Happy 50th Anniversary, Night of Dark Shadows

[Mysterious Benefactor]

Something peculiar about the still of Carlotta in Reply #524 is that there appears to be a pink flower petal near the waistline of Carlotta's dress. And it doesn't just appear in the copy of the still that I have but also in the copy that's in the DS Movie Book. And the reason why I say it's peculiar is because in the copy that Stuart Manning shared on his old Web site, the pink flower petal doesn't appear:

Who knows?

[Mysterious Benefactor]

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

Page 73/Scene 153 - Carlotta: 'What is it, Mrs. Collins? You don't seem very happy here. Whereas Mr. Collins seems --'

- and/or today's second quote -

Page 73/Scene 153 - Tracy (flaring): 'I don't think that's any of you business.'

- check out -

Continuing on, with Carlotta's response to Tracy saying something is wrong:

- this post and to learn about the differences in the dialogue, and about more interesting actions and gestures that Kate Jackson and Grayson Hall incorporate into their performances...

[Mysterious Benefactor]

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

Page 73/Scene 153 - Carlotta: 'Certainly. If that's the way you feel -- what time will dinner be this evening? --'

- and/or yesterday's second quote -

Page 73/Scene 153 - Tracy (ready to explode): 'I don't know what time
--'

- and/or today's quote -

Page 73/Scene 153 - Carlotta: 'Did you ever stop to think that perhaps you don't belong here?'

- check out -

Wrapping up Scene 153, beginning with Carlotta's response to Tracy telling her to mind her own business, which was also yesterday's first quote -

- this post and to learn about the differences with the dialogue, the descriptions and the directions, about notes in DC's script, about how I love something Carlotta does as she exits the room, and about how certain things play quite differently from how they're scripted...

[Uncle Roger]

Tracy's reaction to Carlottta's remarks has always baffled me. Carlotta really has stepped over the line by mouthing off to her employer. Maybe Quentin would have overruled her but Tracy should have fired her on the spot.

[Mysterious Benefactor]

  Tracy is somewhat intimidated by Carlotta. Unfortunately, as the film currently stands, there's just one incident where that comes up and it's after Carlotta has left Tracy in Quentin in the Gallery after having given them the tour of the house and Tracy indicates that Carlotta makes her feel as if she owns the house and has simply invited them there. But had James Aubrey not demanded so much be removed, we would have seen as part of the 129 minute version the scene where in the morning Carlotta puts Tracy in her place about the running of the estate. It makes Tracy feel embarrassed and she quickly becomes compliant to Carlotta and apparently that feeling sticks throughout. Plus, when it comes to Scene 153 I suspect 1) Tracy was probably still reeling from the things Quentin had said to her the night before outside the tower room, and 2) she was in all likelihood literally struck speechless that Carlotta had the audacity to even make such a remark to her - you can see that in the expression of disbelief/shock on her face:

[Mysterious Benefactor]

Moving on to the next four scenes as scripted:

All four scenes have no dialogue and need to be dealt with before tomorrow's quotes come up in the slideshow if you want to learn about or refresh your memory about them and to learn that nearly everything that's scripted to happen in the four scenes takes place differently than scripted...

[Mysterious Benefactor]

   And in addition to those four scenes there are three other scenes without dialogue that come before the one (Scene 161) in which tomorrow's quote play. So with that in mind, here's the start of a preview of a major thing that transpires in Scene 159:

First up, the Lobby Card -

...

(Click here for a 930X738 version)

...

 - and then the still -

(Click here for a 700X476 version)

- a cropped version of which appears on page 180 of the DS Movie Book

Note that the quality of the lobby card is very close to that of the still, so who knows what Heritage Auctions did when they scanned the first and third lobby cards? 

[Mysterious Benefactor]

A B&W still of Tracy uncovering the painting -

(Click here for a 700X537 version)
The TV By Day caption for it reads: "In this scene, Kate Jackson as Tracey realizes that
her husband is having an affair with a ghost as she
uncovers the newly finished portrait of Angelique and
Charles Collins."

- a copy of which that is cropped on three sides but actually shows a bit more behind Tracy appeared as part of the December 1971 NoDS article in TV By Day Magazine. A slightly cropped copy appears on page 5 of the booklet for the movies' soundtrack CD. And another copy appeared as part of perhaps my favorite review of the film -

- the only sad thing about the review is they didn't get Lara Parker's name right...

[Mysterious Benefactor]

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

Page 74/Scene 161 - Quentin (O.S.): 'Carlotta -- have you seen my jacket? I can't buy a damn thing without my wallet.'

- and/or today's second quote -

Page 75/Scene 161 - Quentin (O.S.): 'Never mind, Carlotta. I'll check the tower.'

- check out -

And moving on to the next four scenes as scripted:

- this post and to learn about the differences in the dialogue, the descriptions and the directions, and about things are mostly shot quite differently from the way they're scripted...

[Mysterious Benefactor]

One last still associated with Scene 159 - an extremely rare alternate B&W version of Tracy uncovering the painting:

(Click here for a 800X624 version)

And while we're still on the subject of the completed painting, I've often wondered what is the actual significance of this request to Charles from Angelique:

It cannot be a mere piece of simple dialogue in Scene 85, especially when a reworking of it is repeated in Scene 86 of the 129 minute version of the film (and we know that because it's accidentally a part of the DVD/Blu-ray release as well as the versions available online via Amazon and iTunes) -

- and there are at least two ways the request could be interpreted within the film - but, again, what is the actual significance...

[Mysterious Benefactor]

And before we move on to the next set of scenes, here's video of one of those scenes, a scene that is not a part of the slideshow because, as scripted, it doesn't contain any dialogue, though it does in the film. I tried making video of it the last time around but I was never satisfied with how it came out - plus, no matter what I tried,  some members still had trouble trying to play it. But by this time around we've finally hit on both a MOD for the system and a video format that plays well:

I've always thought it's one of the best scenes in the film...

[Mysterious Benefactor]

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

Page 76/Scene 165 - Quentin (O.S.): 'Tracy!'

- and/or today's second quote -

Page 76/Scene 165 - Quentin: 'Have you...seen my jacket?'

- and/or today's third quote -

Page 76/Scene 165 - Tracy (almost crying with relief): 'No -- I haven't. (quickly moving away from him as she looks toward the chair) I'll help you look for it.'

- check out -

And once again moving on to the next four scenes as scripted:

- this post and to learn about several differences with the dialogue (including the addition of unscripted dialogue), and the many differences with the descriptions and the directions, and about how some things play very differently from how they're scripted - and even though they do, when it comes to Scene 164, some notes Grayson made still apply. And ignore the references to the three quotes appearing on Sunday because obviously they appear on a Thursday this time around.

[Mysterious Benefactor]

A still associated with Scene 165 -

(Click here for a 700X476 version)

- and the only places I'm aware that it's ever been shared is that a cropped to just a head shot version appears on the back cover of the movies soundtrack case, but a better version (though still somewhat cropped) appears on the back covers of the NoDS DVD and Blu-ray packaging:

(Click here for a 1000X1411 version)

(Click here for a 1000X1163 version)

[Mysterious Benefactor]

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

Page 77/Scene 170 - Quentin: 'I know you went to the tower ...'

- and/or the second part of today's quote -

Page 77/Scene 170 - Quentin: 'It's all right, Trace...It's all right.'

- and/or the third part of today's quote -

Page 77/Scene 170 - Quentin: 'Now, come on. Stop crying. It doesn't matter.'

- check out -

And moving on to the next five scenes as scripted:

- this post and to learn about several differences with the dialogue, and the many differences with the descriptions and the directions, and about how Tracy apparently possesses an extremely convenient talent. And ignore the references to the quotes appearing on Monday because obviously they appear on a Friday this time around.

[Mysterious Benefactor]

A still that I'm pretty sure is behind the scenes of shooting Scene 167 -

(Click here for a 556X700 version)

- and the reasons I say that are because 1) Grayson Hall and David Selby are outside the front of the house and that's where the scene is shot, and 2) they're both wearing the same clothes that Carlotta and Quentin wear in that scene (right down to DS having Quentin's jacket slung over his shoulder).

(And speaking of what Carlotta is wearing, it definitely follows the continuity of what she wears in Scene 164, so that is good - but has anyone ever wondered why, probably less than 30 minutes after what transpires between Carlotta and Tracy in the Gallery in Scene 153, Carlotta goes from wearing the orange dress in Scene 153 (seen in Reply #525 above) to the dress she wears in Scenes 164 & 167 (seen the video posted in Reply #535 and in the still in this post)? Maybe after exiting in Scene 153 Carlotta had a celebratory snack to mark her victory over Tracy and in the process managed to spill something on her dress, thus requiring a change? One can only wonder. But just think of the possibilities for a Why Did Carlotta Change Her Dress? fanfic! They might be endless!!  )