Jonathan Frid Flubbing His Lines

[veryvenn]

I've always been puzzled by JF forgetting his lines so often. Robert Rodak made a comment, I don't remember his exact words. something like "Frid could forget his own name while he was giving it."

I'm an admirer of JF, but he was after all a Shakesperian actor. How could he remember all that and forget something so much simpler?

Could it be that he just did not like the part too much and had a mental block? Theories anybody?

[ProfStokes]

I figure that Frid and the other cast members had too little time and too few rehearsals to help them learn their lines.  Also, the directors had a habit of cutting or changing dialogue to fit time constraints right up to the last minute.  I'm sure this created a stressful environment.  It's amazing that the cast was able to give any memorable, convincing performances under these conditions.

ProfStokes

[Raineypark]

I seem to recall John Karlen making that same point.....that the amount of time between getting the script and shooting the scene was never sufficient to learn the lines properly.  And that they were constantly being re-written right up to the last possible moment.  Obviously, that lack of time was more of a problem for some than for others.

Mr. Frid's forte was Shakespeare......which, I'm sure, was rarely subjected to re-writes.....

[michael c]

considering the limitations that they worked within...constant re-writes,little rehearsal time and no re-shoots it's remarkable that they put anything remotely watchable on.but the actors did more than just that with what was handed to them...they created a little bit of "magic" that we're still enjoying today.

[victoriawinters]

The remarkable thing for me in watching Frid especially is yes he did forget his lines.  Sometimes, rather badly.  However, he never lost his conviction of Barnabas.  He did not break character while trying to remember what to say.

In fact, the fear on his face added to the spooky aspect of the show.

[Gerard]

When I watched the show during its original run, as a kid, I didn't have the thespian maturity to note when lines were flubbed and when other bloopers happened, unless it was something really big (like when Jonathan Frid walked across the set during the running of the closing credits).  The only time I could ever remember him blowing a line was when he gave the wrong year in a scene.  Then, years and decades later, while watching it in re-runs I caught all the flubs, bloops and everything else, wondering how I didn't see that as a wee-widdo-one.

Gerard

[ClaudeNorth]

I remember discussing the show with someone, and he remarked that when he watched the show as a kid, and JF looked at the Teleprompter, he thought that "Barnabas" could see him and was looking directly at him.

JF gets a lot of flack for his problems with his lines, but I find that those moments add considerably to the "flying by their pants" charm of DS. 

[Heather]

JF gets a lot of flack for his problems with his lines, but I find that those moments add considerably to the "flying by their pants" charm of DS.

I agree... that's probably one reason why the I love the show so much. For some reason those...imperfections make it that much more real/endearing to me. And It made those improbable wacky situations that much more believable, IMO. 

[jennifer]

i always felt that maybe he thought some of the lines were so absurb
that it hard not to flub them LOL!

jennifer

[Angelina]

I think he was at a bit of a disadvantage in that his character wouldn't be using slang, he always had to speak with conviction with no stuttering, etc.   

In one of the DVD interviews, Sam Hall said that some of Barn's early dialogue was so Byron-esque as to be silly.  So perhaps absurdity had something to do with it.

Flubbed lines aside (and under the circumstances, they are entirely forgivable) he certainly gave Barnabas all that humanity and charm with seemingly little effort.

[jennifer]

I think he was at a bit of a disadvantage in that his character wouldn't be using slang, he always had to speak with conviction with no stuttering, etc.   

In one of the DVD interviews, Sam Hall said that some of Barn's early dialogue was so Byron-esque as to be silly.  So perhaps absurdity had something to do with it.

Flubbed lines aside (and under the circumstances, they are entirely forgivable) he certainly gave Barnabas all that humanity and charm with seemingly little effort.

i just laughing at the thought of Barnabas and slang (of 1968) "groovy, far out, the colors man" come to mind LOL
agree with you totally!

jennifer

[Gothick]

Jonathan Frid himself has said he is a slow study.  He tended to have a lot more lines than the others because Barnabas was the lead of the show.  When Selby came on, it helped alleviate the pressure because there was another male lead to take over and give JF a bit of a break, but the episodes in which he appeared still tended to be very dialogue heavy.

Despite these innate difficulties, there were several scenes on DS where I thought he was just brilliant.  I think his secret was as Jean-Claude has said, his belief in who and what he was playing.  He projected a tremendous integrity as Barnabas, which probably had a lot to do with the unusual attractiveness of a middle-aged courtly gentleman to America's teen-agers during the "youthquake" of the Sixties.  Frid's integrity goes a long way towards making Barn palatable to me now, since so much of what the character actually does is, to be tactful, rather unsavory.

G.

[tripwire]

It may have had something to do with the fact that everytime he seen the camera, he realized that 10 MILLION FOLKS was watching his every move, which caused further meltdown...Being a Vampire was not the only reason he looked pale and nervous.  

[Gerard]

And sometimes when Jonathan Frid delivered his lines flawlessly, it was an incredible bit of acting.  I particularly remember the classic scene where he returns to the Old House after being released by Willie and sorrowfully addresses the essence of Josette in the portrait.

Gerard

[ClaudeNorth]

And sometimes when Jonathan Frid delivered his lines flawlessly, it was an incredible bit of acting.  I particularly remember the classic scene where he returns to the Old House after being released by Willie and sorrowfully addresses the essence of Josette in the portrait.

I think that might be my favorite JF moment.  Really shows Barnabas' insecurity and vulnerability, especially those final words, "whatever that may turn out to be."  (Not sure if that's the exact quote.)