Happy 50th Anniversary, Night of Dark Shadows

[Mysterious Benefactor]

Revisiting more of how Scene 83 is scripted:

Continuing with Scene 83, beginning with the 9th's quote, which is Claire's reply to Gregory's claim he has a jumper that she'll really like:

Page 33/Scene 83 - Claire: 'Alex won't let me wear those knickers. He said if he had wanted to live with an 1890 newsboy he'd have found one.'

- and that's followed by the 10th's quote -

Page 33/Scene 83 - Gregory: 'God knows where. Obviously he has no sense of style ... Chic. Come to my house next week for a drink and wear them. He'll adore them --'

- coming up, ...

And there's still absolutely nothing to get into when it comes to differences with the dialogue, the descriptions, or the directions because Scene 83 was never shot. ...

   And when it comes to the "9th's quote," it was November 10th's this time around, and so therefore the "10th's quote" is November 11th's, today's.

 

[Mysterious Benefactor]

Revisiting various posts regarding the sharing of the VantageNet posts about the 2001 Vista Theatre's NoDS 30th Anniversary celebration:

I wasn't online back then so I am really appreciating these posts!!!

  I'm happy you're enjoying them.    And I suspect a lot of fans who are online now have never seen them because they weren't online in 2001...

I remember them like it was yesterday.  Once again where have the years - the decades - gone?  I also remember the long-gone AOL DS message board where many from here also posted.  It did, like all other AOL message boards, have troubles with trolls.  There was one odd fellow who followed Heidi Klum as a goddess and, naming her "our lady," he made various prophecies how she was going to take over and rule the world.  Now that could've been a DS storyline.

Once again where have the years - the decades - gone?

I know - it's hard to believe that event took place over 20 years ago.

There was one odd fellow who followed Heidi Klum as a goddess and, naming her "our lady," he made various prophecies how she was going to take over and rule the world.

OMG, I'd completely forgotten about him. Though, sadly, he was hardly the only poster who was living in an alternate reality... Hey, maybe... No, I'm not going there...

 

[Mysterious Benefactor]

Revisiting another post about the VantageNet postings:

Before the next VantageNet posting, there are a few things I want to visit regarding Midnite's NoDS 30th report:

Auntie Foundling soon made an appearance, and as suspected he had changed his appearance drastically-- hair cropped short, and BLONDE. Then Dean joined us, and later we were able to say hello to ... MordecaiGrimes from Tim's DS board.

MordecaiGrimes became a member here soon after this version of the forum was created. Dean also became a member, as did Auntie Foundling, who used many names in fandom, but here he was known as casper_collins. And sadly I say "known" because he passed away in 2018 and if you search his name, you'll find a topic with some wonderful tribute posts. As anyone who knew him will attest, he was truly one of a kind. He, Midnite and I shared some fantastic times together at various Fests. And also sadly, Dean passed away in 2002, just about a year after the NoDS 30th event. You can also find a wonderful tribute topic about him if you search his name. He was quite active and much beloved in fandom and very generous. In fact, the next two posts we'll be sharing links to are posts Midnite made on the VantageNet board to share some of Dean's photos from the NoDS 30th event.

historian Darren Gross was introduced. Darren explained his quest and then regaled us, first with the 7 "explicit" scenes cut to prevent an R rating, and then the formerly lost piano scene (with Angelique in the dress worn in the portrait) and the fabulous séance scene. Lastly, he played the 2-minute trailer which contains glimpses of the lost pool scene and the séance scene in color, woo!

I'm sure most fans are well aware what 7 "explicit" scenes Midnite refers to and what was cut, but just in case there are still some who don't, here's an excerpt from a page Darren posted on his now defunct restoration site:

Strack being trampled to death by Charles' horse includes a few more shots of Strack being trampled, his face covered with gore as well as shots of Charles' horse rearing up. Charles can also be heard to shout, "Up Dubloon !(the name of his horse)Kill! Kill ! Die Strack ! Die ! Die !" The shot of Strack rolling over and dying is extended. There is a closeup of his dead body. The camera then tilts up to a shot of Charles looking down satisfactorily at the body. He then looks off-camera, feeling a presence. The film then cuts to the shot of Angelique's ghost standing in the cemetary as Charles approaches which was retained in the 93.5 minute version.

In Quentin's flashback in the tower, Charles and Angelique's kiss is more explicit. Angelique throws her head back and laughs mockingly as Charles kisses her neck and the unseen Gabriel hammers angrily at the door. GABRIEL: I know she's in there now open the door !(this is also present in the short version, but I have retained it to give the next line context) CHARLES: For more of your dreary moralizing ? You try my patient brother. GABRIEL(pounding, furious): For the last time - open the door !

Angelique's hanging is more explicit. After she is pushed off the scaffold her body jerks and swings as it stops. The hangsmen grab her body to stop it from swaying then grab the rope and use it to pull her body high up in the tree. They tie the rope off. The body swings as the tree branch creaks.

When Quentin attacks Tracy in bed his molestation of her is much more physical and his dialogue more suggestive. Quentin roughly strokes Tracy's chest and violently grabs her breast while she fights him off. QUENTIN: What's the matter, don't you like it anymore ? Quentin grabs her and holds her down violently.

After Claire and Tracy re-enter the cottage, the shot of Gerard lunging at them with a murderous expression on his bloody face lasts a bit longer.

In the truck, Gerard's molestation of Tracy is more explicit. After Gerard muffles her shrieks, he rasps quietly to her: GERARD:Promise not to yell and I'll let you go... He then turns towards her and begins to slowly stroke her leg, her thigh, and her crotch and Tracy begins to kiss him to keep him distracted.

After Gerard falls to his death and his body is seen lying on the railroad tracks, there is a closeup of Gerard's bloody head which is lying tilted back, its mouth gaping open. He is clearly dead. After Alex and Claire join Quentin on the railroad bridge Alex looks at Gerard's body below and says "Looks like the old Bangor local will be running a little late tonight."

And if you've never seen the 2 minute trailer, here's a link:

NIGHT OF DARK SHADOWS (1971) Rare Movie Trailer

You'll also see glimpses of such cut things as Gerard's bloody head, Tracy's dream about Quentin and Angelique making out at the pool house, Strack's trampling, and Angelique's hanging.

...

 

[Mysterious Benefactor]

Revisiting another of Midnite's VantageNet posts about the 2001 Vista Theatre's NoDS 30th Anniversary celebration:

DARK SHADOWS: General Discussion Forum -    12/3/01 2:40:07 AM

 

[Mysterious Benefactor]

And revisiting more of how Scene 83 is scripted:

Continuing with Scene 83, beginning with ... the 11th's quote -

Page 33/Scene 83 - Claire: 'He'll adore the drinks. This is Tracy Collins.'

- coming up, followed by today's quote -

Page 33/Scene 83 - Gregory: 'The lady of the manor? (he bows) Welcome.'

- coming up.

And there's still absolutely nothing to get into when it comes to differences with the dialogue, the descriptions, or the directions because Scene 83 was never shot. Though today I do have to say that even though I think this scene would have been quite amusing no matter who might have played Gregory, of the candidates that have been mentioned, whenever I read the scene for some reason I tend to picture Keith Prentice in the part over Michael Stroka...

   And so far as the '11th's quote" goes, it was the November 12th's this time around, but interestingly enough "today's quote" is indeed today's, November 13th's, quote.

 

[Mysterious Benefactor]

Revisiting some posts regarding who might have played Gregory and other casting tidbits:

I would definitely prefer Keith Prentice to Michael Stroka but my ideal choice for Gregory would have been Louis Edmonds.

...

Oh, Louis would have been a hoot in that role!

I also agree that Keith be preferable to Michael.

Oh, Louis would have been a hoot in that role!

I agree. Though at least from what's been written, it doesn't seem like he was ever in contention.

One thing that was interesting was that when 'Curse' of Dark Shadows was first announced, there was a bit of misinformation as to who would be in it. An article in 16 magazine, which normally had their facts correct when it came to DS, said:


"...the next MGM full length, color Dark Shadows movie. It's called Curse of Dark Shadows (working title) and it stars and features nearly every one of your DS favorites!

Jonathan Frid: It is highly unlikely that you will see Jonathan in the Dark Shadows movie. ... he feels that continuing with the "Barnabas Collins" role in Curse of Dark Shadows will actually stymie him in the quest to resume his serious acting career.

David Henesy: Acting-wise you can be quite sure you'll be seeing David in regular and guest roles on many top TV shows and its just very possible that he will be doing a featured role in Curse of Dark Shadows.

David Selby: At press time, David Selby was trying to make the agonizing decision of whether or not to star in a Sam Shepard play at the American Place Theatre in New York City or to accept a starring role in Curse of Dark Shadows. Both opportunities are equally inviting to David, but since he feels that his future is primarily on the Broadway stage, it's not unlikely that David will ultimately choose to do the Sam Shepard play. However, keep your fingers crossed and wish real hard--and it may be that he will change his mind and we'll soon be seeing him in the Dark Shadows movie!

Dark Shadows regulars you'll be seeing and hearing about are: Jim Storm, who is co-starring in the off off-Broadway play Mad Dog Blue (St. Mark's church Theatre in New York City) and who may be in the movie...Roger Davis, whom you've seen gangs of in such googies as The Movie of The Week The River Of Gold and in guest roles on other top TV shows, is almost definitely in the movie...Grayson Hall (whose husband Sam is writing Curse of Dark Shadows) is a definite for the movie...Christopher Pennock will definitely be in the movie...Lara Parker, will be co-starring in Curse of Dark Shadows...Mike Stroka, is almost definitely in the movie...Also look for Joan Bennett, Jerry Lacy, John Karlen, Kathy Cody and a number of other DS regulars in the movie...Denise Nickerson has gotten a powerful head start in a brand new segment of her acting career--movies and TV starring roles. If you missed her in the Movie of The Week The Neon Ceiling. keep your eyes peeled for her forthcoming motion picture Willie Wonka & The Chocolate Factory...Tom Happer, who was a brief but beautiful DS regular, is still "at large" and hopes you'll soon be seeing him not only back on the tube, but on the big silver screen too!"


Obviously Joan Bennett, David Henesy, Kathy Cody, and Roger Davis were not in the film (and thank heavens for that when it comes to RD). And given the script, one has to wonder who they might have played - but then, perhaps the script wasn't complete at the time the article was published...

I'd completely forgotten that David Selby was choosing between the play and the movie...

And it's interesting that the article doesn't mention Nancy Barrett or Kate Jackson at all...

I wonder if the movie would have happened at all if David Selby had decided to do the Sam Shepard play. They did turn out to be almost right about Jerry Lacy being in the movie, as the script proves later on. Could Cody have been a possibility for Sarah Castle? She was rather old for the part but she was a bit old for Hallie as well.
 I don't remember Nancy Barrett or Kate Jackson getting a lot of coverage in 16.

I've a hunch the basic story for the movie was not settled on until they got firm commitments from the "A-list" actors, so they'd know which actors to create characters for.  The "B-list" actors could be plugged into miscellaneous parts.

 

[Uncle Roger]

Other than Crawlspace and a run on the short lived NBC soap For Richer, For Poorer, Tom Happer doesn't seem to have much of a career.

[Mysterious Benefactor]

   Well, unless he stuck to theater - though I suppose any potential credits there could easily be checked too.

As for NoDS, the only speaking role Happer might have been right for would have been the Hippy, though he could have been one of Stack's or Gabriel's henchmen, I suppose. But of course he didn't get any of the henchmen, and it was apparently Michael Stroka who had a leg up on being cast as the Hippy. Though considering the Hippy sequence was never shot, we'll never know who might have done it...

 

[Uncle Roger]

I did a little research and found a few more credits. He did appear in a couple of episodes of The Blue Knight as a police officer and two episodes of OLTL as a character named Mark Belton in 1980. I was watching OLTL pretty regularly at that time but I have no recollection of that character. His last credit on imdb is as a gigolo in a 1984 movie called Shakin Up.
I was only able to find a couple of off or off off Broadway plays where he had small parts in short run plays. It's certainly possible that he may have done regional theater but that's harder to track.

[Mysterious Benefactor]

Revisiting posts related to the Tarrytown vs. Collinsport issue:

Also, revisiting a comment I made in the previous post, it's interesting how the boutique is described as "a very New York shop" and not "a very New York-like shop". Could it really be that the reason Scenes 81 & 82 are described as being set on a Tarrytown street is because in this film Collinwood is really located in Tarrytown, NY and not in Collinsport, ME?! I don't believe there are actually any references in the script to Collinsport or Maine. Or are the references to Tarrytown and New York simply oversights that crept into the script because they knew they would be shooting at Lyndhurst?

Okay, MB, I was all ready to go with this idea of NODS being set in a parallel universe with Collinwood in Tarrytown instead of Collinsport.  (Mainly because it just feels like it's in a parallel universe anyway.)  But then today's quote threw that idea out the window, at least for me.  Tracy saying that being in the shop makes her feel like she's "back in New York" would be a weird thing to say if she's only 30 miles up the Hudson.

The script definitely sends mixed messages. But like I also said, most likely the references to Tarrytown and New York are simply oversights that crept into the script because they knew they would be shooting at Lyndhurst (which is something they didn't know when hoDS was first written).

Also, there is a reference to Maine in the 129 minute version of the film because after Gerard falls to his death on the train tracks below the bridge, Alex remarks, ""Looks like the old Bangor local will be running a little late tonight." And since that remark refers to a "local" train, chances are very good that places the tracks in Maine. But of course, none of the shopping excursion is in any version of the film. Though if it had been, as we'll see once we get back to how Scene 83 is scripted, if the dialogue for Scene 83 stuck to what's scripted, Tracy has a line in which she comments that Gregory's shop makes her feel like she's back in New York, so that would certainly tend to indicate that the shop couldn't be in New York. (It would have also been another clue (in addition to her knowledge about Burton's Gallery, which Alex will question her about in upcoming Scene 138) that Tracy somehow had a New York past.)

 

[Mysterious Benefactor]

And revisiting yet more of how Scene 83 is scripted:

... Scene 83, beginning with Tracy's comments about Gregory's shop:

Page 33/Scene 83 - Tracy: 'Hi. This makes me feel like I'm back in New York.'

- and that's followed by the 14th's quote -

Page 33/Scene 83 - Gregory: 'Oh, do I have something for you ... it's madness it's so perfect. [He whips out an insane dress.] Could it be more you?'

- coming up...

And there's still absolutely nothing to get into when it comes to differences with the dialogue, the descriptions, or the directions because Scene 83 was never shot. ...

   When it comes to the first quote above, it was November 14th's this time around, and the one that says it's the "14th's quote" is actually today's, November 15th's.

 

[Mysterious Benefactor]

And revisiting even yet more of how Scene 83 is scripted:

... Scene 83 ...

... the 15th's quote -

Page 33/Scene 83 - Tracy: 'It's very me ... but it's completely un-Quentin.

- coming up ...

   When it comes to the "15th's quote" is actually today's, November 16th's, this time around.

 

[Mysterious Benefactor]

Revisiting posts related to yesterday and today's quotes in the slideshow:

...

And I wonder if that "insane dress" Gregory "whips out" and is "so perfect" for and "very" Tracy but "completely un-Quentin" would have been the same dress that Tracy wears in upcoming Scene 88 (as well as the deleted upcoming Scene 87)?

(Click here for a 452X700 version)

True, the script doesn't reference Tracy actually buying it. But then the script doesn't reference Claire buying the dress she wears in Scene 88 (and Scene 87), but Alex reacts to it as if it is new. So...

But if it is the dress, even though it doesn't seem outlandish, it is formal. And yes, formal would definitely seem to be "un-Quentin" because, if we can judge by much of what he wears throughout most of the film, the man has never come across a denim shirt he hasn't fallen in love with and bought. 

I guess that it could be considered outlandish, compared to some of the off the rack stuff from Ohrbach's. Maybe it's just me but I felt that Claire and Alex seemed a lot more hip than Tracy and Quentin.

I guess that it could be considered outlandish, compared to some of the off the rack stuff from Ohrbach's.

So true. Although there is that yellow dress that Liz even wears in hoDS...

Maybe it's just me but I felt that Claire and Alex seemed a lot more hip than Tracy and Quentin.

You have a point. As the film stands, because Scene 82 was never shot, we have no idea that the Jenkins, or at least Claire, met Quentin in Paris, and because Scene 83 was never shot, we have no idea that Tracy seemingly lived in New York City. For all we know as far as Quentin goes, all of his life he remained "around" and "mean and surly" wherever he was born until some point before he met and married Tracy. But at least with Tracy we do learn that she presumably has some exceptional knowledge about Early American artists to the point that Alex seeks her advice about seeing a gallery owner in New York who's an expert on the subject.

 

[Mysterious Benefactor]

Revisiting another of Midnite's VantageNet posts about the 2001 Vista Theatre's NoDS 30th Anniversary celebration:

DARK SHADOWS: General Discussion Forum -    12/3/01 2:41:43 AM

 

[Mysterious Benefactor]

And revisiting yet yet more of how Scene 83 is scripted:

... Scene 83 ...

... the 16th's quote -

Page 33/Scene 83 - Gregory: 'The husband, darling?'

- coming up ...

   When it comes to the "16th's quote" is actually today's, November 17th's, this time around.