MovieChat Forums > The Uninvited (1944) Discussion > The Commander ::Spoilers::

The Commander ::Spoilers::

posted 16 years ago by Joan_of_Snark
10 replies | jump to latest

I have watched this movie at least twice a year since I was a child. It is one of my all time favorites. Watching it last night, something occurred to me that never had before:

Did the Commander know that Stella was not his granddaughter?

I can understand him taking her into his home, in order to keep with the image of Stella being his kin. But the Commander did seem to have some fondness for the girl, something I can't picture the gruff old man feeling for someone who was not actually related to him.

This brings me to wonder exactly how much he knew about Mary Meredith's life. He seems oddly untroubled by death (granted it was twenty years ago), but even less troubled by her murder, but perhaps this could be explained away by the English Stoicism. And I never realized before last night (pathetic I know, but as I said, I watched it for the first time as a really young girl, and I don't think I ever watched it with an adults eyes, although I did pick up on the lesbian overtones around the time I was about 13) that the apparition of his daughter's ghost is was killed him.

So, In closing (because I am being very long winded). Did the Commander know that Stella was not his granddaughter, and exactly how much did he know about Mary Meredith. Was he under the same impression that almost everyone else was, that she was a "Plaster Saint"?

[–] 16 years ago

[deleted]

[–] mcdgames 16 years ago

This post is old, but I think I can answer it. I've read the Dorothy MacArdle novel as well, and she explains it that Stella Meredith was born in Paris, and Mary adopted and brought the baby home as her own, and gave it a name and a home while Carmel remained in Paris.

So, the Commander was probably under the impression that Stella was his granddaughter. Only Nurse Holloway knew the real answer.

[–] venusnaturalis 16 years ago

In his talks with Miss Holloway he didn't seem to know Stella was Carmel's (he also thought Stella was pale in comparison to Mary). There are a lot of other questions the movie didn't answer: Did he know Mary was trying to kill Stella when she fell? Did he know Miss Holloway killed Carmel? Did Stella live with her father or her grandfather after her mother died?

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[–] deering24 14 years ago

I've always thought the Commander knew almost the whole story from the start--especially the fact that Mary was really evil. (But he didn't know Miss Holloway murdered Carmel.) I figure he took Stella in out of duty, but grew to really care about her as his granddaughter. Didn't stop him from trying to make her as cold and correct as Mary, though...:P

[–] carolmr527 14 years ago

I totally agree with deering24. I think the Commander knew Stella was not his biological granddaughter and I think he knew his daughter Mary was evil.

[–] Sponiatowski 13 years ago

Then why did the Commander try to raise Stella as much like Mary as he possibly could? That's what he tells Miss Holloway.

I think Mary hoodwinked everyone.

Only her lesbian lover knew the real Mary and loved her.

!!!Scrooge for President!!!

[–] deering24 13 years ago

I think the Commander meant he was raising Stella to be a proper English lady minus the ice-coldness and homicidal intent. :) Typical of him to think that instilling manners and "perfect" comportment would make up for (or cover up) a person's real nature. Small wonder Stella never felt like she "measured" up.

[–] Isnam777 11 years ago

I also think Grandfather is somewhat neglected after his death story-wise. I think he really loved Stella, whether or not he knew he wasn't her grandparent. In relation to his own daughter, that's where the real mystery is. If he knew she was evil then why try to uphold a saintly image of her? Why hand Stella over to Holloway if he knew where Holloway's alliance truly was? Was he shocked when he saw that ghost at the end that eventually scared him to death? He's one of the truly conflicted characters in the story but in the end I like to think of him as coming to his senses and trying to do the right thing.

Peace is not the absence of affliction, but the presence of God. ~Author Unknown

[–] ccoutroulos 10 years ago

The Commander HAD to know that Carmel was Stella's mother: he was the one who told her that her mother's favorite scent was mimosa. He just didn't tell her who her mother was. (Mimosa was Carmel's scent.)

[–] essex9999 10 years ago

Actually, it was Stella's father (Meredith) who told her about the perfume, not her grandfather. It's possible Gramps didn't know that Stella was not Mary's daughter, and he may not have realized what an evil person his daughter was. She was probably quite good at deceiving people about her true nature, and parents are generally reluctant to see evil in their children.