The Gin Game

I have this on VHS, which I copied accidentally on a slow speed when it was shown on PBS. I'd like to have it on DVD.

Hume Cronyn and Jessica Tandy were absolutely brilliant in this two-character comedy/drama. Yes, I can see the great Julie Harris and Charles Durning in these roles, but I wasn't satisfied with Mary Tyler Moore and Dick Van Dyke playing them.

Cronyn and Tandy LIVED these parts. I often wonder where these types of actors get their inspiration. Cicely Tyson is that kind of an actress who can take you back hundreds of years to a place called slavery and make you believe she actually lived that life. That is what happened here in "The Gin Game." These two actors looked as if they had actually lived the lives they were playing. In short, this was brilliant and I loved every minute of it.

The brilliant performances of Cronyn and Tandy (Tony Award winner) catapult this filmed performance to greatness. Director Mike Nichols handles D.L. Coburn's script with care, as do both stars. Recently revived on the stage with Julie Harris and Charles Durning.