Good writeup, rrA. "Trapeze" was a very decent movie and Lancaster was a great star.
If you ever want to see a real (little-known) gem of his, check out "The Rose Tattoo". Its from the same period as "Trapeze" and its absolutely hilarious. I first saw it in a college class and fell in love with the movie.
Well, thanks for the nice words, and thanks for the recommendation on THE ROSE TATTOO.