Thank you all for your gracious comments.

David, I wouldn't bother buying the book if your motive is to learn more about Joel.  He is mentioned maybe 3 times in the diary excerpts published in it.  The mentions are sort of like this:  "Joel Crothers came over and we baked cookies together. He was quite chatty, as usual."  Another entry speaks of Joel being around when Felice was staying on Fire Island one summer in the Seventies.  It was pretty clear that Joel was very much on the scene in the gay community of the time.  I didn't even know from these references that Joel and Felice had shared a sexual dalliance, although it was hardly uncommon in those circles back then (and, perhaps, some other circles more recently... but I'm going WAY off topic here).

Anyone who wants to "bully" Your Humble Servant is welcome to try. From my years of watching DS and the work of the incomparable Miss Joan Bennett, THE Mistress of Collinwood, Now and FOREVER, I've mastered the art of the "the freeze."  LOL!

cheers, Gothick

Fans, this evening I went to the one remaining gay bookstore in the area to hear veteran gay author Felice Picano read from his new book.  Felice's 1970s diaries were excerpted about 20 years ago in a book entitled The Violet Quill Reader.  I remember what a surprise it was to learn that Joel Crothers was a good friend of Picano's (and, he revealed this evening, an occasional bedmate).  I wish I had had a tape recorder with me this evening so I could simply transcribe Felice's words verbatim, but this was the gist of what he said.

During the Q&A, I explained my surprise when Joel turned up in the diaries.  Felice said that Joel was an amazing man, not only because he was so handsome and gifted, but also, he was something of a super-intellect--he gave Joel's IQ and it was quite high (I can't recall the number Felice cited).  He said that one morning he woke up in bed next to Joel and suddenly was seized with an urge to strangle him (very DS, isn't it?) because they were chatting and Joel "simply knew EVERYTHING."    He also recalled helping Harvey Fierstein get the first production of "Torch Song Trilogy" (a play which won awards and subsequently became a film with Matthew Broderick) and persuading Joel to act in the original production (I believe at Off Broadway's La Mama theatre).

He said that Joel was so brilliant that he eventually became bored with everything.  Joel was a huge star in the 1970s and 1980s on his various soap operas and Felice witnessed Joel being mobbed by women after a taping one afternoon, all seeking his autograph.

He said that Joel's work on DS could be considered "real acting" because the last thing Joel ever was was a "boy next door" type.  He said that Joel came from "a family of over-achievers" and he was just following in the family tradition.

Despite Joel's brilliance, he was a very kind-hearted and loving man and was popular among his friends.  He had a certain physical attribute that made him highly sought after among gay men but his friends cherished Joel because he was just such a nice person to be with.

I found this conversation quite fascinating since I have never read anything about who Joel was as a person.  I hope you enjoy reading these notes.

Best, Gothick

They're starting new seasons of TV shows in late June now?  Wow.

I really feel like a time traveller... from the early Bronze age, at this point...

G.

MB Darling, If that is the case, I am afraid you have yet to really LIVE.

Enjoy the experience of LIVING!  and bear up Darling, I love your eyelashes...

G.

Fans,

Grayson Hall's legendary appearance as Pepe, chic lesbian impresario of a bohemian New York nightclub in the early 1960s, can now be enjoyed on Youtube.  I'm linking to part 2 of the film which opens in the middle of one of Grayson's early scenes, but it's very easy to find part 1 from here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J94ovuNXJFA

The other parts all appear to be there.  Enjoy!

G.

At least it was a nice excuse to have Paul Michael do a cameo in the movie. 

G.

Patti, you must mean "false Dark Shadows memory syndrome."  There are still some scenes I'm convinced I saw that just aren't there.

The screen capture that is displaying for me from house of Dark Shadows is captioned with a quote of dialogue from Jeff Clark, who was indeed portrayed by Roger Davis.  However, onscreen is a character portrayed by Paul Michael, also known to fans of the original series as KING Johnny of the gypsies.  As in "Magda, you lyingk geeeep-seeee!"  I forget if the character has a name.  In the scene, he's giving Jeff a message from Roger & Prof. Stokes, and Jeff, who's just woken up from a nap, is asking when Paul Michael's character saw Roger & Stokes.

Best,  Steve

I agree, Jean did have some wonderful moments as Naomi.  Unfortunately I found how the 1990 redaction did the 1790s storyline to be really hard to take, in general, but it's hard to blame anyone other than Brandon Tartikoff for that since apparently he forced them to accelerate the plot to the point where it became utterly ridiculous.  and DC really should not have been encouraged to pack MORE blood-and-thunder action/posturing into a shorter space.  But, anyway...

Another wasted actress (IMO) was Lysette Anthony.  I do wish they had done the second season just to have seen Lysette's take on Laura Collins.  I bet *that* would have been something to see.

G.