Toys in the Attic

I have enjoyed this film since I was a kid and first caught it on television a couple of years after I really became aware of Dean Martin when he hit big with "Everybody Loves Somebody" and his television show. Of course, it was highly censored at that time on regular television, and so it wasn't until the third or fourth time I saw it that I realized the real meaning of Carrie's feelings toward her brother. I was stunned to realize she had incestuous feelings toward him, but today I realize even more what a fine film this really is. Yes, I watched it for Dino, and despite what critics at the time said, I still think he does a fantastic acting job here (we tend to forget about some his early solo film performances -- "Rio Bravo", "Some Came Running" -- and just how good he could be at acting when he really worked at it. But I also love this film for the performances of Wendy Hiller and Geraldine Page. Page always gets the most attention, and she certainly plays her mentally ill sister character to the hilt in this film, but I admire even more Hiller's understated performance as the sister who knows more than she usually says and is actually the rock of the family. Another treat is Gene Tierney, back for one of her final films after her nervous breakdown. Perhaps the only Lillian Hellman (author) film I admire more is "The Childrens' Hour" with Shirley MacLaine and Audrey Hepburn. "Toys In The Attic" is serious stuff, and not for the moralists, but it's a film I always enjoy immensely, and most of all for the strength of its performances.

With Dean Martin, Geraldine Page, Yvette Mimieux and Wendy Hiller, this is a good, but strange story, well acted. It's vintage, black and white and represents the early 60's filming of the time. In spite of that it's also haphazardly put together. At least that's how it felt to me. There are a lot of unanswered questions for most of the movie, which made it hard to follow, but it becomes clear near the last quarter of the film. If that doesn't bother you, perhaps you'll enjoy this; or perhaps being warned, you won't be caught off guard and feel as lost or confused for most of the movie as I was. In spite of the seemingly disconnected bits and pieces, there's still enough going on to watch like a bug on the wall, the crazy goings on in the house of two aging spinster sisters. Carrie (Page) and her older sister (Hiller), live in their deteriorating childhood home, barely keeping their heads above water. Their handsome brother (Dean) who disappears and fails at everything he tries, disappears repeatedly but comes home celebrating to the great and welcoming excitement from his sisters. Geraldine Page excels, it seems, at playing the desperate lonely heart maid. In this movie her WHOLE world and all her happiness is wrapped up in her handsome but broke brother who, in spite of his charm and way with the ladies, can't seem to find success, but who, this time, suspiciously shows up showering them with affection and gifts. To Geraldine, her brother can do no wrong. The stone faced older sister (Wendy Hiller) is the practical one and holds a family secret that Geraldine Page refuses to acknowledge and that the brother doesn't remember. The brother comes home this time with a beautiful, young, innocent wife (Mimieaux) who is full of insecurities and suspicions about her new husband and intents of her mother. And the repeated question throughout the movie on everybody's lips is HOW CAN HE AFFORD ALL THIS?? The movie seems to make this the central point: how, why, when and under what circumstances does he suddenly becomes rich? But the real zinger is the secret which makes the money issue a minor, and for me in the end, a pointless issue to the plot. The story is going to keep you in the dark until the end. Faces with names that don't mean anything keep appearing---and then disappearing----with menacing looks and a sinister feel, but without connection to anything. This would be annoying---and it was for me---except that I was so fascinated by the hyper giddiness of Geraldine throughout the entire story---until she becomes jealous of the innocent wife. It ALL takes a rather bizarre and (especially for the early 1960's) disturbing turn as the "secret" is revealed, but in, again, a vague way that will leave the viewer to sort of draw their own conclusions, but with incomplete revelations that will make the curiosity seekers itch for details. You won't get them. And the revealing, while short and shocking for the time, seemed cut short. I was thinking, "No---WAIT---tell me more!---but the scene went out the door and never returned, creating more questions than answers. I won't be spilling it here. If I had to sit through the whole movie to find out, then you'll have to also. Martin's final dawning of truth as "he remembers(!!) is also inconclusive and only vaguely---but disturbingly nonetheless---made known. Sort of. The acting is of the hyper style, but Geraldine's characters generally are; babbling on and on; nervously flitting here and there. The ending is with loud dramatic music and while I got some questions from the beginning answered, it ended with new (and some old ones) unanswered. What exactly did the wife's mother have to do with the whole thing?? The whole scene with the unsmiling, know-all chauffeur dropped in out of nowhere and was mysterious as in, "What??? What the-----?? What was THAT about???" Why was it even in there, because it didn't go anywhere? It hinted at "something", but what exactly? Then he and the mother disappear without tying up any loose ends. This is not a mood-booster movie. There's something desperate and depressing right to the last scene. Makes me grateful for my life, which is very average. I don't know why I stayed with the movie til the end. Dean Martin could actually act and he is good looking. And Italian. He was usually cast in goofy roles, but in this one he does well. Geraldine Page is always a fascinating mess that I can't take my eyes off of. I was too young to be a fan of Yvette Mimieaux, but found her sweetly innocent and beautiful. I loved Anne of Green Gables (the old one with Meghan Follows) where Wendy Hiller played the wheelchair-bound elderly Mrs. Harris. She did a fine job----a completely different role than in this movie where she was much younger. So that too was interesting. Plus, in spite of the annoying script, I found myself wanting to hang in there with this batch of misfits to find out WHAT THE HECK IS GOING ON. So I'm giving it a surprising 4 stars, though I don't know why any more than I know why some of the people did many of the things they did in the movie.

It is good that companies are around like amazon the only places where some of these print on demand titles are around,which deserve to be in print and deserve to be viewed,although ted turner as a patron of the arts has also among other well known americans interested in promotion of the arts and others especially in new york and elsewhere. Plays are intrigueing..the petrified forest,joan of arc ,we're no angels ,visit to a small planet were all famous plays turned into vehicles for stars and for that reason are uneven. They are talky since little action takes place..all there is is dialogue like filmed dialogue. In this case,this vehicle seems to have been lined up for Martin by his well intentioned agent who tried to turn him into a more artistic performer and take him away from rat pat films,took a critical drubbing. It was not a commercial success either. The film revolves more around the young lady and her loves and relationship with her mother,so Martin's character disappears at times for much of the film. His performance is good,but you cant expect him to perform like a new york trained stage actor,and new york critics often disparaged these movie stars,and they often are stars and not always finely tuned actors,but that's not necessarily true. It is a very artsy type film,like most movies that have a stage source are,and although critics were not happy with the casting,it's a good film. Often in our minds we are used to seeing people/performers in other roles and venues,and have problems changing our focus but that's our problem not the way the peformer approaches the part. Due to the critical drubbing he received for his part,and the lack of success,martin refused this type of film in the future..the film has many good lines. One of the best near its end is Martin's character saying "dont think but trust"...which makes us think whether she actually loved his character or thinks,she does,and it is an intelligent film,from lilian hellman..about the loves of a young woman and how they become complicated and enmeshed in all kinds of ways in modern life. A filmed play...and as a print on demand no bonus features but good of amazon to make it available.

Item as described. A good old days movie to watch again. Thanks.

Well packaged and arrived safely 235:1 4/3 ratio not a bad film but a bit heavy going in places