Toys in the Attic *** (1963, Dean Martin, Geraldine Page, Wendy Hiller, Yvette Mimieux, Gene Tierney) – Classic Movie Review 6,907

‘ADULTS ONLY!’ The once controversial 1963 film ‘Toys in the Attic plays with fire’, with a riveting script and formidable star performances by Geraldine Page and Wendy Hiller and Dean Martin.

The riveting text by screenwriter James Poe and the formidable star performances by Geraldine Page and Wendy Hiller keep flying director George Roy Hill’s toned-down, opened-out 1963 film version of Lillian Hellman’s play about two old New Orleans spinster sisters, Carrie (Page) and Anna Berniers (Hiller), who love their kid brother Julian (Dean Martin).

Yvette Mimieux plays Lily Prine, Julian’s baby-doll bride from Chicago, who is the cuckoo in the nest, and Gene Tierney co-stars as Albertine Prine.

Toys in the Attic is talky, stagey and evasive, but it is about as good as it could have been at this time, and the performances of the leading ladies are worth anyone’s time. Page, especially, was born for this kind of thing. She was 1964 Golden Globe nominee as Best Actress – Drama, and Hiller was nominated as Best Supporting Actress.

It was advertised as ‘The celebrated play that shocked Broadway comes boldly alive on the screen! ADULTS ONLY!’ – but the idea of incest and incestuous desire in the brother sister relationship is of course way toned down in this 1963 movie.

Also in the cast are Larry Gates as Cyrus Warkins, Frank Silvera as Henry Simpson, Nan Martin and Charles Lampkin.

Toys in the Attic is directed by George Roy Hill, runs 90 minutes, is produced by Meadway-Claude Productions Company and The Mirisch Corporation, is released by United Artists, is written by James Poe, is shot in black and white by Joseph F Biroc, is produced by Walter Mirisch, is scored by George Duning, and is designed by Cary Odell.

It was released on 31 July 1963.

It had a budget of $2.1 million and recorded a loss of $1.2 million. Awards wins might have helped, but it only was nominated for the Best Costume Design (Black & White) Oscar (Bill Thomas), and was nominated for the Best Actress Golden Globe (Geraldine Page) and the Best Supporting Actress Golden Globe (Wendy Hiller).

The cast are Dean Martin as Julian Berniers, Geraldine Page as Carrie Berniers, Yvette Mimieux as Lily Prine Berniers, Gene Tierney as Albertine Prine, Wendy Hiller as Anna Berniers, Nan Martin as Charlotte Warkins, Larry Gates as Cyrus Warkins, Frank Silvera as Henry Simpson, Nan Martin and Charles Lampkin.

Walter Mirisch turned 100 on 8 November 2021, and died of natural causes in Los Angeles on 24 February 2023, aged 101. He won the Academy Award for Best Picture as producer of In the Heat of the Night (1967).

© Derek Winnert 2018 Classic Movie Review 6,907

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