Happy 50th Anniversary, Night of Dark Shadows

[Mysterious Benefactor]

A reminder of how different Scene 177 is in the script vs. the film:

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177    EXT - COTTAGE BEDROOM - NIGHT                      177        as the CAMERA TRUCKS IN ON the sleeping Alex, all        of the SOUND SLOWLY DISAPPEARS until it seems as if        the sound track itself has been removed.  The feel-        ing this creates is one of oppressive dead air.        When we are on ALEX' EXTREME CLOSE-UP, HOLD as he        begins to writhe and thrash about.  All the following        ACTION WILL BE IN SLOW MOTION.  Finally, clutching        his throat, his eyes open wide as he tries to scream.        Although his mouth opens again and again, there is        no sound.        WIDE ANGLE - SLOW MOTION        With Claire asleep in the F.G., and totally oblivious        to what's happening, we watch Alex struggle with the        invisible horror.  Suddenly, the horror seems to        take on a visible entity, as a whole mist-like vapor        starts to envelope his body.  Slowly Alex' movements        begin to subside as the life is being drawn from him.        CLAIRE - CLOSE-UP - SLOW MOTION        Although still asleep, it seems as though she has        suddenly become aware of the danger,  As she opens        her eyes and tries to sit up, she is barely able to        move.  Through a tremendous effort, she is finally 177    CONTD                                      CONTD   177        able to turn her head to Alex.  WIDEN at reveal Alex,        now completely enveloped in the mist and barely        moving.  Claire tries to scream.  No sound can be        heard.  She is finally able to reach the bed table        between them and knocks over a glass.        GLASS - CLOSE-UP - SLOW MOTION        as it falls to the floor and shatters soundlessly.        PAN UP in time to see Claire finally reach a lamp,        turning it on.        WIDE ANGLE - NORMAL SPEED        as the lamp illuminates the room, ALL SOUND RETURNS.        The white mist disappears and Claire is quickly at        Alex' side.

And that's when the first part of today's quote -

Page 83/Scene 177 - Claire: 'Alex! Oh, my God, Alex!'

- is scripted to come up, followed in the script by:

Alex opens his eyes, gulping in all the air he can     handle, as he frantically gasps for breath.

And that's when the second part of today's quote -

Page 83/Scene 177 - Claire (sobbing hysterically): 'Alex! -- oh, Alex! ... Please be all right!...oh, Alex...'

- is scripted to come up.

End of sequence.

And as far as all the difference go, of which there are many, they'll wait until my next post (mostly because I haven't had lunch yet and I'm starving!  )

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   And as far as "today's quote" goes, the two parts were from May 12th this time around.

 

[Mysterious Benefactor]

Resisiting what actually happens in the film's version of Scene 177:

...

... she sees what's happening to Alex - and after momentarily stopping dead in her tracks -

- and screaming, she reaches for the floor lamp but knocks -

- it over in her frenzy - but once she does turn -

- it on, the other light also comes back and the mist-like vapor that envelopes Alex' body -

- disappears - and as we can see in today's capture -

- she rushes to Alex side, desperately trying to revive him, until -

 - he does indeed revive. So, all that means that a lot of what's scripted to happen in Scene 177 doesn't actually happen in the film. And in some ways that's too bad because much of what was scripted would have been quite interesting to see. But who knows if things were changed because it would have been too costly or too complicated to shoot, or perhaps for some other reason? Though at least some of the planned effects were reworked and used. And actually, I think having Angelique's spirit arrive and transform into the mist-like vapor was actually better than how it was introduced in the script.

One thing that's very interesting, though, it that one can easily tell that there are three distinct cuts in the background music for Scene 177, so apparently it's quite likely that footage was removed for time during the marathon James Aubrey imposed editing. And that sort of ruins how things were to play in slow motion. But perhaps they still do in the 129 minute version...

It's interesting to note that I just checked my audio tape and the cuts to Scene 177 also appear in the 97 minute version of the film...

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[Mysterious Benefactor]

Revisiting more interesting info regarding music scoring, this time for Scene 177:

It's interesting to note that I just checked my audio tape and the cuts to Scene 177 also appear in the 97 minute version of the film...

A discovery I made today requires me to clarify that statement. When I listened to the audio tape, I compared it to the 94 minute VHS/Laser version of the film, and they're the same. What I didn't do is compare it to the DVD/Blu-ray version. The cuts I was referring to the other day were the cuts made for time, not the three distinct cuts in the scoring that are obvious on the DVD/Blu-ray. I didn't realize until today that just as with Scene 176, the scoring of Scene 177 plays smoothly on the VHS/Laser -

- unlike how it does on the DVD/Blu-ray and every other version -

- with the three obvious cuts in the scoring. (You can also hear Claire obviously laments, "Darling!")

And before we move on completely from Scene 177, I want to revisit:

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(ADMIN: Edited to replace VHS video with Laser video)

 

[Mysterious Benefactor]

Revisiting the subtitles and closed captioning for the first part of Scene 177:

When it comes to the subtitles and closed captioning for Scene 177 they both start off by acknowledging that Claire screams when she sees what's happening to Alex, though they do so in different ways:

The subtitles:

The closed captioning:

And after that the subtitles acknowledge that the sound in the room is supposed to be muted -

 - though the closed captioning does not.

And going off on a bit of a tangent, I never fail to be surprised by how starkly different/off the color can sometimes be on the VHS - I mean, just look above at the screen captures of Claire screaming - and also in this scene, just look at the difference when it comes to the way Mistelique looks in the Blu-ray -

- vs. the VHS -

To be continued...

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[Mysterious Benefactor]

Revisiting the subtitles and closed captioning for the last part of Scene 177:

Wrapping up the subtitles and closed captioning for Scene 177, after Claire is finally able to light the floor lamp and Mistelique disappears (it's definitely an interesting touch that I don't know that I've seen in anything else that a ghost must have darkness to appear and do its dirty work), as Claire makes her way to Alex and desperately tries to revive him, she laments, "Oh, my God. ... Alex! -- oh, Alex! ... Alex, please be all right!...Alex...oh, Alex...Alex!...Darling!..." - and for the most part both the subtitles and the closed captioning each reflects that, except for Claire's "Darling!" at the end - instead, both have -

- which is odd to me because it seems more than clear that she does indeed lament, "Darling!"

And after that the subtitles acknowledge that Alex begins to gasp -

 - though the closed captioning does not - and neither acknowledges Claire's sobs.

I don't think I'll ever understand why some things are acknowledged while other aren't...

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And a comment:

Oh, and btw... "Mistelique"--I love it! 

 

[Mysterious Benefactor]

Revisiting two stills:

Here's the first of two stills I want to share for Scene 177 -

(Click here for a 700X476 version)

- and a somewhat cropped version appears on page 182 of the DS Movie Book.

And here's a rare still for Scene 177 -

(Click here for a 946X700 version)

- though it seems like it might have been published somewhere because this version has shown up on the Internet -

- however, no one has ever cited a source.

 

[Mysterious Benefactor]

Revisiting some interesting questios:

Was Hans Holzer supposed to consult on this scene or was he just supposed to provide input on the seance sequence?

I'm pretty sure Gerard's truck was a Willys. I wonder if they knew that when they wrote the script or got it to match the script?

Was Hans Holzer supposed to consult on this scene or was he just supposed to provide input on the seance sequence?

That's an excellent question. I only remember reading that he consulted on the seance sequence - but I don't believe there's anything one way or the other regarding Scene 177. It would be very interesting to know, though...

I'm pretty sure Gerard's truck was a Willys. I wonder if they knew that when they wrote the script or got it to match the script?

Another interesting question - but another that I don't think I've ever read anything about...

   And I have to confess that back when Willys was brought up not only didn't I have any knowledge about how it might have related to the film, but I didn't really have any knowledge about the make at all. Nor do I know much about it now, either. But the funny thing is when I was out shopping on Tuesday I couldn't help but notice that a jeep that was parked three cars away from me was a Willys - and the reason I couldn't have missed that fact is because it said so in big letters on either sides of its front panels. I'm pretty sure it was the first time I've ever seen one in my life. I guess they're not too popular in this area. But then, I rarely see any sort of jeeps, regardless of the make, and that's probably because Maine, Vermont and New Hampshire are much more mountainous than Massachusetts. I mean, Maine has 20 mountain peaks versus 1 in Massachusetts...

[Mysterious Benefactor]

Revisiting how Scene 178 through 180 are scripted:

And now the next three scenes:

178    INT - MASTER BEDROOM - NIGHT - HIGH ANGLE          178        Tracy lies asleep, fitfully tossing and turning in        her bed.  SLOWLY CRANE DOWN AND TRUCK INTO HER        CLOSE-UP.  HOLD ON HER FACE as she is obviously ex-        periencing a dream.  Over this, slowly bring in the        SOUND OF ANGELIQUE'S LAUGHTER.  TIGHTEN TO AN        EXTREME CLOSE-UP as the SOUND ECHOES IN HER EARS.                                               DISSOLVE TO: 179    INT - RUINED SWIMMING POOL - NIGHT                 179        SLOW MOTION DREAM EFFECT        Series of DISSOLVES depicting Quentin and Angelique        making love -- GP RATING STYLE.  Their AD LIB love        dialogue will be HEARD OVER THE SCENE.                                               DISSOLVE TO: 180    INT - MASTER BEDROOM - NIGHT                       180        With the SOUNDS OF THE DREAM STILL ECHOING OVER HER        FACE, she opens her eyes.  HOLD HER IN CLOSE-UP as        she slowly sits up.

And that's when yesterday's quote -

Page 84/Scene 180 - Tracy (trance-like): 'I won't let you have him... I won't.'

- comes up, followed in the script by:

WIDEN as she stands, crosses to the door and EXITS     THE SHOT.

End of sequence.

And as far as any differences may go, it's pretty much impossible to know because so little of this sequence is in any version of the film. Basically all that we see in the film is the opening of Scene 178, which actually begins with a shot of the wind blowing the curtains in the Master Bedroom and then the camera pans to Tracy as she -

- tosses and turns in bed in a rather twisty shot, and then Angelique's eyes superimpose over Tracy -

- which leads me to mention that in DC's script he's added:

178A   SHOTS OF A IN THE TOWER LOOKING DOWN        SUPER EYE SHOTS

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   And as far as "yesterday's quote" goes, it was from May 13th this time around.

 

[Mysterious Benefactor]

Two videos to revisit with regard to Scene 179:

As I have with other GIFs, I've made videos of the GIFs I'd originally made of the dream sequence footage from the NoDS trailers.

First up, the clip that shows the least amount of footage:

And the longest version, which also has much better color quality:

It's just too bad that it has the NoDS logo over most of it...

 

[Mysterious Benefactor]

Revisiting two stills:

Here's the first of two stills I want to share for Scene 179:

First, a rare B&W still -

- which was shared on page 176 of DS Memories.

And here's another B&W still -

- which I first came across a somewhat cropped version as part of an article entitled NOSTALGIA BONUS Remember When Dark Shadows Kept You Glued To The Set from the June 1974 issue of Weekday TV (which, quite interestingly, had sections devoted to the daytime show and NoDS, but nothing from hoDS). And a much more cropped version also appears on page 9 of the booklet for the movies soundtrack.

   And of course you will recall that the second still is #36 in the NoDS Editor's Portfolio. And it is also featured in one of the Mexican Lobby Cards:

(Click here for a 1375X1050 version)

 

[Mysterious Benefactor]

Recisiting several color stills related to Scene 179:

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Plus, we're also very lucky to have stills from the dream:

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(There are also other color stills of the dream, two of which feature Angelique and Quentin, on page 183 of the PomPress book Return to Collinwood, and I'd be happy to also scan those for anyone who hasn't seen them.)

   And something that I keep neglecting to mention is that the two stills above appeared as part of Darren Gross' NoDS Restoration Web site with the following captions:

The top still's caption:

(Above) Wildly colorful, stylized shot from the deleted poolhouse dream sequence. In this rehearsal shot, the candelabra is burning way out of control. On the left where the blue curtains are is the floating platform Angelique and Quentin would be visible making love on during the scene.

And the bottom still's caption:

(Above) Angelique and Quentin make love in a dream sequence in the dilapidated poolhouse. The scene (similar in style to the works of Italian Horror Maestro Mario Bava)is unfortunately still missing, except for a 9 second shot that exists on the theatrical trailer.

By request:

Enjoy!

 

[Mysterious Benefactor]

Recisiting another:

And something supposedly behind the scenes from the shooting of the dream:

The 16 Spec caption for it reads: 'In his present life, "Quentin Collins" (David Selby) is beset by visions
of a former life as "Charles Collins", and a former love--the wicked
temptress "Angelique" (Lara Parker). Here, in one of his visions, the
couple enjoy a very private picnic.'

To my knowledge the only time this has been officially published was as part of a 16 Spec preview of NoDS. And I've mentioned this before, but am I the only one who thinks it looks like Angelique doesn't have any ankles/feet?!

Also, is that the same fruit bowl from this behind the scenes in the tower?

And now we move from stills depicting the scene to stills from behind the scenes to preview Scene 85:

(Click here for a 1000X779 version)
(Keep the fruit bowl in mind...)

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If so, it definitely got around. 

Presumably those curtains in the 16 Sec photo are the same curtains Darren refers to in the first caption from his NoDS Rstoration Web site...

 

[Mysterious Benefactor]

A video that I'd like to think is worth revisiting:

The other day while I was looking up something completely different, I was reminded by this -

...

- which leads me to mention that in DC's script he's added:

178A   SHOTS OF A IN THE TOWER LOOKING DOWN        SUPER EYE SHOTS

...

- which prompted me to want to make an entirely new video because how would it have been possible for the audience to definitely know that Angelique was looking down on the Master Bedroom from the Tower Room if there was no establishing shot to indicate that? Plus, as I'd said, I'd wanted to length the time the stills were on view, so making a new video killed two birds with one stone, as it were. And I added two other stills to the mix to establish the dream.