Hollywood’s Golden Age

Two legendary actresses from Hollywood’s Golden Age, in two of the most famous shotgun toting scenes in classic cinema. Decades later they would co-star together in a feature film.

In the top photograph is Lillian Gish, often referred to as the “First Lady of American Film”, as “Rachel Cooper”, protecting herself, her home, and her wards, from Robert Mitchum as the nefarious “Reverend Harry Powell”, in Charles Laughton’s American film noir thriller ‘The Night of the Hunter’ (1955), filmed from a screenplay by James Agee that was adapted from the 1953 novel of the same name by Davis Grubb.

‘The Night of the Hunter’ also starred Shelley Winters as “Willa Harper” and Billy Chapin as “John Harper”; and featured, in supporting roles, Sally Jane Bruce as “Pearl Harper”; James Gleason as “Uncle ‘Birdie’ Steptoe”; Evelyn Varden as “Icey Spoon”, Willa's employer; Don Beddoe as “Walt Spoon”, Icey's husband; Peter Graves as “Ben Harper”; and Gloria Castillo as “Ruby”, one of Rachel's girls.

In the bottom photograph is Bette Davis as “Charlotte Hollis” protecting her home from a demolition crew led by actor George Kennedy as the crew’s foreman, in Robert Aldrich’s psychological thriller ‘Hush...Hush, Sweet Charlotte’ (1964). The screenplay was adapted by Henry Farrell and Lukas Heller, from Henry Farrell's unpublished short story ‘What Ever Happened to Cousin Charlotte?’

‘Hush...Hush, Sweet Charlotte’ also starred Olivia de Havilland, who replaced Joan Crawford as “Miriam Deering”; Joseph Cotten as “Doctor Drew Bayliss”; Agnes Moorehead as “Velma Cruther”; Cecil Kellaway as “Harry Willis”, Mary Astor, in her final film role, as “Jewel Mayhew”, Victor Buono as “Big Sam Hollis”; Wesley Addy as “Sheriff Luke Standish”; William Campbell as “Paul Merchand”; Bruce Dern as “John Mayhew”;

Frank Ferguson as the editor; Percy Helton as the funeral director; Carol Delay as “Geraldine”; Idell James as “Ginny Mae”; Robert Adler as “Mr. Howard”; and Ellen Corby as the town gossip.

Decades later the two legends would co-star as elderly sisters. At age 93, Lillian Gish played “Sarah Louise Logan-Webber”, and at 79, Bette Davis played “Elizabeth Mae ‘Libby’ Logan-Strong” in Lindsay Anderson’s feature film drama, ‘The Whales of August’ (1987). The story is based on the play of the same title by David Berry.

‘The Whales of August’ also starred Vincent Price as “Nicholas Maranov” and Ann Sothern as “Letitia ‘Tisha’ Benson-Doughty”. This would be the first time that Vincent Price and Bette Davis would appear together in a film in 48 years, having last appeared on screen together in ‘The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex’ (1939). Ann Sothern would be nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role in ‘The Whales of August’, which would also be the last film that she would appear in.

‘The Whales of August’ also featured, in supporting roles, Harry Carey Jr. as “Joshua Brackett”; Frank Grimes as “Mr. Beckwith”; Margaret Ladd as “Young Libby”; Tisha Sterling as “Young Tisha”; Mary Steenburgen as “Young Sarah”; Frank Pitkin as “Old Randall”; and Mike Bush as “Young Randall”.