The Whales of August Details

While Lindsay Anderson is chiefly remembered for classic and explosive movies such as If. . . , he was also in love with the theatre and with stage actors, especially illustrious names such as John Gielgud and Ralph Richardson. So Anderson naturally jumped at the chance to make this autumnal showcase for Bette Davis and Lillian Gish — and let's not overlook Vincent Price, Ann Sothern and Harry Carey either. Their combined ages make On Golden Pond look like a Brat Pack movie and there are vague similarities between the two films: it's chiefly a battle of wits between two curmudgeonly stars. Gish, then aged 91, nurses her sister Davis who is blind. While Davis sometimes recalls her Baby Jane days, Gish — in her last film — is still the delicate actress from the silent days. Fans of Old Hollywood will adore it.

Anderson's version of David Berry's play opens with a sepia-tinted Steenburgen joyfully watching the spouters of the... read more on Time Out