Point Pleasant’s Famous Residents Including The Most Prominent, Who Married Charlie Chaplin

Bob DeLeo

Have you ever wondered if Point Pleasant had any other famous residents? In my 1984 graduation class, we had Bob DeLeo  of the Stone Temple Pilots. After graduating, Bob worked as a janitor at Point Pleasant High School. Later, Bob went to California, met with his brother, Dean, and other musicians, and formed the Stone Temple Pilots.  Bob was a friendly presence in high school; while I didn’t know him well, we exchanged a casual hello in the hallways.

Diamond Dallas Page

Joseph Falkinburg, widely known as Diamond Dallas Page, hails from Point Pleasant, where he was a standout basketball player for the Point Pleasant Panthers. After high school, he briefly attended Coastal Carolina University before deciding to work full-time. His journey eventually led him to Fort Myers, Florida, where he managed a nightclub. There, he got involved with the World Wrestling Association, learning the ropes and later establishing himself as a professional wrestler.

Soraya

Latino artist Soraya Raquel Cuevas, better known as Soraya, graduated as valedictorian in 1987. Soraya, who has Columbian roots, became interested in music at age five after listening to her uncle play traditional Columbian folk Songs.  She played the violin and was self-taught at guitar; after graduating, Soraya started to write music and later became a Grammy Award-winning Latino artist.  Sadly, Soraya passed away from breast cancer in 2006 at the age of 37.

Oona O’Neill, The Early Years

But what about Point Pleasant’s past? As a realtor and a Point Pleasant Historical Society member, I have learned many stories about our local history, but this is my favorite. It is about Point Pleasant’s most prominent resident, Oona O’Neill. 

Many of Point Pleasant’s residents are unaware of our most famous residents, Oona O’Neill and her husband, Charlie Chaplin. In 1918, Point Pleasant underwent a flurry of activity. Dr. Frank Denison, the founder, established Point Pleasant Hospital. The Manasquan / Bay Head Canal was being constructed, and Eugene Oneill and Agnes Boulton moved to Point Pleasant.

During this time, the renowned playwright Eugene O’Neill and his second wife, magazine writer Agnes Boulton, moved into Agnes’s family home in West Point Pleasant.  They stayed there for the winter of 1918-1919.  The Boulton family purchased the house in 1892 on the northwest corner of Hall Avenue and Herbertsville Rd. Point Pleasant seemed like the perfect home for Eugene and Agnes.  Eugene had a play in rehearsal in New York, so he would take the train into the city.  Eugene loved the beach and the ocean but hated Point Pleasant, saying it was uninspiring, and preferred Cape Cod, where he spent some of his summers.

Oona O’Neill was born in 1925, she had an older brother Shane, and two years later, Agnes and Eugene divorced.  Agnes and her two children, Shane and Oona, settled in Point Pleasant and did not receive much support from their famous father, Eugene.  Oona attended Ocean Road School, though her classmates didn’t view her differently due to her father’s fame. Instead, they were captivated by another student whose father had constructed a Bridge in the town.  Oona then went to boarding school in New York City.  Oona became a beautiful debutante and socialite. Her name appeared in magazines and newspapers all around the country.

My Life in the Early 80s

Oona Chaplin always considered Point Pleasant her home; she had many memories of her house and the town.  Her last known visit was in the early 1980s when she returned to Point Pleasant. There are photos of her downtown and on the boardwalk. Oona knocked on the door; she introduced herself as Oona Chaplin and said she grew up in the house.  Oona looked around outside, didn’t step inside the house, and then drove away. I cannot answer if Charlie Chaplin ever visited Point Pleasant; I don’t think he ever was.

Around the time of Oona’s visit, I was 15 years old, and I was all over Point Pleasant with my friends; we had no idea the history that was so close to us. I have always loved history but didn’t appreciate the significance of Point Pleasant’s connection to Oona Oneill and Charlie Chaplin. One year, one of my friends dressed as Charlie Chaplin for Halloween, and we had no idea how close we were to the great actor. 

Oona meets Charlie Chaplin

At age 17, Oona passed on attending Vassar and went to California to find a career in Hollywood.  Once she arrived, Oona went on auditions and received offers from many agents to become a model or actress.  Her father, who abandoned her at age 2, used his power to obstruct her from working in Hollywood, and the offers stopped.  Soon after, Oona met many Hollywood writers, producers, and actors, including Charlie Chaplin. One year, Chaplin had been providing Oona with acting lessons; she celebrated her eighteenth birthday by marrying the 54-year-old Chaplin. 

The marriage was the talk of the nation. Life Magazine published a full-page photograph. Back in Point Pleasant, The Leader article misspelled the bride’s first and last names and contained a typo in the headline which made it look like Chaplin had wed several Point Pleasant females:
Former Local Girls [sic] Jeff Heim weds Charlie Chaplin

People often gossiped about Oona’s marriage to Charlie Chaplin, noting that she was marrying him for his wealth or looking for a father figure—Chaplin’s well-known attraction to younger women. Oona moved into Chaplin’s Hollywood home, where Oona and Charlie would host lavish parties for friends and Hollywood’s entertainers. They lived there until the 1950s and the start of the Cold War.  When Oona and Chaplin were on a trip to England, Chaplin was denied entry into the US for being a speculated communist sympathizer.  Because Oona was a US citizen, she could return and be responsible for saving Chaplin’s fortune. The couple then moved to Switzerland.

Conclusion

It is a nice thought knowing that I went to high school with two famous musicians; there are times when the subject comes up in conversation.  There may have been times when Bob DeLeo was in the same classroom or during lunch.  I am proud that Bob’s life turned out so well; after all, being a famous musician is what every kid dreams about.   As for Soraya, she was a freshman when I was a senior, and I have no memory of even running into her in the hallways. After learning about her, I started to play her music around the house or driving.  As a Latino artist, I do not understand the words, but I find her music relaxing. If you want to donate to the Susan G Koman Foundation, click here.  

Chaplin was awarded the Achievement Oscar in recognition of his numerous accomplishments. He used this accolade as an opportunity to return to the United States. Oona remained devoted to Charlie throughout his later years, providing him care and comfort until he died in 1977. She continued to stay in the public eye in the early 1980s, often seen with younger stars such as David Bowie.