it resonates in its ideas about spirituality and organized religion without making too many broad claims to alienate audiences, no matter where they fall on the subject. Within our class, we have discussed main street 1920 and the movie elmer gantry 1960, based on lewiss book by the same title 1927. Click download or read online button to get elmer gantry book now.
A little story about the bad old days is illustrative. Accessories such as cd, codes, toys, and dust jackets may not be. Elmer gantry burt lancaster, a drunken, dishonest street preacher allegedly patterned on billy sunday, wrangles a job with the travelling tent ministry conducted by sister sharon falconer jean simmons. Elmer gantry, as the title suggests, is an most insincere and hypocritical preacher of the faith. Thanks to gantry s enthusiastic hellfireandbrimstone sermons, sister sharons operation rises to fame and fortune, enough so that sharon. Sep 22, 2014 a little story about the bad old days is illustrative. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading elmer gantry. Sinclair lewis worldfamous satire of religious hypocrisy and the excesses of the roaring. For the better part of a century, the title of sinclair lewis s phenomenally successful and often reviled novel elmer gantry 1927 has been a byword for religious fraud and bunk evangelism. Next lewis published elmer gantry 1927, which depicted an evangelical minister as deeply hypocritical. Elmer gantry, a flawed preacher for the ages elmer gantry, the traveling evangelist who loved whiskey, women and wealth, was conceived by sinclair lewis. Free download or read online arrowsmith pdf epub book. As adapted by writerdirector richard brooks this 1960 film becomes a period piece of the late 1920s, using only one hundred or so pages of the novel as its structure and changing the basic character of elmer gantry from an ordained minister and one who.
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