After Nicholas confesses to Miranda that he is a drug addict, do we ever find out what drug he is addicted to? It was near the end of the movie, and someone knocked on my door about that time. I should have hit record on my vcr, but I didn't. I missed most of the end, got back to it just as he was shot by one of the villagers.
share"Dragonwyck" never specifies Nicholas' drug of choice. However, opiates did exist at the time this film takes place -- the mid 1840's. In fact, some scholars believe Edgar Allen Poe, who was alive at this time, was either an opium addict or at the very least a casual user. Opium was smoked, rather than injected at this time, and it's use held a certain stigma. Some people in the upper classes used laudanum, an opium based wine, to deal with intense pain. Queen Victoria of England and U. S. President Ulysess S. Grant both used laudanum in their last days.
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Fox Movie Channel shows Dragonwyck alot. It is one of my favorites. I would have to guess Opium or maybe even heroin for the drug that Nicholas was addicted to.
shareI've yet to see this movie but I have read the book by Anya Seton. She does in fact specify the type of drug Nicholas is using, and yes..it's opium. Nicholas admits it to Miranda himself. And guess what? Mr. Edgar Allen Poe's usage of the stuff is what leads Nicholas down this path. Poe is the only other "character" in the book that Nicholas seems to feel kinship towards. You'll love the book, check it out!!
shareThanks for that clarifacation, JudeLover. That does make me want to seek out the book. I do recommend seeing the film if you can; it's well-made and Price is superb.
shareIt's interesting that he admits clearly that he is a drug addict, because the Hays Code specifically forbade the showing of drug use or traffic in movies. This is probably why the script doesn't give anymore information on his habit.
shareNicholas' drug of choice is "opium, my dear. The glorious fruit of the poppy." This is what he tells Miranda when she goes to his tower room, and smells something strange. It's on pg. 281 of the paperback version. He has picked up the habit from his pal, Edgar Allen Poe.
When he tell Miranda, she says "But that's a drug, isn't it?"
jjamison's right - it is opium - I just looked at my copy of the book. Poe had mentioned it during their visit. I remember that in the book Miranda is horrified when he brings a bottle of brandy or cognac for Poe, because Poe was also an alcoholic, and Nicholas brushes her off, telling her that Poe is much more amusing when drunk.
"...truth against the world..."
any mention in the book as to where in the hudson valley this was?
"Monsters are such interesting people, my stars, the places you must go, the people you must meet!"
No, it doesn't mention it but for some odd reason, Rhinebeck seems to stick in my mind. I know that they mentioned Dr. Turner's office in town, but I have to dig out my copy of the book to ascertain where it is.
"...truth against the world..." - attributed to Boudicca of the Iceni
Actually the censors were more horrified at him saying outright that he was addicted to opium, hence why he only refers to himself as a "drug addict" instead. Which, also, was shocking to hear then for a film of its time.
shareIm going by the time period,the mid 1800's when morphine was the rage,especially among the wealthy.Heroin wasn't even around then and smoking hop was later in late 1890's to the 1930's...
shareOpium, morphine, and heroin all come from the same source, the poppy. Nicholas' drug use most likely caused his son's heart defect, but giving Miranda laudanum while pregnant certainly did not help.
"I say,open this door at once! We're British !"
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