Happy 50th Anniversary, Night of Dark Shadows

[Mysterious Benefactor]

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?

Grayson's script is earlier than DC's and Sarah's part is the same in both. The interesting thing so far as cuts go is that in the scripts Sarah has more to do in Scene 56 (Angelique's funeral) but none of it is in the film. Also interestingly is that scene is a somewhat rewritten version in DC's script yet Sarah's part is still the same. And even more interestingly is that Scene 56 was the first one shot for the film so one might presume that not having worked with her yet, DC would have shot Monica Rich/Sarah's part - but if he did and it wasn't that he just didn't bother to shoot it (he could have deemed it an unnecessary character moment, which would have certainly been in keeping with how he operated), it ended up on the cutting room floor. And as we'll see in the upcoming Scenes 118 through 131 (1810 flashback), there are several instances where Sarah material is not in the film, not even the 129 minute version. In fact, there's one entire scene that is not in any version of the film...

As for how bad an actor someone had to be to have their part edited down, I never thought Monica gave a bad performance in any of her surviving material in the film, so I question how bad she could have been if what's missing really was shot. I agree with what Gothick had to say back in 2016:

I can't understand DC's problems with Monica Rich.  I thought she was very effective in what we do see.  Her closeups were incredibly intense and poignant.

[Mysterious Benefactor]

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

Page 58/Scene 117 - Carlotta: 'Then what is your explanation?'

- and/or today's second quote -

Page 58/Scene 117 - Quentin: 'I don't have any. But there has to be a better one than that.'

- check out -

With respect to having heard about reincarnation, picking up Scene 117 after Quentin's scripted "Of course I have. But that doesn't mean I believe it", or Grayson's script's replacement for Quentin, "Yes", or DC's script's replacement for him, "What about it?", today's first quote -

- this post...

[Mysterious Benefactor]

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

Page 58/Scene 117 - Carlotta: 'What you've been seeing are actually memories of a previous life.'

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

Page 58/Scene 117 - Carlotta: 'Because I'm the living proof of it. That little girl was me -- I am the reincarnation of Sarah Castle. I was part of everything you are now remembering.'

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

Page 58/Scene 117 - Carlotta: 'We are rare people, you and I -- for not only have we lived before, but we are fortunate enough to remember.'

- check out -

Picking up where we last left Scene 117, Carlotta continues her explanation with yesterday's quote -

- this post to also learn about the differences in the dialogue, the directions and the descriptions, the notes in DC's and Grayson's scripts, and how this section of the scene was actually shot (I love the screen capture from when Carlotta is remarking on how rare she and Quentin are)...

And coming up at some point tomorrow will be the posting of the final rare still I plan to share from Scene 117...

[Mysterious Benefactor]

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

Page 58/Scene 117 - Quentin: 'But I didn't remember anything 'til I came here. Why is it happening now?'

- and/or today's second quote -

Page 58/Scene 117 - Carlotta: 'Because she loves us, Mr. Collins. She always has -- she always will. I still remember that last day --'

- check out -

Wrapping up Scene 117, beginning with today's first quote -

- this post and to learn about the differences in the dialogue, and the notations in both DC's and Grayson's scripts, and some screen captures showcasing how Carlotta's and Quentin's expressions/moods are a study in contrasts in this section of the scene...

[Mysterious Benefactor]

And here's the last still I'm sharing that's associated with Scene 117 -

- and so far as I'm aware it's never been officially published anywhere. And even though it's taken straight on and not from below, it may be the still that comes closest to how the scene -

- was actually shot, as we can see when compared to the screen shot above.

Look forward to several stills associated with upcoming Scene 119...

[Midnite]

That last still you posted of GH is stunning!

[Uncle Roger]

Quite an outstanding still, MB!!!

[Mysterious Benefactor]

I really like that still too. When it comes to most of the others I've shared from Scene 117, I've had them for dozens of years, but I didn't come across that one until a few years ago...

[Mysterious Benefactor]

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

Page 59/Scene 118 - Carlotta's Voice: 'It was a dark, rainy afternoon. All week long strange tensions had been building in the house...'

- and/or yesterday's second quote -

Page 59/Scene 119 - Carlotta's Voice (Contd): 'tensions I did not understand...but feared. Everyone did not love my Angelique as I did.'

- and/or yesterday's third quote -

Page 59/Scene 119 - Carlotta's Voice (Contd): 'I knew that something terrible was about to happen.'

- check out -

Kicking off the next scenes in the sequence:

- this post to also learn about the differences in the dialogue, the directions and the descriptions. And probably the less said about Darren's lament about a restored release on DVD, the better...

[Mysterious Benefactor]

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

Page 59/Scene 119 - Laura: 'You must make a decision, Gabriel.'

- and/or today's second quote -

Page 59/Scene 119 - Gabriel: 'You've already made it for me. Why else would the good Reverend Strack be here?'

- check out -

Continuing with Scene 119 (and I'm going to use the way the scene appears in Grayson's script because DC didn't change the character names - and I have changed the names in all the quotes because it was just easier that way):

- this post to also learn about the differences in the dialogue, the directions and the descriptions...

[Mysterious Benefactor]

Here's the first of what I'm sharing that's associated with Scene 119 -

- it's part of an article from the December 1971 issue of TV Dawn to Dusk entitled CATCHING UP WITH...The Dark Shadows Cast, which mostly focused on NoDS and shared five moments from the film, two of which (the seance and Quentin with Charles' skeleton) aren't in the film - and anyone who collected NoDS articles back in the day is aware that it was the only article to feature that shot of Gabriel, Laura and Strack - In fact, it was the only article to feature Diana Millay...

And it's too bad that they identified Diana Millay as "Diana Hilay" because other than that goof the article was very accurate...

[Mysterious Benefactor]

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

Page 59/Scene 119 - Laura: 'Gabriel, don't you realize how I've dreaded this moment? But we've both known it had to come...'

- check out -

As you've probably already figured from today's graphic, today's quote -

- this post...

And it's too bad the quote was dropped in the film because I seriously doubt Laura actually dreaded the moment - it probably couldn't have come soon enough for her - so it would have been fascinating to see how Diana Millay would have delivered it. An expression of feigned dread could have been priceless! But alas...

[Mysterious Benefactor]

Today I'm sharing the full still version of the photo I shared yesterday -

(Click here for a 700X526 version)

- beyond the obvious that in the actual scene at no point do Gabriel, Laura and Strack ever stand in proximity to each other in the way they do in the still, see if you can spot other differences as the actual scene plays out...
(I almost feel like we'll be playing a reworked version of 16 Magazine's SPOT THE ERRORS game - though I won't be giving any potential winner $10 for their ability to observe everything that's different.  )

[Mysterious Benefactor]

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

Page 59/Scene 119 - Strack: 'Where is the witch now?'

- and/or today's second quote -

Page 59/Scene 119 - Laura: 'Where she always is -- in the tower, "posing" for my husband.'

- check out -

Picking up Scene 119 where we left off, with today's first quote -

- this post to also learn about a note in DC's script...

[Mysterious Benefactor]

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

Page 60/Scene 119 - Gabriel: 'Why do you want my permission?'

- and/or today's second quote -

Page 60/Scene 119 - Strack: 'Angelique Collins is your wife.'

- check out -

Continuing with Scene 119 (and with Grayson's script because DC didn't change the character names):

- this post to also learn about the differences in the directions and the descriptions, and about a note in DC's script...

(There are also screen captures with major examples for our game.)