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Messages - Brian

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256
Current Talk '05 II / Re: the "language" of d.s.
« on: September 27, 2005, 02:59:52 AM »
My memories:

Terrified glances toward the camera (at the teleprompter);
"Blue screen" backgrounds;
"Trips" over the ground cables;
Out-of-breath Actors (as they arrive in the new scene after running from one end of the studio to the other).

Brian

257
Calendar Events / Announcements '05 II / Re: DS Fest 2006
« on: August 03, 2005, 04:24:31 AM »
I have not been to a Fest since 1993, but I might consider going to the NY fest next August IF:

Jim Pierson's invited guest list of actors includes some of the less-prominent players, like Terry Crawford, Kathy Cody, Denise Nickerson, Lisa Richards and Donna Wandrey, plus maybe Michael Maitland and a few others who are no longer in show business. . .it would be nice to hear from them.  And whatever falling-out there was with Jon Frid should be mended and he should be encouraged and paid--if necessary--to attend.

258
Calendar Events / Announcements '05 II / Re: Lara Parker commentary on RACE WITH THE DEVIL
« on: July 09, 2005, 04:22:14 AM »
Quote from: Gothick on July 06, 2005, 04:31:15 PM
So Lara Parker is the same age as my Mom.  Interesting.  What's even stranger is that my Mom and Grayson were carrying babies at exactly the same time in 1957/58; Matt Hall was born about 3 weeks after I was.

That's very interesting to me, too, Gothick, since I was born on 1/7/1957 and my Mom was born 9/6/37.  Among other DS cast,  David Henesy is only 3+ months older than me, and I think I'm a few months older than Matthew Hall. . .it's great how we love and respect our DS connections!!

Brian

259
Calendar Events / Announcements '05 II / Re: Lara Parker commentary on RACE WITH THE DEVIL
« on: July 06, 2005, 02:17:58 AM »
Quote
Well, I wish you luck on being able to say the same AFTER you've seen it.  ;D

Now, MB, be nice and remember the climate of those times--just as we still enjoy DS for what it was.  LOL

Brian

260
Calendar Events / Announcements '05 II / Lara Parker commentary on RACE WITH THE DEVIL
« on: July 02, 2005, 03:58:15 AM »
It's interesting that among Lara's comments on the new RACE WITH THE DEVIL DVD, she notes that she was three years older than Peter Fonda, who played her husband, and that she roomed briefly in college with his sister, Jane.  According to IMDB, Lara was born in 1942, Peter was born in 1940, and Jane in 1937.  Of course, Lara's revelation suggests that she was born in 1937, not 1942.  I seem to recall this information about Lara was made public some years ago, but it's nice to hear it finally confirmed.  No matter her age, she's still a beautiful lady!!  And her commentary on the DVD is quite fun.

261
Current Talk '05 I / Re: Did the censor police ever take issue with anything done on Dark Shadows?
« on: May 02, 2005, 03:02:07 AM »
Quote from: Gerard on April 13, 2005, 12:52:33 PM
...the performers (Julia in particular) having to utter "what you are" and such.

Oh my God, you mean Barnabas was--heaven forbid--one of those whose love dare not speak its name--"what you are"--a homosexual!!  LOL. 

Brian

262
Current Talk '05 I / Re: OT-Deceased Actor's Residuals
« on: May 01, 2005, 05:25:55 AM »
I had a conversation many years ago with Marie Wallace in which she indicated that the actors on DS received no residuals for the VHS sales.  She mentioned that Jon Frid was pursuing a share of DC's royalties, but didn't know how it would turn out.  Home video (VHS or DVD) was not something ever considered in AFTRA and SAG contracts that far back.  Even today, both unions are still fighting with production companies to get money for their members from home video and internet.  Of course, I guess if one is a bonafide star, then one has the clout to get money or stop release on home video.  Alas, none of our DS actors had such clout, except maybe for Joan Bennett.

Brian

263
Current Talk '05 I / Re: The final Dark Shadows episode. Spoiler Alert.
« on: May 01, 2005, 05:10:25 AM »
I have a copy of that final show's script, and Thayer David's character is not even in the script.  It appears that the Stokes character was added after the script was written, perhaps in part because of Frid's objection to the line, but also perhaps because Mr. David had been so integral to the series (and would soon be shooting NODS in place of Jerry Lacy).  The final VO also seems to add closure for those of us who couldn't believe in 1971 that our beloved DS was going off the air and would never been seen again.  LOL!!  Who knew?

The final scene, after Harris enters, is written as follows:
HARRIS' VOICE:  Mrs. Collins!
FLORA: What is it, Harris?
(Harris appears in the doorway.  He is half supporting Melanie, who has been attacked in the woods.)
HARRIS:  I found her in the woods.
KENDRICK: Melanie!   What's happened?  My God . . .
JULIA:  Get her to the sofa . . .
(They do . . .she is crying softly.)
HARRIS:  She must have been attacked by something -- some animal.
FLORA:  Get the doctor.
(He nods and leaves.)
KENDRICK:  Melanie. . .Melanie. . .are you all right. . .?
JULIA:  Look!
(She points to Melanie's neck.)
FLORA: What. . .what. . .
(Bramwell looks down.  The camera zooms to what he sees.  There are two holes in Melanie's neck.)
KENDRICK: What could have caused them?  Melanie, talk to us. . .tell us.
(But she cannot.  She shakes her head.)
FLORA: What could it have been?
JULIA: What kind of animal makes a mark like that?
BRAMWELL: If I didn't know bettter [sic] . . .
(He stops)
KENDRICK: Yes, Bramwell?
BRAMWELL: If I didn't know is was impossible, I would say. . .there is a vampire at Collinwood.
(And we pan their shocked faces as we:)
FADE OUT.
ONE COMMERCIAL.

Of course, the fact that it ended in a parallel time and in the past should have given us a clue--after all, in hindsight, once Barnabasa, Julia and Stokes went up those stairs to 1971, and then the show's reality took us back to 1841PT--well, how could the show have continued with our present time characters?

Ah, well, thank goodness for Dan Curtis, video tape, VHS and DVD!!  DS, like Barnabas, will never truly "die."

Brian

264
Current Talk '05 I / Re: Post-DS careers
« on: April 19, 2005, 04:34:25 AM »
Based on my experience in theater and as an Actors' Equity rep, many actors finally have their fill of the "business" and turn to other things, especially if they settle down and start a family.  Those who "can't do anything else" (as Lauren Bacall once put it) continue in the "biz" and very often succeed.  But many DS actors (and many daytime actors in today's world) often say "enough" and try other things.  It's the nature of the beast--and life!

265
Current Talk '05 I / Re: Downfalls of DS
« on: April 19, 2005, 04:28:12 AM »
BTW, I was 12 years old when I started watching DS in June, 1969--I'm 48 now.  How time flies. . . :'(

266
Current Talk '05 I / Re: Downfalls of DS
« on: April 19, 2005, 04:24:27 AM »
Quote from: Gothick on April 18, 2005, 09:05:45 PM
The first movie, because it was so violent, led to a lot of Parents groups around the country to demand that local ABC affiliates drop the series because it was perceived as too violent for children's viewing; as more affiliates dropped the show, the ratings also fell;

This type of comment amazes me--no offense meant to Gothick, please--because I saw HODS two times in 1970, and my parents never complained about the violence.  I first saw it at an "indoor" theatre within the first week of opening, with a friend my own age.  Subsequently, I saw it at a drive-in in the middle of winter (I remember those silly heaters you could put in the car in Ohio) with my uncle and cousins on a double-bill with DIRTY DINGUS MAGEE (a Frank Sinatra western--with Lois Nettleton as a prostitute!)  Of course, it was cancelled in early 1971, but Mom and Dad sometimes watched the show with me, and up until the day he died, my Dad remembered "Barnaby" Collins.   ;)

Mom still likes the show and remembers it.  So, I guess my parents were a little more open-minded and liberal about the show and movies that some of those who wanted it taken off TV.  Thank my atheist-self that I didn't grow up in a right-wing, conservative Republican "my-way-or-the-highway and the rest of you are going-to-hell" family.

Brian (who is still mourning the 2004 presidential election and wishing the brother Jeb would leave Florida yesterday so he doesn't pull another Shiavo on us!)

267
Caption This! - The Werewolf-Quentin's Ghost / Re: Episode #0677
« on: April 07, 2005, 03:25:24 AM »
Grayson (as she goes back to sleep after awakening from a night of dreams): "Thank goodness--that whole soap opera gig was just a dream, and I can get back to my Oscar-nominated career with ADAM AT 6 A.M. 

268
Caption This! - The Werewolf-Quentin's Ghost / Re: Episode #0658
« on: April 07, 2005, 03:12:23 AM »
Julia:  I told Joe to keep his hands off Maggie, or else. . .

269
Caption This! - Night of Dark Shadows / Re: Night of Dark Shadows
« on: April 07, 2005, 02:59:29 AM »
Selby:  Dan, the water in this pool is so fetid I'm about to throw-up on Kate!

270
Current Talk '05 I / Re: DS Cancelled!
« on: March 31, 2005, 04:21:41 AM »
I've shared these memories before, but why not again:  I, too, read about the impending cancellation in TV Guide, in the "yellow pages" as noted earlier--specifically those about New York shows.  I recall that I knew about it maybe a month before the end date on April 2, 1971 (34 years ago this week!)  On the Thursday April 1st episode there was a possession (I won't say to whom by whom so as not spoil it for the younger folks on the board who may not know the ending yet) and remember going into the kitchen and telling my Mom that I didn't know how the show could end because ****** was just possessed (and on DS possessions lasted FOREVER  ;)), and so it must be an April Fool's joke on us.  LOL.  Of course, it did end. . . :'(

It wasn't until the mid 70s that I saw some episodes on PBS, but by then I was in college and had no time for that "old show" from from youth.  Then, sometime early in the 80s, I saw some episodes of the show on Channel 9 out of Cincy (I was in Dayton, OH, at the time) on my little B&W 13" TV (I had just started teaching and had NO money to spend on such things as a color TV--and cable was still in the future for us in Dayton.)

Then in the late 80s, I came across Kathy Resch's TWODS and Concordances, and Marcy Robins SHADOWGRAM, and the MPI home videos--and the rest is history.   :D  Bless Kathy and Marcy for "keeping the dream alive," and re-igniting my interest.

Brian

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