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Current Talk '24 I / Re: Happy 50th Anniversary, Night of Dark Shadows
« on: September 25, 2023, 04:42:00 AM »
Revisiting how Scenes 54 & 55 are scripted in DC's script -
- and Grayson's script -
Setting up the current sequence/scene - and we've reached the first instance where Grayson's and DC's scripts differ. But first up we'll deal with the way things play in DC's script, which, probably not surprisingly, is the way they mostly appear in the film:
54 EXT - MEADOW - DAY - LONG LENS 54
Quentin is not having an easy time of it.
Ulysses is far from a rocking chair.
DISSOLVE TO:
55 EXT - FIELD - NEAR A PATCH OF TREES - DAY 55
Quentin and the horse have finally come to terms and he is
now enjoying himself. Suddenly, as if it were being
carried he hears the DISTANT SOUND OF CHURCH BELLS
TOLLING. The horse begins to react badly as Quentin,
totally confused, rides closer to the trees looking for
the source of the sound. It is then that we realize that
the old family cemetery is on the other side of the trees.
QUENTIN - CLOSE-UP
He has stopped the horse, and, although it is a cool
sunny day, his face is bathed with perspiration. It is
obvious he is experiencing something. TRUCK IN TO HIS
EXTREME CLOSE-UP and then
CUT TO:
...
And though there are differences between the way DC's and Grayson Hall's scripts are written, there aren't any notations in either for this sequence.
...
And as for what is different when it comes to the directions and descriptions, Scene 54 does not appear in the film as it currently stands - the horse doesn't have any reaction to the bells in Scene 55, so perhaps it's only Quentin who hears them - and Quentin's face is not bathed in perspiration, but his face does take on an extremely shocked expression as the camera trucks in on his extreme close-up ...
And the next post will deal with the way everything up to where we left off in the sequence originally played out in Grayson's earlier version of the script...
- and Grayson's script -
Grayson's script's version:
54 EXT - MEADOW - DAY - LONG LENS 54
Quentin is not having an easy time of it.
Ulysses is far from a rocking chair.
DISSOLVE TO:
55 EXT - FIELD - NEAR A PATCH OF TREES - DAY 55
Quentin and the horse have finally come to terms
and he is now enjoying himself. Suddenly, as if
it were being carried on the wind, he hears
the DISTANT SOUND OF A DRONING VOICE.
STRACK'S
TRASK'SVOICE
Dust to dust ... ashes to ashes
... Oh Lord, have pity on this
sinner ... for we all sin,
knowing the mercy of our
heavenly Father ...
The horse begins to react badly as Quentin,
totally confused, rides closer to the trees
looking for the source of the voice. - It is then
that we realize that the old family cemetery
is on the other side of the trees.
QUENTIN - CLOSE-UP
He has stopped the horse, and, although it is a
cool sunny day, his face is bathed with perspir-
ation. It is obvious he is experiencing some-
thing. TRUCK IN TO HIS EXTREME CLOSE-UP and then
CUT TO:
...
And that's it for now.
Notice how:
- Grayson's script actually says "Suddenly, as if it were being carried on the wind, he hears", as opposed to DC's script which is oddly missing the part about the wind and simply says "Suddenly, as if it were being carried he hears".
- The sound of the bell was originally
Trask's/Strack's voice.
...