It 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.
The original Broadway production of "Toys in the Attic" by Lillian Hellman opened at the Hudson Theater in New York on February 25, 1960, ran for 456 performances, and was nominated for the 1960 Tony Award for the Best Play.
In 1960, female cast members announced were Katharine Hepburn and Vivien Leigh (parts later taken by Wendy Hiller and Geraldine Page), with Olivia de Havilland in role eventually played by Gene Tierney.
Wendy Hiller, here seen as the older Berniers sister Anna, had in the 1960 West End production of ''Toys in the Attic'' played the younger sister Carrie (opposite Diana Wynyard's Anna). Born in 1912, Hiller was as either the 41-year old Anna or the 38-year old Carrie playing a role at least ten years junior to the actress's age. In the case of Geraldine Page as Carrie, the age of the actress and that of the character was almost a perfect match, Page being born in 1924.
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