Happy 50th Anniversary, Night of Dark Shadows

[Mysterious Benefactor]

And setting up and wrapping the current scene as it appears in DC's script:

LOWER 61     INT - STAIRWAY TO TOWER ROOM - DAY                61        Through the door        Carlotta leads Quentin up the stairs.  He is        carrying his equipment.  Pan enter the room and        start toward the other stairs                              CARLOTTA                  I'm sure you'll find it perfect. 61     CONTD                                    CONTD    61        They are at the door.  She takes out her keys.                              QUENTIN                  Wait ...        Carlotta looks at him.

And that's when today's first quote -

Page 25/Scene 61 - Quentin: 'I have the strangest feeling I've been here before.'

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

Page 25/Scene 61 - Carlotta: 'How could you have been, Mr. Collins?'

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

Page 25/Scene 61 - Quentin: 'I couldn't have.'

- coming up, followed in the script by:

She looks at him, then opens the door.

End of scene.

And as far as the differences in the dialogue go, Carlotta's "I'm sure you'll find it perfect" is dropped from the scene and, in fact, Grayson's script has a line drawn through that section - and Quentin actually says "Wait a minute ..." instead of simply Wait ..." - and then he actually follows that by saying "I've got the strangest feeling I've been here before" - to which Carlotta actually replies with "How could you have been?", dropping the "Mr. Collins".

And when it comes to the differences in the descriptions and directions, as we can see above, DC crossed out STAIRWAY TO as the setting for Scene 61 and decided it would take place in the LOWER TOWER ROOM (Grayson's script still has it set in the stairway) - and along with the setting change, as can also be seen above, DC added some more directions to the opening of the scene (though Carlotta doesn't lead Quentin through any door, nor is anything shot through a doorway, so when it comes to that, who knows?), but like Grayson's unchanged script, it still has the original directions, which are not quite how things play in the film because, as can be seen in today's first capture -

- Carlotta starts up the stairs but Quentin does not because he stops short of them when he has the feeling he's been there before - and as can be seen in today's second capture -

- (I love how) Carlotta fondles the key to the tower room as with but a small smile she asks how Quentin could have been there - and as can be seen in today's third capture -

- Quentin replies with a big grin that he couldn't have - and we don't see Carlotta open the door to the tower room.

And it probably won't come as a surprise that when it comes to the next scene in the sequence, once again Grayson's script has some notations that we'll get into at the appropriate time...

... - and I can't go without saying that I absolutely love the look of delight on Carlotta's face -

- as she starts to ascend the stairs to the tower room - though, of course, first time viewers of the film have absolutely no idea why that is - but back in '71 I do honestly remember asking myself why. Little did I know what was about to come up (especially in the R rated 97 minute version of the film, which I was lucky enough to see several times) that would throw some hints, yet bring up even more questions. However, that tower room scene with Charles, Angelique, etc. doesn't come until much later in the script...

   And so far as "today's" quote go, they are indeed all from today, October 10th, this time around.

 

[Mysterious Benefactor]

Backing up to the beginning of the Scene 61 as scripted, Carlotta's dropped line -

...

NoDS: Scene #61 - Carlotta: 'I'm sure you'll find it perfect.

- was the August 6th's installment in the original Movies Slideshow because it's part of the FEST'S 1999 Movie Calendar on which that slideshow is based.

...

 

[Mysterious Benefactor]

Three older posts worth revisiting:

God, Grayson was fab.  And Carlotta was one of her best performances.  I'm sure anyone following along at home will be absolutely FLOORED to learn that for this viewer, Carlotta WAS the star of the picture.  Though Selby made for some delicious eye candy.

And what a hoot about Grayson's script showing up as a prop!  That happened on the series a few times.

God, Grayson was fab.  And Carlotta was one of her best performances.

You won't get an argument from me!    And I honestly think everyone in the film is quite good. It's just too bad that some (particularly like James Storm) had quite a bit of their stuff end up on the cutting room floor...

I agree, MB.  I think this was an exceptionally well-acted film.

 

[Mysterious Benefactor]

Regarding the subtitles/closed captioning for Scene 61:

Believe it or not, when it comes to Scene 61, both the subtitles and the closed captioning acknowledge everything correctly. I wonder if it will turn out to be the only scene where that happens? Time will tell...

...

I have a feeling it does end up being the only scene because nothing else is coming to mind...

 

[Mysterious Benefactor]

Revisiting how the start of Scene 62 is scripted:

...

62     INT - TOWER ROOM - DAY        as they ENTER RUCK IN ON Quentin.  As he looks        around, Carlotta watches him carefully.                              CARLOTTA                  Well, does it still seem familiar?        QUENTIN - CLOSE-UP        His feeling is still the same, but now he doesn't        want to admit it.                              QUENTIN                       (hesitant)                  No ...        She continues to watch him carefully.  He looks        very concerned.

And that's when today's quote -

Page 25/Scene 62 - Carlotta: 'I wouldn't worry about it, Mr. Collins. There is always a logical explanation for feelings like this. Will the room do?'

- comes up.

And as far as what's different with the dialogue, Carlotta actually asks "Does it still seem so familiar?" - and after Quentin apparently lies and says that it doesn't, Carlotta actually says "I wouldn't worry about it if I were you, Mr. Collins. There's usually some logical explanation for these feelings." (And when it comes to that second bit of dialogue from Carlotta, Grayson's script actually has a notation for the word "these" to be inserted between the words "for" and "feelings", and she also crossed out the words "like this" - but as we can see she also made further changes when it came time to shoot the scene.)

And when it comes to the differences in the descriptions and directions, the camera doesn't actually move in on Quentin when he enters the tower room, though, as can be seen in the following portion of a capture -

- Carlotta certainly watches him intently (and I love how she does so) - and there is no close-up of Quentin as he's taking in his surroundings, though he does move more prominently to the foreground of the frame - but while Carlotta does continue to watch him carefully and at first he does appear concerned, he actually smiles as he moves closer to some things in the room to check them out.

And as far as "today's" quote goes, it was October 11th this time around.

 

[Mysterious Benefactor]

Revisiting how the rest of Scene 62 is scripted as well as how Scene 63 is scripted:

Wrapping up the current scene and dealing with the next. Let's pick things up in Scene 62 with yesterday's quote -

Page 25/Scene 62 - Quentin: 'Yes ... yes ... it's fine ... has it ever been used as a studio before?'

- coming up, followed in the script by:

62     CONTD                                    CONTD    62

And that's where today's quote -

Page 26/Scene 62 - Carlotta: 'Not in my time. If there's anything you want, I'll be downstairs.'

- comes up, followed in the script by:

He puts his paints down, starts to set up his easel. 63     INT - TOWER STAIRS                                63        as Carlotta descends TOWARD CAMERA, she is happy.

End of scene/sequence.

And as far as the differences in the dialogue go, first Quentin actually says "Oh, yes ... yes ... it's fine ...", and then, rather than asking, Quentin actually states "It's been used as a studio before, hasn't it", and no doubt that's because, given the frames and sculptures and all the other art paraphernalia all around the room, it seems pretty obvious the room has been used as a studio before - and Carlotta actually responds with "Yes, I believe it has. ... Not in my time", with the whole "If there's anything you want, I'll be downstairs" dropped.

And when it comes to the differences in the descriptions and directions, as can be seen when comparing the 10th's and the 11th's captures -

- Quentin turns to face Carlotta when he tells her the room is fine - and, as he states that the room has been used as a studio before, Quentin moves toward the middle of the room and out of frame, as can be seen in today's capture -

- which only features Carlotta - and we don't see Quentin put his paints down or start to set up his easel (he actually put his stuff down near the doorway when he first entered the room) - and Scene 63 doesn't appear in the film as it currently stands or, sadly enough, even in the recovered 129 minute version. 

And as for the notations in Grayson's script, with regard to Scene 62, even though in the film Carlotta actually says "Yes, I believe it has", there's a notation in Grayson script adding "Yes, I think so" in answer to the room having been used as a studio, but obviously it was changed when the time came to shoot the scene, and, for me anyway, "Yes, I believe it has" is far more preferable - and in reference to adding the line, there's a notation that Carlotta is trying to tell Quentin something - and there's also a notation that Carlotta believes Quentin has gotten a glimpse of the past - and when it comes to Scene 63, there's a notation that once again Carlotta has the vase of flowers (recall Grayson wanted Carlotta to be carrying the vase in the original version of Scene 60) - and with regard to Carlotta's happiness, there's a notation that Carlotta is feeling that she knew Quentin would come around and all is going according to plan.

And before we leave this section of the film, observant people might notice in a few of the captures that there might be something in the tower studio that plays a part in the daytime show's 1995 and Summer of 1970 storylines. I'm not sure if it's exactly the same prop (and I'm too lazy to check). But it looks an awful lot like it, and soon the forum's Watching Project will be getting to 1995, so soon enough we'll see if it's the same...

And when it comes to the next scene in the film as it currently stands, things jump all the way up to a slightly reworked version of Scene 84 - though that doesn't mean that all the scenes between Scene 62 and Scene 84 aren't in the currently available version of the film or the 129 minute version. But more on that as those scenes come up in the script...

   And so far as "yesterday's quote" goes, it was indeed yestersay's, October 12th's, this time around, and so "today's quote" is also today's, October 13th's.

And the references above to the "10th" and the "11th" are actually to those dates in March of 2016. This time around those screen captures appeared on October 11th and 12th, respectively.

 

[Mysterious Benefactor]

Revisiting dealing with the subtitles and closed captioning for Scene 62:

...

After Carlotta leads Quentin into the tower room and asks if things still seem so familiar, he says no, so she tells him not to worry because there's usually an explanation for what he felt (and, boy, is there in this instance!) and then she asks if the room will do - and all of the is handled correctly by both the subtitles and the closed captioning - and Quentin answers Carlotta by saying, "Oh, yes ... yes ... it's fine ..." - and the subtitles get that correct - but the closed captioning simply has -

- and after that Quentin remarks, "It's been used as a studio before, hasn't it?" - and the subtitles also get that correctly - but the closed captioning has -

- and to that Carlotta answers that she believes it has, but not in her time - and again both the subtitles and the closed captioning get that correct - in fact, the subtitles get the whole scene right throughout, which means the subtitles have gotten two scenes in a row completely correct - not so much the closed captioning...

And backtracking s bit to revisit a previous post:

...

- though what's interesting about that is that the script has the exchange as -

CARLOTTA                           ...  Will the room do?                              QUENTIN                  Yes ... yes ... it's fine ...                  has it ever been used as a studio                  before?

- so, as happens in certain other places in the film, it's like the closed captioning is working more closely to the script rather than to the actual film - ...

...

(ADMIN: Reply #815 has been edited to replace the TV video screen capture)

 

[Mysterious Benefactor]

A post worth revisiting:

Those are fab captures!  You're really making me want to see the movie again.

I was looking at the candles and reflecting that if this scene had been shot for the TV show, they would have come into a room like that, supposedly unused for many years, and found those candles lit and merrily burning.

It's implied of course that Gerard has been meeting Angelique's spirit and may have been doing so in the Tower room.  You have to pay really close attention to figure that out in the film as we have it now.

 

[Mysterious Benefactor]

And some posts worth revisiting because of something that was revisited in Reply #2255:

...

... I want to remind everyone of something I said back in March:

And before we leave this section of the film, observant people might notice in a few of the captures that there might be something in the tower studio that plays a part in the daytime show's 1995 and Summer of 1970 storylines. I'm not sure if it's exactly the same prop (and I'm too lazy to check). But it looks an awful lot like it, and soon the forum's Watching Project will be getting to 1995, so soon enough we'll see if it's the same...

And now that the WP is in the middle of 1995, those same observant people might have noticed that the prop in NoDS that I was referring to is indeed the same prop used in the 1995 and Summer of 1970 storylines. Can anyone pick it out from this capture of Scene 85's panning from Angelique's unfinished portrait to the extremely amorous Charles and Angelique -

- and mention how it's used on the daytime show? 

Holy Hell, MB.  And to think that THING nearly killed Dr. Julia Hoffman!  All is explained that now that we  know that it was residing in Charles Collins' studio.  Clearly, the thing had had a spell put on it by that relentlessly vicious Witch, Angelique!

EEEE-vil...

G.

Yes, the bust that appears on the table in Charles studio in 1810 and also in several of the captures from Scene 62, like these two -

- was also the bust that fell from the railing of the landing and almost killed Julia in 1995's Ep #1063 -

- as well as the bust Elizabeth put on display in the Summer of 1970's Ep #1089 -

...

 

[Mysterious Benefactor]

Another post worth revisiting even though it's not specifically related to Scene 62:

In honor of today's screen capture in the slideshow showing off the back and side of Carlotta's hair -

- I'm sharing what appear to be some of Edith Tilles' test shots for Carlotta's hairstyle and some photos immortalizing Tilles' work during production of NoDS:

(Click here for a 804X1038 version)

(Click here for a 680X664 version)

All of these photos were shared in the "A Gift of Memory": The Grayson Hall Memorial Collection, put together by Melody Clark and published back in 1987, and they may have also been shared prior in Grayson Hall fanzines...

And you'll no doubt note that the top right photo above was also a part of the page I shared in Reply #148 from the '87 LA Fest Program. But I figured it was a part of the page so why not share it again...

 

[Mysterious Benefactor]

With regard to Scene 63, revisiting what Darren Gross posted on his Restoration Web site:

The following is a list of scenes that are still lost and which are not present in the 129 min version recovered in 1999.

...

INT.LOWER TOWER STAIRS-DAY. Carlotta descends the stairs.

 

[Mysterious Benefactor]

Revisiting how Scene 64 is scripted:

...

64     INT - MASTER BEDROOM - NIGHT                      64        Tracy and Quentin are getting ready for bed.

And that's when today's quote -

Page 26/Scene 64 - Quentin: 'I can't tell you how happy I am with that tower room. It's absolutely perfect.'

- comes up.

And as far as any differences in the dialogue, in the descriptions, or in the directions go, there's no way of knowing because Scene 64 doesn't appear in the film as it stands...

   And as far as today's quote goes, it was October 14th this time around.

Wrapping up Scene 64 and picking up after Quentin's comments about how perfect the tower room is for his studio:

As they get into bed.

And that's when today's quote -

Page 26/Scene 64 - Tracy: 'I know it. We're going to have a long happy life here.'

- comes up, followed in the script by:

They embrace.

And as far as any differences in the dialogue, in the descriptions, or in the directions go, there's no way of knowing because Scene 64 doesn't appear in the film as it stands. And given that in DC's script he has what could actually be an X drawn through the scene (it's drawn strangely), it could even be that the scene was never shot. And if that is the case, I can sort of see why because back in Scene 62 Quentin has already made it clear that he loves the tower room, and back in Scene 40 Tracy has already said that she thinks they'll be happy at Collinwood, so Scene 64 could appear to be redundant. However, there are fans who've often remarked that they would have liked to have seen more happy moments between Quentin and Tracy before everything begins to fall apart. In fact, the DS Companion book references an upcoming scene in that regard (and at least that scene is in the 129 minute version of the film) - but more on that once we come to it...

...

   And so far as today's quote goes, it was indeed today's, October 15th's, this time around.

 

[Mysterious Benefactor]

Revisiting speculation about a still and Scene 64:

...

... potentially contrary to my notation at the bottom of the graphic for yesterday and today -

- I do have a publicity still that *might* be from Scene 64. To me, it's often looked more like Quentin is attacking Tracy (and I could never quite figure out where it could fit into the film because in the script there's no scene in their bedroom where he attacks her when they're dressed for bed) - but I do suppose that it could also be interpreted as a somewhat odd pose of the two of them in mid-embrace. Judge for yourself:

That still could  definitely be interpreted either way. The expression on Selby's face is somewhat ambiguous and we really can't get an accurate read on Kate.

And no doubt you'll recall that the still is #11 in the NoDS Editor's Portfolio.

 

[Mysterious Benefactor]

Revisiting how Scenes 65 & 66 are scripted:

...

DISSOLVE TO: 65     INT - BEDROOM - NIGHT                             65        It is later.  They are sound asleep.  Through the        window the light in the tower starts to glow.        TRUCK IN ON Quentin.  He finally opens his eyes,        quietly rises, and EXITS the room. Cut before he exits 66     INT - BEDROOM - MORNING                           66        They are both in bed.  Quentin is sound asleep.        She is wide awake.  The alarm clock says 10:30.        Finally, she can't stand it anymore and quietly        starts to get out of bed.                              QUENTIN (O.S.)                  Hey!  Where you going?                              TRACY                  I couldn't stay in bed any longer.        He stretches and yawns.                 Why are yo so tired?.                                                      (Revised 3/31/71) 66     CONTD                                         CONTD         66

And that's when today's first quote -

Page 27/Scene 66 - Quentin: 'I didn't sleep too well.'

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

Page 27/Scene 66 - Tracy: 'I've never slept like this before. Now get up.'

- coming up, followed by the script explaining:

She hugs him and starts getting dressed.  TRUCK IN        ON his face.  He tries to remember what happened last        night.

And as far as what's different with the dialogue, the descriptions, and the directions beyond what has already been indicated above, DC's script also has a notation crossing out Tracy's "Why are you so tired?" and replacing it with "I thought you'd never wake", however, because Scene 66 doesn't appear in any version of the film, we have no way of knowing how things may have actually played. On the other hand, while Scene 65 doesn't appear in the film as it stands, it does appear in the 129 minute version...

And as a final note, the final descriptions and directions for Scene 66 are as they appear in DC's script - Grayson's script has an additional line because, as I alluded to before, Scene 67 is a completely different scene in Grayson's script than it is in DC's script and in the film, as is Scene 68 - but we'll get into all that after we've dealt with Scene 68 as it appears in DC's script...

   And as far as "today's" quotes go, they are indeed today's, October 16th's, this time.

 

[Mysterious Benefactor]

With regard to Scene 66, revisiting what Darren Gross posted on his Restoration Web site:

The following is a list of scenes that are still lost and which are not present in the 129 min version recovered in 1999.

...

INT.MASTER BEDROOM-MORNING. Tracy gets up, Quentin in bed.