St. John in Exile

[KMR]

I just got the DVD of St. John in Exile through SwapaDVD. I have been very curious about this, because I never see it mentioned in anything talking about Dan Curtis' works. I haven't watched it yet (just played it through in fast-forward to check to make sure the disc is playable).

This is a video presentation of a one-man stage play starring Dean Jones as St. John the Apostle. The play is not directed by DC, but the video version of it is. I'm curious to see if there are any recognizable DC touches, like nosecam shots. 😁

I did look at the DC bio on the disc, and it totally leaves out anything about DS, even though that is DC's most widely-known work. Not surprising, I guess, given the expected target audience.

I think this is the only DC work I'm aware of that isn't a Dan Curtis Production. It's copyrighted by DJ Productions (Dean Jones, obviously). I wonder if Jones asked Curtis to direct the video as a favor? It's very much outside all the rest of DC's ouevre. (Well, I guess Our Fathers maybe sort of comes close...)

[Mysterious Benefactor]

It's not surprising to me because I'm hardly a DC fan, but I've never heard of this. It's fascinating to me that you have.    What I have heard of, though, are DC's When Every Day Was the Fourth of July and its sequel The Long Days of Summer, both of which starred Dean Jones. Chances are the fact that Jones worked with DC on those films is why he had DC direct the play's video version.

I'm curious to see if there are any recognizable DC touches

If you start to see, uh, shot-for-shot "reworkings" of some of DC's other directing efforts, you'll definitely know he directed the play. 

[Philippe Cordier]

"The play is not directed by DC, but the video version of it is."

Did the DC version air on TV, or was this just produced for the videotape/DVD market? From what you say I assume this DVD version was not taped from a stage performance but done on a soundstage?

[KMR]

I guess my original post was worded ambiguously. This is a taping of a stage performance. I haven't really watched it yet, aside from seeing images flying by during fast-forwarding, but I assume it was on the same stage used for a live performance but without having the audience present. DC's directing duties were likely in regard to camera placement, editing, etc. Dean Jones' performance itself was directed by the stage director. The recording seems produced for the home video market.

[Patti Feinberg]

Has anyone seen this yet?

Patti

[Philippe Cordier]

Apparently this was filmed in a church in Van Nuys, according to a customer review on Amazon. A promotional blurb reads: "Emmy award winning director, Dan Curtis directs St. John in Exile with great skill and awesome power."