Acting with his whole body, he was buoyantly beautiful, and his grin-with those great white Chiclets flashing-could make you grin back at the screen. The only time he had a strong personality was when he was bounding through a swashbuckler, like the classic 'The Crimison Pirate', or selling pure energy, as in 'The Rainmaker'. A typically American star, he was best in the open air and when his desires were expressed (and fulfilled) in direct physical action.
When he entered movies he was a beautiful blank-an athlete-actor, like Jim Brown, all physical charge. 'He is as extroverted as an actor can be.
I sometimes think Burt the most perfectly mysterious man I have ever met in my life.' -Luchino Visconti (quoted in 'Encyclopedia of Film Stars' by Douglas Jarvis, 1985) 'The Prince (in 'The Leopard') was a very complex character-at times autoocratic, rude, strong-at times romantic, good, understanding-and sometimes even stupid, and above all, mysterious.
