Fans, I was looking for a list of all the early 1970s "ABC Movie of the Week" films (as I've collected a few in recent months and want to start a checklist) and I found this site which includes the original ABC TV promo for Dan Curtis' film Night Stalker:

http://tvparty.com/vaultmov2.html

In the 1991 Dark Shadows series, the growling-fang thing they had Barnabas do seemed much more reminiscent of the vampire in Night Stalker than Barnabas in either the series or the movie (hoDS).

On the above site, you can also see promos for a great Olivia de Haviland vehicle, The Screaming Woman (play the file labelled "When Michael Calls") and other entertaining films of the period.

Last night I watched a stunning role for the great Barbara Stanwyck, Taste of Evil (1971).  Directed by John Llewelyn Moxey (director of Horror Hotel), the cast included Barbara Parkins and Roddy MacDowell.  Stanwyck really devoured the scenery whole in her tour de force finale for this movie.

Too bad so little of this stuff has been commercially released...

G.

Greetings fans,

Since I was again offline for most of the last three days, I am very glad I got to see the images selected by MB to mark the August 7 anniversary.  As fans of the Divine Grayson Hall will recall, this year marks the 20th anniversary of the date when we lost our lovely lady to the ultimate Dark Shadow--the scythe wielded by the Reaping Crone of Death.  It's a very sad memorial for Grayson's fans, but these images are a fitting testimony to the artistic legacy she left, which includes many of her performances on Dark Shadows.

I particularly love the shots darling Mysterioso chose for the "front page" today--that's meant to be a grimace on "Miss" Hoffman's face but he caught it just at the moment when it looks more as if she is enjoying a romantic moment at the thought of "Mr Collins'" visit to her bedchamber--certainly a nice touch of foreshadowing here!

I also LOVE the shot of Julia and Barnabas from the Summer of 1970.  It just captures the later phase of the two characters' relationship so well.

Not related to Grayson, but I have to say that I enjoy that picture of Quentin from '70 wearing THAT tie, too!

Thanks again to our cuddly, charming, cyberific Mysterious Benefactor for these treats!

G.

Just a line to say many thanks to MB for that fascinating exegesis on the pilot.  It does sound like an amazing bit of film.  I like your description of the touch, so reminiscent of Dracula, of Barnabas hanging upside down on the outer wall of Collinwood--magnificently Gothic.

The articles I saw around the time of the pilot's rejection made it pretty clear that the series was caught in the cross-fire of some sort of political upheaval among the suits at the WB.  They made all that hoo-ha about switching away from dramatic series and into the "reality" sludge.  I don't follow it enough to know whether they made a volte-face on that decision but they certainly do seem to be still pumping out the sudsy teen soap operas (my housemate is a Smallville addict and I often spot the latest commercials for those endless, glossy things).   Anyhow, regardless of the statements made by various suits, it was pretty clear to me--if ANYTHING is clear in Horrorwood--that the rejection of DS had everything to do with upper-echelon executive politics, and NOTHING to do with the quality of the actual product, which sounds quite respectable.

On an unrelated topic, I wonder whether the Lost in Space pilot has been screened at the LIS convention and whether it turned out to be as good as the DS pilot.  Odd about both those shows coming so close to revival in the same year.

goodbye-ee-ee,

G.

There were several attractive young men in that cast.  I'm pleased to hear that the director did not neglect some of the obvious opportunities that, um, arose (?).  And after all, this was a pilot for the WB.  I sometimes call it the "candyboy" network because of those endless shots of pouting, doe-eyed young men endlessly rolling about in the throes of soap opera angst.  Madge, cue the suds!

Did everybody have to leave their cellphones in a basket at that showing?  I've heard some hilarious stories about the security overkill at some of these events.

G.

I'm thinking of the July 25 captures as "the musical series" because the first couple of images reminded me so strongly of specific musicals.

In the first one, Burke and his visitor seem to be performing "I whistle a happy tune" from the King and I.  And in the one with Liz, Carolyn and Vicki, it's "How do you solve a problem like Maria" from the Sound of Music (Joan Bennett would have made a GREAT Mother Superior).

Thanks for the FABULOUS fun, MB!

G.

I second that emotion! Hope you all have a lovely time.

Gothick

On today's IMDB there's a short notice about a lawsuit Roman Polanski is mounting against the magazine Vanity Fair.  A quote:

Polanski told jurors it was the most upsetting article about him he's ever read, because it suggests he did not care about his wife. He told the jury of nine men and three women, "This was the worst thing ever written about me. It's absolutely not true. I was in shock when I read it. But I think it was particularly hurtful, because it dishonors my memory of Sharon. It's all lies. That's not the way I behave. Still I had some honour. Still I have it now. Sharon was sweet, bright, brilliant. She had a great sense of humor. She was in my eyes the perfect woman." The 71-year-old gave evidence from France via video link for the case to avoid extradition to America, where he's wanted for questioning on child sex charges dating back to 1977.  (end quote)

Despite the jokes made back in the day about her putative lack of acting ability, I thought Tate had a rare, luminous quality that makes her few roles very memorable.  Her performance in Eye of the Devil was one of her finest.  Apparently there is a short film that was made about her work on the movie.  Would be fun to see sometime.

G.

Hey Arashi, Anthony Corlan actually played a vampire in the 1972 sleeper Vampire Circus (released by Hammer but has a very different flavor from the studio's usual product).  It's not officially available in the US but I bought a gorgeous, letterboxed bootleg on eBay--the colors were really beautiful, and Corlan wasn't the only lovely man in the cast.

Best, Gothick