TOYS IN THE ATTIC


OK........just saw this last night on TCM and maybe it's me, but I am totally LOST about this one!!!

Just WHAT was it about? who was the lady who got slashed at the end? what did she have to do with Dino?......

WOW I must be slipping..I just could not get the total story or plotline to this......I liked the movie, at least what I could understand, and the performances throughout were really good........

So without being sarcastic, would some please explain to me what this was about?

Just read that the black guy was Tierney's chauffer? didn't get that at all, and he didn't look like a black man to me..........I better stop while I'm ahead!!!

so please, any plot help on this would be appreciated!!!!

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Just finished the movie and I'll try my best at answering your questions.

The woman who was slashed at the end was Mrs. Warkins. She and Julian had an affair ten years previously. He was just trying to help her escape her abusive husband. I believe he was truly faithful to Lily. In my opinion, he really should have told Lily the truth from the get-go. Although there would have been no story here if he had, right? :-). Anyway, Lily's mom's black "chauffer" said he was a cousin of Mrs. Warkins--Mr. Warkins had no idea that his wife had black in her and, of course, when he heard from Lily that his wife was leaving with another man AND the fact that she was not up-front about her heritage, he had her slashed.

I hope this helps. I suppose it was an o.k. movie, although I did not care for the incestual undertones between Carrie and Julian.

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OMG thanks so much for your explanation......I had NO idea much of that was going on!!

I'm almost embarassed to say that I didn't understand so much; you'd think I was watching a foreign movie without subtitles, or that I was a foreigner myself, which I'm not, and not used to the English language.

WHY was all this not understood by me? oh well........thanks for filling me in........maybe someday I"ll watch it again, with your excellent explanation in mind.......

I never in my life saw any movie where I had such a hard time trying to figure out what was going on!!.....

I'm also going to read the reviews for the original play and get some more 'angles' on this very unusual plot!!

So thanks again........

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My pleasure! I have to admit, the screenplay was not very well done (in my opinion) probably because many things needed to be either left out or made to be a tad subliminal due to the times of what they could put on the big screen. Anyway, it really wasn't you having the hard time, I think it was the overall script. With the way the movies are today, the produders could really "go to town" with this story!

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Thanks for getting back to me........I was starting to think maybe I'd lost it!! would be interesting read the actual play to see what else was probably left out of the screenplay!!!

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Anyway, Lily's mom's black "chauffer" said he was a cousin of Mrs. Warkins--Mr. Warkins had no idea that his wife had black in her


I don't think the fact that she had a (probably) 1/2 black cousin meant she was black herself. Her white uncle or aunt (blood relative) could have had a child with a black partner. So I don't think it was her husband angry with her having black heritage (she didn't look it), simply that her 1/2 black cousin would know inner details of her life (due to the family relationship), and him having a job as a chauffeur for a wealthy lady was just a job/career that blacks tended to be in in those times. So, it just explains how the mother of Julian's wife got the inside scoop on the old affair.

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carsal7 says > I believe he was truly faithful to Lily. In my opinion, he really should have told Lily the truth from the get-go.
Julian knew Lily well enough to know he couldn't confide in her. She was very unstable and would probably still have thought something was going on between them. As a result she might have talked to her mother, or someone else, about it in order to feel reassured.

Once the word got out, there's no telling who would find out. It was a small town and people there were prone to gossip. Also, Warkins was Albertine's attorney so she might have told him out of loyalty or friendship; not realizing he had been abusive towards his wife.

Although there would have been no story here if he had, right? :-).
Sure, there could have still been a story; and it could have unfolded exactly the way it did in the movie. Carrie could have been one of the people Lily went to for assurance. She would have used and goaded her into telling Warkins the same way she had before.

Lily's mom's black "chauffer" said he was a cousin of Mrs. Warkins
The chauffeur was also Albertine's lover. There were rumors floating around about them. Even Lily acknowledged it when she told her mother she always preferred to be with him rather than her. We also see the two of them smooching when Lily walked into her mother's house.

I did not care for the incestual undertones between Carrie and Julian.
First, the word is incestuous not incestual. And, to be exact, there was never anything between Carrie and Julian. It was all in Carrie's sick, pathetic mind. I don't think Julian ever knew the extent of her depravity but once he realized what she had pushed Lily to do, he knew she was out of her mind and could not be trusted. At that moment he knew he could no longer have any contact with her. He said goodbye to his sane sister and walked out to go find his wife.


Woman, man! That's the way it should be Tarzan. [Tarzan and his mate]

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