Julian Berniers and his bride Lily leave Chicago to visit his two spinster sisters, Carrie and Anna, in New Orleans but Lily's jealousy combined with Carrie's possessiveness of Julian threat... Read allJulian Berniers and his bride Lily leave Chicago to visit his two spinster sisters, Carrie and Anna, in New Orleans but Lily's jealousy combined with Carrie's possessiveness of Julian threaten to destroy the whole family.Julian Berniers and his bride Lily leave Chicago to visit his two spinster sisters, Carrie and Anna, in New Orleans but Lily's jealousy combined with Carrie's possessiveness of Julian threaten to destroy the whole family.
- Nominated for 1 Oscar
- 3 nominations total
- Bar Patron
- (uncredited)
- Bar Patron
- (uncredited)
- Bar Patron
- (uncredited)
- Hood
- (uncredited)
- Police Officer
- (uncredited)
- Man at Bar
- (uncredited)
- Hood
- (uncredited)
- Bar Patron
- (uncredited)
- Warkins' Secretary
- (uncredited)
- Gus
- (uncredited)
- Charlotte Warkins
- (uncredited)
- Director
- Writers
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Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaIt was widely felt in 1963 that Dean Martin had been cast purely for box-office reasons, and some critics were condescending about his performance. However, the two very eminent stage actresses who played his sisters, Geraldine Page and Wendy Hiller, both let it be known that they had been most impressed with both his work and his professionalism.
- Quotes
Anna Berniers: How is the shoe factory?
Julian Berniers: What shoe factory?
Anna Berniers: The shoe factory that you bought in Chicago.
Julian Berniers: Oh, that shoe factory. It's gone.
Anna Berniers: Don't be flip with me, Julian.
Carrie Berniers: He's not. He's just trying to explain.
Julian Berniers: No, I'm not. I'm trying to explain anything. I was being flip. I forget. You worry about the money I lose.
- ConnectionsFeatured in Hollywood: The Great Stars (1963)
I don't think Dean was all that bad in the part, the problem was he did not have that much to work with. When you think about it the roles he played in Some Came Running and Ada could have been dress rehearsals for Julian Berniers in Toys In The Attic. I just don't think the play itself is up to the standards Lillian Hellman set for herself in The Little Foxes.
In fact the subject matter seems to be more Tennessee Williams than Lillian Hellman. Martin is the younger ne'er do well brother of spinsters Geraldine Page and Wendy Hiller. Page is kind of Blanche Dubois flighty type on the surface, but she really rules the Berniers roost. And she's got a nice incestuous thing for her brother.
Who is now married to Yvette Mimieux, a young, but even mentally younger child like bride. Dino's got a deal cooking with the wife of a big tycoon played by Larry Gates. Years ago he had a fling with his wife Nan Martin, but now they're just seeking to take the big guy for a big score.
On stage the Gates and Martin parts are not played, but talked about. When Lillian Hellman's play was on stage the sisters were played by Maureen Stapleton and Anne Revere. Revere in the part Hiller does won a Tony Award for Best Supporting Actress. The play ran 463 performances in the 1960-1961 season.
I think if the part Dino had was played by Paul Newman or Montgomery Clift, the film might have been marginally better. But even more so Lillian Hellman was poaching on Tennessee Williams subject matter and she should have kept off the grass.
- bkoganbing
- Jul 22, 2009
Details
Box office
- Budget
- $2,100,000 (estimated)
- Runtime1 hour 30 minutes
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 2.35 : 1