The Pollitt family has begun to gather to celebrate he sixty-fifth birthday of the domineering Mississippi plantation owner and patriarch, Big Daddy Pollitt (Burl Ives).[Note: During filming, Chaplin was in the midst of a difficult divorce from his first wife, teenaged bride Mildred Harris, a 17 year-old whom the 29 year-old Chaplin married in 1918.The film""s budget of $4 million made it one of the most expensive B/W films of its time, and although it was a popular and well-received film, it was met with mixed reviews and responses, and didn""t become profitable for United Artists until its home video release and later re-releases.If you don""t wanna be in the game, get out now" - this caused a massive flight from the city, although hampered by a bomb threat targeted at the city""s bridges and tunnels.