Before we get to the scene featuring today's quote, I want to post the scene leading up to it and its counterpart in the original draft so everyone can see how totally different it is, and not just with regard to its location.
First up, DC's script:
18 EXT: COLLINWOOD - STABLE AREA - NIGHT 18
Maggie comes along the drive, enters through the archway. There is thunder and lightning. She crosses to the stable door, opens it, goes inside.
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And now the original draft:
17 INT. WILLIE'S COTTAGE - NIGHT 17
WILLIE LOOMIS, a thin, seedy young man in a chauffeur's uniform puzzles over an old piece of paper.
WILLIE The three Graces spin...high above... The Lion's head looks down at the dove. And in the womb beneath the hill... The secret fire glows bright and still.
17 CONTD CONTD 17
He obviously can't fathom the meaning. He takes a pint of whiskey from the table, drinks it. He has been drinking steadily.
18 EXT. COTTAGE DOOR - NIGHT 18
Maggie knocks on the door.
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Quite interesting, no? I mean, who knew Willie was originally supposed to be the Collins' chauffeur??!!
And what I find even more fascinating is that Scene 17 in the first draft is so much like Scene 23 in the pilot for the '91 DS:
...
23 INT. WILLIE'S GARRET ROOM - NIGHT
Where WILLIE LOOMIS, 30, slovenly and nasty-looking, sits hunched over a small desk, scribbling notes on a piece of paper.
In front of him are aged, open reference books, paper, an antique map, etc. ... Also a half-empty bottle of bourbon.
At the moment, he’s trying to figure something out, puffing excitedly on a cigarette, muttering:
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And that point is when Friday's quote -
Page 10/Scene 23 - Willie: '"...three Graces spin-- high above-- lion looks at the dove..."'
- comes up. However, unlike the script, Willie isn't puffing on a cigarette (though there is one burning in an ashtray on his desk) and after delivering the above quote, Willie takes a swig of his liquor and in a moment that's unscripted, he excitedly repeats "Lion looks at the dove!"
Who knew that not only did DC "borrow" from the final version of the hoDS script, he also "borrowed' parts of the first draft that had been deleted from subsequent drafts of the script?! But then, does that really surprise any of us?! I mean, really?!
And another thing, many fans don't realize that Maggie's path to the stable in DC's script's Scene 18, while not shot exactly the same way, is sort of an homage to Vicki's path to Matthew Morgan's cottage in Ep #13 in the daytime series:
And as we can see, an homage right down to the trenchcoats... And probably the only reason Scene 18 isn't staged exactly like Vicki's version is because Lela Swift and not DC directed it. As we know only too well, DC is not above using
his previous stagings over and over and over and... But considering that in many respects, on the film Lela is for all intents and purposes the co-director of hoDS, I suppose DC figured he really shouldn't rip off, er, of course I mean "borrow" from her work...
And as far as Scene 18 in the film goes, once again there is no thunder and lightning.