''A Piano for Mrs. Cimino'' is a 1982 American

made-for-television A television film, alternatively known as a television movie, made-for-TV film/movie or TV film/movie, is a feature-length film that is produced and originally distributed by or to a television network, in contrast to theatrical films made fo ...

drama film In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. Drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular super ...

produced and directed by George Schaefer. The

teleplay A teleplay is a screenplay or script used in the production of a scripted television program or series. In general usage, the term is most commonly seen in reference to a standalone production, such as a television film, a television play, or a ...

by John Gay is based on the novel of the same name by Robert Oliphant. It was broadcast on February 3 by

CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS, the abbreviation of its former legal name Columbia Broadcasting System, is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainm ...

Plot

The story focuses on Esther Cimino, an aging piano teacher who is misdiagnosed as having

dementia Dementia is a disorder which manifests as a set of related symptoms, which usually surfaces when the brain is damaged by injury or disease. The symptoms involve progressive impairments in memory, thinking, and behavior, which negatively affe ...

shortly after her husband passes away. Her son George has her declared incompetent and puts her affairs in the hands of a questionable trustee. Her granddaughter Karen places the woman in a convalescent home overseen by a caring director, and under his patient care Mrs. Cimino blossoms, only to learn her business, home, and all her possessions, including her beloved piano, were sold during her confinement. With her dignity and health restored, Mrs. Cimino tries to regain control of her life by establishing her independence and retaining control over her remaining assets. Assisting her in her battles is her long lost friend Barney Fellman, who brings her the unexpected promise of romance in her later years.

Cast

Bette Davis Ruth Elizabeth "Bette" Davis (; April 5, 1908 – October 6, 1989) was an American actress with a career spanning more than 50 years and 100 acting credits. She was noted for playing unsympathetic, sardonic characters, and was famous for her pe ...

as Esther Cimino * Keenan Wynn as Barney Fellman *

Alexa Kenin Alexa Jordan Kenin (February 16, 1962 – September 10, 1985) was an American actress known for her supporting roles in several films released during the 1980s, including ''Little Darlings'' (1980), '' Honkytonk Man'' (1982), and ''Pretty in ...

as Karen Cimino *

George Hearn George Hearn (born June 18, 1934) is an American actor and singer, primarily in Broadway musical theatre. Early years Born in St. Louis, Missouri, Hearn studied philosophy at Southwestern at Memphis, now Rhodes College before he embarked on ...

as George Cimino *

Penny Fuller A penny is a coin ( pennies) or a unit of currency (pl. pence) in various countries. Borrowed from the Carolingian denarius (hence its former abbreviation d.), it is usually the smallest denomination within a currency system. Presently, it is th ...

as Mrs. Polanski *

Christopher Guest Christopher Haden-Guest, 5th Baron Haden-Guest (born February 5, 1948) is an American-British screenwriter, composer, musician, director, actor, and comedian. Guest is most widely known in Hollywood for having written, directed, and starred in ...

as Philip Ryan *

Graham Jarvis Graham Powley Jarvis (August 25, 1930 – April 16, 2003) was a Canadian character actor in American films and television from the 1960s to the early 2000s. Early years Jarvis was born in Toronto, Ontario, the son of Margaret Biddulph (Scratche ...

as Leach * Eda Reiss Merin as Mrs. Gatlin * Karen Austin as Alice Cimino

References

External links

* 1982 television films 1982 films 1982 drama films CBS network films Films about old age Films about pianos and pianists Films based on American novels Films directed by George Schaefer Films with screenplays by John Gay (screenwriter) American drama television films 1980s American films {{US-tv-drama-film-stub