Professor Thayer David

[Ben]

Just caught "Journey to the Center of the Earth" ... Thayer David ... looked quite a bit younger than he did on DS ten years later ...

Thayer was barely 40 when he joined DS, yet he effectively played characters much older.  Not to mention a range that could encompass an unschooled servant and an erudite professor.

Thanks, Gothick, VAM, and Midnite for the informative bio and tid-bits on Thayer.  I highly recommend the CD with Thayer's 1969 interviews with Ron Barry (available through our friend Bobubas).

Ben

[shadows1]

Thank you so much, VAM and Gothick for sharing the information about Thayer David!  I haven't had much luck finding information about him, so I greatly appreciate any trivia or anecdotes.  I've always admired his ability as an actor, but the more that I learn about him as a person, the more I respect him and mourn his loss.    

Many thanks to Midnite and Nancy for the photo as well!

ProfStokes

It is then no small wonder that he his often referred to as
"King Thayer."

I apologize if it seemed like I was bashing the profession.

It did not come across that way at all, Midnite.  Until we start paying teachers decent salaries, I believe that we will continue to see a decline in proper education.  It is sheer torture for me to stop at a fast food restaurant and have to deal with today's youthful work force.  I have seen tumors with hair that have better sense than some of our recently graduated youngsters that work at these places.  

[Birdie]

Midnite, you did not sound like you were bashing the teachers profession.  In our house we have gone through the same thing.  My husband itches to correct some of the notes sent home from teachers.  He went to Catholic school, all the way through, even college.  I have to say he is so much better at grammar and spelling than i could ever dream to be.  I hate to say it I am better than my children are.  I think it is not the teachers fault it is what TPTB decide what and how to teach.  Sometimes we get so involved with all the "new" technology out there that we forget we have to know the basics.  

DS was not Shakespeare but the vocabulary is so much better than what is currently used in todays t.v. shows.

Birdie--guess I have blab enough

[Cassandra]

I've always enjoyed Thayer David's perfomances. Just recently I had seen him in "Journey To The Center Of The Earth." I hadn't seen too many of his films, and it was great to see him in his younger days as an actor. He was a fine & talented actor and will soley be missed. Thank you Midnite & Nancy for that wonderful picture of him!

[VAM]

.I can picture a certain nun frowning at me for starting this sentence with the "and" ),.
.

So Midnite you also are a product of Catholic  education-How many years? I had 12 ::)years with the penguins!

[Midnite]

So Midnite you also are a product of Catholic  education-How many years? I had 12 ::)years with the penguins!

Hee hee! Twelve here also, and 2 more with a Marymount College before I left parochial schools behind. I must've been a glutton for punishment.

I say that jokingly, but it breaks my heart now to watch recent news about the Church.

[Carol]

Hee hee! Twelve here also, and 2 more with a Marymount College before I left parochial schools behind. I must've been a glutton for punishment.

I say that jokingly, but it breaks my heart now to watch recent news about the Church.

Add me to the list of parochial school graduates. Twelve years of nuns!

[The charming Mr. Blair]

I am a big fan of Mr. Stokes ( as dipicted by Thayer David). Somehow is is both simple and complex. He is strong as an ox, yet kind and gentle. Like Barnabas he feels an intense internal struggle. Where as Barnabas's struggles is with the monster he has become and the man he used to be, Ben's struggle is purly human.
I found the "Matthew" character to be very well play, but not as likable. He was kind of an mean and irritable old goat, as compared to Ben's lovable and faithfull demeanor.  Ben is kind of like a beloved family dog (like Lassie, or Rin Tin Tin). However somewhere in his simplicity is a very wise man. An uneducated great mind,  Low is self-esteem, and lacking in self-confidence.

[Ben]

I found the "Matthew" character to be very well play, but not as likable. He was kind of an mean and irritable old goat, as compared to Ben's lovable and faithfull demeanor.  Ben is kind of like a beloved family dog (like Lassie, or Rin Tin Tin). However somewhere in his simplicity is a very wise man. An uneducated great mind,  Low is self-esteem, and lacking in self-confidence.

I never took the time to decipher the differences between the two outwardly very similar characters, but I think you hit the nail right on the head.  Insightfully so!

Ben

[Stuart]

Steve, it's interesting you comment on him looking very healthy in his final roles -- I read that shortly before his death, he was planning to remarry his ex-wife Valerie French, so presumably he would have been approaching a good time in his life had he survived.

He really was the finest performer "Dark Shadows" ever had in its cast --  he was meticulous and had such a range and precision to his work.

[Philippe Cordier]

I highly recommend the CD with Thayer's 1969 interviews with Ron Barry (available through our friend Bobubas).

Ben

Ben, I'm glad you mentioned that CD.  I bought it from Bobubas in NY but had completely forgotten about it -- Found it again last night and will look forward to listening to it!

[jennifer]

So Midnite you also are a product of Catholic  education-How many years? I had 12 ::)years with the penguins!

alas i had only six before i "escaped" to the public system. i'm sorry but Penguins is great Vam!

jennifer

[VAM]

alas i had only six before i "escaped" to the public system. i'm sorry but Penguins is great Vam!

jennifer

Actually I sometimes joke about Catholic education-but I do appreciate the academic standards that were set by the nuns...and all those prayers.

[CastleBee]

At the NYC fest last year I remember John Karlen mentioning something about Thayer being very intelligent and well educated.  He seemed really touched thinking of him so I would imagine he was a pretty nice guy too.  Now, referring to another thread that mentioned the fact that every opening in the 1795 storyline was almost exactly the same.  I wonder if that redundancy bothered Thayer's literary sensibilities at all.  It grates on me to the point that I usually 'FF' right through it.