Ann Southern and Vincent Price in 1987 film The Whales of August.
Saturday, August 13, 2005
Kenaz's Vintage Video Pick "The Whales of August"
One of my favourite movies of all time is a little known film The Whales of August. The 1987 movie garnered two Oscar nominations and stared Bette Davis, Ann Southern, Lillian Gish and Vincent Price , all in their final performances.
DirectorLindsay Anderson (1973's O Lucky Man ) created a master piece that end marked each of these great cinema legends careers and equal to many of the Film Noir classics that made them famous.
This charming, simple story follows two elderly women as they look back on their lives, and plan for the future, as they wait to see the migrating whales pass their summer house on the coast of Maine. LILLIAN GISH, the star of WAY DOWN EAST in 1920, plays Sarah Webber, a slightly frail but still active woman who now cares for her blind sister, Libby, played by BETTE DAVIS. Famous for her acid tongue, Davis does not disappoint as the domineering older sister.
In the film ANDERSON uses photographs of the sisters in their youth using actual photos of DAVIS and GISH themselves. The photo give the women instant familiarity to those who may not remember what made these women famous. DAVIS's black hair and those penetrating eyes and GISH's beautiful smile, give instant recognition to how time has passed for these two women.
THE WHALES OF AUGUST is complete with an exiled Russian nobleman, and tails of faded memories and family loyalties. VINCENT PRICE brings a quiet dignity to the role of MR. MARANOV, who asks if the sisters will take him into their home as a boarder. ANN SOUTHERN as TISHA DOUGHTY, a neighbor who has know the sisters all their lives, tries to mediate between the always-quarreling sisters. But this film clearly belongs to its leads. BETTE DAVIS and LILLIAN GISH play off each other perfectly.
I've included o couple of movie stills and links to the stars biographies.
Enjoy,
Kenaz
Director
This charming, simple story follows two elderly women as they look back on their lives, and plan for the future, as they wait to see the migrating whales pass their summer house on the coast of Maine. LILLIAN GISH, the star of WAY DOWN EAST in 1920, plays Sarah Webber, a slightly frail but still active woman who now cares for her blind sister, Libby, played by BETTE DAVIS. Famous for her acid tongue, Davis does not disappoint as the domineering older sister.
In the film ANDERSON uses photographs of the sisters in their youth using actual photos of DAVIS and GISH themselves. The photo give the women instant familiarity to those who may not remember what made these women famous. DAVIS's black hair and those penetrating eyes and GISH's beautiful smile, give instant recognition to how time has passed for these two women.
THE WHALES OF AUGUST is complete with an exiled Russian nobleman, and tails of faded memories and family loyalties. VINCENT PRICE brings a quiet dignity to the role of MR. MARANOV, who asks if the sisters will take him into their home as a boarder. ANN SOUTHERN as TISHA DOUGHTY, a neighbor who has know the sisters all their lives, tries to mediate between the always-quarreling sisters. But this film clearly belongs to its leads. BETTE DAVIS and LILLIAN GISH play off each other perfectly.
I've included o couple of movie stills and links to the stars biographies.
Enjoy,
Kenaz
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