Costume Balls, Rebecca, and DS Writers

[Philippe Cordier]

I haven't been able to access DS Boards for the past few weeks due to a number of circumstances, and I've missed being here.  I feel especially bad because in one of my last posts I mentioned that 1970 PT was perhaps my least favorite storyline.

That really isn't the case ... at least there are major parts of many other storylines that I like far less than the current one (let's see, off the top of my head, I'd say Adam, the Liz blackmail scheme, the whole Nicholas Blair bit ...)  I remembered this once Bruno got out of the way and there was less emphasis on John Yeager or whatever his name is.    IMO, 1970 PT started off promising, but within a few episodes I began to nearly detest it, but after the aforementioned changes, I've been back to really, truly enjoying DS again for the past few weeks.

Lara Parker's talents are always an asset when she takes over, and she proves her versatility by making Alexis and Angelique very different characters.  And THIS Angelique ISN'T the same as the "real time" Angelique.  Quite a talented lady.

Add some good writing, too -- after a couple of especially good episodes I had to check the credits, and sure enough, Joe Caldwell was back as writer.

What a relief to get Barnabas back, too ... and if only we saw more of Carolyn and Will Loomis -- again, good characterizations.

Joan Bennett was in particularly good form yesterday when she saved Maggie from jumping from the window, and I found KLS's scenes to be actually emotionally wrenching.

I think it's clever how they have worked the "Rebecca" elements into the story, such as having Angelique encouraging Maggie to jump -- twisting our expectations that Hoffman -- the Mrs. Danvers character -- would be the one to do so.

I also loved the brief glimpse of the costume party -- if only they had had a budget and could have hired extras and really shown the party, how great that would have been.

I do have a question -- was this the only costume party on DS?  I seem to remember another one, but maybe I'm thinking of the one in HODS.

I know there's much more to come in this storyline ... and I'm glad I don't remember who killed Angelique!

 

[ProfStokes]

Welcome back, Vlad!

I do have a question -- was this the only costume party on DS?  I seem to remember another one, but maybe I'm thinking of the one in HODS.

Shortly before 1795 began, Barnabas held a costume party at the Old House that included a seance and a brief sighting of Sarah.

I know there's much more to come in this storyline ... and I'm glad I don't remember who killed Angelique!

Lucky you!  I remember how shocked I was by the killer's identity (and by the steps this person took to avoid being exposed.)

This is my second time watching DS, and I am enjoying it a great deal. I'm able to sense more nuances this time around, and having a community of fans with whom to discuss the series broadens my insight.  However, what I miss most is the suspense of wondering what will happen next and the pleasant surprise of each unexpected twist or line of cutting dialogue.  I envy the new fans and the former viewers who don't remember all the details; watching now, the series is still fresh to you.  Enjoy it!

ProfStokes

[Josette]

As to knowing who the killer is, I referred to this a couple of weeks ago.  There are a couple of scenes involving this person in which he/she says some things that are quite interesting in view of the fact that this is the killer speaking.  They are minor enough scenes that I imagine most will have forgotten them by the time the truth is revealed.  It makes it particularly interesting, though, to see them now and realize this (although I wonder if the writers had decided who it was at that point!).

[Cassandra]

Vlad wrote:

Lara Parker's talents are always an asset when she takes over, and she proves her versatility by making Alexis and Angelique very different characters.  And THIS Angelique ISN'T the same as the "real time" Angelique.  Quite a talented lady.

I do agree.  RT Angelique, as bad as she was, I could at least feel sorry for her. This one however, is truly evil!  She has no redeeming qualities in her at all.  She makes RT Angelique "almost" look like a saint!

and if only we saw more of Carolyn and Will Loomis -- again, good characterizations.

I can count how many times we've seen Carolyn on one hand during this storyline, which isn't saying much.

I also loved the brief glimpse of the costume party -- if only they had had a budget and could have hired extras and really shown the party, how great that would have been.

That would have been great Vlad!  I loved how in the movie they actually showed real guests as the costume party!


Cassandra

[doombuggy69]

Add some good writing, too -- after a couple of especially good episodes I had to check the credits, and sure enough, Joe Caldwell was back as writer.

Joe Caldwell came back for the summer of 1970, and departed again shortly before 1840 started. Violet Welles is also writing many of the scripts too, but she is not getting any screen credit. Although Violet Welles was fired by Dan Curtis in May 1970, she continued secretly writing scripts for the show until the the cancelation in 1971. Violet and Gordon Russell were very good friends. Many times when Gordon became overworked, he would simply give his script assignments to Violet Welles, who wrote the episode in his place.

[Gothick]

Hi Doombuggy, well, I had no idea that DC fired Miss Welles.  Did she finally give him a piece of her mind about one of his nuttier storyline convolutions?

I have the one print interview with her that was published in TWODS (I think).  What a great lady.

Would love to have more details in a private IM (since we are not allowed to discuss dish about the show here).

Best wishes, Steve

[doombuggy69]

Steve,

Unfortunately, I don't have any "gossip" as to why Dan Curtis got reid of Ms. Welles. I just know she said in an interview back in the mid 80's, that she was let go. Since she started with the show in April 1969, it stands to reason that her one year contract was up in April of 1970. Curtis probably felt that Hall and Russell could carry the show, and if he didn't have to pay Ms. Welles, than he could take home more pocket money from the show!!  Ms. Welles did mention that she ghost wrote for Gordon Russell and was writing dialog for Kate Jackson.

[Joeytrom]

I don't think it was the budget that got Ms. Welles fired, as DC hired Joe Caldwell afterward.  Too bad he didn't stay for 1840 though.  DS sure needed more and/or new writers.

[Philippe Cordier]

It's strange, because if I were to pick a favorite DS writer, I might well pick Joe Caldwell.  He may not have written enough of the show to compare with Sam Hall or some of the others, but there is always such intelligence behind his writing, for example in the dialogue, that it would be striking enough to catch my attention so that I'd check the credits to see who wrote the episode.

Strange, then, that my overall favorite storyline, 1840 -- the culmination of the series, IMO -- and Joe Caldwell never wrote for it!

.....................

It sounds very odd that Violet Welles would have continued writing for the show after having been taken off it.  She had nothing else to do, or what?

[Mysterious Benefactor]

I don't think it was the budget that got Ms. Welles fired, as DC hired Joe Caldwell afterward.

I never realized that Ms. Welles had been fired. But then, that's not the sort of detail one gets from the we-were-always-one-big-happy-family spun PomPres books.

I wonder... When asked why he agreed to write some of the more outlandish plots/twists that DC came up with (think Leviathans), Sam Hall commented that DC's attitude was if you won't write it, there are plenty of other writers who will - in other words, if you want to keep your job, you'll write it that way. Maybe it got to a point where Ms. Welles had heard that sort of threat once too often and decided to stand her ground if, perhaps, she'd had a strongly felt objection to something DC wanted done? And perhaps that's what got her fired? ... Just a thought...

[Raineypark]

I think the fact that Dark Shadows is STILL DC's best remembered work is the most delicious divine retribution.