DARK SHADOWS FORUMS
General Discussions => Current Talk Archive => Current Talk '24 I => Current Talk '02 II => Topic started by: Latisha on November 05, 2002, 03:05:57 AM
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Ever notice how everyone in Collinsport, past and present, all have blue sheets & green blankets? In the hospital, the old house, Collinwood, the past. What's with that!
Latisha
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Ever notice how everyone in Collinsport, past and present, all have blue sheets & green blankets? In the hospital, the old house, Collinwood, the past. What's with that!
Latisha
I'm not an expert on antique linens, but I'm pretty sure they were white. :)
Cheers,
Linda
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They go with the blue candles. (And we know how common THEY were in the 18th century.)
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Big sale at Laceys(no strip malls in Collinsport)
jennifer
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My theory is that these are remnants of the black and white days of DS. It may have been that white did not film well (too bright) and that they had to use blues to give the illusion of white. The same goes for using different dark hues so that everything didn't look jet black. No proof, just a theory.
For a while during the Adam & Eve story it seemed that very bright yellow was the preferred color for sheets. One practically had to wear sunglasses!
Dom
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Ever notice how everyone in Collinsport, past and present, all have blue sheets & green blankets? In the hospital, the old house, Collinwood, the past. What's with that!
Latisha
LOL!! Maybe they thought this went well with the Green[/b] painted walls that seem to show up alot, especially in hospital rooms.;-)
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Someone once mentioned that the blue candles were overstock at Ohrbach's so DC got them real cheap.
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Here's the scoop behind the blue sheets! In the late 60's, these colored sheets became all the rage. Up until approximately 1968 (which is considered THE wildest year of the decade, what with two political assassinations, the refusal of LBJ to run for a second term, Nixon's presidency, race riots, Black Panther salutes at the summer Olympics, Viet-nam, and campus unrest), all sheets had been white or off-white. But when 68 rolled around, suddenly we had the option to buy these wonderful colored sheets, and the most popular color was blue!
I know, because my Mom invested heavily in these sheets. In fact, she still might have a few in her linen closet!
Rod
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I lived through that era too, Rod.....which might explain why every shred of linen in this house (sheets, pillowcases, duvet covers) is as white as a bone.
Some childhood horrors are too hideous to revisit.[sconf]
[lghy]
Raineypark
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Here's the scoop behind the blue sheets! In the late 60's, these colored sheets became all the rage.
Colored sheets in the contemporary episodes do reflect what was popular and fashionable at the time, but I'm pretty sure that no one had bright blue sheets in 1897. Even though the production people seemed cavalier about historical accuracy on a number of points, and DC was reputed to be mindful of his budget, plain old bargain brand white sheets didn't cost that much, and I don't remember him showing more than one unmade bed per scene, anyway. :) Also (and Luciaphil could probably verify this one way or the other) I think they would have had quilts on the beds in the 19th century rather than blankets.
It's usually the little things that annoy me because it wouldn't have cost THAT much to get the details right. Like the hairstyles, for instance, or much of Rachel's wardrobe -- in a real-life turn of the century household, the maid and the governess would have worn their hair pinned back in a simple bun, and even with her strong desire to impress Quentin, I'd love to know how Beth -- who is supposed to be a housemaid, and probably quite busy since she's the only one we ever see -- found the time to do her hair.
And c'mon...a RED dress on Rachel, when she first comes to Collinwood? I'm surprised she got to keep the job -- most people would have taken one look at her and figured she didn't have enough sense to teach their children anything worth knowing. Governesses didn't wear red, and they didn't wear silk. They wore plain, dull-colored clothes in sturdy materials that would last for awhile, because they didn't make a lot of money.
Cheers,
Linda
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Linda, you forgot to mention Beth's eyelashes, which are "out to there!" And what about the TON of make-up all the women wear? Would eyeshadow, blush, and lipstick be appropriate for a "decent" servant "girl" in the late 1800's? I think not!
And I must agree with you about the sheets. Did anyone notice Dirk's moutache? I remember something like that for Halloween, way back when...
Rod
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Those eyelashes are fabou, aren't they Rod? I just imagine all the ladies crowding into their dressing rooms (I think most of them shared) glueing on their eyelashes every a.m.
The most important thing about Rachel Drummond's wardrobe is that it made KLS look divoon. Any charter member of the TLATKLS club will tell you that that WAS the rationale behind costuming on the series.
So how many days before Don Briscoe shows up again?
Gothick
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Even though the production people seemed cavalier about historical accuracy on a number of points, and DC was reputed to be mindful of his budget, plain old bargain brand white sheets didn't cost that much, and I don't remember him showing more than one unmade bed per scene, anyway.
I would also have liked to have seen the more realistic white linens vs light blue or whatever. But, if I remember my tv production courses, I would be willing to bet the choice of colored sheets vs stark white had more to do with video contrast ratios than it did set design choice (as Dom mentioned briefly above). Bringing down the difference between very light and very dark made a much better looking shot. Probably the same thing influenced the choice of candles.
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Also (and Luciaphil could probably verify this one way or the other) I think they would have had quilts on the beds in the 19th century rather than blankets.
That I don't know. The sheets would have been white. And obviously no polyester blankets, but as to coverlets and quilts . . . not sure. In the Anne of Green Gables books which take place in the teens of the next century, there are mentions of patchwork quilts being old-fashioned so I don't know. But I'm assuming coverlets rather than blankets.
It's usually the little things that annoy me because it wouldn't have cost THAT much to get the details right. Like the hairstyles, for instance, or much of Rachel's wardrobe -- in a real-life turn of the century household, the maid and the governess would have worn their hair pinned back in a simple bun, and even with her strong desire to impress Quentin, I'd love to know how Beth -- who is supposed to be a housemaid, and probably quite busy since she's the only one we ever see -- found the time to do her hair.
I'm with you on Beth's hair. That is one serious coiffure. She would have had to have help getting that done and that's just not a realistic thing.
And c'mon...a RED dress on Rachel, when she first comes to Collinwood? I'm surprised she got to keep the job -- most people would have taken one look at her and figured she didn't have enough sense to teach their children anything worth knowing. Governesses didn't wear red, and they didn't wear silk. They wore plain, dull-colored clothes in sturdy materials that would last for awhile, because they didn't make a lot of money.
They did, but the more I think about it, the more this works for me. Rachel, let's face it, is none too bright and more than a tad opportunistic. Given what we know (or will know) of her history, it's not too surprising she decided to go all out and buy pretty, impractical clothes.
What I wonder at is that Edward hired her and that she lasted more than a day at Collinwood ;)
Luciaphil
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So how many days before Don Briscoe shows up again?
Gothick
Too many Steve nah i'll count and let you know in am
plus send you that tape haven't forgotten! Thank you also brought a smile on m face on a crappy night
jennifer
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Linda Wrote:
Colored sheets in the contemporary episodes do reflect what was popular and fashionable at the time, but I'm pretty sure that no one had bright blue sheets in 1897.
I agree Linda. I think the only time I've seen colored sheets on a show that's suppose to be from another Century was usually in the "Red Light District."
As for Beth's hair, it does seem rather well made up for a servant to have in those times but considering how well paid she is for keeping her silence about certain things in Collinwood, she probably can afford to have it done up every so often. Her clothes seem alot nicer too than what you'd expect servants to wear in those days.
Remember Angelique in 1795? Her hair always looked lovely but her clothes didn't. And one could tell that she was a servant just by looking at the clothes she wore.;-)
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OK, now I've become confused. I was thinking that the red dress that Rachel wore didn't really matter being that it was filmed in black & white, no one could tell. But...we're watching these shows in color and they don't look colorized to me. Didn't they begin to film in color, and wouldn't they have considered the colors of things differently than when they would have appeared in shades of gray. Am I making sense?
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OK, now I've become confused. I was thinking that the red dress that Rachel wore didn't really matter being that it was filmed in black & white, no one could tell. But...we're watching these shows in color and they don't look colorized to me. Didn't they begin to film in color, and wouldn't they have considered the colors of things differently than when they would have appeared in shades of gray. Am I making sense?
There's been no colorization. Sometime in 1967/68, the show switched over to color. I think the speculation about the colored sheets was that this is what the show had on hand already (from the days of black and white) and there was no attempt to change it.
Rachel's dress was meant to be red. Had nothing to do with camera contrast.
The problem with the color (and her clothes) is that it probably would have been considered inappropriate for a governess to wear (or a young lady, for that matter). Red had a connotation of trashiness to it. Don't know if you've ever seen Jezebel or not, but the plot revolved around Southern debutante Bette Davis' determination to wear a red dress to a ball. Granted that was set a good forty years before 1897, but the idea is the same. Unmarried women, that is proper unmarried women, did not wear red.
Luciaphil
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I've always heard that white looks washed out on camera. Maybe thats why they used colors. ?
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Rachel's dress was meant to be red. Had nothing to do with camera contrast.
The problem with the color (and her clothes) is that it probably would have been considered inappropriate for a governess to wear (or a young lady, for that matter). Red had a connotation of trashiness to it. Don't know if you've ever seen Jezebel or not, but the plot revolved around Southern debutante Bette Davis' determination to wear a red dress to a ball. Granted that was set a good forty years before 1897, but the idea is the same. Unmarried women, that is proper unmarried women, did not wear red.
Actually, wearing bright red typically suggested more than "trashy." :)
I remember reading a story years ago in one of the "Hollywood" books (might have been Bring On the Empty Horses, by David Niven), in which one of the studio muckety mucks gave a fancy dress ball, and all the ladies were supposed to wear white dresses. The night of the party rolled around, and each woman showed up in white...with the exception of Norma Shearer (she was married to MGM wunderkind Irving Thalberg at the time and was typically fawned over like she was just short of divine), who made a fashionably late grand entrance in a bright red dress. Carole Lombard -- well known for using profanity -- spoke her annoyance in a voice just loud enough for everyone in the room to hear, "Who the f*** does Norma think she is? The house madam???" :D :D
Cheers,
Linda
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Quoting Cher from "Moonstruck":
"....and some day you'll drop dead and I'll come to your funeral in a red dress!".....which, as all we Sicilian's know, would be the ultimate insult!!
Raineypark
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Hi RP, I'm not familiar with that Sicilian saying or custom. Whenever the topic of "red is the DEVIL's color!" comes up, I always remember the hysterical sequence around that line in Die, Die, My Dahling with the immortal Tallulah Bankhead tormenting poor feckless Stef Powers.
So, RP, what do you make of Judith's abrupt wardrobe switch today? I can't wait to see Luciaphil's comments about that dress!
Steve
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So, RP, what do you make of Judith's abrupt wardrobe switch today? I can't wait to see Luciaphil's comments about that dress!
Steve
Hehehe. I take it you mean Judith ditching the black mourning for the bright pink number? I worked that into that a fanfic (which I promise, I will finish one day). My interpretation: it was definitely a statement/reaction to her grandmother, kind of like, well, I've got the dough now, you miserable old witch and I'm going to dance on your grave.
Luciaphil
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Sorry, guys....I didn't catch the pink number. I neither watched nor taped today's episodes.
Damn [scrdy]....last time I admitted to that, MB reprimanded me....some crap about self-flagellation in the kneeling position?....[smrtasy]
And the last time I saw anyone dance on a grave it was Tim Curry as Winston Newquay in "Wiseguy" ;)
Steve, dear....did you have a wonderful Samhain?
RP
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Thank you, Luciaphil, for that delightful comment. You read Judith the same way I do (and I think that NOW is the time for me to read your fabou fanfic, that I've heard so many people raving about--The Education of Judith Collins--care to post a link here?)
Raineypark, I have been having my most intense Samhain ever, but I thank the gods I have not yet (may it please Her Croneship) suffered a bereavement, as many people of my acquaintance have done this season. I do feel that Samhain is still going on. The veil feels very thin these days; there's a crispness in the air borne not only of the chilly weather, but of the whrring of the Reaping Crone's scythe along the fields in which we dwell. Everybody has been feeling the energy around here. It seems to extend to England, too--She suddenly appeared in the midst of a tarot reading a friend of mine was doing yesterday, "disrupted all transmissions" as he phrased it, whirled cacikling around the room, and then was gone.
sorry if that was more than you bargained for--life is often like that ...
Blessings, Steve
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Raineypark, I have been having my most intense Samhain ever, but I thank the gods I have not yet (may it please Her Croneship) suffered a bereavement, as many people of my acquaintance have done this season.
I understand. So many elders in my family have left us in the autumn of the year that we're no longer surprised at the coincidence of it.
I do feel that Samhain is still going on. The veil feels very thin these days; there's a crispness in the air borne not only of the chilly weather, but of the whrring of the Reaping Crone's scythe along the fields in which we dwell.
Ah, The Crone. At my age, she beckons me. ...we talk, long into the night, she and I. But for now it is still The Mother who knows my measure.
Everybody has been feeling the energy around here. It seems to extend to England, too--She suddenly appeared in the midst of a tarot reading a friend of mine was doing yesterday, "disrupted all transmissions" as he phrased it, whirled cacikling around the room, and then was gone.
The Tarot, on the other hand, I avoid with great care. A great -grandmother of mine used it for terrible purpose and I prefer not to tempt malediction.
sorry if that was more than you bargained for--life is often like that ...Blessings, Steve
Not at all....if I hadn't wanted to know, I wouldn't have asked! Perhaps if you begin Yule preparations early, those who have remained too long will take the hint and move on.....;)
RP
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About Judith's pink dress--yesterday or today, I don't remember which but she was wearing a pinkish coral dress with matching hair bow and identically matching lipstick! I don't know if they had pink/coral lipstick or lipstick at all in 1897. [rleyeb]
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They might have, Maria.....but only a floozie would have worn it!!
What on earth has gotten into Judith? [lghy]
Rainey
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They might have, Maria.....but only a floozie would have worn it!!
What on earth has gotten into Judith? [lghy]
Rainey
spoilers
i don't know but she should have jumped on Tim Shaw(calm now steve)
instead of Old Gregory (come kneel with me amanda(double Icky) and pray) Trask when she had the chance heck maybe she did after their revenge on him in the end!
jennifer
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Thank you, Luciaphil, for that delightful comment. You read Judith the same way I do (and I think that NOW is the time for me to read your fabou fanfic, that I've heard so many people raving about--The Education of Judith Collins--care to post a link here?)
Here you go: Education of Judith Collins (http://bboard.scifi.com/bboard/browse.cgi/1/1/1645?lnum=68)
Luciaphil
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Luciaphil darling, I started the story, and I think it is superb! I just finished Chapter 2 on my lunch break. Can't wait to read more!
Of course, you realize you are going to start receiving serious nagging emails from me when I get to the last cliffhanger!
Your mention of a Temperance Meeting at Collinwood still has me cackling. Where on Earth would they hide all the brandy, the sherry, the cognac, Quentin's whisky, etc. etc. etc.!!!
I can just see one of the Temperance ladies going over to admire a cabinet and have a load of bottles come crashing out before her horrified eyes!
Gothick
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About Judith's pink dress--yesterday or today, I don't remember which but she was wearing a pinkish coral dress with matching hair bow and identically matching lipstick! I don't know if they had pink/coral lipstick or lipstick at all in 1897. [rleyeb]
LOL! Never thought about it before, but you're right. She'd be considered a whore of Babylon. Nice women did not use "paint."
Luciaphil