User reviews

As less and less opportunities arose for Bette Davis to make motion pictures in the 1970s and 1980s in lead roles, she appeared on more and more television films. A PIANO FOR MRS. CIMINO was one of these. The film was about a widow who was considered too old to run her husband's music store by her family. Davis gave considerable dignity to the occasionally frail Mrs. Cimino. While she was occasionally on the edge of disaster (we see her almost cheated by a con artist at one point), she usually shows she can handle most of the crisis she faces. It also turns out that the music store, which a conservator turns over to an acquaintance (Graham Jarvis) to run, is almost run into the ground by Jarvis and an inept nephew.

Before the film ends, Davis meets a new man of her own age whom she starts living with. Interestingly enough it is Keenan Wynn, who had appeared once before in a film with Davis - PHONE CALL FROM A STRANGER, made three decades earlier. There he was a happy-go-lucky salesman who could get on one's nerves due to his sense of humor, but who turned out to be a steady and reliable husband to Davis' unfaithful wife - after she gets crippled. Here Wynn is a decent fellow who plays the piano while Mrs. Cimino sings. They turn out to be a good couple together.

It was a good film for Davis to appear in - giving her a proper aging role that was meaningful. While her last great part, the blind sister in THE WHALES OF AUGUST, was still to come, had she stopped with A PIANO FOR MRS. CIMINO it would have been a lesser but respectable conclusion to her career.

In a very sympathetic and sensitive manner this fine little TV-movie portrays the difficulties of old age - and the problems that arise when the younger generation has to make a decision: what shall we do when our grandparents can't manage their lives any more. Bette Davis is very touching as she struggles for her self-responsibility. The film has many aspects, even love between older people, which gives it an additional touch of romance. Though the pacing is at times somewhat slow, this is not a flaw. It contributes to the overall atmosphere - the light and dark sides of old age.

7 out of 10

What a trip to read about the movie with BD and Keenan Wynn filmed for 2 days at my house on Superba St/Blvd.in Venice, CA. for 2 days in the scene where Betty gets back together with Keenan Wynn. I remember how uptight Betty was when our black cat got out of the bedroom and ran across the set in the living room and she freaked out. When I left for work the first day of filming Keenan was outside and invited me to come sit with him, a sweet, sweet man. My late ex-wife was 6 months pregnant with our firstborn and the fees paid for our belated honeymoon in Kauai! I remember coming home from work and Keenan was making out with Betty on our sofa! Sweet Hollywood memories!

The story has two story lines: the visual story and the underlying one. It opens as Davis is forcibly removed from her home and taken to a hospital, the result of deep depression after the death of her husband. She hasn't fully recovered when she returns home. Neither of her sons can take her into their home, and make decisions to sell her home, move her into a nursing home and put her music business in the hands of a banker. A grand-daughter is her only ally and searches for an assisted living home that is not institutional. The movie gives thoughtful looks at differences in elder care. One day Davis plays the Rec Hall piano and mentions that her piano was given away. Eventually she moves away from the area into an active retirement hotel in California (I think). At the home's Christmas Party she meets Wynn, the saxophone player she remembers from the days he played in her husband's band. They begin seeing each other and enjoying music. One night a storm prevents her from returning home and she spends the night at Wynn's, who gives her the bed yet sleeps on the couch. Her family is notified of her absence and assumes it is another example of her confusion and unreliability. All her finances are in the hands of others. She begins legal action to resolve the situation, whereupon the people handling her financial interests bring all her miss-steps to light in the most unfavorable light. I've worked with many elder people and find this story is VERY close to the truth. It's an excellent window on elder problems.

Have regarded Bette Davis very highly as an actress, and still do. She was in many very good to masterful films throughout her very long career and she was seldom less than good. Her Margo Channing in one of my favourite films 'All About Eve' is iconic. Another big selling point of 'A Piano for Mrs Cimino' was the subject matter, one that can be universally related to and one that is still relevant now and not always easy to portray.

'A Piano for Mrs Cimino' does a great job with how it handles the difficulties and different sides of old age and how it affects others, the latter not being trivialised which was a good thing. Handling it in a knowing manner that is both compelling and emotional. Sure it is not always subtle and at times gets on the melodramatic side, a danger with dramas dealing with difficult and universal subjects. The pace is mostly secure actually but occasionally drags and doesn't find its rhythm straight away. Anything, regardless of how the execution is, that explores themes like those seen here and ones even heavier though is worthy of admiration for even trying. 'A Piano for Mrs Cimino' is no exception.

Davis is the main reason to see 'A Piano for Mrs Cimino' in a performance that is not among her all-time best but for me it is among her better later years performances. Like the handling of the subject matter, it is not always a subtle performance but it is a very moving and quite powerful ones. To me the pathos was not overdone and was portrayed poignantly, and neither was the feistiness which stopped the portrayal from becoming too mawkish and made one admire her character more.

The rest of the cast shouldn't be overlooked, with a touching and sympathetic Alexa Kerrin being the one to primarily stand out as the most sympathetic supporting character, and even perhaps character overall, in the film. George Hearn does very well portraying his character's unscrupulousness, avoiding the cartoonish route. Graham Jarvis is likeable too. The characters do have a realism to them.

Visually, 'A Piano for Mrs Cimino' looks pleasing and doesn't look too made for television while not being too flashy. It's thought-provokingly scripted and doesn't become too over-the-top or too low-key. As said already, the difficult and relevant subject depicted is handled maybe not subtly but in a way that's poignant and relatable.

Overall, very good. Not a Davis high-point but it is well worth seeing for her alone. 8/10 Bethany Cox

Bette Davis fans might not like A Piano for Mrs. Cimino, but I stuck with it because my mom insisted it was a good movie. On my own, I probably would have turned it off. She's given an irregularly cut gray wig to make her look unkempt, coke bottle glasses to make her look confused, and starts off the movie being carried out of her house screaming. She's put in a hospital, stripped of her dignity, tied in a straight jacket, and incoherently sits through a hearing where she's deemed mentally incompetent and sent to an old folks' home. This is not the type of role her fans want to see her in.

If you don't mind, or just want to see her in a very meaty role during her sunset years (to redeem herself from the horror flicks), you can keep watching. It's a very sad topic that is unfortunately realistic. Old people go through hard times (Bette's husband has just died) and their kids assume power of attorney and send them to a home - when young people go through hard times, they get sympathy and therapy. Thankfully, Bette's devoted and smart granddaughter, Alexa Kenin, finds an innovative and unorthodox rest home run by Penny Fuller. Penny believes that old folks' minds atrophy from lack of use, and in her home, the residents go to classes to revive their little gray cells. If and once they recover, they have a graduation ceremony and return to their lives or start anew with independence. If more retirement homes were run like this, imagine the possibilities!

My favorite part of the movie was seeing Bette reunited with Keenan Wynn, her devoted (onscreen) husband from Phone Call from a Stranger. There were scenes that were hard to watch, since I love Bette and don't like to see her suffer. There is a very upsetting scene where she finds herself a victim of an elaborate financial scam. It's frightening for anyone, young or old, and it's deplorable that these villains frequently target old people to try and steal their money. But I'd rather see Bette suffer and act than ham her way through Whatever Happened to Baby Jane.

Grandma Esther defies the challenges of old age with dignity and her character is deliciously charming, sensible and intelligent. I always adored her. This grand film should, undoubtedly, have been made for the movies. Well told story, superbly depicts old people when they become a problem to the family. It reminded my own struggle to keep my Grandma with me and my parents insisting on my ruining my future by doing so.

Bette Davis stars in this sensitive drama about an old woman's fight for some dignity in her life. In her prime years in A Piano For Mrs. Cimino. Davis was a music teacher and owned a music store with her late husband who died the year before.

Now her sons want to take control of her assets after a mild stroke Davis sustains. In a way I can understand how George Hearn and Leroy Schulz feel. They're guarding an inheritance and when she does go into a nursing home he bank and the social welfare system insist she sell her house.

Davis is down but not out and with the support of a favorite granddaughter Alexa Kenin she fights back and shows a lot of life.

A Piano For Mrs. Cimino reunites Davis with her co-star from Phone Call From A Stranger Keenan Wynn. With Davis on the piano and Wynn on the clarinet they do make some beautiful music together.

Two other roles of note are Penny Fuller as the head of the nursing home Davis is residing in and Graham Jarvis the trustee the brothers get for her estate.

A PianoFor Mrs Cimino is a fine role for the aged Bette Davis. Her fans and future fans will love it.

I saw this many years ago. It becomes more & more meaningful as I see these experiences in real life. It should be repeated on the air for younger viewers to become more aware of what the future may hold for them -so they can attempt to prevent what may otherwise be the inevitable. I have often thought that Bette should have ended her career with this film. After that she was 'too old looking' to go on doing interviews & films. We do not need to remember people as they become too old & wrinkly. She was a beautiful star & an excellent actress. As a child, I remember thinking she was a 'bad person'. Even so, I was always anxious to see her movies & eventually realized it was the characters she played that made the child in me think Bette was the bad person. She played her parts well.

When the story begins, Mrs. Cimino (Bette Davis) is being forcibly taken to the hospital. Why? Because she is pretty much out of her mind. So it's not surprising that she is adjudicated as incompetent and a conservator is appointed to watch over her finances. She also is fortunate to be placed in a memory care facility which focuses on working with dementia patients. Over time and with assistance from the program, Mrs. Cimino regains her faculties and what she wants next is a return of her rights...such as the right to control her own money.

The film is important because films almost never talk about the elderly and especially dementia. Here, the story not only talks about it but provides hope. A nice film with some lovely acting...it's well worth seeing and is yet another terrific made for TV movie starring Ms. Davis.