 It was nominated for Academy Awards for Best Actor in a Leading Role (Burt Lancaster), Best Actor in a Supporting Role (Telly Savalas), Best Actress in a Supporting Role (Thelma Ritter) and Best Cinematography, Black-and-White.Robert Stroud (Lancaster) is imprisoned as a young man for committing a murder in Alaska.He is shown as a rebellious inmate, fighting against a rigid prison system