Happy 50th Anniversary, Night of Dark Shadows

[Mysterious Benefactor]

Apparently Charles Collins was a man who believed in equal opportunity manhandling -

(Click here for a 1000X781 version)

- as this seventh as well as rare still to preview Scene 85 shows...

[Mysterious Benefactor]

If you want to learn about or refresh your memory concerning the background of today's quote (the first part of which relates to Alex' claim that if he had wanted to live with an 1890 newsboy, he'd have found one, and the second part of which relates to the knickers Gregory wants to sell Claire) -

Page 33/Scene 83 - Gregory: 'God knows where. Obviously he has no sense of style ... Chic. Come to my house next week for a drink and wear them. He'll adore them --''

- check out -

Continuing with Scene 83, ...

- up to the second quote in this post...

[Uncle Roger]

It's a fun scene. It really shows a genuine friendship between Tracy and Claire. And Gregory, well, is like no other character in the DS pantheon. Unfortunately, it doesn't add all that much to the film as a whole. It might have worked better if it had been intercut with bits of Carlotta or Gerard doing something nefarious back at Collinwood. I can see why DC chose not to shoot the scene. Which leads me to wonder if Gregory had even been cast. It wouldn't be like DC to cast an actor then have to pay him for doing nothing

[Mysterious Benefactor]

   From the way the sequence has been talked about, I doubt things ever got to the point where Gregory was actually cast. It seems like before production began some actors' names were bandied about, but before any might have been cast, DC decided to scrap the whole sequence. As far as even the 129 minute version of the finished film goes, the audience would be left forever wondering who Gregory was when Tracy told Quentin that "Gregory said I could take them back" after Quentin discovered she'd bought him a pair of riding breeches...

[Mysterious Benefactor]

More join the fray in the eighth still to preview Scene 85:

(Click here for a 1203X925 version)

And so far as I can recall this still has only been published twice: a very small version is on page 224 of the DS Movie Book and a much better version was shared by Cinefantastique with its review, which The Doctor and K9 generously shared back in Reply #131.

(And speaking of the Cinefantastique review, I keep meaning to get back to make some comments on it - but I just haven't gotten around to it yet. But one day - perhaps when some of what I have to say relates to what we're covering in the slideshow...)

[Mysterious Benefactor]

If you want to learn about or refresh your memory concerning the background of today's quote (the first part of which relates to Gregory inviting Claire and Alex for drinks at his house where she could wear the knickers Gregory wants to sell Claire) -

Page 33/Scene 83 - Claire: 'He'll adore the drinks. This is Tracy Collins.'

- check out -

Continuing with Scene 83, ...

- up to the third quote in this post...

[Mysterious Benefactor]

And now we move from stills depicting the scene to stills from behind the scenes to preview Scene 85:

(Click here for a 1000X779 version)
(Keep the fruit bowl in mind...)

This still first showed up in a Nov. '71 16 Magazine article and a Daytime TV article to promote the movie. And then in later years it showed up on page 111 of the DS Companion. Though all of those versions range from greatly cropped to slightly cropped...

[Mysterious Benefactor]

Here's a still of DC directing to preview Scene 85:

This still first showed up on page 34 of the DS Almanac 30th Anniversary Tribute. But something that's really weird is there's a scan of it that shows up in a few places on the Internet and it's backwards. And even if people didn't realize which side the fabric should be on and which side the window should be on, one might think that in the backward version they'd noticed that the unfinished Angelique painting is oriented wrong...

[KMR]

  From the way the sequence has been talked about, I doubt things ever got to the point where Gregory was actually cast. It seems like before production began some actors' names were bandied about, but before any might have been cast, DC decided to scrap the whole sequence. As far as even the 129 minute version of the finished film goes, the audience would be left forever wondering who Gregory was when Tracy told Quentin that "Gregory said I could take them back" after Quentin discovered she'd bought him a pair of riding breeches...

I have a feeling the shopping sequence was dropped primarily for budgetary reasons. Since they apparently decided to shoot the entire film on the Lyndhurst estate, it may have been difficult to find somewhere on site that didn't need a lot of set design/dressing work to make it convincing. Going into Tarrytown or Irvington would have probably added a lot of extra expense they didn't feel was warranted for a sequence that doesn't really advance the plot (even if it does enrich the characterizations).

[Mysterious Benefactor]

If you want to learn about or refresh your memory concerning the background of yesterday's quote (Gregory's reaction to being introduced to Tracy) -

Page 33/Scene 83 - Gregory: 'The lady of the manor? (he bows) Welcome.'

- check out -

Continuing with Scene 83, ...

- through the end in this post...

[KMR]

Another thought regarding the shopping sequence. As much as I'd like to be able to see it on screen, I think it would feel quite out of place in the film that we have. It would be the ONLY interjection of a bit of the outside world, in what is otherwise a very weird, creepy, other-worldly bubble (which is one of the things I really love about the film).

[Mysterious Benefactor]

If you want to learn about or refresh your memory concerning the background of today's quote -

Page 33/Scene 83 - Tracy: 'Hi. This makes me feel like I'm back in New York.'

- check out -

Wrapping up Scene 83, beginning with Tracy's comments about Gregory's shop:

- up to the first quote in this post...

[Mysterious Benefactor]

And another behind the scenes still featuring David Selby and Lara Parker to preview Scene 85:

(Click here for a 700X476 version)

This one is fairly rare - and it is something to keep in mind along with the still shared in Reply #216 because they will relate to something coming up in a couple days...

[Mysterious Benefactor]

If you want to learn about or refresh your memory concerning the background of today's quote -

Page 33/Scene 83 - Gregory: 'Oh, do I have something for you ... it's madness it's so perfect. [He whips out an insane dress.] Could it be more you?'

- check out -

Wrapping up Scene 83, ...

- up to the second quote in this post...

[Mysterious Benefactor]

Now, this next rare still is definitely behind the scenes - and it could very easily be behind the scenes preparing for Scene 85. But it could also be behind the scenes preparing for Scenes 102 or 124 because Charles and Gabriel are wearing the same clothes.

(Click here for a 1400X1557 version)

And, although Charles is also wearing a black vest in Scene 102, Selby could have easily put that on after getting his sideburns attended to. But I chose to go with Scene 85 because it's the longest. And who knows, all those scenes might have been shot on the same day...

Also, it's amusing that in the still there's a copy of Bram Stoker's Dracula on the table near Selby -

- though, of course, that doesn't necessarily mean it was his or he was reading it. It could have been left on the table by anyone...