Editing Burt Lancaster (section)

===Broadway===
Lancaster returned to New York after his Army service. Although initially unenthusiastic about acting, Lancaster was encouraged to audition for a Broadway play by a producer who saw him in an elevator while he was visiting his then-girlfriend at work.<ref name="Film and Bio">{{cite book|last=Andreychuk|first=Ed|title=Burt Lancaster: A Filmography and Biography|page=7 |quote="[Norma] was then working for radio producer Ray Knight at the RCA Building in New York City. Going up in an elevator there, Burt noticed he was being stared at by a smaller man. ...His name was Jack Mahlor and as an associate of Irving Jacobs he was looking for a big-framed actor ... to read for the role of the tough-minded sergeant."}}</ref> The audition was successful and Lancaster was cast in [[Harry Brown (writer)|Harry Brown]]'s ''[[Eight Iron Men|A Sound of Hunting]]'' (1945). The show only ran three weeks, but his performance attracted the interest of a Hollywood agent, [[Harold Hecht]]. Lancaster had other offers but Hecht promised him the opportunity to produce their own movies within five years of hitting Hollywood.

Through Hecht, Lancaster was brought to the attention of producer [[Hal B. Wallis]]. Lancaster left New York and moved to Los Angeles. Wallis signed him to a non-exclusive eight-movie contract.