DARK SHADOWS FORUMS

General Discussions => Current Talk Archive => Current Talk '25 I => Current Talk '06 I => Topic started by: Evan Hanley on March 19, 2006, 12:35:20 AM

Title: Humbert Allen Astredo
Post by: Evan Hanley on March 19, 2006, 12:35:20 AM
Does anyone agree with me that curtis should have used Humber alot more? Humbert was amazeing as Evan Hanley, Charles Dawson and of course the evil Nicholas Blair. :)
Title: Re: Humbert Allen Astredo
Post by: Raineypark on March 19, 2006, 01:48:25 AM
Astredo was brilliant and his characters were delightfully diabolic.....but that idiotic hat made me want to throw things at the television every time it showed up.  I will NEVER understand why that hat was part of his costume...... :P
Title: Re: Humbert Allen Astredo
Post by: MagnusTrask on March 19, 2006, 01:52:36 AM
Did DC just neglect to use him more, or was HAA working elsewhere?   I'd have loved to have seen more of him but not more Blair or Blair surrogates.   I love Evan Hanley because he's such a huge ego with so little power... it's like a parody of Blair.   That's more interesting than evil, evil, and more evil.     HAA is always good and always welcome, but an evil guy in a goutee gets old fast.     In Doctor Who they did a great alternate take on that with the first Master (his nemesis).    The second Master was the straight-ahead gouteed villain, which is boring.   That's just Snidely Whiplash.
Title: Re: Humbert Allen Astredo
Post by: Willie on March 19, 2006, 02:31:04 AM
I love Humbert, especially his Nicholas Blair character.  I was just suffering through the Adam storyline the other night, then decided to skip ahead about 30 episodes to Blair's appearance.  I guess they did quite a bit with his character, but I wouldn't have minded even more.  He's just got such great screen presence and he's so darned diabolic!

I can't remember the other characters he played, but that's just one more thing to look forward to when I eventually get the DVD's.

What would have been extremely cool was if they would have put him in the 1795 storyline.  He would have seemed right at home there, and added a whole new dimension to an already excellent story.
Title: Re: Humbert Allen Astredo
Post by: victoriawinters on March 19, 2006, 03:23:16 AM
Astredo was brilliant and his characters were delightfully diabolic.....but that idiotic hat made me want to throw things at the television every time it showed up.  I will NEVER understand why that hat was part of his costume...... :P

I personally love the hat!  It's so dapper but yet diabolical at the same time.  I miss gentlemen wearing them.  It comes in quite handy during a hail storm from hell. 
Title: Re: Humbert Allen Astredo
Post by: onyx_treasure on March 19, 2006, 03:48:46 AM
     I liked the hat, too.  He wore the hat, the hat didn't wear him.  My husband's stepmother's father always wore a cowboy hat.  He looked like an idiot "all hat and no cattle" is the expression that came to mind.  My short grandfather wore a cowboy hat.  He was real tough little rooster.  He had a tough, ornery personality so he was never overshadowed by his hat.  Mr. Blair could,  by the strength of his personality, wear a hat and look quite dapper.  I hope Luciaphil chimes in about men in hats in the world of DS.
Title: Re: Humbert Allen Astredo
Post by: Evan Hanley on March 19, 2006, 03:50:51 AM
The hat was awsome!!! it made him so kool!!! and the gloves and that evil smile he always made when he was about to get his way. GOD HE IS SO KOOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Title: Re: Humbert Allen Astredo
Post by: petofi on March 19, 2006, 04:37:40 AM
I personally love the hat!  It's so dapper but yet diabolical at the same time.  I miss gentlemen wearing them.  It comes in quite handy during a hail storm from hell.

That fabulous hat was called a "Jaguar," and was made by Knox hats, a New York-based hat maker, back in the day.  Probably this design has been made by other companies under other names at some point, but I'm willing to bet HAA's version is a "Jaguar."

Petofi
Title: Re: Humbert Allen Astredo
Post by: PennyDreadful on March 19, 2006, 06:35:05 AM
Oh yeah.  The hat and gloves were hot!  They were a great touch.  They were so "warlock."
Title: Re: Humbert Allen Astredo
Post by: arashi on March 20, 2006, 03:56:03 AM
Oh yeah.  The hat and gloves were hot!  They were a great touch.  They were so "warlock."

I *loved* the hat and gloves. Totally classy. Men need to dress like that more often.
Title: Re: Humbert Allen Astredo
Post by: tragic bat on March 20, 2006, 04:17:02 AM
I too must say that I loved the way Nicholas could accesorize!

On the original topic, though, I agree that HAA could have been used more; he was notably absent from both paralell time streams, and this was unfortunate.  I loved Nicholas Blair so much when he appeared, and while I also think Evan Hanley is a great character, I found Charles Dawson very forgettable.   He should have been able to play completely different roles, especailly because only Nicholas was really ever a landmark villain. 
Title: Re: Humbert Allen Astredo
Post by: Sandor on March 21, 2006, 06:30:40 AM
Yes, HAA deserved more air time - particularly because his scenes with Lara Parker and Grayson Hall were so dicey and fun to watch (and re-watch).
My fave scene was when [spoiler]Angelique was on the loose, "vamp"ing poor Barnabas. Julia Hoffman caught wind of it, brought a stake and mallet to Nicholas' house, prompting Nicholas to wryly comment "A memento of your visit, Doctor?"[/spoiler] Only Julia had the guts to push the envelope with our favorite warlock... well, Angelique did too... but she got a slap across the face for her defiance. Now that I think about it, Nicholas and Julia share the honor of being the only two characters to ever smack Angelique upside the face.
Title: Re: Humbert Allen Astredo
Post by: stefan on March 21, 2006, 08:12:47 AM
He was also one of the sexiest guys on DS. I mean, his scenes as Nicholas Blair with Maggie Evans were hot (and, not offense, but DS doesn't have that many really hot sexy scenes). I remember Nicholas and Maggie were sitting in the Blue Whale discussing Joe and he's stirring his drink seductively while eyeing Maggie in the sexiest way. Lots of sex appeal in this guy that was only utilized as Nicholas Blair.
Title: Re: Humbert Allen Astredo
Post by: Luciaphile on March 22, 2006, 10:39:42 PM
I liked the hat, I think. For some unknown reason almost every other male actor on the show (excepting Dr. Woodward) who wore hats looked horrible. They were either too small or too dorky and it just was very unattractive.

The big mystery for me was why the poor man only got one suit to wear for his run on the show.

Liked HAA.  Liked Nicholas. Liked Evan even if he was pretty darn incompetent and lord knows he really was incompetent. Never can remember the third dude...
Title: Re: Humbert Allen Astredo
Post by: Ian on March 22, 2006, 11:05:00 PM
Liked HAA.  Liked Nicholas. Liked Evan even if he was pretty darn incompetent and lord knows he really was incompetent. Never can remember the third dude...

Charles Dawson, but don't expect me to remember him. Unfortunately, I've never seen anything past summer of 1970. :(
Title: Re: Humbert Allen Astredo
Post by: BuzzH on March 22, 2006, 11:12:32 PM
I liked the hat, I think. For some unknown reason almost every other male actor on the show (excepting Dr. Woodward) who wore hats looked horrible. They were either too small or too dorky and it just was very unattractive.

No kidding!  Barnabas especially looked like a dork in that very first episode when he showed up in that ridiculous hat!  Thing was a least 2 sizes too small and he wore it askew (because it was too small?).  For some reason poor Jonathan had everything too small, his hat, his coffin...

Then, in 1897 he didn't even bother to wear his top hat, only carried it around in a couple eps.  Guess it was too small too, LOL!   8)

Title: Re: Humbert Allen Astredo
Post by: MagnusTrask on March 23, 2006, 01:00:04 AM
I liked the hat, I think. For some unknown reason almost every other male actor on the show (excepting Dr. Woodward) who wore hats looked horrible. They were either too small or too dorky and it just was very unattractive.

No kidding!  Barnabas especially looked like a dork in that very first episode when he showed up in that ridiculous hat!  Thing was a least 2 sizes too small and he wore it askew (because it was too small?).  For some reason poor Jonathan had everything too small, his hat, his coffin...

Then, in 1897 he didn't even bother to wear his top hat, only carried it around in a couple eps.  Guess it was too small too, LOL!   8)

"Thees ees the most uncomfortable coffin I've ever been een!!" (Ed Wood)

Actors must not like hats.   There must be some actor-y reason.    Doctor Who #4, Tom Baker was actually known for the hat, yet he'd whip it off and cram it into his pocket at the first opportunity, early in each story.

I like the urban sombrero for Humbert.   Maybe a Popeye sailor hat.   Or that thing the Man in the Iron Mask wore, I forget what it was called.
Title: Re: Humbert Allen Astredo
Post by: IluvBarnabas on October 19, 2006, 04:43:44 AM
Humbert was simply brilliant in every role he portrayed on DS, but he was simply beyond brilliant as Nicholas Blair, that whole character just oozed charisma, deviousness, humor and pure evil. He was great.

Title: Re: Humbert Allen Astredo
Post by: TERRY308 on October 19, 2006, 02:34:07 PM
He was, without a doubt, one of the greats of the show.  Nicholas Blair was done so perfectly, that I sometime just watch the scenes that have Mr. Astredo showing people how to 'act'.  Bravo! [candle_in_skull]