Whose Life Is It Anyway? **** (1981, Richard Dreyfuss, John Cassavetes, Christine Lahti) – Classic Movie Review 9581

Playwright Brian Clark’s distinguished London and Broadway hit play about a wisecracking paralysis victim, unable to movie apart from his head after a car accident, and now fighting for his right to die, is filmed reverentially by director John Badham in the 1981 Whose Life Is It Anyway?

An extremely decent central performance by Richard Dreyfuss as artist/ sculptor Ken Harrison, is backed up by several other very good turns (especially from John Cassavetes, Christine Lahti, Bob Balaban and Kenneth McMillan), though, inevitably the difficult material sits rather uneasily on the screen.

Also in the cast are Kaki Hunter, Janet Eilber, Thomas Carter, Alba Oms, Kathryn Grody, George Wyner, Mel Stewart and Ward Costello.

Whose Life Is It Anyway? is directed by John Badham, runs 118 minutes, is made by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, SLM Production Group, is released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (1981) (US) and Cinema International Corporation (1982) (UK), is written by Brian Clark and Reginald Rose, is shot by Mario Tosi, is produced by Martin C Shute, Ray Cooney and Lawrence P Bachmann, and is scored by Arthur B Rubinstein.

The original Broadway production opened at the Trafalgar Theater in New York on 17 April 1979 and ran for 223 performances. Tom Conti won the 1979 Tony Award (New York City) for Actor in a Drama as Ken Harrison.

Badham wanted to film in black and white, but MGM disagreed, though they suggested he produce a black and white negative during post-production. However MGM head David Begelman eventually decided that the film be released in the colour version. Badham decided the sets would have muted colours. One scene remains in black and white: the flashback sequence where Dreyfuss’s character is sculpting his girlfriend Pat, played by real-life dancer Janet Eilber.

The hospital is a costly set on the old MGM lot, designed by Gene Callahan, after a decision not to film in a real hospital.

Cassavetes said to Badham: ‘Kid you’re getting more out of me, than anyone has in a lifetime.’

As a kind of rehearsal, Dreyfuss got Badham to direct him in a stage version at the Williamstown Theatre Festival in summer 1980.

© Derek Winnert 2020 Classic Movie Review 9581

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