And Even Yet Another New Slideshow

[Mysterious Benefactor]

a gorgeous interior of the OH.

Yes, the interior of the location that was used for much of the Old House (the Los Angeles Theatre) is amazing. Here are three shots of the lobby, which was used as the Old House's foyer:

Many publicity stills from the pilot were taken on the staircase, including ones for Barnabas, Vicki, Angelique, Liz, Willie, and David:

Click here for a 1000X667 version

The fountain at the top of the stairs:

Click here for a 1000X667 version

And the view from the second floor landing:

Click here for a 1000X667 version

To say the setting was ornate and unlike any version of the Old House that we've seen before would be an understatement!! 

[Midnite]

Almost that same shot of the main staircase (and much of the rest of the theatre) is featured in the Capital Cities video for "Safe and Sound."  The video was nominated for a Grammy.

[Mysterious Benefactor]

   I didn't realize that. I'll have to check it out. Thanks for the heads up. 

[Gothick]

Stunning, and please don't tell me they intended us to believe that any of that was built before circa 1890/1900.

Of course, the real Collinwood dates to the 1920s, but with older architectural elements re-used...

G.

[Gerard]

Actually, I could see the Old House looking like that, since baroque/rococo was all the rage in the 1690'.  But why would the Collins' abandon a place like that to build something less elaborate in the late 1700's?

Gerard

[Josette]

Wowie!!  What an incredible Old House!

[Mysterious Benefactor]

There was some remark about the Old House (that I believe Barnabas made) that I seem to remember commenting made it different from the history of the Old House that were most familiar with in other versions of DS. I'll look it up when I get the chance. But as to why the Collinses may have abandoned it in favor of building Collinwood, well, perhaps it's as simple as they felt they needed more space. Or perhaps as in other versions of DS, it was intended that Barnabas and Josette would take over as Master and Mistress of the Old House after they were married.

[Mysterious Benefactor]

Actually, I could see the Old House looking like that, since baroque/rococo was all the rage in the 1690'.

Yes, according to what I've tracked down on the Internet, the French Baroque style was popular through much of the 17th century, particularly the second half. Though one does have to wonder why an English family built a house in a French style, as was also the case with using Seaview for Collinwood on the original show. Though at least originally with the original show, the backstory for Collinwood was that Jeremiah had built Collinwood for his French bride, Josette - but, of course, that story went out the window once we actually saw 1795. But perhaps, had the pilot been picked up, the reason for the Old House being French Baroque would have been explained. Alas, as things are now, we most likely will never know...

[Gothick]

The Old House in the original series (the Spratt House) actually reminds me of Mount Vernon or Monticello in terms of the scale, so to me it's believable as a later 18th century manor house in New England.

Collinwood as something built in 1795, on the other hand... well, the series has endured for me as my favorite fantasy playroom...

G.

[Gothick]

Wow, you found an actual still from the show.  That is awesome.  Congratulations!

G.

[Mysterious Benefactor]

A few stills will be showing up in these last two months of the slideshow. 

[Mysterious Benefactor]

This is how the latest scene has played out in the script so far:

INT. SECOND FLOOR - OLD MANOR HOUSE - DAY

The work-lights continue up here, barely enough to see as Victoria enters, spotting, trash and broken masonry everywhere. Somewhere, closer, there's a CRASH.

VICTORIA
(turning at sound)
David! I know you're here!

Irritated, Victoria continues down the hallway, approaching

TWO LARGE DOUBLE DOORS.

She's about to throw them open when a HAND suddenly clamps on her shoulder. JOLTING, Victoria SPINS to find Willie, dragging a sullen DAVID along with him.

WILLIE
Miss Winters?

VICTORIA
Willie? You scared me to death.

None of which is how things play out in the actual pilot (because recall that in the pilot David has been searching for Sarah and not Vicki searching for David). However, starting with tomorrow's quote that will all change...

[Mysterious Benefactor]

Getting back to the scene of the hysterical David returning to Collinwood after having had Angelique lure him to the cemetery to release her, I don't honestly remember, but I don't *think* we see anything of Vicki as described in the script here:

ACT FOUR

FADE IN:

INT. VICTORIA'S BEDROOM - COLLINWOOD - NIGHT

Blue moonlight flickers through the windows, shimmering across Victoria's sleeping face when suddenly she HEARS DAVID'S SCREAMS echoing from somewhere inside the house.

DAVID (O.S.)
HELP!! KEEP HER AWAY!!

Stunned, Victoria throws off her covers, and bolts out of bed.

I *think* that from the outset we see David return to Collinwood screaming. And he doesn't simply scream "HELP!! KEEP HER AWAY!!" once - he screams "HELP!!" and "KEEP HER AWAY!!" as well as "NO!" several times while he's turning on all the lights -

INT. GREAT HALL - COLLINWOOD - NIGHT

Victoria rushes downstairs in her nightgown, Roger and Elizabeth (both in night clothes) close behind. As they hit the floor, they find David frantically turning on the lights.[/b]

- and Liz and Vicki try to get him to explain what he's doing. But then -

ROGER
David?

As the lights come on, REVEAL David, filthy, soaking wet, fingers bloodied from digging.

VICTORIA
David! What happened?

- Roger shows up calling out "David!" and then ordering "Stop! Stop!" And rather than Vicki asking what happened, Roger orders "Just try to tell us what happened." But instead of things playing out as scripted -

David whirls, eyes wide with fear.

DAVID
Don't let her take me!

David runs to Roger and grabs him in a desperate hug. Awkward, Roger. FLINCHES, like he's not used to holding his son.

ROGER
David, what's wrong? Where have
you been?

- David says "She... she was in the old cemetery," to which a puzzled Roger questions "Cemetery?" Then, because David has already mentioned the cemetery (instead of the Old House) -

David looks up at him through tear-soaked eyes.

DAVID
By the old house...
(scared)
She's not real, is she? She can't
be real...

- he simply asks in a quite scared voice "She's not real, is she? She can't be real..." To which Vicki similarly as scripted -

VICTORIA
David, who are you talking about?

asks "David, what are you talking about?" But then rather than using the description in the script -

DAVID
She was wearing a white dress....
and her hair was like gold.

David describes Angelique with "She had the blackest eyes... and her hair looked like fire." And similarly as scripted -

ROGER
You must have been dreaming.

- Roger exasperatedly concludes "He's been dreaming." But then to prove his story, somewhat as in the script -

David digs into his pocket, desperate to prove himself.

DAVID
No! She was wearing this.

David pulls out Angeligue's SILVER AMULET, the tarnished metal GLEAMING, under the lights.

- David protests "No, no. No! She had this" and shows them the dagger he'd removed from Angelique's skeleton, which greatly alarms Roger who demands "Where did you get this?!" rather than reacting the way the script indicates:

Uneasy at David's emotional tumult, Roger turns to Elizabeth and Victoria.

(But then, there's a big difference between an amulet and a dagger, now isn't there?  ) And after having grabbed David and taken the dagger away from him as he confesses "I only did what she told me to do," Roger again demands "David, where did you get this?!", and basically as scripted -

ROGER
He's obviously had a nightmare....
you'd better get him upstairs.center]

DAVID
No... you've got to believe me...

- that's followed with David pleading "No, no. You've got to believe me," to which Roger reacts with "He's obviously hysterical... just get him back to bed." But when -

As David clings desperately, Roger uncomfortably pries his small hands away.

DAVID (CONT'D)
Don't leave me!

- David then clings desperately to Roger and protests "No. No. No! No! Daddy! Daddy!" an extremely uncomfortable Roger pries David's hands away saying without sympathy "David, stop it... stop it. Stop it... get a grip on yourself"  and even angrily lashes out with "Knock it off!!" And as Vicki takes the still sobbing and pleading boy, all Roger can do is declare "I can't handle this" and then orders "Get him back to bed!" To which an incredulous Elizabeth -

ELIZABETH
Roger, he needs you.

- desperately insists "Roger! Roger, he needs you!! Roger!!"

End of scene.

And as I said several months back, the way this scene plays in the pilot

puts Roger's remark: "David is my son and I need him to be strong" into a different light.

And now we can see that, to say the least, it's an entirely different light!!

[Mysterious Benefactor]

INT. CAROLYN'S BEDROOM - COLLINWOOD - NIGHT

Joe's asleep in a chair by the bed, exhausted, as blue shadows slash across the room. REVEAL that the bed is empty, the covers, thrown off. PAN AROUND to REVEAL

CAROLYN

standing woozy on the balcony, her nightgown fluttering, a bloody bandage on her arm where she's ripped out the I.V. needle. Trance-like, her yearning almost unbearable, she

OPENS THE COLLAR OF HER GOWN,

her skin pale in the moonlight, baring her wounded throat to the night.

CAROLYN
Please... come back...

OFF Carolyn, reaching out into the darkness...

The only real difference that I recall from this scene is that rather that simply pleading as scripted, "Please... come back...", Carolyn really puts some desperate yearning into it with "Come back... Please... Come back..."

[Mysterious Benefactor]

Things play out somewhat as scripted in the scene where Vicki goes to wake David the next day. Though first up, rather than as scripted -

EXT. COLLINWOOD - DAY

Late afternoon... long shadows cross the grounds.

INT. DAVID'S BEDROOM - DAY

The door opens and Victoria looks in. A mound under the covers suggests David's still asleep.

VICTORIA
David? It's almost 4:00... you've
been sleeping all day.

- what Vicki actually says in the pilot is "David?" before she knocks and follows with "Come on sleepy head. It's late. You've been sleeping all say."

Only silence from the bed. Moving quietly, Victoria enters David's room, noticing a

PHOTO

on the bed-stand. It's in a colorful frame, the words "Mom And Me" printed in the plastic. As Victoria holds the photo to the light, she sees a much younger David, smiling and happy, standing next to a woman. Eerily, though, the

WOMAN'S FACE HAS BEEN TORN OUT,

leaving only a ragged, empty hole. Victoria stares at the bizarre image with a SHIVER, then reaches out toward the bed.

Then I don't believe there's anything about the photo. But it's been so long since I've seen the pilot, that I could be wrong there.

VICTORIA (CONT'D)
David?

As she gently shakes the blankets, they fall away, revealing an arrangement of PILLOWS and

ANGELIQUE'S SILVER AMULET

lying on the sheet. Realizing David's gone, Victoria grabs the amulet and bolts for the door.

But where things get very different is that after Vicki discovers that David is gone, she looks out the window and sees David outside running off in the direction of the Old House (recall that Willie had pointed the house out to her as he drove her to Collinwood on the night she arrived). She screams for David to come back - but of course he doesn't listen. And that's why Vicki goes to the Old House...