Elmer Gantry (film)

Elmer Gantry is a 1960 American psychological drama film directed by Richard Brooks and starring Burt Lancaster, Jean Simmons, Arthur Kennedy, Shirley Jones, and Patti Page. An adaptation of the 1927 novel of the same name by Sinclair Lewis, it focuses on a charismatic con man who, along with an itinerant evangelist sister, stages revival sermons throughout the Midwestern United States, taking advantage of unknowing locals. Elmer Gantry was nominated for five Academy Awards in 1961, including Best Picture and Best Score. It won Best Actor for Lancaster, Best Supporting Actress for Jones and Best Adapted Screenplay.