Whatever happened to Josette's Music Box

[Gothick]

That ad is a real scream, Midnite.  I was around at the time and I NEVER saw these ads.  I wonder whether they were limited to certain areas of the country.

The idea about Barnbas projecting himself forward and backwards through time with it is a hoot, too.  Makes the damned thing sound like a real menace!

And then there's the line about the compartment for Milady's jewelry or "other secrets"!  PLEASE help me not to go there...

Gothick

[dom]

And then there's the line about the compartment for Milady's jewelry or "other secrets"!  PLEASE help me not to go there...Gothick

Marsha sca-reams!

Kisses to Lady T

[Mysterious Benefactor]

That ad is a real scream, Midnite.  I was around at the time and I NEVER saw these ads.  I wonder whether they were limited to certain areas of the country.

It was published in several different national magazines, Gothick. Perhaps you just never came across the right one at the right time.

[Cassandra Blair]

What "other secrets" d'you suppose Josette kept in there anyway?  Milady's diaphragm? LOL

[Mysterious Benefactor]

I think the ad is from MB's collection.

It was posted in the Members' Archive by mfmdpt from the old AOL DSO Files section.

Hopefully the archive will be opening up again soon. It's just that I never seem to get around to making all the code changes to it that I want to have in place before it opens again.

[Mysterious Benefactor]

Flattery will get you everywhere.  

A certain someone had better hope that's true.

And that a certain other someone is in a forgiving mood when that other someone decides to grovel.

[Philippe Cordier]

Gosh, gee, thanks, guys!

I just knew someone had to have some of the information I was interested in.  I didn't stop to think of the efforts involved in tracking it down/retrieving it, etc., though.

So it was Barnabas' music box, given to him by Josette, hmmm ...

I'd still be curious, if anyone has one of the old music boxes, how it compares with one of the knew ones.  Going by the picture in the ad, the 1970 version was actually quite different -- though I'd heard that the more recent version was supposed to be identical.

$4.95, hmmm ...

It was posted in the Members' Archive by mfmdpt from the old AOL DSO Files section.

Wonder whatever happened to that old curmudgeon!



BTW, and I know this is probably a question/comment for another area of this forum, but I do so wish it were possible to print out from this board.  Anything you print out is BLANK!!

[doombuggy69]

THe original 1970 music box was made by Paul Randolph Associates. The box was made of cheap thin plastic, and sold mainly in the major movie magazines of the time. It was never sold in stores.   Because DS popularity was waning by late 1970, the box sold very poorly.  The company went out of business not long after DS went off the air, and must have been stuck with a warehouse full of them!

THe 1996 reissue by MPI is near exact to the original 1970 box, even down to the cheap thin plastic and pattern.  It's stamped with the 1996 date so as not to confuse it with the original issue.  My biggest gripe with the MPI version is in the music movement.  The 1970 movement plays Josette's theme in exactly the same tempo and speed as was heard on the show. However, the MPI movement plays the theme way too fast!  I am grateful to MPI for at making an effort in the reissue, but the music movement could have been better.

[Philippe Cordier]

Thanks for the valuable information, doombuggy.

The tempo of Josette's theme is rather swift-paced in the recent music box -- sprightly rather than haunting. I found that slightly disappointing, but I know that music box themes offer do vary somewhat from the original.  Interesting to know that the original replica played the music slower.  That was just the type of info I was looking for.

*****

BTW, I hope no one took offense at my comment about the long-absent mfmdpt -- it was meant in jest ... I do miss his comments as I view him as the greatest living repository of DS knowledge!

[Philippe Cordier]

One more question regarding the original "prop" music box used on the show (I keep forgetting to post this question):

Was the prop used on the show actually a music box? And if so, what music did it play?

[Midnite]

BTW, and I know this is probably a question/comment for another area of this forum, but I do so wish it were possible to print out from this board.  Anything you print out is BLANK!!

Hi Vlad,

I didn't want you to think anybody was ignoring your comment.

The print feature was disabled, and though I can't foresee that you'll be able to print images any time soon, you can still copy and paste text into another program that'll print it.  But before you do that, you should check out guideline #9 in the forum rules...  You cannot use what's been posted here anywhere else unless you have the author's written permission beforehand.  As far as images go, your best bet is probably to just write the *owner* of the image to ask if they'll send you a copy.

[Philippe Cordier]

Thank you -- I will check out the forum guidelines. I don't post anywhere else; my sole purpose for wishing to print out things is for my own personal reference. I sometimes like to re-read posts/threads when I'm at home (where I don't have a computer); also, some people's ideas are worth saving in my DS reference files (stored on top of my bookcase!)

[Midnite]

I don't post anywhere else; my sole purpose for wishing to print out things is for my own personal reference. I sometimes like to re-read posts/threads when I'm at home (where I don't have a computer); also, some people's ideas are worth saving in my DS reference files

I understand.  But you know I had to say it, right?

(stored on top of my bookcase!)

[doombuggy69]

Sharon Smyth who played Sarah Collins in 1967 said in an interview way back in the early 80's, that Josette's music box was not for real. It was a decorated piece of glass the prop men had attached a lid too.  The music was played in the control room whenever they would lift the lid on camera. On occasion you can see that  they were not as quick on the take in the control room, and the music would start, or stop a few seconds off sync of the lid!

[Philippe Cordier]

Sharon Smyth who played Sarah Collins in 1967 said in an interview way back in the early 80's, that Josette's music box was not for real. It was a decorated piece of glass the prop men had attached a lid too.  The music was played in the control room whenever they would lift the lid on camera.

This would tend to agree with what Sheila March reported hearing Stuart Goodman say about the Music Box used on the show. KLS's memory of the music box, as I heard her relate it at a DS festival, was quite different!