MovieChat Forums > The Talk of the Town (1942) Discussion > One strange scene with Tilney (Lightcap'...

One strange scene with Tilney (Lightcap's driver)

posted 18 years ago by fancy_joy
24 replies | jump to latest

There is one strange scene involving Tilney character when he found out that Professor Lightcap decided to shave off his beard, the camera closed up his face so many times until the tears finally came out of his eyes. For me it is quite strange that why this scene has to be there. It shows me that Tilney is so emotionally involved with the change in behavior of Professor Lightcap (lied to police, started to like flowers, shaved etc.). So I just can't stop thinking that this character has homosexual tendency, judging from his behavior (he never forgot Lightcap's birthday, cried in the mentioned scene, always insisted Lightcap to return to Boston (maybe after finding out Lightcap is in love with Ms.Shelley) etc.)

Maybe I looked in it too much, but without that strange out-of-the-blue scene, I wouldn't really think of this character that much. Any comment?

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[–] kmandew 12 years ago

I just saw this scene as well. My wife and I felt this scene makes no sense because we don't know the underlying history between the two.

Seen in today's context, it feels or looks as thought the two have a very intimate relationship - homosexual.

[–] pennyserenade1208 12 years ago

I think Tilney is disturbed because Lightcap is changing. Remember at the beginning of the movie, Lightcap was really hunorless and sterile. He was not really concerned about anyone. There are clues that he had been aloof from emotion for many years. I think Tilney was just upset because he didn't know what was happening to Lightcap (kind of like how you would respond if someone was going mad). I get the idea that Tilney put Lightcap on a pedestal - he was above our silly human problems. It disturbed Tilney that his beloved boss might have human flaws after all. He may have also been concerned about Lightcap marrying Shelley. After all, she could fire him or make his life miserable as his boss's wife (he doesn't know how loveable Jean Arthur is yet). It is always a little jolting when someone changes their personality after years of behaving a certain way.

[–] slgr7 12 years ago

I agree with you fancy_joy. This scene of Tilney getting all emotional while Lightcap shaves does out-of-the-blue on a few levels:
1. There is not enough character development of Tilney and his relationship with Lightcap for the viewer to understand or have empathy for this. Tilney's first appearance in the movie was relatively late and this was just a few minutes after his first appearance.
2. The whole scene itself was too dramatic for the level of this movie.

[–] jmhow 9 years ago

The Tilney-Lightcap relationship seemed more like a Mammy-to-spoiled brat relationship. Tilney looked on Lightcap with a mixture of pride that he is finally growing up and sadness that he would need Tilney less because of it. It almost seemed like Tilney was dreading as well as looking forward to becoming an empty-nester.

If the Tilney part had been played by a woman, the tears would not have seemed like a sexual love in danger of being lost.

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[–] fanaticita 9 years ago

Tilney was a personal assistant to Lightcap and had been for several years. The tears could have been for many reasons. .. .first of all, Tilney was a sensitive, caring, responsible man and obviously had respect for his employer Lightcap. I didn't interpret the tears as anything else than someone who was observant to the changes going on with Lightcap and perhaps wondering if those changes might affect his position as personal assistant. Considering the era that this film was made (1942) I doubt that there were many Black personal assistants. I'm sure Tilney realize that and was concerned. The tears came out of concern, perhaps worry, and also the affection that had built between the two over the years, but nothing of a homosexual nature. It's interesting that any notice of affection between two men or two women in real life or in film is curiously always thought of as being homosexual. . . . Where does that come from????