Happy 50th Anniversary, Night of Dark Shadows

[Mysterious Benefactor]

Revisiting the subtitles/closed captioning (with new screen captures) for the beginning of Scene 110:

When it comes to Scene 110, rather than the "What happened?" that's scripted for Tracy to ask near the end of Scene 109, the line is held for the beginning of Scene 110 and Tracy actually delivers it as -

- as both the subtitles and the closed captioning -

- reflect, and to which Alex replies at first with an unscripted -

- and the closed captioning has Alex stating an unscripted "I don't know" before he begins to deliver the scripted "I was exploring. I guess I shouldn't have been. Then the whole place fell down.", which is also transplanted to Scene 110 from the end of Scene 109 -

- but the subtitles don't acknowledge that unscripted bit beforehand -

...

(ADMIN: Edited to replace TV video screen captures)

 

[Mysterious Benefactor]

Abd two more stills worth revisiting and related to Scene 109:

Here are two behind the scenes stills that I believe are related to the shooting of Scene 109. And I say that because there are several stories about how everyone had to wear hard hats while the scene was shot. Well, everyone except for Kate Jackson and, more significantly, John Karlen because they had to be inside the Greenhouse during the scene. Karlen's part of the scene made him especially vulnerable because he had to be inside for an extended period of time and inside while glass came crashing down from the roof. But apparently he was a real trooper. In fact the was a real trooper throughout the whole sequence because not only did he enter a dangerous glass building to shoot a scene, but as has been mentioned before, he rode a bicycle when he'd never done so before.

But be all that as it were, here are the two stills -

- they were among the stills I rediscovered not that long ago, and so far as I know, I don't believe they've ever been officially published...

  I forgot to mention yesterday that another reason I believe the stills are from NoDS is that I'm pretty sure that's NoDS' Director of Photography Richard Shore in the cherry picker with DC.

...

 

[Mysterious Benefactor]

Wrapping up the subtitles and the closed captioning (with new screen captures) for Scene 110:

And continuing with Scene 110, after Alex asks Tracy what's new and she tells him she's a little worried about something sort of funny that happened the previous night, Alex responds with an unscripted "Come on, tell me about it," which is acknowledged by both the subtitles -

- and the closed captioning -

- and Tracy begins an unscripted explanation with "Well, I don't know exactly. I woke up late and I looked for Quentin. He wasn't there. So I, I went to the tower room..." -

- which the subtitles basically gets correct with just a missing word or two here and there, which is the same case as with the closed captioning -

...

(ADMIN: Edited to replace TV video screen captures)

 

[Mysterious Benefactor]

More stills worth recisiting:

Today I'm going to share six stills. Three that are related in various degrees to Scene 109. Three that aren't really, but are connected to what I've been recently sharing in another way.

Here's the first -

(Click here for a 700X1028 version)

- a copy of which was shared on page 177 of the DS Movie Book (that horse seemed to love to have his photo taken) - and the second was first shared in the NoDS Pressbook as part of the following article -

- obviously she never did emigrate there - and here's the actual still -

- which I suspect may have been taken during the same photo session as the still I reshared in Reply #342 - and here's the last one -

- which was shared on page 131 of the Millennium Edition of the DS Almanac and was obviously taken outside the Lyndhurst mansion and not the greenhouse...

And you may recall that the B&W still of Kate Jackson is #46 in the NoDS Editor's Portfolio. Though a good reminder might be the fact that the version used for the NoDS Pressbook article is numbered #46. 

 

[Mysterious Benefactor]

And even more stills worth revisiting:

And I'm sharing the next three stills simply because they were shot at the greenhouse. On the same day as the others? Who knows? But perhaps...

Here's the first -

- and the second has been shared as September's photo in the Fest's 1999 Movie Calendar -

(Click here for a 915X620 version)

- and here's an alternate version with just Nancy and Chris -

- was the greenhouse simply cropped out? Who knows? However, a version that shows Nancy's entire hand appears on page 179 of the DS Movies Book...

And as an aside, a still of Nancy reclining in the grass in front of Lyndhurst and wearing the same outfit (my copy of the still) appears on page 181 of the DS Movies Book - can you even imagine if she had worn the outfit as Claire when she and Tracy go to Gregory's store?!

 

[Mysterious Benefactor]

Yesterday I forgot that since making the above post back in 2022 I've come across better versions of these two stills:

(Click here for a 700X476 version)

And:

(Click here for a 500X734 version)

 

[Mysterious Benefactor]

After I posted this -

...

And as an aside, a still of Nancy reclining in the grass in front of Lyndhurst and wearing the same outfit (my copy of the still) appears on page 181 of the DS Movies Book - can you even imagine if she had worn the outfit as Claire when she and Tracy go to Gregory's store?!

- I discovered this version which shows a lot more, particularly of Lyndhurst -

- as well as this one in which Nancy is wearing the same turtleneck -

- and which I'm not aware has been published anywhere - and all I'll say about this one, which I've definitely never seen published anywhere, is that I hope Nancy posed for it on a nice warm Spring day while the film was in production in late April or early May -

- and not a cold day in March! 

 

[Mysterious Benefactor]

Revisiting how the beginning of Scene 111 is scripted in DC's script:

Setting up the new scene (and once again the version in Grayson's script is different from the one in DC's (for one, in Grayson's version the scene takes place in Collinwood's library) - but we're going to wait until all of DC's version has been presented before we go back to Grayson's version):

CUT TO: 111    EXT - RAILROAD BRIDGE - DAY                      111        As Quentin leans over the guard rail, Alex        hovers over him, telling him what happened at        the Greenhouse.  Quentin looks quickly at him,        disbelief on his face.

And that's when today's quote -

Page 50/Scene 111 - Quentin: 'You were a fool ever to go in there...'

- comes up.

And so far as any differences in the dialogue, the directions, and the descriptions go, at this point we can't compare the script to the film because this scene only appears in the 129 minute version of the film. However, we can get into DC's notations for the scene, and they indicate that at the beginning of the scene Alex and Quentin are being shot in a 2 shot. Though, as we've learned from scenes that are in the shorter versions of the film, we can't necessarily expect that all of DC's notations are the ways in which the scene actually plays.

  As far as "today's quote" goes, it was January 19th's this time around.

Continuing Scene 111, beginning with Sunday's quote -

Page 50/Scene 111 - Alex: 'I told you. I saw someone in a long white dress.'

- coming up, followed by Monday's quote -

Page 50/Scene 111 - Quentin: 'Your imagination is getting the best of you.'

- coming up, followed by today's quote -

Page 50/Scene 111 - Alex: 'No it didn't. I saw Angelique and she tried to kill me.'

- coming up.

And so far as any differences in the dialogue, the directions, and the descriptions go, at this point we can't compare the script to the film because this scene only appears in the 129 minute version of the film. However, DC's script has changes to Alex' quote for today. In the script "No it didn't" is crossed out and Alex' lines are indicated as "All right, Quentin - I'll tell you what. I really saw Angelique and she tried to kill me." And we can also get into DC's notations for the scene, which first indicate that when Alex starts those lines the camera cuts to his close-up (from the previous 2 shot) - and then after Alex says Angelique's name, the camera cuts to a close-up of Quentin. Though, as we've learned from scenes in the shorter versions of the film, we can't necessarily expect that all of DC's notations are the ways in which the scenes in the film actually play.

And when it comes to how Alex saw Angelique, if one blows up the scene of the figure walking toward the greenhouse, one can sort of deduce that the figure is Angelique -

- and it is somewhat odd that the script doesn't identify her specifically - but Sam Hall and DC are quite possibly the only ones who know why. ...

...

  As far as "Sunday's quote" goes, it was January 20th's this time around, "Monday's quote" was January 21st's this time around, and "today's quote" was January 22nd's this time around.

Continuing Scene 111, beginning with yesterday's quote, Quentin's reaction to Alex insisting Angelique tried to kill him -

Page 50/Scene 111 - Quentin: 'God damn it! That's impossible.'

- coming up, followed by today's quote -

Page 50/Scene 111 - Alex: 'Quentin, she had a reason to stop me. I found out alot about your family. You already know about Charles Collins. But do the name's Gabriel and Laura mean anything to you?'

- coming up.

And so far as any differences in the dialogue, the directions, and the descriptions go, at this point we can't compare the script to the film because this scene only appears in the 129 minute version of the film. However, we can get into DC's notations, and in this section of the scene they indicate that after Quentin says it's impossible and before Alex begins to explain how Angelique had reason to stop him, the camera switches from a close-up of Quentin to a 2 shot. Though, as we've learned from scenes in the shorter versions of the film, we can't necessarily blah, blah, blah, blah.

And yes, both "alot" and "name's" are misspelled that way in the script...

  As far as "yesterday's quote" goes, it was January 23rd's this time around, and "today's quote" was January 24th's this time around.

 

[Uncle Roger]

I've seen at least one black and white photo of Nancy Barrett in the bikini but this is the first time I've seen a color shot of it! Were there ever plans to do a beach scene in any version of the script? Or maybe Nancy was going to use someone's swimming pool? I hope that she wasn't going to go for a swim in the nearby Hudson River which at that point would have been extremely toxic.

[Mysterious Benefactor]

A post worth revisiting related to Scene 111:

The latest different graphics -

- have all been made using various portions of this still -

(Click here for a 700X599 version)

- which to my memory hasn't been officially published anywhere - rarely, though, it does pop up for sale on places like Heritage Auctions...

A couple other different graphics using the still will be showing up in the next 10 days (yes Scene 111 is a long scene)...

   Make that the next 9 days.

And you may recall that the still shared is #29 in the NoDS Editor's Portfolio.

 

[Mysterious Benefactor]

Were there ever plans to do a beach scene in any version of the script? Or maybe Nancy was going to use someone's swimming pool?

I don't think so, but who knows? When I first saw the still I did think it was an odd one because it seemed completely unrelated to the film. But then there are those stills with Nancy and Chris Pennock that are also completely unrelated to the film.

Perhaps DC told Nancy he was thinking of doing a remake of The Ghost in the Invisible Bikini, but with loads of blood and gore, naturally, and to also be shot at Lyndhurst with Nancy in the lead? The still was his way of getting a jump on publicity shots?    (After all, they already had a photographer on site who was already getting paid to take photos, so knowing DC he would have seen it as a perfect way to save money.) But that film, like a third DS film, never came to be?

No? Well, then who know why on earth Nancy ever posed in a bikini?

[Uncle Roger]

Trading Nancy Sinatra for Nancy Barrett? I could get behind that. Let yourself go. Yell Geronimo!

[Mysterious Benefactor]

Continuing with how Scene 111 appears in DC's script:

... yesterday's first quote, Quentin's reaction to Alex asking if the names Gabriel and Laura mean anything to him -

Page 50/Scene 111 - Quentin: 'Why should they?'

- coming up, followed by yesterday's second quote -

Page 50/Scene 111 - Alex: 'Because of those little...day dreams of yours.'

- coming up, followed by today's first quote -

Page 50/Scene 111 - Quentin: 'Those daydreams don't mean a thing.'

- coming up, followed by today's second quote -

Page 50/Scene 111 - Alex: 'Yesterday, you said you wanted to talk about them.'

- coming up.

And when it comes to any differences in the dialogue, the directions, and the descriptions, at this point we can't compare the script to the film because this scene only appears in the 129 minute version of the film. And DC didn't make any notations for this section of the scene, so supposedly the camera continues with a 2 shot. Though, as we've learned from scenes in the shorter versions of the film, we can't necessarily blah, blah, blah, blah.

And yes, in the script daydreams is incorrectly spelled as "day dreams" in Alex' line...

  As far as "yesterday's" quotes go, they were January 25th's this time around, and "today's" quotes were January 26th's this time around.

 

[Mysterious Benefactor]

Continuing with how Scene 111 appears in DC's script:

Picking up Scene 111 after Alex' remark that the day before Quentin wanted to talk about his daydreams:

CONT'D                                         CONT'D   111                            QUENTIN                  Now I don't.                            ALEX                  Because of last night?                            QUENTIN                  Alex...last night, I thought                  Gerard a burglar.

And that's when the first part of today's quote -

Page 51/Scene 111 - Alex: 'That's all, huh? Then why were you screaming, "She's mine, brother, she's mine."'

- comes up, followed in the script by:

Quentin just stares at him.

And that's when the second part of today's quote -

Page 51/Scene 111 - Alex: 'I think you were living out one of those day dreams...You were Charles, and Gerard was brother Gabriel...and you were fighting over...Angelique.'

- comes up.

And when it comes to any differences in the dialogue, the directions, and the descriptions, at this point we can't compare the script to the film because this scene only appears in the 129 minute version of the film. However, DC has a notation that the camera switches from a 2 shot to a close-up of Quentin after Alex brings up how Quentin was screaming, "She's mine, brother, she's mine." Though, as we've learned from scenes in the shorter versions of the film, we can't necessarily blah, blah, blah, blah.

And when it comes to Quentin screaming, "She's mine, brother, she's mine", interestingly enough we don't hear him scream that in the version of the film as it stands, so it will be interesting if it is in the 129 minute version. One would presume it is, or else Alex' remark from this scene, if it is a part of the scene in the 129 minute version, would make no sense.

And yes, once again in the script daydreams is incorrectly spelled as "day dreams" in one of Alex' lines. How weird is it that it's only misspelled in his lines?

  And so far as "today's" quotes go, they were January 27th's this time around.

Picking up Scene 111 after Alex states his belief that the night before Quentin was Charles, Gerard was Gabriel, and they were fighting over Angelique:

Quentin shakes his head over Alex's fantasy.

And that's when today's first quote -

Page 51/Scene 111 - Alex: 'Quentin, what were you doing in the tower at two in the morning?'

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

Page 51/Scene 111 - Quentin: 'Working.'

- coming up, followed by the script continuing with:

ALEX                  At night?                            QUENTIN                  Don't you ever write at night?

And when it comes to any differences in the dialogue, the directions, and the descriptions, at this point we can't compare the script to the film because this scene only appears in the 129 minute version of the film. However, DC has a notations that after Quentin shakes his head, the camera switches to a 2 shot. Though, as we've learned from scenes in the shorter versions of the film, we can't necessarily blah, blah, blah, blah.

  And so far as "today's" quotes go, they are indeed today's, January 28th's, this time around.

 

[Mysterious Benefactor]

A discussion worth revisiting that's largely related to Scene 111:

I wish I could remember if the surviving footage of this sequence was among the bits screened by Darren Gross at a DS Festival I attended sometime around 2005.  (I think that was the same occasion when I saw the existing cut of the rejected WB pilot.)  I remember a scene where Carlotta brings a breakfast tray to Quentin and Tracy's bedroom (which obviously follows on a scene that's in the regular release cut), the piano scene, and the seance scene. Don't recall this one.

Holding onto the ever more unlikely hope that someday we'll all get to see the restored cut.

You're not the only one who couldn't remember exactly what Darren showed in 2004 in Tarrytown. But the funny thing is that just the other day I came across this topic:

Darren's NoDS Presentation

And thanks to you I now remember. 

(And BTW, only a few clips of the '04 pilot were shown in Tarrytown. The entire pilot debuted in LA in '05.  )

That's very cool.  I don't remembering whispering to the person I was sitting next to.  I had forgotten the thing about some stupid exec's vendetta against Grayson.  Expletive deleted!

Oddly I read the same thing a few months ago about Majel Barrett.  I was watching the first season of Original Series Star Trek and I was reading some stuff fans had compiled online.  A couple of the suits really took a personal dislike to Majel and loathed the fact that she played the first mate character in the original pilot.  When she returned in the role of Nurse Chapel in the reboot, the same execs loudly complained that they didn't want to see her in there at all.  Somehow or other, these imbeciles were overruled.

...

I don't remembering whispering to the person I was sitting next to.

I whispered about the scenes, too. I was sitting with Midnite and she mentioned what a shame it was that the presentation was being so rushed that Darren wasn't being allowed to explain about each recovered scene, so, given the fact that I'd reread the script before the Fest so that I'd know what sort of stuff to expect in Darren's presentation, I started explaining each recovered scene as it came up. More than a few people around Midnite and I appreciated it.

I had forgotten the thing about some stupid exec's vendetta against Grayson.  Expletive deleted!

Darren mentions that in quite a few of his pieces about NoDS, and I feel the same about it as you do. Carlotta is one of the best things about the film and I can't even begin to imagine it without her. Not to mention it would be very hard to piece together the entire 1810 backstory if all her stuff was cut. But then, having the film make complete sense was hardly any sort of a priority for James Aubrey! (And it seems like history repeated itself a bit considering that to a lesser degree there was a somewhat similar situation with the WB execs who oversaw the Depp/DS film!    But that's a whole other discussion that we've had in that film's topics...)