Happy 50th Anniversary, Night of Dark Shadows

[Mysterious Benefactor]

Revisiting the beginning parts of Scene 234:

Moving on the next scene in the seance sequence:

234    WHIP PAN to Carlotta, who stands in the Music     234        Balcony high on the back wall of the gallery.

And that's when today's quote -

Page 108/Scene 234 - Carlotta: 'I will not let you!'

comes up.

But if the clips we've seen from the seance are any indication, more than likely in the film the camera whip pans to Carlotta before the script indicates.

And Grayson has a note in her script that at this point Carlotta is feeling rage.

Continuing Scene 234:

QUENTIN - CLOSE-UP        as his eyes roll back and he topples from the chair.

And that's when today's first quote -

Page 108/Scene 234 - Tracy (O.S.): 'Quentin!'

comes up, followed in the script by:

WIDEN as the three of them jump to his side.

And that's when today's second quote -

Page 108/Scene 234 - Carlotta (still hysterical): 'Get out of this house! Take him with you if you must, but get out!'

comes up.

And along with Grayson having another note in her script saying that at this point Carlotta is feeling rage, she crosses "must" out of Carlotta's dialogue and replaces it with "have to". Sacrilege in the DS universe to ever drop an instance of saying "must" - but if it does play that way in the 129 minute version of the film, I suppose we'll just have to learn to live with it. 

And if Alex does indeed jump to Quentin's side in the 129 minute version, it will be interesting because for some reason I've only seen stills of Claire and Tracy at Quentin's side.

 

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When I'd put together this graphic -

- I used a crop of this -

(Click here for a 700X557 version)

- rare still...

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And when I'd put together this past graphic -

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- today's graphic -

- and an upcoming graphic -

- I'm sure it comes as no surprise that I used screen captures from this -

- which appear in one of the NoDS trailers.

And here's a version of the clip slowed down to 25% of the speed -

- to get a better look at it...

...

 

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A quick question that's maybe been answered but I don't remember.  Is the restoration of NoDS still a possibility or has it gone moribund?  Wasn't the gentleman's name Darrin Gross or like that?  I'm just curious.  That clip of Grayson Hall disrupting the seance made me think of it.

Back in January Darren was on PennyDreadful's Terror at Collinwood podcast and, of course, the restoration of NoDS was a big part of it. He's still optimistic that one day...

And speaking of that podcast, Darren also revealed something about the restoration that I found quite intriguing. But I'm going to hold off getting into it for a few days because in a way it relates to something I'm going to revisit then.

 

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And when I'd put together this graphic -

...

- I used a crop of this -

(Click here for a 1435X932 version)
NoDS Restoration Web site caption: "(Above) Carlotta interrupts the seance in the
restored climax of NIGHT OF DARK
SHADOWS, a moody gothic set-piece unseen
by audiences until the future release of the
restoration."
Video Watchdog caption: "Grayson Hall interrupts a seance in newly recovered footage from NIGHT OF DARK SHADOWS (1971).

- rare still, which Darren shared on his NoDS Restoration Web site, and which appeared as part of an article Darren wrote for Video Watchdog No. 60 from June of 2000...

It's both fun and depressing to read the VW article because reading of the recovery of the missing NoDS footage brings back how exciting it was, but at the same time there was actually optimism back then that a restored version of NoDS could be released as soon as the film's 30th Anniversary in 2001...

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Wrapping up Scene 234, beginning with today's first quote -

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Page 109/Scene 234 - Alex: 'You must let her go!'

coming up, followed by today's second quote -

Page 109/Scene 234 - Carlotta: 'Never! I will never let her go!'

coming up, followed in the script by:

Suddenly Carlotta runs from the balcony as Alex, looking at the girls, makes his decision and runs after Carlotta.

End of scene.

And when it comes to Grayson's notes, I'm not sure exactly what she was thinking, but encapsulating the dialogue from Alex telling Carlotta to let Angelique go because she has no right to hold her back through Carlotta saying she never will, Grayson writes "Proof it's got to be both ways" - and she also writes that Carlotta is looking for Angelique and must find her because she can't lose her - and it's not clear, but it could easily be interpreted that Grayson adds calling out to Angelique twice to the end of Carlotta's dialogue as she runs from the balcony.

 

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Another extremely rare still -

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- and as I'm sure you'll recall, it was published as part of Flip's Curse of Dark Shadows article - and that's the only place I've ever seen it...

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The next two scenes:

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235    INT - SECOND FLOOR - CORRIDOR - NIGHT             235        as Alex EXITS the gallery and runs TOWARD CAMERA.        PAN WITH HIM as he takes the stairs three at a time. 236    INT - THIRD FLOOR CORRIDOR - NIGHT                236        as Alex bounds up the stairs and looks about, he        notices the tower door open.  PAN WITH HIM as he        runs up the stairs.

And DC has a note in his script that Scene 235 would be shot from a high angle.

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With regard to Scenes 230 through 236, Darren Gross posted on his Restoration Web site -

A selection of scenes cut from the 129-minute version that have been recovered:

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Quentin summons up Angelique's spirit during a séance in the gallery. As Angelique's spirit begins to fade away, Carlotta (who has been watching from the music balcony) interrupts the séance, causing Quentin to fall unconscious. Alex confronts the furious and hysterical Carlotta telling her to release her hold on Angelique's spirit. Carlotta runs from the balcony and Alex races up the stairs after her.

 

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Some informative/humorous posts worth revisiting:

The staging of the Carlotta seance appearance is also handled slightly differently.  The final version opts to show the gallery balcony windows slowly open and she is visible listening to the last few lines of the seance.  When she begins to shout though, it cuts to the fast-zoom in to her face.  Interesting that they chose to go that way.

And if Alex does indeed jump to Quentin's side in the 129 minute version, it will be interesting because for some reason I've only seen stills of Claire and Tracy at Quentin's side.

You are correct.  As filmed, Claire and Tracy jump to Quentin's aide, while Alex stand up to confront Carlotta then chases after her when she runs off.

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234    CONTD                                      CONTD  234        Quentin is out cold, as the girls work on him.

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"The girls work on" Quentin...

I'm just imagining the stampede here if somehow Dan Curtis were to appear and bark, "OK, ladies, I need a coupla girls to WORK ON Quentin Collins.  Anyone up for that?"

Curtis might not even have time to put his cigarillo down before the mob trampled him...

I just love this thread!!

G.

It's almost on a par with Barnabas telling Angelique to make Quentin rise!

"The girls work on" Quentin...

I'm just imagining the stampede here if somehow Dan Curtis were to appear and bark, "OK, ladies, I need a coupla girls to WORK ON Quentin Collins.  Anyone up for that?"

Curtis might not even have time to put his cigarillo down before the mob trampled him...

I just love this thread!!

G.

Ha!

An upcoming post will deal with stills of Tracy and Claire by Quentin's side...

 

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The next scene:

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237    INT - TOWER ROOM - NIGHT                          237        as Alex ENTERS, he sees the room is empty.  But        looking up, he notices that the door to the parapet        is wide open.  He starts for the roof.

...

And with Scene 237 we finally return to material that's actually in the film as it currently stands. Though as I alluded to earlier, not exactly where it was supposed to appear. But more on that in a future post...

 

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There is a difference between them but it is subtitle. So subtle that I didn't even notice it until this time around. See if you can spot it without me having to point it out... (Hint: if you haven't figured it out by the time you've watched the first half of both videos, you've missed it. But I've made the videos go longer than that for a related reason...)

I'm going to give a huge clue: the difference happens between the 5th and 7th seconds of the videos...

 

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Actually, the biggest clue I can give is: don't watch, listen!

 

[Mysterious Benefactor]

Actually, the biggest clue I can give is: don't watch, listen!

Some people have said privately that they're still confused and I'm pretty much out of hints. And even though the difference is subtle, you might be once you learn what the difference is. 

So, if you watch the Blu-ray version of the video of the featured part of Scene 224 -

- the background music that you hear is strictly the piece entitled Angelique's Assault on the movies CD -

However, when it comes to the VHS version -

- between the 5th and 7th seconds of the clip a brief flourish of the beginning of the piece entitled The Possession of Quentin on the movies CD -

- blends with Angelique's Assault -

You'll also note that those two pieces also blend together once things switch to Scene 225 with a desperate Quentin trying to open the door before things switch in the 94 minute (and the 97 minute) version of the film to Scene 237 with Alex arriving in the Tower Room and they continue to blend for a bit with the switch.

Now, when it comes to the Blu-ray, one would actually expect there not to be any blend and for the background music to go directly from Angelique's Assault to The Possession of Quentin because of the enforced cuts that were made to trim the film down because that's how all the other incidents where footage was removed have worked on the Blu-Ray. It's a bit confounding that there is blending on the Blu-ray because in the 129 minute version of the film Scene 225 continues to play out with Alex and Claire showing up outside the room and Alex helping Quentin to open the door, and we know that Angelique's Assault continues to play over that part of Scene 225 because later on the Blu-ray we get evidence of it (and we'll be revisiting that evidence in the not too distant future)...

 

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Moving on to the current Scene 238:

...

238    EXT - TOWER PARAPET - NIGHT                       238        as Alex emerges from the door, he sees Carlotta        standing there.  The fear and hatred in Carlotta's        eyes are now one and the same.  As Alex moves toward        her, Carlotta backs up to where she now stands on        the low wall that rims the parapet.

And that's when today's first quote -

Page 109/Scene 238 - Carlotta: 'Stay away from me! Don't touch me!'

comes up, followed in the script by:

238    CONTD                                      CONTD  238

And that's when today's second quote -

Page 110/Scene 238 - Alex: 'We don't want to hurt you, Carlotta.'

comes up.

And as far as the descriptions and directions go, upon first seeing Alex, Carlotta doesn't actually back up to get up to stand on the wall that rims the parapet because in fact she backs in the opposite direction to stand against the corner of the wall - and then just before Alex is about to say he doesn't want to hurt her is when Carlotta backs up to stand up on the wall. ...

And as far as the dialogue goes, Carlotta's quote doesn't appear in the film as it currently stands - and Alex actually says "Carlotta, I don't want to hurt you."