And Even Yet Another New Slideshow

[Mysterious Benefactor]

MB, are you referring to the pilot screenplay (which to be fair, is what an actress interested in the role would have been sent to read), or the final cut as shown at the Festival?

Not in any way to slight Barbara Steele because I love her and I love her as Julia, but strictly comparing the two pilots, yes, I'm saying I think that in her two scenes that made it into the '04 pilot, Julia was given more interesting things to say and do in the '04 pilot than she was in the pilot for the '91 series.

Though as for casting material, I don't believe anything from either pilot script was used when Julia was being cast. I'm pretty sure I read where material in which Julia confronts Barn and offers him a cure was used. I also believe the same holds true for casting Barn.

I don't even recall the Alec Newman scene that's on Youtube from that original screening; just that I thought Newman was really quite exceptional in the role

I definitely agree.

[Gothick]

Well not to slight the 2004 actress (I keep forgetting her name--Kelly Hu?), Barbara Steele made an immediate, VIVID impression upon me in the shot of her just standing on the train platform in her very first shot, holding an umbrella.  And when I saw that, I had only ever seen maybe one old film with Steele.  Her PRESENCE was extraordinary.  Again, I'm not saying there was anything positive or negative about the 2004 actress; she simply failed to make an impression.

If a Barnabas/Julia scene of the content you describe was used in the 2004 casting, it definitely argues that further sketches and potentially script outlines beyond the pilot had been worked on in '04...

G.

[Mysterious Benefactor]

I'm not commenting on Steele vs. Hu or who was better. All I've been saying is the material Julia is given in the actual '04 pilot is in some ways more interesting - particularly because she's involved in aspects of the plot and in imparting important info that in the pilot for the '91 DS other characters revealed to the audience.

As for the casting sides, it's my understanding that several were simply written for the purposes of casting. As written they may have been incorporated into future scripts, but no actual scripts were ever written that contained the casting sides scenes.

[Mysterious Benefactor]

In the original version of the scene, after Elizabeth goes to Carolyn's bedside and Julia delivers today's quote -

Page 30 - Hoffman (CONT'D): 'I'll be back in a minute...'

- the script explains that the scene closes -

As Elizabeth joins Joe next to Carolyn...

- however, we'll recall that in the pilot's combined version Elizabeth has gone off with Carolyn to wherever they were taking her - and I presume (because I don't honestly remember) that Joe also went with her because, as I've said, he has nothing more to say. So, in the pilot at this point, the only major characters left in the corridor are probably Julia and Roger. And as I mentioned earlier, Roger has been added to the corridor scene because in the script he remained in Carolyn's room. But since in the pilot no one was ever in Carolyn's room...

Tomorrow's quote will begin the corridor portion of the combined scene. And interestingly, unlike how barely anything from the originally scripted hospital room scene ended up in the pilot's combined corridor scene, a great deal of what is scripted to take place in the corridor will indeed take place in the pilot (along with the addition of Roger), though not necessarily in the exact way it's scripted. But more on that beginning tomorrow...

[Mysterious Benefactor]

The script sets up the originally script corridor scene as:

INT. CORRIDOR - COLLINSPORT MEDICAL CENTER - DAY

Hoffman starts down the hall, spotting Collinsport Sheriff PATTERSON (30s) grabbing a coffee from a coin-op machine.

Julia is then scripted to call out -

HOFFMAN
Sheriff Patterson...

- but that was dropped in the pilot (as well as the slideshow) because in the pilot's combined scene it's not Julia who notices Sheriff Patterson but Sheriff Patterson who notices Julia as he arrives and Julia is already in the corridor with Roger. And similarly to today's quote -

Page 30 - Sheriff Patterson: 'Doctor. Any change?'

- but much more informally, Sheriff Patterson asks, "Julia, how is she?" - obviously referring to Carolyn.

[Mysterious Benefactor]

The only difference between what Julia says in the pilot and today's quote -

Page 30 - Hoffman: 'She's hanging on, but barely.'

- is that she says "She's hanging on...barely."

[Gothick]

I am now officially bored with the hospital scene(s).  Did any of it survive the final cut?  I guess if I check your charts, I will be able to tell.  It seems to be taking up an awful lot of what was only a 40 minute piece of film. The only dramatic significance, apart from showing the audience what's happened to Carolyn and filling in some very cliche (for a vampire drama) medical details, is to introduce the characters of Julia and the Sheriff.  I don't even remember the Sheriff at all from my one viewing.

I'm also starting to remember stuff from the viewing that really did not work for me, but I'll hold off on talking about that until later in this thread.

G.

[Mysterious Benefactor]

Keep in mind that much of what has been dealt with in the slideshow since June 12th was not a part of the pilot. Plus the more interesting bits have yet to even show up. But it is true that the scene is mostly pure exposition.

So far the way the scene plays in the pilot is:

the scene begins immediately with Joe explaining to Elizabeth and Roger that "Ben Griffin found her outside his garage. From the injuries, Doctor Hoffman thinks… (pauses) She must have had some kind of fall."

Julia ... make(s) her appearance by calling out "Clear the doors!" as Carolyn is brought through the opening doors on a gurney. Also arriving with Carolyn is a nurse.

Elizabeth sees Carolyn being wheeled in on the gurney and she calls out "Carolyn."

the nurse accompanying Carolyn announces "She’s tachy."

after Carolyn's appearance, (Elizabeth) asks "Can I walk with her?" - and after it being indicated that she can, does so as Carolyn is taken off.

I presume (because I don't honestly remember) that Joe also went with her because, as I've said, he has nothing more to say. So, in the pilot at this point, the only major characters left in the corridor are probably Julia and Roger.

Sheriff Patterson ... notices Julia as he arrives and ... asks, "Julia, how is she?" - obviously referring to Carolyn.

Julia ... says "She's hanging on...barely."

filling in some very cliche (for a vampire drama) medical details

Though as I said, at least we were spared the originally scripted and highly stereotypical "The next twenty-four hours are critical" because that was thankfully dropped. 

[Gothick]

MB love, forgive me for putting you to all that effort.  And I shouldn't bellyache because, mostly, I've been fascinated by your meticulous excavation of this, the most obscure DS artifact in the entire canon.

But this scene... I'm starting to ask myself, "will it ever end?"

I'm really amused that we're up against the beginning of July and Barnabas has yet to arrive at Collinwood....

G.

[Mysterious Benefactor]

we're up against the beginning of July and Barnabas has yet to arrive at Collinwood....

Very soon. 

[Cousin_Barnabas]

Barbara Steele made an immediate, VIVID impression upon me in the shot of her just standing on the train platform in her very first shot, holding an umbrella. 

This is so true.  The arrival of Julia in Collinsport has been stuck in my mind ever since I first saw the pilot.  It and the parking lot carnage have been with me since my first viewing.  Similarly, the stalking of Daphne is HoDS will always be remembered.  There are some scenes that just work really well and leave a lasting impression, even though they may not be the most important.  This is true of all incarnations of DS. 

From this pilot, I think the crypt scene and the stalking scene would have been remembered for some time.   

[Mysterious Benefactor]

From this pilot, I think the crypt scene and the stalking scene would have been remembered for some time.

I can definitely attest to that. 

[Mysterious Benefactor]

Oops - I forgot to post yesterday that the differences between yesterday's quote -

Page 30 - Sheriff Patterson: (sips coffee) 'I had animal control out all night looking for tracks, but so far they've found squat.'

- and the pilot is that the sheriff actually says "Well, I’ve had animal control out all night looking for tracks. So far they haven’t found diddly-squat." And he's isn't sipping coffee because he never goes to the coffee machine as it is described in the script.

[Mysterious Benefactor]

As for today's quote -

Page 30 - Hoffman: 'I'm not surprised.'

- it was dropped in favor of Roger asking "Tracks? Fall? What the hell is going on, Julia?"

However, tomorrow we'll still find out why Julia isn't surprised...

[Gothick]

Julia's not surprised, and neither is any viewer out there...

G.