Ah, now it all makes sense. How Regina, John and Oscar Hubbard all became so power hungry and greedy and controlling, a gift from papa Frederic March and the hatred but fear from the locals, furious that during the civil war, Papa Hubbard made his fortune overcharging southerners for goods in his store, the only way the public could get what they needed. It's 15 years after the civil war, reconstruction is not without its problems, and Mother Hubbard (Florence Eldridge) is neglected by pretty much everyone except the loyal servants and oldest son John (Edmund O'Brien).
Daughter Regina (Ann Blyth) is unnaturally close to her father who tells Regina that she's the son he never had, considering the characters of his amoral male offspring. John is good to his mother, but enjoys playing his siblings against each other and against their father. Throw in plane jane Betsy Blair ("Marty") as neighbor Birdie whom John forces on brother Oscar (Dan Duryea) for financial gain. The stage is set for family hatreds of Claudian and Borgia proportions, a brilliant analogy that can be compared to powerful families who have risen in power since this was written.
While it's obvious that the Hubbard blood is bad from the start, the younger Hubbards show signs of morality here and there that dwindles as soon as March turns down the loan for Blair's family. Even though he's not there, the character of Horace Giddens is mentioned quite often as a suitor for Regina's hand. Duryea plays the father of the character that he played in the film version of "The Little Foxes", and like father, like son, it's a fascinating performance.
But acting honors go to the real life married couple of March and Eldridge, not really sharing a lot of scream time together because they're married characters obviously are not in love with each other, even though the Marches in real life were married for nearly 50 years and practically inseparable. It really is a long day's journey into a nightmare for this tragic pair, and equally as memorable as its predecessor.
Daughter Regina (Ann Blyth) is unnaturally close to her father who tells Regina that she's the son he never had, considering the characters of his amoral male offspring. John is good to his mother, but enjoys playing his siblings against each other and against their father. Throw in plane jane Betsy Blair ("Marty") as neighbor Birdie whom John forces on brother Oscar (Dan Duryea) for financial gain. The stage is set for family hatreds of Claudian and Borgia proportions, a brilliant analogy that can be compared to powerful families who have risen in power since this was written.
While it's obvious that the Hubbard blood is bad from the start, the younger Hubbards show signs of morality here and there that dwindles as soon as March turns down the loan for Blair's family. Even though he's not there, the character of Horace Giddens is mentioned quite often as a suitor for Regina's hand. Duryea plays the father of the character that he played in the film version of "The Little Foxes", and like father, like son, it's a fascinating performance.
But acting honors go to the real life married couple of March and Eldridge, not really sharing a lot of scream time together because they're married characters obviously are not in love with each other, even though the Marches in real life were married for nearly 50 years and practically inseparable. It really is a long day's journey into a nightmare for this tragic pair, and equally as memorable as its predecessor.