Have been meaning to note that Grayson got a one month vacation during this period of DS (I gather that she told them that if Jonathan was getting one, she needed one as well!)  Part of the time was spent working on a little known feature film, Adam at 6 A. M.  Below I've pasted in the review of the movie I wrote for IMDB. Even though Grayson's scenes are few and far between, it's worth seeing her in action here.

Gothick

The hard life of Mikey Douglas--an early chapter

This is a very early Michael (or as he was popularly known then, Mikey) Douglas vehicle. He plays a disillusioned college professor of the late Sixties (there seem to have been so many of them scurrying about in those days!) who drops out of his successful, stressful life in the big city to go in a search for his roots in a not-so-idyllic midwestern small town. The story plods along, showing his courtship of a rather status-proud Junior Miss type whose Mom (wonderfully etched by Louise Latham) is the town hairdresser, and his adventures in serious male bonding with Joe Don Baker and other flannel clad logger types. Grayson Hall has an excellent cameo role as his aunt, and gets to administer a deft put-down of Douglas' masculine vanity towards the end. In some ways the last 30 seconds is the best part of the movie. Overall not at all a bad effort. To quote Maggie Smith in a movie that is much more suitable to this writer's temperament, "For those who like that sort of thing, that is the sort of thing that they like." I did make liberal use of the fast forward button in viewing "Adam at Six A. M."

Greetings, although I erroneously believed it to fall in January, a calendar that has come to my attention states that this February 15 is Lupercalia, the official Roman holiday for werewolves everywhere!

The werewolf priests of Lupercus (a tutelary god of Rome) used to rush through the streets howling, slavering, cracking whips and making mayhem. Women who were having difficulty conceiving, and men in search of a kinky good time, would offer their backsides to the lash of the sacred whip for fertility and/or fun.

I now think of a certain holiday celebrated by a chocoholic feeding frenzy on Feb. 14 as Lupercalia Eve.  Ah, I hear the wolves howling amorously in the distance...

Wolvishly,

Steve

Since nobody else has apparently bothered to notice, I just have to say what a luscious bit of Broadway charm we have in Don Briscoe's Tim Shaw.  The character may be a creep, but I just love looking at him in those Victorian clothes.  And imagining him out of them, heh heh heh.

That little collar is so dear. So very Dudley Do-right.  Love the little flips on the hair, too.  Of course in the real 1897 it would have been lacquered solid with hair oil.

This was around the time when Don was doing DS by day, and appearing as Donald in Boys in the Band by night.  I've tried and failed to find a publicity photo of him in the role.  I would be obliged if anybody ever does put their hands on one if they could let me know.

Regards,  Steve

To the Mysterious Artist,

Wow, what a GORGEOUS piece of art.  Though the idea of Angelique as the HPS makes me giggle... she's certainly not one to sit quietly on her throne and contemplate the inner pools of wisdom!

I just love the expression you gave her face, and the inclusion of the Moon, friend to Witches everywhere, and mighty relevant to the story we're all following so eagerly.

Please do continue!

Love, Steve

Wondering what to do during the weeks Sci Fi won't be airing Dark Shadows?  Hitting the MPI sales is one option. Another one (even better because it is free and just a click away) is our very own Luciaphil's stirring saga, The Education of Judith Collins.  Go here to read Chapter One:

http://bboard.scifi.com/bboard/browse.cgi/1/1/1645/72

I love the story, and Luciaphil's version of mid Victorian Collinwood is wonderfully sinister AND extremely well researched!

Hope All Who Live Within the Great House enjoy this story as much as I'm doing.

Cheers,

Gothick

I had such vivid memories of watching this bit of the story way back when.  When the announcement that DS was going to be released on home video was first made, there were several episodes I recalled that I knew I would enjoy seeing them, and the one where Stokes declared Eve's as the spirit of the most evil WOMAN who ever lived in the Eighteenth Century was one of them.  

You can tell that Leona is eee-vil because she talks and dresses like a drag queen.  Where DID she get that hairpiece, anyhow--the Cassandra Collins Wig Barn?

I think it would have been more interesting to have continued the Philippe Cordier story.  Perhaps Jonathan Frid could have played Philippe in flashbacks to Danielle's infamous past during the Terror.  He did a marvelous job being possessed by Philippe during that seance.

What they shifted the story to, in my opinion, considerably deadens (excuse the pun) the interest in Eve's story.  I do think that Marie Wallace gave a marvelous performance in the role.  And I think she looks great in that black cocktail dress, even if it is faintly absurd that that is how she was dressed for her first day on Earth.  I bet Erica Fitz was ready to kill when she saw that dress.

There's a rather touching tale that a fan wrote about Julia shopping for Eve's dress... can't recall now just where I read it.  

Poor Motherless Eve ...

Gothick

Boy, am I finding it difficult to concentrate since looking at the Montage today and that luscious, delectable shot of hunk Tom Jennings helpfully proffering his neck for our fave B*tch-on-Wheels vampire chick, Missus Angelique Collins.

It's a lucky thing I wasn't in the room, cuz I would have shoved her aside and said "Outta my way, WITCH!  I get to hickey that man FIRST!"

Gothick who's wondering why on Earth the mortician buried Tom in his ... hospital pajamas???

Does anybody else feel a distinct stirring of excitement of a PERSONAL nature (that's the Ernestine Tomlin version of saying something's up that's not for airing on a "family" board) at the sight of gorgeous Don Briscoe on today's fab new collage?

I presume that Don's debut as luscious "handy man" Tom Jennings will be broadcast next week on the Sci Fi Channel.  I may have to watch his first episode on tape this weekend.  The suspense is just TOO annihilating!

For those of you who are new, after Don left the show the first time, people picketed the studios demanding his return!  Fortunately for us, this was one occasion when TPTB paid attention to fan input!

I've always wanted to see which photo(s) of Mr. Briscoe were chosen by "16" Magazine for their rare late Sixties publication, the Adonis Book.  Do any of the fans out there in Cyberia have a copy so we can find out for sure?  

A Don fan 4ever,

Gothick