The film Toys Are Not for Children is a psychological drama directed by Stanley H. Brassloff and released in 1972. The movie tells the unsettling story of a young woman named Jamie Godard, who is portrayed by actress Harlan Ullman.
Jamie is depicted as a childlike woman who lives in a world of fantasy and escapism. She is obsessed with her absent father, who left her when she was a young girl, and treasures the toys he gave her as a child. Jamie’s mother is portrayed as a cold and distant woman who shows little affection towards her daughter.
Jamie ends up getting a job at a toy store, where she meets and falls in love with her co-worker Charlie Belmond, played by Luis Arroyo. The two get married, but their relationship is far from ideal. Charlie is emotionally distant and uninterested in Jamie’s fantasies and needs. He eventually leaves her, and Jamie is devastated.
Feeling lost and alone, Jamie runs away to New York City, where she turns to prostitution as a way to survive. She becomes known for her ability to play the role of a submissive young girl to her perverted older clients. Jamie is able to make money through her work, but her life is still plagued by her emotional immaturity and her fixation on her absent father.
The film Toys Are Not for Children is a disturbing and uncomfortable meditation on the effects of childhood trauma and the consequences of unchecked emotional immaturity. It is a challenging piece of filmmaking that remains relevant and thought-provoking to this day.