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Burt Lancaster was a stunningly handsome man with the build of an athlete and, as an actor, a nose for top-notch material that could perfectly serve, if not elevate (he has nine perfect films according to Rotten Tomatoes). He was one of the most beloved movie stars of his generation and his death in 1994 was deeply mourned, although his death was not sudden. He hadn’t appeared in a movie since 1989’s “Field of Dreams,” which ended up being a charming little swan song for the East Harlem kid. It’s just that he was Burt Lancaster, and we couldn’t imagine a world without a person as determined as him.
Lancaster’s “Field of Dreams” co-star Kevin Costner was quite taken with the leading man when they filmed the two scenes together. How could it not be? He had grown up seeing the swordsman, soldier and seducer man. But he had also had a front-row seat to the failing Lancaster. “He was a professional,” Costner said in a press event for the film’s 15th anniversary“And he fought in (“Field of Dreams”), and everyone waited for him, and the reason we waited (is because) how great he was, because it only had to happen once, and he had the magic.”
Costner respected that magic because he had spent much of his career trying to invoke it himself. According to Costner, “I’m fond of (Lancaster) because he’s obviously a physical actor and that’s been a big part of what I do.”
When Lancaster died, Costner was filming the mega-budget adventure “Waterworld.” That It was a difficult shoot for countless reasons, but while holding the set together, Costner found a way to pay tribute to the star.
How Costner Summoned His Inner Crimson Pirate
At the “Field of Dreams” press event, Costner revealed that he had performed a stunt that dated back to Lancaster’s work on films like “The Flame and the Arrow” and “The Crimson Pirate.” “In ‘Waterworld,'” Costner said, “there’s a moment where I hang off the side of the ship and it’s an athletic move, something a gymnast would do, and I did that for Burt. “We had lost him and it was a tribute to him.”
Costner does a lot of crazy things on that trimaran throughout “Waterworld,” but I think the moment he’s referencing comes in the first 10 minutes, when he hoists the boat’s sail and chases the scavenger who stole his fruit. Big, physical and very funny at times, “Waterworld” seems like a movie that would have tickled Lancaster. Maybe you would have also liked the incredible Universal Stunt Show that still runs at Universal Studios Hollywood, Japan, Singapore and Beijing.
More than 30 years after he left us, the industry’s best stunt professionals are there, doing Lancaster proud, and stars like Tom Cruise are pushing the boundaries in ways that even Burt might have found a little over the top.
