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Current Talk '24 I / Re: Happy 50th Anniversary, Night of Dark Shadows
« on: September 26, 2023, 12:34:28 AM »
Revisiting how Scene 56 is scripted in DC's script -
- and Grayson's script -
...
CUT TO:
56 QUENTIN'S P.O.V. - EXT CEMETERY - 1810 - DAY 56
SUBCONSCIOUS MEMORY CUT
The wind blows the empty branches, the rain pours down
on the assembly standing in front of the mausoleum.
Silhouetted below the cemetery is the black hearse. The
six pallbearers carry the coffin up the hill toward the
mausoleum.
56 CONTD CONTD 56
ANOTHER ANGLE
The Reverend Strack stands at the head of the coffin outside
the mausoleum. Gabriel, Laura, Mrs. Castle, and her small
daughter, Sarah, stand with other family and friends watching.
Sarah is the only one crying as she fingers a locket.
And that's when today's quote -Page 20A/Scene 56 - Strack: 'Dust...to dust...ashes to ashes. Oh Lord, we beseech you to have pity on this sinner...for we all sin, knowing the mercy of our heavenly Father. So we commend to Him the flesh and spirit of Angelique Collins, beloved wife of Gabriel, loyal and loving sister-in-law to Laura.'
- comes up.
...
... and there are only four pallbearers in Scene 56 - and while Sarah is crying, we do not see her fingering the locket (which is too bad because it would have definitely added to the scene.
Continuing with DC's script's version of Scene 56...
TRUCK IN ON LAURA
She begins to laugh, lowly at first. Gabriel grabs
her hand but her laughter grows as Strack continues.
And that's when today's first quote -Page 20A/Scene 56 - Strack: 'Angelique Collins has departed this life for a far better one - a world without tears or pain.'
- comes up, followed in the script by:
Laura's laughter builds. Gabriel, tight-lipped, holds
her in a vise-like grip. Sarah tries to run to stop her.
Mrs. Castle restrains her. Strack looks hard at Laura.
She stops laughter.
ANOTHER ANGLE
Strack nods to Pallbearers, who pick up the coffin. They
all watch as the Old Caretaker opens the gate.
And that's when today's second quote -Page 20A/Scene 56 - Strack: (loudly, trying to top the laughter) 'And so we commend her spirit to a just and forgiving God. Amen.'
- comes up, followed by script continuing with:
They carry the coffin into the mausoleum.
...
And as for the differences when it comes to the directions and descriptions, we don't actually see Gabriel grab Laura's hand to stop her from laughing, but he does shake her - and we don't see Sarah attempt to run to stop Laura from laughing, so we also don't see Mrs. Castle restrain her, however, briefly, as the following capture shows -
- we do see both Mrs. Castle and Sarah look over at Laura as she laughs - and rather than nodding to the pallbearers, Strack simply steps out of the way as the caretaker opens the gate to the mausoleum and enters as the pallbearers begin to follow him...
...
- and Grayson's script -
Grayson's script's version:
CUT TO:
56 EXT - CEMETERY - 1810 - DAY 56
SUBCONSCIOUS MEMORY CUT
Strack
It is raining hard. The ReverendTraskleads a
procession of FOUR MEN and GABRIEL as they carry
the coffin toward the family mausoleum.SAMANTHA,LAURA
MRS. CASTLE, and her small daughter, SARAH, all
carrying umbrellas, stand with other family
friends watching. Sarah is the only one crying.
Gabriel opens the mausoleum.
STRACK
TRASK
So we commend to Thee the flesh
and spirit of Angelique Collins,
beloved wife of Gabriel.
CAMERA PANS to Gabriel.
Laura
Loyal sister-in-law toSamantha...
And that's it for now.
Notice how:
Trask/Strack was originally supposed to lead the funeral procession of four pallbearers (the same number as in the film, as opposed to the six in DC's script) and GABRIEL as they carry the coffin toward the mausoleum.- Originally
Trask/Strack's "Oh Lord, we beseech you to have pity on this sinner" didn't include the "we beseech you to" part (though, as I mentioned in the previous post, there are even further changes in the film).- There's no mention of Sarah fingering the locket.
- Gabriel was originally supposed to open the mausoleum before
Trask/Strack was even finished with his prayer.Trask/Strack was originally supposed to say "we commend to Thee the flesh and spirit of Angelique Collins", as he does in the film.- The part about Angelique being a "loving" sister-in-law to
Samantha/Laura wasn't originally there - but thankfully they added it because that makes Laura's subsequent reaction (which we'll get into tomorrow) all the better!
Continuing with Grayson's script's version of the rest of Scene 56...
Laura
CAMERA PANS toSamantha. She begins to laugh,
lowly at first, Gabriel grabs her hand, but her
laughter grows. She is hysterical.TraskStrack
stares at her, in panic, as the child tries to
run and stop her, but Mrs. Castle restrains her.
Finally, her laughter fades asTraskcontinues.
Strack Strack
TRASK
And so we commend her spirit
to a just and forgiving God.
Amen.
They carry the coffin into the mausoleum.
...
Notice that:
- Missing from Grayson's script is Strack's "Angelique Collins has departed this life for a far better one - a world without tears or pain."
- Her script refers to Laura as becoming "hysterical," which DC's does not.
- Her script, unlike DC's, also refers to
Trask/Strack staring atSamantha/Laura in a panic as Sarah tries to run and stopSamantha/Laura from laughing.- And in her script there's no reference to
Trask/Strack nodding to the pallbearers, who then pick up the coffin.- And, of course, there's no need in her script for the caretaker to open the gate to the mausoleum because Gabriel has already opened it.
...