Ghost Story (1981)

In a small Vermont town, four elderly men (Fred Astaire, Melvyn Douglas, John Houseman, Douglas Fairbanks Jr.) form a group called The Chowder Society where they meet weekly and exchange horror stories. But when the son (Craig Wasson) of one of the members dies under mysterious circumstances, it brings forth a dark secret from their past that the men have buried ..... or so they thought. Based on the best seller by Peter Straub and directed by John Irvin. I've not read Straub's novel but the majority of those who've read the book dislike the film because it jettisons much of the novel. Since I haven't read the novel, I enjoyed it for what it is even though not all of it works. The chief treat of the film is having three classic actors of the "Golden Age" of Hollywood and one producer of that era turned actor late in his career in the leading roles. As a horror film, it's fairly predictable (the novel's complexities have been simplified) but the screenplay punches all the right moves. Two of the characters seem superfluous: a thug (Miguel Fernandes) and his child accomplice (Lance Holcomb) and their elimination wouldn't have been noticed. The first rate score is by Philippe Sarde. With Patricia Neal, Brad Sullivan, Ken Olin and in the film's best performance, Alice Krige.