magnus,

just a little f.y.i...

i don't think that i've "outed anyone posthumously".i believe that the three actors in question here were all out themselves later in life.

and as an out gay man nor do i consider the subject to be a "messy situation with no clear right answer" or a "bad idea".such remarks sort of bring the tone of the conversation down doncha think?

the topic was posted lightly,playfully,in the spirit of good fun.

it was not intended to be turned into a sour debate.

i certainly hope this doesn't offend anybody because it sure entertained me...

i've been watching the late 1968 episodes.i just watched the episode(614)where joe is attempting to strangle barnabas with a drapery tieback and is interupted by mrs.johnson at clarice blackburn's histrionic best.it's too good for words.

the episode moves on to scenes with mrs.j.,her son harry,roger and liz and of course joe.something about the tone of this episode struck me...perhaps that it's gayest episode ever!

it positively oozed lavender.

jonathan frid only appears in the first few minutes so the rest of the episode is dominated by actors we now know to be gay:louis edmonds,joel crothers (i don't know about frid so we'll leave him out of the conversation).while it's doubtful any of them were publicly "out" at the time("such things" were not openly discussed)i was wondering if they were quietly out with each other.if there existed something of a backstage camaraderie between them on this point.a "sisterhood" so to speak.i imagine that after lifetimes spent on stage and screen both joan bennett and clarice blackburn were faghags of the highest order.was this an atmosphere in which they felt "safe" to be themselves?

i'm imagining some dishy backstage chat.crothers is shirtless for much of this episode and perhaps edmonds and slocum exchanged approving glances.maybe mostoller and vinnie loscalzo stopped by to chime in on how hunky that new don briscoe is.

actors aside the way that mrs.johnson and harry interact is very much the classic mother/gay son relationship.the stereotypical byproduct of the absent/dead father and the domineering mother(and mrs.j. was nothing if not overbearing).i know it's all a cliche but that's the subtext i read into it even if "such things" could never by spelled out in specifics back then.

on a totally different note what also struck me here was that,in the midst of the madness that was 1968,nothing supernatural happens in this episode.there was something vaguely "1966-ish" about it.it included much of the original cast and the big "cliffhanger" was roger calling the sheriff.it sort of had a naive charm in that the police were the biggest threat being posed here.

anyways i in no way mean this as a mockery.please know that it comes from a place of love for my spiritual forbearers.

(edited by admin)

i felt like the ante was upped in this episode.

unlike the shlock fests of recent weeks there were moments here that were genuinely chilling despite the datedness.

the scene with vicki and doctor hoffman was odd.the inexplicably present houseguest and the nanny keeping secrets from the family that is hosting them.it had a funny "backstairs" feel to it.who's running the show in this place?certainly not roger and elizabeth.they're not even in this week's episode.it's obvious by now that despite her special billing jean simmons is going to be a peripheral figure in this tale.

and what's with this family's some-have-em/some-don't british accents?no one in this place sounds remotely like down-easters.

the scene where willie and julia are hiding in a closet was funny too.aren't vampires supposed to have heightened senses?he couldn't sense these two snoops five feet away?

has anyone else noticed that julia's glasses have no lenses.they're just frames.i guess they're supposed to make her look "smart" but remember vamps don't make passes at girls who wear glasses.

the orphan thing finally comes up with vicki.i was wondering if this was going to be a factor but barnabas seems to like the idea for some reason.

the scene in the mausoleum was quite chilling.ben cross deserves kudos for his hissing,hate spewing delivery.barbara steel was awesome too.it was the first time this series reached it's aim in terms of being something of a sophisticated adult drama with a frightening supernatural edge as opposed to something more adolescent.

vicki over breakfast at the old house reminded me of the kind of girl guys fall in love with while their more interesting and eccentric friends stay at home drinking wine until they pass out in front of the television set.

finally the scene with barnabas and carolyn was quite harrowing.the 'blood of my blood' remark and the kiss that followed it had a creepy incestuous ring to it but whatever.

good episode.

question.

how was it determined that the besty durkin recast had proven to be unsuccessful after just ten episodes?

were the ratings affected?was there a fan outcry or an outpouring of negative viewer mail?

or was it more something that curtis and his team simply had an instinct for?

apart from being the dawn of "magtoria" does anyone know if this ends up being the last appearance of the evan's cottage?

this was always one of my favorite sets.

there seems to be a sort of prevailing "either/or" theory surrounding vicki and maggie in this period...

that if alexandra had not left the series when she did then somehow that would have meant that maggie's days on the show were numbered.that there was one ingenue too many for the series to absorb.

while it is true that if alexandra(and subsequently the victoria character)had not left than maggie would not have taken over as collinwood governess the two characters nicely coexisted on the show for nearly three years.there was enough storyline five days a week to go around for them both.

i think maggie would just have been given another(perhaps lesser)storyline.this is what i wish happened.i like maggie as a separate character with her own life and vicki up at collinwood.

besides i think kathryn leigh scott's association with josette made her too valuable(certainly to the storylines set in the past)to be written out.

and of course all of this depends on what miss scott's contract looked like.

sweet jesus!!!

quite seriously luciaphil...

perhaps i join carolyn in having some "daddy issues" but in the first year cast i found both bill malloy and dr.guthrie to be rather appealing.

no joke.