MovieChat Forums > Now, Voyager (1942) Discussion > THE VALE MANSION

THE VALE MANSION

posted 8 years ago by snsurone
7 replies | jump to latest

First of all, I think it's beautiful, just like all rich folks' homes were in those old movie classics.
Kinda makes me wish this film was in color.

But after the old b!tch finally croaked, wouldn't it have been impractical--not to mention expensive--for Charlotte and Tina to be living there alone?
The cost of maintaining such a place must have been exorbitant, especially with wartime rationing.

While it may sound incredible among Boston's upper crust, I think it may have been wise if Charlotte turned the mansion into a boarding house.
Then, she would have received a steady income and possibly had adult company, too.

[–] stanbrown32 8 years ago

You are over thinking this.

[–] mcornett 8 years ago

In the novel, Charlotte actually starts to put the house on the market, but when she takes in Tina, she keeps it as Tina loves it so much. June, her niece, gets a job in town and comes to live with her full-time. Dr. Jacquith stays with her whenever he's in town and she's always having various nieces and nephews overnight. Remember, Charlotte is now independently wealthy and can afford the upkeep. She redecorates so it's more to her taste and enjoys an independent lifestyle, full of friends and caring for her younger relatives, and when the book ends she is also a noted philanthropist as well. She can afford it.

"Value your education. It's something nobody can ever take away from you." My mom.

[–] Jennie_Portrait 8 years ago

I think one of the most striking visuals in the film is how the atmosphere of the mansion changed over time. In the beginning, it is stodgy and suffocating; however, by the end it is open and airy with a party. Folks dressed in evening attire are roasting hot dogs (which they call "weenies") over the enormous fireplace. Charlotte's niece commented "They make swell canapés!" It's a great scene because it shows a physical location being maintained and yet the tone of the environment is totally changed. It's intended to mirror Charlotte's own transformation.

___________________________________
Never say never...

[–] mcornett 8 years ago

Absolutely. So what if she doesn't have a husband and children? She's got her extended family of friends and relatives, and her ward, Tina. She has a freewheeling, independent, unconventional life, and she does what she wants when she wants it. It's one thing that the movie gets that so many others don't...that by not marrying, Charlotte has that thing that so many women of the period lacked: autonomy. She is her own person and lives her own life.

"Value your education. It's something nobody can ever take away from you." My mom.

[–] Jennie_Portrait 8 years ago

And by not being attached she remained interesting to other men. I honestly think that once Tina grew up, Charlotte would have outgrown Jerry and ended up with the Claude Rains character, who seemed to be very intrigued by her.

___________________________________
Never say never...

[–] shrink54 8 years ago

A boarding house on Marlborough Street? Talk about fiction.

[–] 8 years ago

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