Happy 50th Anniversary, Night of Dark Shadows

[Mysterious Benefactor]

Back when I was revisiting rare stills from Scene 56 I completely forgot to revisit this post:

... I recently came across a CD with stuff I'd saved that I'd completely forgotten about.

First up, yet another rare still from Scene 56, Angelique's funeral:

...

 

[Mysterious Benefactor]

Revisiting how Scene 73 is scripted:

Starting off Scene 73:

DISSOLVE TO: 73     EXT - FRONT OF COLLINWOOD - DAY                   73        Tracy and Claire are in Claire's car.  They are        about to pull away as Quentin comes out of the house        and crosses to them.                              QUENTIN                  Hey -- where you going?

And that's when today's quote -

Page 29/Scene 73 - Claire: 'We're going to town. It's about time I showed her the shops.'

- comes up.

And as far as what's different with the dialogue, the descriptions, and the directions, again, you know the story already, so no need to repeat it. And no notations or crossing out in DC's script to indicate Scene 73 wouldn't be shot. And to be truthful, I'm not 100% certain the scene wasn't shot. I'm mostly basing that on the fact that none of the upcoming scenes involving Tracy and Claire's shopping spree were shot, and none of those scenes are crossed out either, yet we know for certain that they weren't shot. So, if all those scenes were never shot, why shoot the scene setting them up? Unfortunately though, and in an effort of full disclosure, unlike those upcoming scenes, I've never come across anything that specifically says Scene 73 was never shot. But while we know it's not in the 94 and 97 minute versions of the film, it's also not on Darren Gross' list of the "lost" scenes that were shot but not included in the 129 minute version. ...

Wrapping up Scene 73:

TRACY Want to come?

And that's when today's quote -

Page 29/Scene 73 - Quentin: 'I've got to start doing some work. Do you realize we've been here over a week now?'

- comes up, followed by the script continuing with:

73     CONTD                                     CONTD    73                              TRACY                  Can I help it if you sleep away                  the day?  OK.  Do good work --                  I'll see you later.        She pecks him on the cheek as they drive off.

And as far as what's different with the dialogue, the descriptions, and the directions, again, you know the story already, so no need to repeat it. Though the reference to Quentin sleeping away the day would seem to confirm that he's still being drawn to the Tower Room and that was indeed the significance of Scene 72. And it's interesting that Scene 73 would have let us know that over a week has passed since Quentin and Tracy arrived at Collinwood.

 

[Mysterious Benefactor]

Revisiting how Scenes 74 through 78 are scripted:

Dealing with the scenes leading up to ... Scene 79 ...:

74     EXT - BACK OF COLLINWOOD - DAY                              74        Quentin ENTERS THE SHOT and stands under the tree where        he saw the hanging figure.  Still unable to understand        what is happening, he shakes his head and turns toward        the house.  All of a sudden he notices something O.S. 75     EXT - SECOND FLOOR WINDOW - SARAH'S ROOM - 1800 - HIS       75        P.O.V. -        SUBCONSCIOUS MEMORY CUT        FAST ZOOM to the face of Sarah, a little girl of about        ten.  She is staring out the window, down at him.  Then        looking away from him, she stares over his head as if        at something in the tree.  Suddenly she SCREAMS with        horror. 76     EXT - COLLINWOOD - 1971 - DAY - NORMAL COLOR                76        Quentin, as he quickly looks at the tree. 77     TREE - QUENTIN'S P.O.V. - 1800                              77        SUBCONSCIOUS MEMORY CUT        The hanging figure is there again. 78     EXT - COLLINWOOD - 1971 - DAY - NORMAL COLOR                78        Quentin quickly looks back at the window.  WHIP PAN        with his look.  It is empty.

...

And when it comes to what's different with the descriptions and directions, in Scene 74 Quentin doesn't actually shake his head because he's unable to understand what is happening because something actually comes over him as the sound of wind begins to be heard and Quentin immediately turns to look at the window - and in Scene 75 there is no zoom to the face of Sarah in the window, nor is she seen staring down at Quentin, nor does she look away from him to something over his head as if at something in the tree because we immediately see a shot of Sarah screaming in the window as she stands there holding a doll (which, when we get to Scene 80, we'll learn that the doll was originally supposed to be something else) - and in Scene 78 there is no whip pan with Quentin's look back at the window because he simply looks back and then we see that the window is empty - ....

And, yes, once again 1810 is wrongly written as "1800" in the script.

...

 

[Mysterious Benefactor]

Revisiting how Scene 79 is scripted:

Dealing with ... DC's script's version of Scene 79 (yes, Scenes 79 & 80 are more instances where scenes are somewhat different in DC's and Grayson's scripts):

79     INT - UPSTAIRS CORRIDOR - DAY                               79        as Quentin runs TOWARD CAMERA and pulls open a door to        one of the bedrooms.

And that's when today's quote -

Page 30/Scene 79 - Carlotta (O.S.): 'Did you wish something, Mr Collins?'

- comes up - however, in DC's script it's seen as:

Oh Mr Collins you startled me             CARLOTTA (O.S.) Did you wish something, Mr Collins?  I was just straightening up the room

And when it comes to what's different with the dialogue, DC's changes are indeed what Carlotta actually says in Scene 79. Though what's interesting is that the changes aren't written in when it comes to Grayson's script. She simply has two notations: one that says "Busy in the room" and another that says "He's not ready yet -"

And when it comes to what's different with the descriptions and directions, ... - and when it comes to Scene 79, Quentin doesn't run toward the camera or pull open a door to one of the bedrooms because as we can see in the following captures -

- Quentin is actually seen running up the stairs -

- as the camera pans with him as he makes his way to the bedroom -

- and once inside the bedroom he picks up a doll that has somehow fallen to the floor, the same doll that Sarah was holding.

...

And it's also worth noting that this is the only sequence in the script that isn't actually passed over when the film as it stands now jumps from Scene 62 to Scene 84 - it (including Scene 80) simply appears right after the sequence that begins with Scene 84 and runs through Scene 86...

 

[Mysterious Benefactor]

Revisiting how the start of Scene 80 appears in DC's script:

...

80     INT - SARAH'S ROOM                                          80        It is obviously a child's room.  Carlotta stands on        the other side of the four poster bed.  She is        straightening the stuffed animals that are propped        there. 80     CONTD                                             CONTD     80

And that's when today's quote -

Page 30A/Scene 80 - Quentin: 'I saw a little girl in that window.'

- comes up.

And when it comes to the difference in the dialogue, Quentin actually says "I saw a little girl standing here by the window."

And when it comes to what's different with the descriptions and directions, we don't see Carlotta straightening any stuffed animals because what actually happens is that after he's picked up the doll, Quentin walks over to Carlotta, who's on the other side of the fourposter bed, as described in the script, and she takes the doll from him before he tells her about seeing the little girl. Also, as we saw in the last capture in yesterday's post, the bed has several dolls strewn across it.

And as we saw with the description of Scene 75 and now with Scene 80, the script leaves little doubt that this second floor room was indeed Sarah's. Perhaps she enjoyed special status because she was so close to Angelique.

And there's already quite a bit that's different in DC's script from the way things are in Grayson's, but there's going to be so much more, so I'll get into all the differences after we deal with all of Scene 80 as it appears in DC's script...

A bit more of Scene 80, beginning with Carlotta's reply to Quentin's claim to having seen a little girl in the window:

CARLOTTA                  Little girl?        Quentin crosses to the window and looks out.                            QUENTIN                  I was outside --                            CARLOTTA                  I know.

And that's when today's quote -

Page 30A/Scene 80 - Carlotta: 'I saw you from the window.'

- comes up.

And when it comes to what's different with the dialogue, Carlotta actually questions with "A little girl?" - and Quentin actually replies with "Yes, I was outside --" - to which Carlotta begins to respond by saying "Yes, I know."

And when it comes to what's different with the descriptions and directions, while Quentin crosses out of frame toward the window, we don't actually see Quentin look out it because the camera remains on Carlotta and, as can be seen in today's capture -

- actually pushes in on a close-up of her as she looks at Quentin very closely.

And there are notations in both DC's and Grayson's scripts for this section:

DC writes that the camera will stay on Carlotta, which is obviously how it was shot - but he also writes that we will see Quentin's P.O.V. outside when he looks out the window, which is not how it was shot. The two notes would seem to contradict each other, so who knows?

And Grayson writes a notation along the top of the page of her script that Quentin is still something, but the rest gets cut off in the copy of the script that I have () - but she also writes that Carlotta will react with great tolerance to what Quentin is telling her.

Grayson's notation says, "He's still too much in this world."

Also when it comes to Grayson's notation that Carlotta is doing something with great tolerance, I'd interpreted it as it being her reaction, but for the life of me I can't decipher the actual first word beyond it looking like there might be three i's in it:

Maybe our resident brilliant Deciphernator can figure it out as he has so well in the past. 

 

[Mysterious Benefactor]

A few posts commenting on Scenes 79 & 80 that are worth revisiting:

That is a very cool shot of Grayson in that scene.

My theory about this scene, for what it is worth, is that Carlotta had actually been recalling her past life as Sarah Castle when Quentin saw Sarah's apparition briefly.  And that the dolls were a kind of psychometric focus for this.  Just as the locket Carlotta wore was another kind of focal point, though not one that was ever explained properly in the final cut of the film.  (There's one scene, of course, that does explain it, but you have to pay really close attention and connect some dots to get this.)

I have the same take on it as you do. And while I've held that opinion all along, the interesting thing is that as many times as I've watched NoDS, I've never noticed that there is actually some evidence, even in the film as it currently stands, that may indeed point to it. But I'll hold off getting into it all until later in the script. (And in my defense, what I'm referring to is something that could be easily missed. I only noticed it this time around because, with the slideshow, I'm repeatedly seeing scenes to pick out the captures. But as I often say with the regard to the original series, no matter how many times I watch it, I always somehow manage to catch something new with every viewing...)

What an interesting theory, Gothick!

...

 

[Mysterious Benefactor]

Revisiting more of how Scene 80 appears in DC's script:

It's interesting that the quote from the script for today is:

Page 30A/Scene 80 - Quentin: 'But I didn't see you. I saw a child...holding a teddy bear...'

Though as we know, what Quentin actually says in the film is "But I didn't see you. I saw a child...holding a doll...", and that's exactly what we saw him see. Apparently at some point after the script was written, it was changed to a doll. And honestly I think that works out better for what I'm holding off on getting into until later on. But what's also interesting is that in Grayson's version of the script, originally there was no dialogue referencing Sarah as holding anything - and as we'll see when I post Grayson's version of Scene 80, the holding of a teddy bear is something that was added by hand. So, apparently, first Sarah wasn't necessarily holding anything, then it was a teddy bear, then finally it became a doll.

And as far as DC's script goes, he has a notation that Quentin would turn to Carlotta before he delivers today's quote, and that's exactly what he does before he delivers the reworked version of the quote. However, DC also had some other notation - but he erased it so well that it's hard to decipher what he'd originally written - but if one really does look closely, it seems to be an intent to have panned to a close-up of Carlotta after Quentin turned to her and then to have panned to his close-up. And with the exception of panning to Carlotta's close-up (which will be dealt with when we discuss tomorrow's quote), that's pretty close to how things play out, so who knows why DC erased it?

Wrapping up DC's script's version of Scene 80, beginning with Quentin's followup action to claiming to have seen girl holding a "teddy bear":

He looks around the room.

And that's when yesterday's quote -

Page 30A/Scene 80 - Carlotta: Yes, this is a little girl's room. It was Mrs. Stoddard's when she was a child. It must have been a trick of light.'

- comes up, followed by the script continuing with:

FLASH CUT - LITTLE GIRL IN THE WINDOW        as he remember's what he saw.        QUENTIN - CLOSE-UP                            QUENTIN                  Yes , it must have been.        Then not knowing what else to do                            QUENTIN                  Well  I'd better get to work.        He EXITS toward the tower as she stands there watching        him go.

End of scene.

And when it comes to what's different with the dialogue, after mentioning the girl, Quentin actually asks "This was a child's room, wasn't it?" - to which Carlotta actually replies "Yes, it was. It was Mrs. Stoddard's when she was a little girl," and then there's a pause before she adds "It must have been a trick of the light."

And yes, there is an extra space in the script between "Yes" and the comma - and yes, there's no comma or period after "Well".

And when it comes to what's different with the descriptions and directions, Quentin doesn't actually look around the room - and interestingly enough, it's Carlotta who's in close-up when Quentin asks if the room was a child's room - but things return to a two shot when Carlotta answers that the room was once Mrs. Stoddard's - and as Carlotta finishes with that remark and as she offers that it must have been a trick of the light, the camera does indeed pan to Quentin as DC's erased notation once indicated that it would - and does Quentin really remember what he saw? - and DC also has a few other notations, like how Carlotta will be in close-up after Quentin recalls what he saw (and the way she looks at him, with a tilt of the head, seems to speak volumes), how Quentin will then be in close-up as he agrees it must have been a trick of the light (though in reality he's in more of a medium shot), and how as he exits the room, the camera would pan to Carlotta - however, we don't actually see Quentin exit the room in the direction of the tower because the camera doesn't actually pan from Quentin because it goes right to a close-up of Carlotta and we simply see Quentin's chest and left arm pass briefly in front of her face as she closely watches him leave.

And Grayson's script also has notations for this section of the scene, but I'll hold off getting into them until I post her script's version of Scene 80...

 

[Mysterious Benefactor]

Two more posts worth revisiting regarding the scripted version of Scene 80:

It's interesting that the quote from the script for today is:

Page 30A/Scene 80 - Quentin: 'But I didn't see you. I saw a child...holding a teddy bear...'

Though as we know, what Quentin actually says in the film is "But I didn't see you. I saw a child...holding a doll...", and that's exactly what we saw him see. Apparently at some point after the script was written, it was changed to a doll.

I'm supposing (hoping) that the teddy bear was changed to a doll because otherwise it would have been rather anachronistic.  What Quentin saw in his vision was something that happened around hundred years before the development of teddy bears.  (And commercially produced stuffed toys didn't appear until just a couple decades or so before the teddy bear.)

I didn't even think of that, KMR - in 1810 Teddy Roosevelt wouldn't even be born for something close to 40 years! Having Sarah holding a teddy bear would have been very wrong!! Plus, like I said, I think a doll just works so much better (and for a variety or reasons that we'll be getting into later).

 

[Mysterious Benefactor]

and does Quentin really remember what he saw?

The reason I wrote that is because as we know, what Quentin actually sees in Scene 75 -

- and what he remembers in Scene 80 -

-are not the same. Just why DC and editor Charles Goldsmith chose to do that was probably known only to them. (And when we get to Scene 129 we'll see that it's only part of the story.) But I'm sure they had their reasons...

 

[Mysterious Benefactor]

Getting back to the subtitles and closed captioning with regard to Scene 80:

And speaking of the subjects of the little girl and the room, the close captioning leaves out another bit of dialogue - after Quentin asks, "This was a child's room, wasn't it?" in the film, Carlotta replies, "Yes, it was," and then follows that with, "It was Mrs. Stoddard's when she was a little girl" - but when it comes to the closed captioning the "Yes, it was" is dropped and only that latter part is presented -

- (though also in this case the subtitles get everything correct).

 

(ADMIN: Reply #823 has been edited to replace a TV video screen capture)

[Mysterious Benefactor]

A must revisit post:

Grayson's script's versions of Scenes 79 & 80:

79     INT - UPSTAIRS CORRIDOR - DAY                      79        as Quentin RUNS TOWARD CAMERA and pulls open a        door to one of the bedrooms.                              CARLOTTA                  Did you wish something, Mr.                  Collins? 80     Carlotta ENTERS THE SHOT from the room.            80                              QUENTIN                  I saw a little girl - in that                  window. 80     CONTD                                     CONTD    80                              CARLOTTA                  Little girl?                              QUENTIN                  I was outside --                              CARLOTTA                  I know.  I saw you from the window.                              QUENTIN                  But I didn't see you.  I saw a                  child -- holding a teddy bear --                              CARLOTTA                  There's been no one here but me.    Yes, this is                  It must have been a trick of   a little girl's                  the light.                 room  It   was        FLASH CUT - LITTLE GIRL IN THE WINDOW Mrs. Stoddards when                                                she was   a child        as he remember's what he saw.        QUENTIN - CLOSE-UP                              QUENTIN                  Yes, it must have been.        Then not knowing what else to do                  Well, I'd better get to work.        He EXITS toward the Tower as she stands there watching        him go.                You'll understand later                                                youre                                                  almost                                                    ready

End of scene.

Notice that:

• As I alluded to in an earlier post, in Grayson's script there's no indication that Carlotta's line in Scene 79 was changed.
• Missing from her script in Scene 80 is the identification of the room as Sarah's - Carlotta simply enters the shot.
• Also missing from her script is the whole explanation of where Carlotta is in the room and what she's doing - as I also mentioned in an earlier post, Grayson simply added a notation to her script that she would be busy in the room, but in later copies of the script the directions and descriptions specifically say she's straightening the room, even though it was supposedly stuffed animals.
• And also missing from her script is the indication that Quentin crosses to the window and looks out (the second half of which isn't seen, anyway).
• And as I also mentioned in an earlier post, the idea that Sarah was holding a teddy bear is written into her script but is actually incorporated into Quentin's dialogue in later copies of the script.
• And also missing from her script is the indication that Quentin would look around the room after bringing up the teddy bear (though he doesn't actually look around the room in the film, anyway).
• And it's very interesting that they dropped Carlotta's explanation that there hadn't been anyone in the room but her. Perhaps they felt that might have given away too much too soon, so that's why it was replaced by the Mrs. Stoddard's childhood room excuse?

 

[Mysterious Benefactor]

Another post definitely worth revisiting (and for more than one reason)...

I want to share the following still because, like several others for NoDS, it depicts a moment that's not really associated with the actual scene in the film -

(Click here for a 700X476 version)

- because nowhere during Scene 80 is Carlotta seen lying across the bed and looking to be in anguish. In fact, Carlotta remains calm and cool throughout. But hey, perhaps Grayson wanted to do an alternative take on things just for a photograph. Or perhaps the photographer simply wanted to showcase one of Selby's assets from just the right angle and pretended Grayson was the desired subject. We'll probably never know...

(Plus this version shows slightly more than the version shared in the Fest's 1999 Movie Calendar. Very slightly more, but still more...)

 

[Mysterious Benefactor]

And one last thing to revisit regarding Scene 80 (something I probably should have revisited the other day when the same screen capture came up):

Before we leave Scene 80 completely behind for the current run of the slideshow:

I love how Carlotta looks at Quentin as he's discussing having seen the little girl at the room's window -

- I mean, just look at her eyes!

...

 

[Uncle Roger]

Do you think that Carlotta's explanation that the room had belonged to Mrs. Stoddard when she was a little girl was something that Carlotta came up with on the spot? Elizabeth would not have been a little girl in many years. The explanation should not really comfort Quentin since it doesn't explain why he saw a little girl in a house without children.

[Mysterious Benefactor]

   You know, I never thought about it that way before, but Carlotta may very well have come up on the spot with the excuse that the room was Mrs. Stoddard's when she was a little girl. And the reason that may be likely is that it's made clear in the script that the room was Sarah Castle's and, of course, Carlotta would have known that (and the audience would have learned it, too, if in DC's infinite wisdom and apparent dislike for Monica Rich's work, he hadn't cut the scene that would have clearly explained that, but no  ). Plus, Carlotta didn't want to tell Quentin that truth just yet because, as Grayson Hall notes in her script, Carlotta doesn't think Quentin is quite ready to hear it.

As for Quentin, he may accept the Mrs, Stoddard's room explanation and the trick of the light theory because it seems as if he might feel a bit embarrassed and because of that he wants to make a graceful exit from the room without appearing more foolish. It would be interesting if David Selby made any notes to that effect in his script, but I have no idea if he did or not because I've never seen his script...