Donald brace, in anticipation of the demand for the book that attacked the high collar, ordered the printer to produce 140,000 copies of the first edition, the largest initial printing ever made in the history of book printing pastore. The book was banned in boston and other cities and denounced. 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. For over a year now it had been murmured through the churchworld that no speaker was more useful to the reform organization than the rev. Sinclair lewis god rest his soul certainly knew his topic. Elmer and jim lefferts retired to a table to nourish the long, rich, chocolate strains suitable to drunken melody. Lewiss anticlerical novel whose advance copies were sent to clergymen across the country as part of an exceedingly successful publicity stunt. Harry sinclair lewis february 7, 1885 january 10, 1951, better known as sinclair lewis, was an american novelist, shortstory writer, and playwright. In 1927, american novelist sinclair lewis published elmer gantry. When hedonistic but charming con man elmer gantry meets the beautiful sister sharon falconer, a roadside revivalist, he feigns piousness to join her act as a passionate preacher. Elmer gantry is a conniving, hipocrite much like many of the fundamental evangelists who are still doing the rounds today. Alan gantry has 4 entries in their overdrive catalogue.
This nobel prize winning author died in a clinic near rome from alcoholism. One cleric suggested that lewis should be imprisoned for five years, and there were also threats of physical. Elmer gantry also appears in another, lesser known lewis novel, gideon planish. Universally recognized as a landmark in american literature, elmer ga.
He gives an inside story of the way tent meetings were organised in the midwest of america in the early part of the last century. Through his satiric examination of evangelical religion, lewis captures the growing cultural and political tension during the 1920s between the forces of secularism and fundamentalism. Elmer gantry 1927 aroused intense controversy with its brutal depiction of a hypocritical preacher in relentless pursuit of worldly pleasure and power. He is immediately taken with sister sharon falconer, a lay preacher whose hellfireanddamnation revivalism has attracted quite a following. The book was banned in boston and other cities and denounced from pulpits across the usa. In elmer gantry, sinclair lewis uses the character of elmer gantry to represent, without nuance or ambiguity, what he viewed as the prototypical evangelical minister of his day. Elmer gantry, as the title suggests, is an most insincere and hypocritical preacher of the faith. Elmer gantry and millions of other books are available for amazon kindle. Elmer gantry, is initially attracted by booze and easy money and chasing women.
Elmer gantry by robert livingston aldridge vocal score. This tale of a hypocritical preacher who prefers money, booze and women over saving souls is today considered a classic. Elmer gantry is dedicated to lewis friend and booster h. An exlibrary book and may have standard library stamps andor stickers. Lewis went on to win the nobel prize for literature, and gantry went on to. Sinclair lewis as set down in the good book elmer gantry in which this author of the early 20th century condemns organized religion, most notably the baptist church. The satire is doubleedgeddirected against both the. First edition, first state with gantry spelled cantry on the spine of the cloth of the nobel prizewinning authors controversial bestseller and basis for the academy awardwinning film. Discover the latest buzzworthy books, from mysteries and romance to humor and. 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. In particular, elmer gantry is a perfect study of hypocrisy and rationalization in action. 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.
Will his charade collapse when an exlover shows up to settle a score. Elmer gantry, the traveling evangelist who loved whiskey, women and. This was the apogee of his literary career, and in the period from ann vickers 1933 to the posthumously published world so wide 1951 lewis wrote ten novels that. His portrait of a goldentongued evangelist who rises to. A little story about the bad old days is illustrative. Like main street 1920 and babbitt 1922, elmer gantry provoked widespread controversy elmer gantry is the story of a young roughneck who. According to mark schorer, in his introduction to sinclair lewis.
Looking back at menckens writing about that campaign today elicits a palpable shock of recognition. This was the apogee of his literary career, and in the period from ann vickers 1933 to the posthumously published world so wide 1951 lewis wrote ten novels that reveal the progressive decline of his creative powers. But he found the sentiments in the tract useful in his sermon, and the thirty dimes he spent for lovely photographs of burlesque ladies. A new york times article from 2008 described elmer gantrys seventeenyear search for a full production as filled with bad luck, horrible road trips, hatin. Elmer gantry mass market the elliott bay book company.
On publication in 1927, elmer gantry created a public furor. Elmer gantrys wife is a crossword puzzle clue that we have spotted 3 times. They make enough money to build a temple, and sister sharon falls for elmer. Published in 1926, this is the story of a professional good man, a preacher and pastor in those first decades of the 20th century before the great depression.
The book, it may be recalled, followed elmer gantry all over the country for a long period of time. Both the show and their relationship are threatened, however, when one of gantrys exlovers decides that she has a. Over the past few weeks, ive enjoyed sinclair lewis novel elmer gantry as an audio book, beautifully read by anthony heald and it took me a while to figure out why. Although elmer is not a very nice person and he only becomes worse as he grows in power and. Elmer gantry has been called the greatest, most vital, and most penetrating study of hypocrisy that has been written since the works of voltaire goodreads 3. Borrow ebooks, audiobooks, and videos from thousands of public libraries worldwide. It tells the story of a hypocritical, corrupt, but very successful preacher named elmer gantry. B vocal soli, large satb chorus, piano sheet music book by robert livingston aldridge. Watch elmer gantry 1960 full movie free online streaming. Nashville opera presented the premiere in 2007, and since then it has been presented by several companies including the opera programs at the university of houston and the university of minnesota and at florentine opera in milwaukee. Composer robert livingston and librettist herschel garfein had begun planning an opera based on sinclair lewis elmer gantry in 1990. The two make a successful onstage pair, and their chemistry extends to romance. 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.
Elmer starts his career as a baptist and then joins up with a charismatic but equally unprincipled female revivalist preacher. Elmer gantry is a 1960 american drama film about a con man and a female evangelist selling religion to smalltown america. Arrowsmith, elmer gantry, dodsworth library of america. With the laying down of her keel on march 31st, 1909, the white star lines new titanic became the 401st ship constructed at the queens. Sinclair lewiss elmer gantry new york, 1927 is a ferocious satire against protestant fundamentalist religion in the american midwest. Elmer gantry never knew who set him thirty dimes, wrapped in a tract about holiness, nor why. It did not hesitate in its condemnation of his charlatanry, his. He was furious when the lithuanian maid came in and said, somebody on the phone, doctor, but when he heard hettie the. Sinclair lewis worldfamous satire of religious hypocrisy and the excesses of the roaring. Robert aldridges opera elmer gantry, adapted from sinclair lewiss 1927 satire of evangelism, has become the poster child for how nearly impossible it is to get a new work produced by an american opera company. Two evenings after elmers mother had almost alienated him, he settled down in his study at home to prepare three or four sermons, with a hope of being in bed by eleven.
Note on elmer gantry, based on novel by sinclair lewis. 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 literature. Overview of elmer gantry, 1960, directed by richard brooks, with burt lancaster, jean simmons, arthur kennedy, at turner classic movies. Rodney dangerfield at his best on the tonight show starring johnny carson 1983 duration. Elmer gantry, salesman, teams up with sister sharon falconer, evangelist, to sell religion to america in the 1920s. 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.
Elmer gantry enhanced its authors reputation among critics and thus contributed to his. Elmer gantry by sinclair lewis, first edition abebooks. After the publication of his more moderate novel arrowsmith 1925, sinclair lewis returned to what he did best, writing unrelieved satire. She and mr fislinger have recently announced their engagement. The power of the book derives from lewis careful rendering of local speech, customs, and social amenities.
Elmer gantry by sinclair lewis meet your next favorite book. In 1930, he became the first writer from the united states to receive the nobel prize in literature, which was awarded for his vigorous and graphic art of description and his ability to. Elmer gantry 1927 is, in fact, the most scathing satire lewis ever wrote. Elmer gantry, is initially attracted by booze and easy money though he eventually renounces tobacco and alcohol and chasing. Note on elmer gantry, based on novel by sinclair lewis, with burt lancaster. In 1960, elmer gantry,based on the bestselling 1927 novel by sinclair lewis,was brought to the screen by writerdirector richard brooks.
Shirley jones oscar winning performance in elmer gantry. 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. Classic film elmer gantry with score by andre previn. All eyes are on elmer, who soon assumes a look of intent thoughtfulness. Lewiss depiction of elmer and his immersion in the evangelical world is the strongest aspect of the book. The story of a womanizing con man and an evangelist selling religion all across america was an instant success with critics and audiences. Battling against god in his book elmer gantry, sinclair lewis novel was about an alcoholic evangelist who would sleep with any woman he could. It has been calculated that ninetythree million women in all parts of the world have ruined their complexions, and therefore, their souls, by pembertons creams and lotions for saving the same.
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