The Return of Yet Another New Slideshow (Sort of) [** Now featuring unshot Julia material - see reply #194**]

[Mysterious Benefactor]

A good reason why we don't see any indication from Roger that he might think there's more to Vicki than he expected is that right after Vicki's comment that the challenge to teaching art is allowing children to get to know themselves, Roger launches right into today's quote -

Page 23/Scene 39 - Roger: 'Well I think you'll find that my son is as much of a challenge as you can handle. I'm quite certain he's different from any boy you've ever taught before. Goodnight, Miss Winters.'

- and then the script ends the scene with:

Roger nods and exits. HOLD on Vicki as she watches him go,        and...

But naturally things don't end quite like that. Roger actually says "Well I think you'll find my son as much a challenge as you can handle. I'm quite certain David is different from any boy you've ever taught" and turns in Carolyn's direction to say "Goodnight, ladies" and then back to Vicki with a simple "Miss Winters" and he leaves. Vicki is somewhat surprised by what Roger has said, Liz is embarrassed, but the devilish smirk on Carolyn's face, which I just love -

- betrays that she's quite pleased that someone has owned up to the truth about David.

[Mysterious Benefactor]

The script continues and sets up several scenes in the next sequence:

40 thru   OMITTED   42   43   EXT. FAMILY CEMETERY - NIGHT        With the ornate ironwork of the old Collins family mausoleum in        the f.g. Willie, flashlight in hand, a bag of tools over his        shoulder, can be seen coming through the trees TOWARD CAMERA.        Flashing his light about, he carefully picks his way through the        crumbling monuments in the overgrown, weed-choked graveyard.   44   CLOSE - WILLIE        As he stops in front of the mausoleum, shines his light up at        it.                                          (CONTINUED)   45   HIS POV - MAUSOLEUM        An aged, marble facade overgrown with brambles and vines,        'Collins' etched in the stone over the entrance.        The FLASHLIGHT BEAM ILLUMINATES three carved female figures on        the pediment, locked in embrace, their eyes lifted toward        heaven...   46   OMITTED   47   WILLIE        He grins, pulls out a crumpled piece of paper, shines his light        on it.                            WILLIE                  ...three graces spin high above...        MOVE WITH HIM as he crosses to the big, rusty, iron door, pushes        it open.   48   INT. MAUSOLEUM - FROM BELOW        As Willie enters, his light FLARING OUT THE LENS, starts down        a narrow flight of crumbling, stone steps toward CAMERA.   49   INT. CRYPT        As he reaches the bottom, he enters the large, octangular-shaped        Crypt.        He shines his light around. The room is filled with cobwebs        and moss.   50   CLOSE - WILLIE        Shaking with excitement, he pulls out the crumpled piece of        paper again, shines his light on it ... then flashes his beam        onto one of the walls.   51   ANGLE - WALL        As the BEAM illuminates a CARVED STONE LION'S HEAD, a rusted,        iron ring hanging from its mouth...   52   BACK TO WILLIE        As he grins.                                                (CONTINUED)   52   CONTINUED:                            WILLIE                  ...the lion’s head watches the                  dove...        He looks around, then jerks his flashlight to the opposite wall.        WHIP PAN with the BEAM as it illuminates a STONE DOVE.   53   WILLIE        As he smiles, turns back to the Lion's Head.                            WILLIE (0.S.)                       (muttering)                  "Lion's head... watches the dove".   54   LION'S HEAD - CLOSE        As Willie's hand ENTERS SHOT, touches it, then takes hold of        the iron ring, begins to twist and pull at it.   55 thru   OMITTED   56   57   FROM IN BACK OF WILLIE        As he pulls harder, the ring begins to draw out of the lion's        mouth.        And then we HEAR THE SOUND OF HEAVY STONE GRATING ON STONE        as a section of the wall begins to slowly swing open.   58   WILLIE - CLOSE        Eyes glittering, he raises his light, leans forward to peer in.        Suddenly, he leaps back, thrashing the air wildly, as a cloud        of bats, screeching and flapping, explode from the dark space        beyond.   59   ANOTHER ANGLE - THROUGH OPENING        As Willie shivers in horror.

And that's when today's quote -

Page 25/Scene 59 - Willie: (mutters) 'Ecch! What a place! -- Bats!'

- comes up. And as far as differences go, there are several - but I'm going to wait until the next post to explain them...

[Mysterious Benefactor]

The differences with the above scenes in the script begin with Scene 49 with the fact that, surprisingly, especially for DS, there aren't a lot of cobwebs in the interior of the crypt - there are simply a few in the entryway. And when it comes to Scene 50, Willie doesn't pull out the paper again (that comes later). And with Scenes 51 & 52, Willie doesn't come upon the lion's head - he actually comes upon the dove - and after he says an unscripted "Dove... dove..." as he's trying to place the significance in his mind, that's when he pulls out and checks what's written on the paper. However, what he actually says is "Lion... looks at the dove" - and after that is when he goes to the opposite wall and finds the lion's head. Then when it comes to Scene 53, naturally he turns back to look at the dove rather than the lion's head - and that moment was illustrated in the original '91 series slideshow -

Ep #1 - Willie: 'Lion looks at dove.'

- with what Willie says being different from the script once again. And finally for this post, when it comes to Scene 59, what Willie actually says is "Bats! -- What a place!" - and if that moment isn't proof that DC wanted to inject humor into DS, nothing is...

[Mysterious Benefactor]

Continuing with the sequence, the script next explains with regard to Willie:

And, shining his light in front of him, he steps through the      opening into the dank, dark, space beyond. 60   INT. SECRET ROOM      As Willie enters, breath smoking in the unnatural cold, stands      there for a moment, shining his light around. Suddenly, he      reacts. 61   HIS POV      A huge stone SARCOPHAGUS tightly bound with giant chains and      antique padlocks. 62   WILLIE      As he stares at the coffin greedily, starts toward it.

And that's when today's quote -

Page 26/Scene 62 - Willie: '...the jewels... I knew it!'

- comes up. And then the script continues with:

Stopping in front of it, he examines it. A heavy stone cross      is carved on its cover. 63   CLOSE - MATCH      As Willie strikes it, touches it to an old wall torch in a      rusty, iron wall bracket. It ignites in a sooty flame.      Now we get a better look at the place ... A small claustrophobic      low-ceilinged space with damp, moss—covered, stone block walls. 64   OMITTED     65   ANOTHER ANGLE      As Willie crosses back to the coffin, fumbles in his tool      satchel and pulls out a crowbar, begins to go to work on the      chains.

End of sequence.

And as for the differences, we don't see Willie's breath in Scene 60 - and there is no close-up of a match as described in Scene 63 because Willie simply goes over and lights the torch, though not with a match but with a cigarette lighter.

[Mysterious Benefactor]

Moving on to the next scene:

66   INT. GREAT HALL - HIGH ANGLE      As Carolyn, Elizabeth and Vicki come out of the drawing room.                          LIZ                Have a good night's sleep,                Vicki...                          VICKI                Thank you, Mrs. Stoddard...

And that's when today's quote -

Page 26/Scene 66 - Liz: 'We breakfast at seven. En Famille. You'll meet David then. Lessons should begin at nine.'

- comes up in the script - then it continues with:

(CONTINUED) 66   CONTINUED:                          CAROLYN                     (cheerfully)                Follow me, Vicki....

But when it comes to the differences in the pilot, today's quote from Liz actually comes before she says she hopes Vicki will have a good night's sleep and Vicki thanks her - and what Liz actually says is "Breakfast is at seven. En Famille. You'll meet David then. And school begins at nine." And right afterward is when she adds "And you have a good night's sleep, Victoria."

[Mysterious Benefactor]

Continuing with Scene 66 with regard to Carolyn and Vicki:

And the two girls start toward the main stairway. TIGHTEN TO      THEM as they start up TOWARD CAMERA.

And that's when yesterday's quote -

Page 27/Scene 66 - Vicki (looking around): 'This place is huge. How many rooms are there?'

- and today's quote -

Page 27/Scene 66 - Carolyn (a smile): 'I don't think anyone really knows. [Vicki laughs.] CAROLYN (CONT'D) - Anyway, most of them are closed off now, but there are a lot.'

- come up - and then the script ends the scene with with:

And as they continue up the stairs, we . . .

And the only differences here are that Vicki doesn't laugh after Carolyn says that she doesn't think anyone really knows how many room there are at Collinwood - and at the end of her lines Carolyn actually says "but, uh, there are a lot of them."

And as a bit of trivia, because Scene 37 isn't included in the pilot, this is the first scene in the pilot where we get a glimpse of Barnabas' portrait - though obviously he isn't identified.

[Mysterious Benefactor]

Oops - I just realized that back on the 15th I forgot to post this from that day's '90 edition of USA Today:

LOS ANGELES   ----   Some news with actual bite, especial- ly for cult-TV junkies. There's a new Barnabas Collins coming to haunt the airwaves, courtesy of NBC's plan to revive DARK SHADOWS as a prime-time series in the fall.    Ben Cross - ironic last name, no? - has been signed to play the undead hero in this new version of ABC's 1966-71 Gothic daytime soap.    Barnabas, first played by Jonathan Frid, became a tooth- some household word. And Cross (Chariots of Fire) -- who also played a vampire in the USA Network movie Nightlife -- headlines an all new cast.    Joining Cross is Jean Sim- mons, inheriting the matriar- chal role of Elizabeth Stoddard once played by Joan Bennett.    And the part of Dr. Julia Hoffman, first played by Gray- son Hall, will go to Barbara Steele - which should make horror-movie buffs shiver with delight. Steele was a sensuous superstar of '60s fright flicks, including Roger Corman's The Pit and the Pendulum.    NBC will revive Shadows -- like the original, a Dan Curtis (War and Remembrance) production -- in a two-hour movie, with an as-yet-undetermined number of episodes to follow.

And this from that same day's edition of the the Inside TV column:

DARK SHADOWS has found its Elizabeth Collins Stoddard in Jean Simmons.   SHADOWS was a daytime serial on ABC in the 1960s. Two feature films spun off from the show, which has continued in syndication and videocassettes.   The new SHADOWS is being fashioned as a primetime series that could start on NBC this fall.

And yesterday I forgot to post this from Luaine Lee's 3/16/90 column:

Ben Cross (who was so terrific in CHARIOTS OF FIRE) has copped the coveted role of Barnabas Collins in the 2-hour NBC movie DS. Many remember the daytime soap that ran on ABC from 1966-71.... Dan Curtis (W&R) will direct the gothic tale.

I may have to start putting post-its on my computer screen to remind me of the dates to post upcoming articles/blurbs. 

[Mysterious Benefactor]

Picking up where we left off in the script, we come to a sequence that will not be featured in the slideshow because, well, there isn't any dialogue in any of the scenes that comprise it, so that makes it pretty hard to feature any quote. 

67 thru   OMITTED   69   70   CLOSE CROWBAR        As Willie strains to pry loose the last set of chains. Suddenly,        they snap, slip heavily to the floor...   71   WILLIE        Shaking with nervous excitement, he braces himself, and, with        enormous effort, begins to push it open.   72   CLOSE - SLAB COVER        As one end of it slowly grates open.   73   BACK TO WILLIE        His face shining with sweat and greed, he leans over to look        in.        Suddenly a HAND SHOOTS OUT, grabs him by the throat, pulls him,        SCREAMING, down into the sarcophagus.        WE NOTICE a LARGE, BLACK STONE RING prominent on the middle        finger.

And as far as any differences, things play pretty much as written. The only thing is that it's so dark in the secret room that unless someone knows to look for it, they would never really notice the ring on the hand that shoots out of the coffin.

Also, the end of this sequence is the first act break in the pilot. Though, unlike the pilot script for the '04 DS, this script doesn't include act breaks.

[Mysterious Benefactor]

And starting off today's new scene:

74   INT. VICKI'S BEDROOM - NIGHT      Vicki is unpacking her valise, which lies open on the big      four-poster.      In the b.g., Carolyn enters carrying extra blankets.                          CAROLYN                It gets pretty cold at night...                The fireplace works... and the                bathroom's big enough for a                battalion.      She puts the blankets on the foot of the bed.                          VICKI                Thanks.                     (then)

And that's where today's first quote -

Page 28/Scene 74 - Vicki: 'I really can't wait to meet David.'

- comes up - followed by today's second quote:

Page 28/Scene 74 - Carolyn: (laughing) 'Yes, you can.'

And as for the differences, there's an establishing shot of the courtyard at Collinwood at night before we see Vicki in her room (probably because of the act break) - when Carolyn first walks in she delivers an unscripted "How ya doin'?" before she says the "It gets pretty cold here at night..." part of her dialogue - and Carolyn adds an "oh," as in "Oh, yes, you can" with regard to Vicki being able to wait before meeting David.

[Mysterious Benefactor]

Before we get into the continuation of Scene 74, I forgot to mention the other day that the majority of this sequence only appears as part of the restored MPI VHS of the pilot (though several moments from it appeared in many of NBC's promos for the show). In fact. barely anything of this sequence is in the NBC version of the pilot. But we'll get into what part of it is once it comes up in the script...

And with that out of the way, we can get into how the scene continues with yesterday's quote -

Page 28/Scene 74 - Vicki: 'I hope he likes me.'

- which Vicki says with regard to David - followed by today's first quote -

Page 28/Scene 74 - Carolyn: 'He will... He better, or he'll answer to me... (and) Vicki, I'm really glad you're here.'

- and followed by today's second quote:

Page 28/Scene 74 - Vicki: 'So am I.'

And as for differences, there's only one: Carolyn actually reassures Vicki with "He'll like you... If not, he's got me to answer to."

And these quotes conclude the small talk in the scene because things move in a decidedly different direction beginning with tomorrow's quote...

[Mysterious Benefactor]

Moving onto the next phase of Scene 74, the script explains:

Suddenly from o.s., the SOUND of DISTANT HOWLING. Vicki frowns.

And that's why Vicki asks -

Page 28/Scene 74 - Vicki: 'What's that?'

- as today's scripted quote - though Vicki actually asks "What was that?"

[Mysterious Benefactor]

After today's quote -

Page 28/Scene 74 - Carolyn: (spooking it up) 'The strange creatures of the Maine woods ... When it gets cold like this, they come down from the mountains.'

- which is actually delivered as "The strange creatures of the Maine woods ... When the moon is full and the wolfbane blooms, they come down from the mountains out of the cold" - I absolutely love how Carolyn compounds her joking with Vicki by howling (which is unscripted):

It was one of my favorite moments in the NBC promos and I was greatly disappointed when it never showed up in the pilot as aired on NBC. But thanks to MPI, we have it.

[Mysterious Benefactor]

The script picks up with:

Vicki smiles.      Just then the HOWLING is replaced by the SOUND of DOGS BARKING.      Vicki goes to the window to look out. 75   HER POV - THROUGH WINDOW      At the edge of the woods, what looks like the dark SILHOUETTE      of a MAN standing there. It seems as if he is looking up at      her.                          VICKI (O.S.)                Carolyn ... 76   BACK TO SCENE      As Carolyn looks at her.

And that's where today's first quote -

Page 29/Scene 76 - Vicki: 'Someone's out there--'

- comes up - and then things continue with:

Carolyn crosses over to her, looks out.                          CAROLYN                Where?                          VICKI                At the edge of the woods.      Carolyn frowns.

And that's where today's second quote -

Page 29/Scene 76 - Carolyn: 'I don't see anyone.'

- comes up - and then things continue with:

Vicki leans in to look again. 77   THEIR POV - THE WOODS      No one there.                          VICKI (O.S.)                I thought I saw someone...

And that's where we'll leave things off in the scene for this post.

And as for the differences, Vicki doesn't call to Carolyn from off screen in Scene 75, she does so after Scene 76 cuts back to her - and after Carolyn goes to look out the window, she actually asks "Out where?" - to which Vicki replies "At the edge of the wood" - and Carolyn doesn't frown - she moves in closer for a better look before she says that she doesn't see anyone - and again Vicki doesn't deliver a line off screen because it's after things cut to Scene 78 that she says that she thought she saw someone. But more on Scene 78 tomorrow...

What's perhaps most unfortunate here is that Scene 75 was cut from the NBC version of the pilot because it would have given the audience its first glimpse of Barnabas:

And even though they wouldn't have necessarily known for sure it was him, they would have certainly had their suspicions given what went down in the mausoleum... But again, we have it now thanks to MPI. (And again, it was a shot that had appeared in NBC promos. Though I think it was mostly out of any sort of context. I don't really remember at this point, so I'd have to check to be sure...)

[Mysterious Benefactor]

Things continue with:

78   BACK TO SCENE      As Carolyn turns to Vicki, laughs.

And that's when today's quote -

Page 29/Scene 78 - Carolyn: 'You're in the boonies, kid. Sometimes this place can have that kind of affect on you. (then) You've gotta be wiped ... Have a bath, get some sleep. And if you need me, just call....'

- comes up - and the script continue with:

VICKI                Thanks...                                                    (CONTINUED) 78   CONTINUED:      Carolyn exits. Vicki stands there for a beat, then turns, looks      out the window again.      Amused at herself, she picks up her robe from the bed, starts      for the bathroom.

End of scene.

And when it comes to the differences, what Carolyn actually says is "You're in the boonies, kid. This place can have that kind of affect on you. (then) You must be tired ... Why don't you have a bath, get some rest. And if you need me... just call...." - and Carolyn walks to the door to Vicki's room after she suggests Vicki have a bath and get some rest and then as she's closing the door she tells Vicki to call if Vicki needs her - and what's interesting is that even though it's not scripted that way as it is in other parts of the sequence, there is where Vicki actually delivers her thanks off screen.

And as for the only part of this sequence that actually does make it into the NBC version of the pilot, it's when Vicki goes to her bed, picks up her robe (and toiletries), and starts for the bathroom. And that's really a terrible shame because these scenes are a great sequence between Vicki and Carolyn, who were great friends on the original series, and who are certainly beginning that sort of a relationship here, but it's all been cut from the NBC version.

[Mysterious Benefactor]

(And again, it was a shot that had appeared in NBC promos. Though I think it was mostly out of any sort of context. I don't really remember at this point, so I'd have to check to be sure...)

I just finished checking through the promos and I was wrong because there are two different promos that do indeed include the shot of Barn in context because parts of the promos show the correct shot of Vicki looking out her window followed by the correct shot of Barn in the woods. What was shown out of context in five different promos was the shot of Vicki followed by a wrong shot of Barnabas in the woods that comes much later in the pilot.