The Chronicles of Downton Abbey: A New Era (11 page)

Different collars were worn for different occasions.
Although in general the collar had become softer, lower
and more comfortable since Edwardian times, for formal
occasions Thomas would still make sure that Lord Grantham
was fitted out with a wing collar – a so-called ‘tipped
imperial’ or ‘Gladstone’.

Of the two main transatlantic carriers, the Cunard Line offered speed while the
White Star Line provided luxurious comfort, so it is no surprise that Martha should
have chosen to travel with the latter. White Star’s three ‘Olympic Class’ liners –
Titanic
, Britannic and Olympic – created just before the First World War, were
amongst the largest and most splendid ever built, featuring grand staircases,
panelled salons and en suites in first-class cabins. The
Titanic
, of course, sank on her
maiden voyage in 1912 and Britannic (converted into a hospital ship during the war)
was sunk by a German mine in 1916, but Olympic – sumptuously refitted immediately
after the war – continued to cross the Atlantic until the 1930s.

Martha
Carson. Mrs Hughes. The
world has moved on since last we met.

Carson
And we’ve moved on with
it, Madam.

Martha
Really? It seems strange to
think of the English embracing change …

M
artha is rich. However impressed we have been by the Crawleys’ wealth – with their castle and vast estate, legacy of fine art and furniture, properties up and down the country from London to Scotland and the leisured life of the family, not to mention the large number of servants who attend to their every need – this is all as nothing compared to the riches of Cora’s American family.

The scale of American fortunes after the First World War was out of all proportion to those of the wealthy British, and Martha wears the weight of it well. Comfortable with her financial status, confident in who she is and happy to enjoy the lavish luxuries that all her money can bring her, Martha enters Downton Abbey with suitable aplomb.

There is a certain nervousness ahead of Martha’s arrival – Violet, for one, is none too keen on her opposite number. In talking to Isobel Crawley, it is revealed that while Martha’s husband was Jewish, she herself is not, and their children were raised as Episcopalians. As Julian Fellowes explains, this was normal practice: ‘He didn’t convert but allowed his children to be brought up as non-Jewish for ease of life. This was quite usual then.’ Isobel remarks that it must have been due to the prejudices of Wall Street that the Levinson family made this move and commends Violet for her broad view. Violet does not take the compliment: ‘She was American. That was quite enough to be going on with.’

Even Martha’s own daughter does not seem entirely comfortable around her. Cora is not exactly cowed by her mother, but nor does she assert herself. They do correspond frequently, and it appears that Martha has always been content with the marriage her daughter made. Cora, for her part, is defensive of her mother’s right to hold onto her own money – having rescued Downton once. Now that Robert has lost the money she sees no reason why Martha should be expected to bail out the Crawleys again.

Cora
You don’t have to give money
after every conversation, Mother.

Martha
No? Tsn't that what
the English expect of rich Americans?

Mary thinks differently: to her, the saving of an ancient English estate is a matter of almost moral importance – certainly she believes it is a more worthy investment of the Levinson money than the ideas of her playboy uncle, who apparently intends to spend his share of the inheritance on fast yachts and women. It is Edith who brings out the best in Martha; her desire to get married and live happily ever after is one that her grandmother understands, and together they gang up on Robert to try and make this happen. Robert, of course, is quite defenceless in the face of his determined mother-in-law. Besides which Robert must still feel indebted to her for the sizeable dowry she bestowed on him upon his marriage to her daughter – a fortune that he has now lost.

Shirley MacLaine, the legendary Hollywood actress, has joined the cast for the third series to play Martha, and she was, according to Liz Trubridge, producer, ‘tickled by the idea of it’. MacLaine believes that her character’s attitude comes not so much from her money as her politics: ‘Her confidence comes from being a democratic American – she is so centred in her fairness and considers America to be fair, and tradition is not fair.’ Martha is driven by a desire to convert the rest of the world to democracy, and with this mission in mind she loses no time in telling everyone what they ought to be doing and how they ought to be doing it. ‘She has watched a war from overseas and doesn’t want it to happen to them again. But she approaches it from an intellectual standpoint,’ says MacLaine. ‘She’s still impressed by the aristocracy but more impressed with the notion of changing their attitudes.’

Martha
Dearest Mary, now you tell
me all of your wedding plans and I’ll
see what I can do to improve them.

While she may have once been awed by the English upper classes (this, after all, was why she brought her daughter over to be presented at the London Season), she welcomes the post-war changes that are being brought to England, even if they seem slower in coming to Downton Abbey. As Gareth Neame explains, ‘When Julian created the role of Cora, not much thought was given to her family other than how it informed her back story. On reaching Series 3, it seems likely the girls’ grandmother might visit on occasion, and we liked the idea of the moneyed new world colliding with the order of the old. At Downton we see the modern world shaking things up and how the various characters respond to that change is part of the fun. Martha is a big part of this modern intrusion.’

Back home in Newport, Rhode Island (a fashionable, smart state), arriving in an outsized Cadillac would be
de rigueur
amongst her set. There, she would not even be amongst the richest. There were American billionaires such as Henry Ford, John D. Rockefeller Jr and Andrew Mellon, and multi-multi-millionaires such as the Vanderbilts (whose daughter married the Duke of Marlborough and rescued the seat), the Astors, Andrew Carnegie and J. P. Morgan. But even American millionaires, such as Martha and her late husband, tended to have more millions than all but the richest of British grandees and plutocrats. This divide was only going to get bigger. American industry was in a good position in 1920; having not had to devote all its industrial efforts and manpower to the war effort as its European counterparts had, it was ready to exploit the opportunities to export to Europe in peacetime. Martha was able to hire an American car on arrival in England because of the recent big influx of them at a time when the British motor industry was struggling to get back on its feet. (Although only the chassis would have been shipped over from the States; the body work would have been made in Britain.)

Furthermore, while the New Rich in England tended to be sneered at by the Old Rich (or Not Rich Anymore) as they bought their way into the Establishment – purchasing titles and land, attempting to portray themselves as old families with heritage and class – the Americans had an unabashed belief that their money made them important and gave them a position in Society, too. They displayed their wealth and it gave them confidence.