Happy 50th Anniversary, Night of Dark Shadows

[Mysterious Benefactor]

Revisiting how DC's version of Scene 79 is scripted:

Dealing with ... DC's script's version of Scene 79 (yes, Scenes 79 & 80 are more instances where scenes are somewhat different in DC's and Grayson's scripts):

79     INT - UPSTAIRS CORRIDOR - DAY                               79        as Quentin runs TOWARD CAMERA and pulls open a door to        one of the bedrooms.

And that's when today's quote -

Page 30/Scene 79 - Carlotta (O.S.): 'Did you wish something, Mr Collins?'

- comes up - however, in DC's script it's seen as:

Oh Mr Collins you startled me             CARLOTTA (O.S.) Did you wish something, Mr Collins?  I was just straightening up the room

And when it comes to what's different with the dialogue, DC's changes are indeed what Carlotta actually says in Scene 79. Though what's interesting is that the changes aren't written in when it comes to Grayson's script. She simply has two notations: one that says "Busy in the room" and another that says "He's not ready yet -"

And when it comes to what's different with the descriptions and directions, ... - and when it comes to Scene 79, Quentin doesn't run toward the camera or pull open a door to one of the bedrooms because as we can see in the following captures -

- Quentin is actually seen running up the stairs -

- as the camera pans with him as he makes his way to the bedroom -

- and once inside the bedroom he picks up a doll that has somehow fallen to the floor, the same doll that Sarah was holding.

...

And it's also worth noting that this is the only sequence in the script that isn't actually passed over when the film as it stands now jumps from Scene 62 to Scene 84 - it (including Scene 80) simply appears right after the sequence that begins with Scene 84 and runs through Scene 86...

   And so far as "today's quote" goes, it is indeed today's, October 30th's, quote.

 

[Mysterious Benefactor]

Revisiting how the beginning of DC's version of Scene 80 is scripted:

...

80     INT - SARAH'S ROOM                                          80        It is obviously a child's room.  Carlotta stands on        the other side of the four poster bed.  She is        straightening the stuffed animals that are propped        there. 80     CONTD                                             CONTD     80

And that's when today's quote -

Page 30A/Scene 80 - Quentin: 'I saw a little girl in that window.'

- comes up.

And when it comes to the difference in the dialogue, Quentin actually says "I saw a little girl standing here by the window."

And when it comes to what's different with the descriptions and directions, we don't see Carlotta straightening any stuffed animals because what actually happens is that after he's picked up the doll, Quentin walks over to Carlotta, who's on the other side of the fourposter bed, as described in the script, and she takes the doll from him before he tells her about seeing the little girl. Also, as we saw in the last capture in yesterday's post, the bed has several dolls strewn across it.

And as we saw with the description of Scene 75 and now with Scene 80, the script leaves little doubt that this second floor room was indeed Sarah's. Perhaps she enjoyed special status because she was so close to Angelique.

And there's already quite a bit that's different in DC's script from the way things are in Grayson's, but there's going to be so much more, so I'll get into all the differences after we deal with all of Scene 80 as it appears in DC's script...

   And as far as today's quote goes, it is indeed today's, October 31st's, quote this time around.

 

[Mysterious Benefactor]

Revisiting a bit more of how DC's script's version of Scene 80 is written:

... beginning with Carlotta's reply to Quentin's claim to having seen a little girl in the window:

CARLOTTA                  Little girl?        Quentin crosses to the window and looks out.                            QUENTIN                  I was outside --                            CARLOTTA                  I know.

And that's when today's quote -

Page 30A/Scene 80 - Carlotta: 'I saw you from the window.'

- comes up.

And when it comes to what's different with the dialogue, Carlotta actually questions with "A little girl?" - and Quentin actually replies with "Yes, I was outside --" - to which Carlotta begins to respond by saying "Yes, I know."

And when it comes to what's different with the descriptions and directions, while Quentin crosses out of frame toward the window, we don't actually see Quentin look out it because the camera remains on Carlotta and, as can be seen in today's capture -

- actually pushes in on a close-up of her as she looks at Quentin very closely.

And there are notations in both DC's and Grayson's scripts for this section:

DC writes that the camera will stay on Carlotta, which is obviously how it was shot - but he also writes that we will see Quentin's P.O.V. outside when he looks out the window, which is not how it was shot. The two notes would seem to contradict each other, so who knows?

And Grayson writes a notation along the top of the page of her script that Quentin is still something, but the rest gets cut off in the copy of the script that I have () - but she also writes that Carlotta will react with great tolerance to what Quentin is telling her.

   And so far as "today's quote" goes, it is indeed today's, November 1st's, quote this time around.

And with regards to the notation Grayson writes along the top of the page of her script, I've since discovered that she says, "He's still too much in this world." However -

...

... when it comes to Grayson's notation that Carlotta is doing something with great tolerance, I'd interpreted it as it being her reaction, but for the life of me I can't decipher the actual first word beyond it looking like there might be three i's in it:

...

 

[Mysterious Benefactor]

Revisiting some posts regarding the screen capture revisited in reply #2297 and Scene 80 itself:

That is a very cool shot of Grayson in that scene.

My theory about this scene, for what it is worth, is that Carlotta had actually been recalling her past life as Sarah Castle when Quentin saw Sarah's apparition briefly.  And that the dolls were a kind of psychometric focus for this.  Just as the locket Carlotta wore was another kind of focal point, though not one that was ever explained properly in the final cut of the film.  (There's one scene, of course, that does explain it, but you have to pay really close attention and connect some dots to get this.)

I have the same take on it as you do. And while I've held that opinion all along, the interesting thing is that as many times as I've watched NoDS, I've never noticed that there is actually some evidence, even in the film as it currently stands, that may indeed point to it. But I'll hold off getting into it all until later in the script. (And in my defense, what I'm referring to is something that could be easily missed. I only noticed it this time around because, with the slideshow, I'm repeatedly seeing scenes to pick out the captures. But as I often say with the regard to the original series, no matter how many times I watch it, I always somehow manage to catch something new with every viewing...)

What an interesting theory, Gothick!

This slideshow is so amazing--thank you, MB!  It's making me want to watch the movie yet again.  (And I am so glad that I have it on Blu-ray, which is really quite stunning.  The photography and performances in this film are exceptional, and the Blu-ray really brings that out even more.  Now, c'mon Warner Bros., greenlight the director's cut restoration ASAP!!!)

This slideshow is so amazing--thank you, MB!

Thank you, KMR.    But I can't take full credit for it because Midnite was very closely involved in the decision to do it, and every other month she picks out the quotes. In fact, April is her month, so everything you'll see this month will be inspired by her. 

   When it comes to what were the April of 2016 quotes, they run from November 2nd to December 1st this time around.

 

[Mysterious Benefactor]

Revisiting yet more of how DC's script's version of Scene 80 is written:

It's interesting that the quote from the script for today is:

Page 30A/Scene 80 - Quentin: 'But I didn't see you. I saw a child...holding a teddy bear...'

Though as we know, what Quentin actually says in the film is "But I didn't see you. I saw a child...holding a doll...", and that's exactly what we saw him see. Apparently at some point after the script was written, it was changed to a doll. And honestly I think that works out better for what I'm holding off on getting into until later on. But what's also interesting is that in Grayson's version of the script, originally there was no dialogue referencing Sarah as holding anything - and as we'll see when I post Grayson's version of Scene 80, the holding of a teddy bear is something that was added by hand. So, apparently, first Sarah wasn't necessarily holding anything, then it was a teddy bear, then finally it became a doll.

And as far as DC's script goes, he has a notation that Quentin would turn to Carlotta before he delivers today's quote, and that's exactly what he does before he delivers the reworked version of the quote. However, DC also had some other notation - but he erased it so well that it's hard to decipher what he'd originally written - but if one really does look closely, it seems to be an intent to have panned to a close-up of Carlotta after Quentin turned to her and then to have panned to his close-up. And with the exception of panning to Carlotta's close-up (which will be dealt with when we discuss tomorrow's quote), that's pretty close to how things play out, so who knows why DC erased it?

   And when it comes to "the quote from the script for today," it is indeed for today, November 2nd, this time around.

 

[Uncle Roger]

Not that any version of DS is noted for historical accuracy but the term "teddy bear" comes from President Theodore Roosevelt who held office nearly a century after the events of NODS.

[Mysterious Benefactor]

   Perhaps finally realizing Teddy Bears (or seemingly any stuffed bear toy) didn't exist in 1810 is why they ultimately switched to a doll. Who knows? Though I'm actually surprised, given how well-read he was, that Sam Hall didn't instantly realize how anachronistic it would have been for Sarah to have a Teddy Bear. Though, given no reference to a Teddy Bear was originally in the script until it was added by hand and then subsequently included in DC's version of the script, maybe a certain not so well-read person came up with the Teddy Bear idea and insisted on it, well, until he was finally convinced otherwise. Though, perhaps it could have been as simple as, because they couldn't get an early period Teddy Bear and perhaps even had to go with dolls, that's why Sarah held one when Quentin and Charles glimpse her in the window and Sarah's room was filled with dolls. I suppose we'll never know...

 

[Uncle Roger]

Perhaps it would go into the same toy box as Nora Collins' Raggedy Ann doll .

[Mysterious Benefactor]

Well, perhaps we're not looking at any of this from the right perspective. After all, the Collinses are a rich and powerful family. It's quite possible that they and those associated with them could have had things more than a decade, if not 100 years before the rest of the world simply because of the Collins prestige and a possible ability to be way ahead of the trends. Then there's also those dang I Ching wands which might have allowed members of the family to travel back and forth through time. 

Then again, maybe we are correct to carp about their actual and even thankfully avoided anachronistic slips. After all, we all know that a certain someone didn't give a damn about them, mainly because he continually discounted the intelligence of his audience. Well, guess what, we are intelligent enough to notice, so sadly for him carping is the direct result of discounting our intelligence...

At least when it comes to the idea that a Teddy Bear could have been seen in NoDS, it was ultimately corrected before things were actually filmed that way. Unfortunately, seeing a Raggedy Ann doll in 1897 when the character wasn't created until 1915 and wasn't widely marketed until 1918 is another story. Well, except for maybe those I Ching wands. 

 

[Mysterious Benefactor]

Revisiting the wrapping up of DC's script's version of Scene 80:

... beginning with Quentin's followup action to claiming to have seen girl holding a "teddy bear":

He looks around the room.

And that's when yesterday's quote -

Page 30A/Scene 80 - Carlotta: Yes, this is a little girl's room. It was Mrs. Stoddard's when she was a child. It must have been a trick of light.'

- comes up, followed by the script continuing with:

FLASH CUT - LITTLE GIRL IN THE WINDOW        as he remember's what he saw.        QUENTIN - CLOSE-UP                            QUENTIN                  Yes , it must have been.        Then not knowing what else to do                            QUENTIN                  Well  I'd better get to work.        He EXITS toward the tower as she stands there watching        him go.

End of scene.

And when it comes to what's different with the dialogue, after mentioning the girl, Quentin actually asks "This was a child's room, wasn't it?" - to which Carlotta actually replies "Yes, it was. It was Mrs. Stoddard's when she was a little girl," and then there's a pause before she adds "It must have been a trick of the light."

And yes, there is an extra space in the script between "Yes" and the comma - and yes, there's no comma or period after "Well".

And when it comes to what's different with the descriptions and directions, Quentin doesn't actually look around the room - and interestingly enough, it's Carlotta who's in close-up when Quentin asks if the room was a child's room - but things return to a two shot when Carlotta answers that the room was once Mrs. Stoddard's - and as Carlotta finishes with that remark and as she offers that it must have been a trick of the light, the camera does indeed pan to Quentin as DC's erased notation once indicated that it would - and does Quentin really remember what he saw? - and DC also has a few other notations, like how Carlotta will be in close-up after Quentin recalls what he saw (and the way she looks at him, with a tilt of the head, seems to speak volumes), how Quentin will then be in close-up as he agrees it must have been a trick of the light (though in reality he's in more of a medium shot), and how as he exits the room, the camera would pan to Carlotta - however, we don't actually see Quentin exit the room in the direction of the tower because the camera doesn't actually pan from Quentin because it goes right to a close-up of Carlotta and we simply see Quentin's chest and left arm pass briefly in front of her face as she closely watches him leave.

And Grayson's script also has notations for this section of the scene, but I'll hold off getting into them until I post her script's version of Scene 80...

   And so far as "yesterday's quote" goes, the quote is actually today's, November 3rd's, this time around.

 

[Mysterious Benefactor]

Examining the subtitles/closed captioning for Scene 80:

As already discussed, Carlotta's originally scripted "Did you wish something, Mr Collins?" is completely changed to "Oh, Mr Collins, you startled me. I was just straightening up the room." - and both the closed captioning -

- and the subtitles -

- reflect that - also reflected by the closed captioning is that they also only appear on screen while Carlotta is off screen - however, when it comes to the subtitles, as can be seen above, the digital subtitles' version of Carlotta's second line does continue to be displayed, and the Blu-ray's version displays for even a bit longer -

- before it starts to fade.

More to come...

 

[Mysterious Benefactor]

Examining more of the subtitles/closed captioning for Scene 80:

After Quentin tells Carlotta he was outside, she replies,  "Yes, I know. I--I saw you from the windows." - but both the subtitles and the closed captioning don't acknowledge the pause between saying the I's -

And revisiting how a line was completely dropped by the closed captioning:

...

And speaking of the subjects of the little girl and the room, the close captioning leaves out another bit of dialogue - after Quentin asks, "This was a child's room, wasn't it?" in the film, Carlotta replies, "Yes, it was," and then follows that with, "It was Mrs. Stoddard's when she was a little girl" - but when it comes to the closed captioning the "Yes, it was" is dropped and only that latter part is presented -

...

(ADMIN: Reply #823 has been edited to replace a TV video screen capture)

 

[Mysterious Benefactor]

Revisiting Grayson's script's versions of Scenes 79 & 80:

...

79     INT - UPSTAIRS CORRIDOR - DAY                      79        as Quentin RUNS TOWARD CAMERA and pulls open a        door to one of the bedrooms.                              CARLOTTA                  Did you wish something, Mr.                  Collins? 80     Carlotta ENTERS THE SHOT from the room.            80                              QUENTIN                  I saw a little girl - in that                  window. 80     CONTD                                     CONTD    80                              CARLOTTA                  Little girl?                              QUENTIN                  I was outside --                              CARLOTTA                  I know.  I saw you from the window.                              QUENTIN                  But I didn't see you.  I saw a                  child -- holding a teddy bear --                              CARLOTTA                  There's been no one here but me.    Yes, this is                  It must have been a trick of   a little girl's                  the light.                 room  It   was        FLASH CUT - LITTLE GIRL IN THE WINDOW Mrs. Stoddards when                                                she was   a child        as he remember's what he saw.        QUENTIN - CLOSE-UP                              QUENTIN                  Yes, it must have been.        Then not knowing what else to do                  Well, I'd better get to work.        He EXITS toward the Tower as she stands there watching        him go.                You'll understand later                                                youre                                                  almost                                                    ready

End of scene.

Notice that:

• As I alluded to in an earlier post, in Grayson's script there's no indication that Carlotta's line in Scene 79 was changed.
• Missing from her script in Scene 80 is the identification of the room as Sarah's - Carlotta simply enters the shot.
• Also missing from her script is the whole explanation of where Carlotta is in the room and what she's doing - as I also mentioned in an earlier post, Grayson simply added a notation to her script that she would be busy in the room, but in later copies of the script the directions and descriptions specifically say she's straightening the room, even though it was supposedly stuffed animals.
• And also missing from her script is the indication that Quentin crosses to the window and looks out (the second half of which isn't seen, anyway).
• And as I also mentioned in an earlier post, the idea that Sarah was holding a teddy bear is written into her script but is actually incorporated into Quentin's dialogue in later copies of the script.
• And also missing from her script is the indication that Quentin would look around the room after bringing up the teddy bear (though he doesn't actually look around the room in the film, anyway).
• And it's very interesting that they dropped Carlotta's explanation that there hadn't been anyone in the room but her. Perhaps they felt that might have given away too much too soon, so that's why it was replaced by the Mrs. Stoddard's childhood room excuse?

 

[Mysterious Benefactor]

Even though they get into something that we've just recently gotten into this time around, here are two 2016 posts regarding the Teddy Bear issue:

It's interesting that the quote from the script for today is:

Page 30A/Scene 80 - Quentin: 'But I didn't see you. I saw a child...holding a teddy bear...'

Though as we know, what Quentin actually says in the film is "But I didn't see you. I saw a child...holding a doll...", and that's exactly what we saw him see. Apparently at some point after the script was written, it was changed to a doll.

I'm supposing (hoping) that the teddy bear was changed to a doll because otherwise it would have been rather anachronistic.  What Quentin saw in his vision was something that happened around hundred years before the development of teddy bears.  (And commercially produced stuffed toys didn't appear until just a couple decades or so before the teddy bear.)

I didn't even think of that, KMR - in 1810 Teddy Roosevelt wouldn't even be born for something close to 40 years! Having Sarah holding a teddy bear would have been very wrong!! Plus, like I said, I think a doll just works so much better (and for a variety or reasons that we'll be getting into later).

 

[Mysterious Benefactor]

Revisiting the start of the new sequence with Scene 81 and moving into Scene 82:

...

CUT TO: 81     EXT - TARRYTOWN STREET - DAY                                81        Claire, driving along the street.

And that's when yesterday's first quote -

Page 30A/Scene 81 - Claire: 'So everything is perfect?'

- comes up, followed by the script continuing with:

81     CONTD                                             CONTD     81

And that's when yesterday's second quote -

Page 31/Scene 81 - Tracy: (tentatively) 'Yes.'

- comes up, followed by the script explaining:

Claire picks it up.

And that's when yesterday's third quote -

Page 31/Scene 81 - Claire: 'It isn't perfect?'

- comes up, followed by the script continuing with:

81     CONTD                                     CONTD    81                              TRACY                  Well, it is but I'm a little                  concerned about Quentin.  I don't                  think he's getting a lot of work                  done.                              CLAIRE                  What's he doing?                                              CUT TO: 82     EXT - TARRYTOWN STREET - DAY                       82        as they walk along looking in the windows.

And that's when today's quote -

Page 32/Scene 82 - Tracy: 'It's not that he doesn't try. He goes to his tower every day but not much really happens.'

comes up.

And there's absolutely nothing to get into when it comes to differences with the dialogue, the descriptions, or the directions because nothing here was ever shot.

   And as far as "yesterday's" quotes go, they were November 4th's quotes this time around, and when it comes to "today's quote," it was November 5th's this time around.