Fashion notes first . . .
Apparently there was a big sale on yellow clothing at Ohrbach's (what is the right way to spell that, btw?) because it was big with the wardrobe people on those days.
I wasn't really crazy about Joan Bennett's yellow brocade-like number. It was the rolled collar, I think, that was the big turn-off
Makeup wise I have to note that for once Jonathan Frid looked pretty good. He's always got that saturnine gaunt thing going on, but normally the Edward Gorey makeup style detracts. Since the rest of the cast looked pretty painted, I'm envisioning a big dramatic scene where Frid lost his temper and told the person with the trowel to get the hell away from him and the trowel person slunk off and slathered all the eyeshadow on Moltke and then rouged the hell out of Louis Edmonds and Joan Bennett's cheeks, while the good makeup people got to make Frid look normal. Mind you, I just made all of this up
, but hey, it could happen.
And now, I have to get to the nightgown. I really don't want to. In fact, I'm trying to block it from memory, but it's just not working. Not only was it day-glo yellow,but it made Moltke look so huge! Why would you do that to someone? I mean, at least with Grayson Hall, there is that tenous argument about middle-aged career women supposedly having to look like they dress in burlap sacks, but the ingenues are supposed to look pretty. Not like they would be visible to passing planes. Evil, scary, bad.
Julia's new look. I like the short cut, but it doesn't always look so great--a maintenance thing, perhaps? I agree with the posters who have been saying that the softer, fuller hair is more flattering, but I personally find this a vast improvement over the wig.
Liz's lilac checked outfit. It's lovely. Is there a color Joan Bennett could not wear? But what is it with the bows? I've spoken about these before. They may have been the style, but they bug me. I will say though that they bug me even more when they're on Vicki.
Nancy Barrett should not be wearing such pale colors. She's too fair skinned and those colors just wash her out.
Jerry Lacy as Tony Peterson. Yummy with a spoon. He looked so good in that suit.
And last, but certainly not least. Eliot in a hat. Finally, a man who looks good in a hat. They are few and far between on DS, but he can wear a homburg anytime he wants to. I shall not be critical.
Onto the show . . .
Two things occur to me watching these episodes.
1. Some person who should have been shot and killed, either decided that the cast needed to start shouting all the time or didn't exercise their authority and tell them to lower their voices several notches.
2. Vicki. It's as if she feels the need on some level to always be center stage, hence the constant hysteria, the wacky behavior, anything to keep the spotlight on her.
Okay, back to basics. Julia's excuse to Liz basically equates to "I was having a nervous breakdown so I decided to hide the fact that I was a doctor and posed as a historian." If I were Liz, I would be asking why Julia had to lie about her profession and I would be saying very politely, "I understand completely. We'll miss you, of course, do send us a copy of your book."
Of course, we would have no show. Also see denial playing a huge factor in Liz and Roger's behavior. Interesting though to hear Liz saying to Barnabas "You always have knowledge that we don't." Makes you wonder how much else she really notices.
Jeremiah. Who cares?
Some nice cat & mouse dialogue between Julia and Barnabas. This is how I like them. There's a nice edge. Neither of them is totally buying the other's line. Chemistry and it works.
Lest you think that Barnabas was going to escape unscathed from my acerbic pen: can he get any more solipsistical? Vicki is upset and hysterical and being hanged couldn't have anything to do with it? It's got to be because she knows about him? Hello? Earth to Barnabas.
Good thing Vicki wasn't in my care because I would not be doping her with Valium; I would be slapping her across the face and telling her to get a grip.
The Barnabas/Vicki scene (yellow nightgown not withstanding) was quite erotic. Also very telling about both their characters. He's got the whole control issue and she's got the desire to subsume her personality.
Liz was so on the right track with Vicki. The woman needs to learn to face reality.
Tony and Carolyn. They had all that chemistry and he's such a hunk. Wish they had done more with him.
My God, could they have made an uglier portrait of Lara Parker? Yeech.
Roger's recitation. I do believe the poem is
Dover Beach and I rather like the scene. Head cold or not, Edmonds had a great voice. Nice scene with Moltke, incidentally.
Glad to see Thayer David. He really shines as Eliot Stokes.
Luciaphil
