Happy 50th Anniversary, Night of Dark Shadows

[Mysterious Benefactor]

Here's a second still to preview the upcoming moment in the slideshow from Scene 117 -

(Click here for a 700X476 version)

- a cropped version of which was shared on page 77 of the DS Almanac 30th Anniversary Tribute. On the other hand, the next three stills I plan to share are all rare...

[Mysterious Benefactor]

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

Page 56/Scene 117 - Carlotta: 'It isn't. It just seemed so ideal --'

- check out -

And when it comes to today's quote from Scene 117, Carlotta's response to Quentin's belief that it's important to her that he work in the tower room -

- this post to also learn how there's no indication in the script or in DC's notes about how the quote plays but there is in Grayson's script - though there is a note in DC's script about how this section would be shot...

[Mysterious Benefactor]

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

Page 56/Scene 117 - Quentin: 'That's not the reason. (MORE)'

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

Page 57/Scene 117 - Quentin: 'You know about these dreams, don't you?'

- check out -

Continuing Scene 117, first with the first part of today's quote -

- this post to also learn about the differences in the dialogue, the directions and the descriptions (I love the screen capture shared of the look Carlotta gives Quentin as he accuses her of knowing about his dreams) and the notes in DC's script...

[Mysterious Benefactor]

And here's a third still to preview the upcoming moment in the slideshow from Scene 117 -

(Click here for a 700X476 version)

- a still that I believe is quite rare because to my knowledge it has never been published anywhere - and it shares something in common with the next still I'll be sharing, something that's more than the obvious that it's also to promote the same moment from Scene 117 - but more on that on the 28th...

[Mysterious Benefactor]

... however, I'm currently in the process of negotiating buying the still on its own - I was hoping to have it by now, but I have hopes of owning it soon - so once I do, I will scan it and change the above scan to a scan of the actual still...

I finally received the still yesterday - and today I scanned it and added that scan to the post - and I didn't realize it until after I scanned it that it shows even slightly more on the left and right sides than the Movie Book version does. The new scan is also the clearest version..

[Mysterious Benefactor]

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

Page 57/Scene 117 - Carlotta: 'I don't know what you're referring to --'

- check out -

And when it comes to today's quote from Scene 117, Carlotta's response to Quentin's belief that she knows about his dreams -

- this post to also learn about Grayson's notes...

[Uncle Roger]

In the short time that Quentin and Tracy have been at Collinwood, Carlotta has gone from slight disdain to fairly open hostility. It's a bit surprising that no one seems to have told her to knock it off or risk being fired. Okay, Quentin is under some kind of spell but Tracy isn't. If her mother was indeed the housekeeper for Mrs. Stoddard, I can't imagine that Elizabeth would have tolerated such behavior.

[Mysterious Benefactor]

So far the strongest reaction to Carlotta's attitudes came in Scene 115 when, as she's leaving the Gallery after being peevish toward Quentin's decision to move from the Tower to the Gallery to paint, Quentin got a disgusted look on his face and bowed his head. But you're right, no one has actually said anything to Carlotta - and because she was leaving the room, she didn't even see Quentin's reaction.

[Mysterious Benefactor]

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

Page 57/Scene 117 - Quentin: 'You know damn well what I'm referring to. [He points at the portrait --] Her. [Carlotta just stands there.] Am I dreaming it, Carlotta? Or is she real?'

- check out -

And when it comes to today's quote from Scene 117, Quentin's reaction to Carlotta's claim that she doesn't know what he's referring to -

- this post to also learn about the differences in the dialogue, the directions and the descriptions, about the notes and markings in DC's and/or Grayson's script, and to see screen captures from key moments...

[Mysterious Benefactor]

And the last of what I'm sharing that relates to today's quote from Scene 117 is a rare version of Quentin confronting Carlotta -

(Click here for a 700X650 version)
The Daytime TV caption for it reads: "Quentin goes into frenzy when Carlotta
(Grayson Hall) tells him that Gerard (James
Storm) is on his way to murder Tracy.
(Not exactly what's actually happening, and who knows where they got the idea that is was - someone definitely gave them crap
info for that one, whereas they did give good info for all the others, which makes one wonder if they didn't plan to share what the
caption says but switched and forgot to change the caption?)

- something that was also published as part of that same Daytime TV article that I've shared portions of in Reply #124 (Angelique on the stairs), Reply #286 (Gerard wielding his club) and Reply #287 (Angelique scratching Gabriel). (More from that article is yet to come, some fairly soon, one not so soon...)

It's interesting that every single still that I've shared equally features Quentin and Carlotta but in the film the moment focuses on Quentin much more than Carlotta, who is basically only seen from behind, as is apparent in today's screen capture (which is a part of the 2016 post I've linked to in Reply #413 above).

...it shares something in common with the next still I'll be sharing, something that's more than the obvious that it's also to promote the same moment from Scene 117...

And that is that in both versions Carlotta's nose is shadowed - quite possibly why we don't see them being shared all that much or not at all...

[Mysterious Benefactor]

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

Page 57/Scene 117 - Carlotta: 'Do you remember the little girl you saw at the window the other day?'

- check out -

The script continues Scene 117 with reference to Carlotta:

- this post to also learn about other scripted parts of Scene 117, about the differences in the dialogue, the directions and the descriptions, and about the notes in Grayson's script... (And the reference to a "Sunday" quote will actually appear this Thursday this time around.)

[Mysterious Benefactor]

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

Page 57/Scene 117 - Carlotta: 'Well, it wasn't your imagination, Mr. Collins.'

- check out -

And Scene 117 begins Carlotta's explanation about the little girl Quentin saw as today's quote -

- this post to also learn about other scripted parts of Scene 117, about the differences in the dialogue, and about a note in Grayson's script...

[Mysterious Benefactor]

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

Page 57/Scene 117 - Carlotta: 'No...you saw Sarah Castle. She lived in this house over one hundred and fifty years ago.'

- check out -

After today's quote from Scene 117 -

- this post to also learn about other scripted parts of Scene 117, about the differences in the dialogue, and about notes in Grayson's and DC's scripts.

Also, the original slideshow for NoDS included this line -

NoDS: Scene #117 - Quentin: 'But that's impossible!'

- because it was quoted in the Fest's 1999 Movie Calendar, upon which the original slideshow is based...

[Uncle Roger]

Now that we're getting to the scenes with Sarah Castle, I suppose that this is as good a time as any to inquire about Monica Rich. I've heard stories over the years that DC was unsatisfied with her performance and cut out or simply did not film a lot of her scenes. The script, as published by KLS, doesn't really give Sarah a significantly larger part. Rich's imdb page doesn't list any credits other than NODS. Did Sarah have a larger part in an earlier script? And just how bad an actor did you have to be for DC to edit your part down?

[Mysterious Benefactor]

unlike what the script itself indicates and how DC's notes indicate that after Carlotta asks her question and before Quentin responds, the camera switches to a 2 shot of Carlotta and Quentin in profile, the shot actually continues to slowly truck in closer and closer on Carlotta

And I have to say I love the slow truck:

I think it's much more effective than a 2 shot could have ever been because the focus should be 100% on Carlotta as she delivers key info to the plot...