"Toys in the Attic", 1963 George Roy Hill

[Belle]

This film is based on the stage production written by Lillian Hellman and it's a confronting story about unhealthy family relationships. The radiant and gifted Geraldine Page plays the central role as Carrie; surely she was one of the greatest actors in the English language (so said F. Murray Abraham in 1985 when handing her an Oscar for Best Actress)! I don't know why Dean Martin played the role as the male head of the family; I feel this wasn't good casting and it weakened the film somewhat. Martin had proven himself a good dramatic actor in 'Some Came Running' but I felt "Toys in the Attic" demanded more ambivalence, sensitivity and nuance than he could invoke here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1SqKAaNQxYo