Happy 50th Anniversary, Night of Dark Shadows

[Mysterious Benefactor]

Revisiting this still associated with Scene 102:

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(Click here for a 700X542 version)

And an interesting thing about it is that Gabriel's henchman on the right in the still doesn't seem to be either of the two men who play his henchmen in the film in Scene 101A:

Actually, the mustached henchmen in the film certainly seems to be wearing the shirt that the henchman in the still is wearing - the second henchman in the film is wearing a completely different type of shirt with a collar. Also, unlike the film, nowhere in the still is a flaming torch seen. (Though if you look really closely at the still, you'll notice that the mustached henchmen does actually but just barely make an appearance in the still behind Charles and to his front side...)

And when it comes to this still, the only place I'm aware that it's been shared is on page 233 of the DS Movie Book - though this still is a much better version...

   And no doubt you recall that the still is #28 in the NoDS Editor's Portfolio.

 

[Mysterious Benefactor]

Revisiting comments about the still above:

I may have mentioned this before but the henchman on the right really reminds me of Micky Dolenz.

 

  Yes, now that you mention it, the henchman in the still does look like Mickey Dolenz.

Here's a theory: maybe MD was passing through Tarrytown, he was a big DS fan, he heard they were shooting another DS film at Lyndhurst, he dropped by, and they decided to stick him and not the real extra in the still they were shooting that day. Well, not really. But it would have been a real hoot if it did happen. 

The interesting thing is that different henchmen extras appearing in different things related to the film is something that definitely happened when it comes to an upcoming sequence. But we'll get into that once we reach that part of the script...

 

[Mysterious Benefactor]

Revisiting Scene 103 is scripted:

Moving on to today's scene:

DISSOLVE TO: 103    INT - MASTER BEDROOM - NIGHT                      103        Quentin is clutching his throat, moaning, gasping        for breath.

And that's when today's quote -

Page 44/Scene 103 - Quentin (mumbling in his sleep): 'I can't breathe...I can't...breathe...'

- comes up.

And when it comes to the dialogue, interestingly enough the subtitles on the Blu-ray don't even indicate what Quentin mumbles. It could be what's scripted. But to me it seems more like he mumbles "Help me. ...  Help me." See what you think...

And when it comes to the descriptions and directions, while Quentin does moan and sort of gasp for breath, he doesn't clutch his throat - but he does perspire quite a bit. Also, the sounds of the brick being laid that are referenced at the end of Scene 102 can be heard at the end of that scene, but they really begin to be heard more clearly after the transition to Scene 103.


...

   And when it comes to "today's" quote, it was December 27th's this time around.

 

[Mysterious Benefactor]

Revisiting wrapping up Scene 103:

...

Tracy wakes, stares down at him as he struggles        for his breath.  She shakes him.

And that's when today's quote -

Page 44/Scene 103 - Tracy: 'Quentin...Quentin? What's wrong?'

- comes up, followed by the script continuing with:

He doesn't really wake up but just opens his eyes        for a moment, not really seeing, and then turns        over and goes back to sleep.  She watches him and        when he starts breathing evenly, she lies back as        we TRUCK IN ON HER. Her eyes are wide open.

And when it comes to what's different with the dialogue, Tracy actually just says "Quentin...sweetheart?" without asking what's wrong.

And when it comes to what's different with the descriptions and directions, Quentin doesn't open his eyes at all - what actually happens is that after Tracy is unable to wake him, he simply turns over onto his stomach -  and Tracy rubs his back as apparently his breathing becomes more even - and after that we do see Tracy lie back with her eyes remaining wide open, but the camera doesn't truck in on her - and the scene ends with Tracy looking back over at Quentin.

The interesting thing about Tracy's part of this scene is that in its proper placement in the script, there's far more subtext to Tracy's reactions than is ever realized in the film as it currently stands. On their first night at Collinwood nothing has really been happening with Quentin, so Tracy needn't be all that upset - but quite obviously in the script a great deal has happened with Quentin, including him nearly killing Gerard and trying to strangle Tracy, so she has a great deal to concern her about his behavior. And that will come out in Scene 104, which begins a period of several scenes in the slideshow that don't appear in the film as it currently stands, and in the case of some, not even in the 129 minute version...

   And so far as "today's" quote goes, it was December 28th's this time around.

 

[Mysterious Benefactor]

Revisiting the subtitles/closed captioning for Scene 103:

I've finally gotten back to pointing out issues with the closed captioning and the subtitles. ...

Interestingly, when it comes to Scene 103, the subtitles barely acknowledge anything that takes place during the scene, but the closed captioning acknowledges nearly everything - first up in the closed captioning , Quentin gasping for air -

- then the script indicates that Quentin is supposed to be mumbling, "I can't breathe...I can't...breathe...", but to me it's always sounded like, "Help me. ...  Help me.", and the closed captioning would seem to confirm that -

- and then while trying to wake Quentin, Tracy is scripted to say, "Quentin...Quentin? What's wrong?", but she actually says, "Quentin...sweetheart?", and strangely enough the subtitles only acknowledge Tracy saying -

- so the closed captioning is the only one that acknowledges her saying -

...

(ADMIN: Edited to replace TV video screen captures)

 

[Mysterious Benefactor]

And revisiting two posts regarding the music cue at the end of Scene 103 on the DVD/Blu-ray:

Back in Reply #770 we dealt with a music cue that rightfully plays as part of the VHS version of Scene 24 but doesn't appear in any other video release of the film. Well, today we're dealing with the opposite: a music cue that rightfully doesn't play as part of a scene on the VHS but does in every other release of the film. It's the first such example, though hardly the only one.

Here we have the VHS version:

And here we have the Blu-ray to represent every other version:

Now, the really interesting thing here is that the scene of Tracy in bed trying to comfort Quentin comes up in the 94 and 97 minute versions of the film at the end of Quentin's dream on his first night at Collinwood, however, no such sequence is scripted because the dream is put together from various scenes that should appear at other times in the film. The dream takes place between scripted Scenes 40 and 51, and that scene with Quentin and Tracy is scripted to be Scene 103 - and it tales place in the 129 minute version of the film in its rightful place. So that means that in that version of the film, it's followed by Scene 104, which is the scene in the Dining Room the next morning with Tracy having her coffee and -

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(Click here for a 700X1028 version)

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- Quentin enters wearing the riding outfit that Tracy gave him. So of course that means that the music cue heard on all but the VHS version of the film plays as Scene 103 transitions to Scene 104...

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And the music cue that plays isn't included in the NoDS section of the Movie Soundtracks CD because it's already a part of the hoDS section where it's entitled "Another Victim" - and here's that selection to get a better idea how in the 129 minute version it helps to transition from Scene 103 to Scene 104:

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[Mysterious Benefactor]

Revisiting how the beginning of Scene 104 is scripted:

Setting up the new scene:

104    INT - DINING ROOM - DAY                           104        Tracy is sitting having coffee.  She is in deep        thought as Quentin ENTERS and stands by the door.        He is wearing the riding clothes she bought him.        She looks up.                              TRACY                  How early did you get up? 104    CONTD                                     CONTD   104        Then she notices his outfit.

And that's when today's quote -

Page 45/Scene 104 - Tracy: 'Oh, you're wearing them.'

- comes up.

And there's absolutely nothing to get into when it comes to differences with the dialogue, the descriptions, or the directions because this scene only appears in the 129 minute version of the film. However, DC's script has all sorts of notations regarding camera angles, and for this section of the scene it indicates that the scene opens with a long shot, switches to a close-up of Tracy when she looks up, and then to a 2 shot after she asks Quentin when he got up. Though we can't necessarily expect that any of that is the way the scene actually plays because, as we know from past scenes, the camera shots in the film don't always follow DC's notes. And there was also a notation that Tracy would deliver today's quoted line off screen, but that is erased.

   And so far as "today's quote" goes, it was December 29th's this time around.

 

[Mysterious Benefactor]

Revisiting a post about the graphic for December 29th:

Given that this slideshow originally played over five years ago, you may not realize that today's graphic -

- is a new and improved version from the one that appeared in 2016 -

- and that's because in the ensuing time I came across the actual still and didn't have to rely on the version that was shared in the DS Movie Book on page 177. It's odd how the color photos in that book tend to scan with a yellowish tint, plus they don't scan completely clearly. And the actual still shows more (though all of its appearances in the slideshow's graphics are cropped)...

 

[Mysterious Benefactor]

Continuing to revisit how Scene 104 is scripted -

... beginning with Quentin's reaction to Tracy noticing that he's wearing the riding breeches:

Quentin just looks down and nods.  As he crosses        to her we notice he is limping slightly.  She is        looking down so she doesn't notice.

And that's when today's quote -

Page 45/Scene 104 - Quentin: 'I just came from the stable. I apologized to Gerard.'

- comes up.

And there's absolutely nothing to get into when it comes to differences with the dialogue, the descriptions, or the directions because this scene only appears in the 129 minute version of the film. However, for this section of the scene DC's script notations indicate that there is a medium shot which pans as Quentin crosses to Tracy. Though, as with yesterday's notations, we can't necessarily expect that what DC wrote is the way this portion of the scene actually plays because, as we know from past scenes, the camera shots in the film don't always follow DC's notes.

It's also interesting that this scene is the first indication that Charles is beginning to take hold of Quentin during Quentin's waking hours - and not just with his limping, as we'll see as the scene progresses...

   And as far as "today's quote" goes, it was December 30th's this time around.

 

[Mysterious Benefactor]

Revisiting a post about the graphics for Scene 104:

The slideshow will show 8 graphics (over a period of 7 days) using the color still for Scene 104, but as I pointed out, they will all be cropped versions of the still (some more cropped than others), so the graphics will never show the full still. So, with that in mind, here's the full still:

Actually, it was already revisited in Reply #2465.

But just because there are 8 graphics using the color still, that doesn't mean that Scene 104 will end when they do because after the color still, the graphics will switch over to using a B&W still from the scene. But more on that in January...

 

[Mysterious Benefactor]

Continuing to revisit more of how Scene 104 is scripted:

... beginning with yesterday's quote -

Page 45/Scene 104 - Tracy: 'Quentin...I think we should see a...doctor.'

- coming up, followed by the script explaining:

He thinks about it for a minute.

And that's when today's quote -

Page 45/Scene 104 - Quentin: 'I don't know. Let me think about it.'

- comes up.

And there's still absolutely nothing to get into when it comes to differences with the dialogue, the descriptions, or the directions because this scene only appears in the 129 minute version of the film. However, for this section of the scene DC's script notations indicate that there's a close-up of Tracy when she delivers her lines, and there's a shot over Tracy's shoulder of Quentin when he delivers his. But again, we can't necessarily expect that's actually the way things play because the camera shots in the film don't always follow DC's notes.

   And when it comes to "yesterday's quote," it was on December 31st this year, and of course "today's quote" was on January 1st this time.

 

[Mysterious Benefactor]

Moving on with revisiting how Scene 104 is scripted:

... beginning with Tracy's reply to Quentin:

TRACY                  Why think about it?  After what                  happened last night we don't                  have a choice.  Let me ask Car-                  lotta about a doctor.        He gets up and starts to pace.  She notices the limp.

And that's when today's quote -

Page 45/Scene 104 - Tracy: 'What's wrong with your leg.'

- comes up.

And there's still absolutely nothing to get into when it comes to the differences with the dialogue, the descriptions, or the directions because this scene only appears in the 129 minute version of the film. Though it is the case that in the script Tracy's quoted line does indeed end with a period rather than a question mark. And for this section of the scene DC's script notations indicate that there's a 2 shot of Tracy and Quentin while she points out that they don't have a choice and she wants to ask Carlotta about a doctor, and then when Quentin paces/limps he moves toward the camera. But again, we can't necessarily expect that's actually the way things play because the camera shots in the film don't always follow DC's notes.

   And so far as "today's quote" goes, it was on January 2nd this time around.

 

[Mysterious Benefactor]

Moving on with revisiting how Scene 104 is scripted:

... beginning with Quentin's reaction/reply to Tracy:

For a moment he doesn't hear her.

And that's when yesterday's quote -

Page 45/Scene 104 - Quentin: 'What?...oh...I took a ride over to the Mill this morning and that stupid horse...threw me. It'll be OK. Don't worry.'

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

Page 45/Scene 104 - Tracy: 'I asked you not to ride Ulysses.'

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

Page 45/Scene 104 - Quentin: 'I wasn't. It was Dubloon.'

- coming up.

And there's still absolutely nothing to get into blah, blah, blah. And for this section of the scene DC's script notations indicate that before Quentin delivers yesterday's quote, the camera pans up to a close-up of him, which then changes to a medium shot when Tracy brings up Ulysses, and then after Quentin says it wasn't (Ulysses), he turns to Tracy before he says it was Dubloon (and as we will recall, Dubloon was Charles' horse - boom Boom BOOOOM!). But again, we can't necessarily expect that's actually the way things play because the camera shots in the film don't always follow DC's notes.

   And when it comes to "yesterday's quote," it was indeed yesterday's, January 3rd's, so therefore, when it comes to "today's" quote, they are indeed today's, January 4th's.

 

[Mysterious Benefactor]

Continuing to revisit how Scene 104 is scripted:

Moving on with Scene 104, beginning with Tracy attempting to bring the subject of a doctor back:

TRACY                  What about the doctor?        He comes to her, ignoring the question. 104    CONTD (2)                             (2) CONTD   104                              QUENTIN                  Do you still love me?                              TRACY                  I still love you, yes.        They look at each other.

And that's when today's quote -

Page 46/Scene 104 - Tracy: 'Quentin, maybe it's this house. Maybe we don't belong here. You know, we don't have to stay.'

- comes up.

And there's still absolutely nothing to get into when it comes to the differences with the dialogue, the descriptions, or the directions because this scene only appears in the 129 minute version of the film.

   And as far as "Today's quote" goes, it is indeed today's, January 5th's.

And it really doesn't matter that Quentin wasn't all that eager to see a doctor because a doctor wouldn't have known what was happening with him, well, unless he saw a doctor like PT's Cyrus Longworth, who conveniently also knew a lot about the supernatural when PT Quentin went to see him.    But regardless of how pointless it would have turned out to be to see one, it could have given another DS actor the chance to appear in a small role, like Humbert Allen Astredo did as the doctor in hoDS...

 

[Mysterious Benefactor]

And wrapping up revisiting how Scene 104 is scripted:

... beginning with today's first quote -

Page 46/Scene 104 - Quentin: 'Look, in the light of day the whole thing seems completely ridiculous. [He sits next to her.] Why don't we at least give it the day and we'll talk about it this afternoon.'

- coming up, followed by the script explaining:

She thinks for a moment and then sees the sense in what he is saying.  She nods.

And that's when today's second quote -

Page 46/Scene 104 - Quentin: 'And -- I'll think about that doctor.'

- comes up.

And there's still absolutely nothing to get into when it comes to the differences with the dialogue, the descriptions, or the directions because this scene only appears in the 129 minute version of the film. And as far as the notations in DC's script go, the camera starts with a medium shot of Quentin and then trucks to a close-up of Tracy. But of course, we can't necessarily expect that's the way things actually play because the camera shots in the film don't always follow DC's notes.

And tomorrow's slideshow begins a sequence that doesn't appear in any version of the film...

   And when it comes to "today's" quotes, they are indeed today's, January 6th's.