TCM In November: Burt Lancaster

Turner Classic Movies celebrates Burt Lancaster as the Star of the Month for November, with his films showing on Tuesdays, including The Killers, From Here to Eternity, Elmer Gantry and Field of Dreams. Also in November, TCM’s “Two for One” double features continue on Saturdays, and big band movies fill Monday nights. TCM Highlights for November include:

On Saturdays, the “Two for One” series continues with double features picked by Diane Warren (Nov. 7), Colson Whitehead (Nov. 14), Pamela Adlon (Nov. 21) and Lorraine Bracco (Nov. 28). Read more at: TCM Two for One Saturdays
On Mondays, the TCM Spotlight “Leaders of the Band” features big band and swing movies, including Sun Valley Serenade with Glenn Miller (Nov. 9), The Glenn Miller Story and The Fabulous Dorseys (Nov. 16), and Stormy Weather (Nov. 23).
On Thursday, Nov. 5, TCM celebrates Sally Field’s 80th birthday with Places in the Heart (1984), Hooper (1978), Smokey and the Bandit (1977), Absence of Malice (1981) and Murphy’s Romance (1985).
On Friday, Nov. 6, a Mike Nichols birthday tribute starts at 8 PM with the documentary Mike Nichols: American Masters, followed by The Graduate (1967), Biloxi Blues (1988), Working Girl (1988) and Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966).
On Sundays, Nov. 8 and 15, see “Gems From the Selznick Library,” newly restored by The Film Foundation and Disney, including Duel in the Sun (1946), Spellbound (1945) and The Paradine Case (1947).
On Veterans Day, Wednesday, Nov. 11, see In Harm’s Way (1965), The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957) and The Deer Hunter (1978).
On Friday, Nov. 13, TCM marks Native American Heritage Month with the documentary Bearing Witness: Native American Voices in Hollywood (2025), followed by Powwow Highway (1989) and Incident at Oglala (1992).
On Wednesday, Nov. 18, TCM celebrates 100 years of Route 66 with Easy Rider (1969), The Grapes of Wrath (1940) and Paris, Texas (1984).
On Wednesday, Nov. 25, “Monkeying Around” features The Wizard of Oz (1939), Planet of the Apes (1968) and Bedtime for Bonzo (1951).
On Thanksgiving, Thursday, Nov. 26, spend the evening with Carol Burnett in The Four Seasons (1981) and Annie (1982), followed by My Fair Lady (1964) overnight.
On Friday, Nov. 27, TCM salutes title designer Dan Perri with the premiere of The First Five Minutes (2026), followed by Airplane! (1980), Taxi Driver (1976) and Raging Bull (1980).
On Sunday, Nov. 29, see a Faye Dunaway double feature: Network (1976) and Chinatown (1974).

Coming in December: Fred Astaire is TCM’s Star of the Month on Wednesdays, starting Dec. 2 with Swing Time, Top Hat and the rest of his films with Ginger Rogers.

About Burt Lancaster

Burt Lancaster was born Burton Stephen Lancaster on November 2, 1913, in New York City’s East Harlem. A gifted athlete, he left New York University to work as a circus acrobat, and after serving in the Army during World War II he landed a role on Broadway that led to a Hollywood contract.

His first film, The Killers (1946), made him a star overnight. Muscular and charismatic, Lancaster became known for swashbucklers like The Crimson Pirate and tough film noirs like Criss Cross and Brute Force, but he also took on serious dramatic roles. His beach scene with Deborah Kerr in From Here to Eternity (1953) is one of the most famous in movie history.

Lancaster was also one of the first stars to produce his own films. His production company, Hecht-Hill-Lancaster, made Marty (1955), which won the Oscar for Best Picture, and Sweet Smell of Success (1957).

He won the Best Actor Oscar for Elmer Gantry (1960) and was nominated for From Here to Eternity, Birdman of Alcatraz (1962) and Atlantic City (1980). Late in his career he played Moonlight Graham in Field of Dreams (1989). He died on October 20, 1994, at age 80.

Star of the Month Schedule

Highlights of TCM’s Burt Lancaster tribute include The Killers on Nov. 3, From Here to Eternity on Nov. 10, Birdman of Alcatraz and Elmer Gantry on Nov. 17, and Field of Dreams on Nov. 24. Below is the schedule from TCM’s November highlights (all times Eastern). See the TCM Schedule for the full daytime lineup.

Nov. 3: Swashbucklers and Film Noir

The afternoon features Lancaster’s adventure films, including The Flame and the Arrow (1950) and The Crimson Pirate (1952), which showed off his circus acrobatics. In prime time, see his debut in The Killers (1946), based on the Ernest Hemingway story, followed by a run of film noirs: Sorry, Wrong Number with Barbara Stanwyck, Criss Cross, Kiss the Blood Off My Hands and the prison drama Brute Force.

Tuesday, November 3: Star of the Month Burt Lancaster
12:45 PM His Majesty O’Keefe (1954)
2:30 PM South Sea Woman (1953)
4:30 PM The Flame and the Arrow (1950)
6:00 PM The Crimson Pirate (1952)
8:00 PM The Killers (1946)
10:00 PM Sorry, Wrong Number (1948)
11:45 PM Criss Cross (1949)
1:30 AM Kiss the Blood Off My Hands (1948)
3:00 AM Brute Force (1947)

Nov. 10: From Here to Eternity

In the late afternoon, see Lancaster as ruthless columnist J.J. Hunsecker opposite Tony Curtis in Sweet Smell of Success (1957). Prime time opens with From Here to Eternity (1953), which won eight Oscars, including Best Picture. Lancaster plays Wyatt Earp opposite Kirk Douglas in Gunfight at the O.K. Corral (1957), and the night ends with Jim Thorpe—All American (1951), with Lancaster as the Olympic champion.

Tuesday, November 10: Star of the Month Burt Lancaster
2:30 PM Vengeance Valley (1951)
4:00 PM Ten Tall Men (1951)
6:00 PM Sweet Smell of Success (1957)
8:00 PM From Here to Eternity (1953)
10:15 PM Gunfight at the O.K. Corral (1957)
12:30 AM Come Back, Little Sheba (1952)
2:15 AM Trapeze (1956)
4:15 AM Jim Thorpe—All American (1951)

Nov. 17: Birdman of Alcatraz and Elmer Gantry

The afternoon includes the political thriller Seven Days in May (1964) and the cult favorite The Swimmer (1968). In prime time, see two of Lancaster’s Oscar-nominated performances: Birdman of Alcatraz (1962), as prisoner Robert Stroud, and Elmer Gantry (1960), as a fast-talking evangelist, the role that won him Best Actor. Later, see the World War II thriller The Train (1964).

Tuesday, November 17: Star of the Month Burt Lancaster
2:00 PM Seven Days in May (1964)
4:00 PM The Swimmer (1968)
5:45 PM The Professionals (1966)
8:00 PM Birdman of Alcatraz (1962)
10:45 PM Elmer Gantry (1960)
1:30 AM The Train (1964)
4:00 AM The Gypsy Moths (1969)

Nov. 24: Airport and Field of Dreams

The final Lancaster night features his later career, starting in prime time with the disaster hit Airport (1970), followed by Field of Dreams (1989), with Lancaster as Doc “Moonlight” Graham. Then see his Oscar-nominated role as an aging small-time gangster in Louis Malle’s Atlantic City (1980), the western Ulzana’s Raid (1972) and the Scottish comedy Local Hero (1983).

Tuesday, November 24: Star of the Month Burt Lancaster
4:00 PM Executive Action (1973)
5:45 PM The Cassandra Crossing (1976)
8:00 PM Airport (1970)
10:30 PM Field of Dreams (1989)
12:30 AM Atlantic City (1980)
2:30 AM Ulzana’s Raid (1972)
4:15 AM Local Hero (1983)

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