Greetings Cousins,

Last weekend I checked out from the Library the new (released August of '06) two-disc release of the 1944 classic Double Indemnity.  I was quite surprised to learn that the set included a 1973 TV-movie remake (of whose existence I had previously been unaware), and even more surprised to find "Kathleen Cody" in the role of Samantha Eggar's stepdaughter, Lola.

Cody has, I think, three scenes in the movie.  The final one makes the biggest splash.  I still find her an irritatingly one-note performer, but for those who admire her work, they'll want to check this out.

G.

Happy Birthday to the master of suave, debonair villainy at its finest!

G.

Maggie's qualifications:  good healthy screams; looks groovy in the latest Governess Chic fashions, vintage '69.

It would have made some sense if Liz had hired Maggie to do DAYCARE for the children, on the presumption that since Maggie had been close to Vicki, Maggie's presence in the house would help ease the trauma of Vicki's disappearance for the kids.  There could have been dialogue along the lines of "I'll ask Maggie if she'd like to come live at Collinwood to help watch the children while I look for a teacher to provide their lessons."  Of course, this would have required hiring another actress to play the teacher, but she could have appeared even more infrequently than Mrs Johnson did...

I quite like the notion of Julia as the Governess.  (*starts pondering scenarios*)

G.

Last night I watched two of Jane Draper's episodes of DS.  She played Suki Forbes in 1795.

It's a testament to Draper's skill that I was actually cruising for Natalie episodes (and yes, fast forwarding through my tape, a practice that I do realize some deplore but I'm just a shameless hussy when it comes to my practice of the Cult of Grayson Hall).  When Suki walked into the Eagle, I hit the play button and commented to my roomie, whose jaw had dropped:  "I just gotta watch Suki do her thing!"

I just love it, too, that Suki had a brand new wardrobe for Day 2 and her arrival at "the Great House."  She was clearly a lady who did things with style (and who knew how to SHOP, even in a dump like 18th century Collinsport!).

I'm really really sorry that Draper did not return in a recurring role.  She's up there with Cavada Humphrey, Elizabeth Eis, Abe Vigoda, Anita Bolster and other Special Guest Players on DS, in my book.

G.

This is what I remember:

a fan has a videotape of it in her/his collection and was going to bring it to a Festival so it could be screened.  But then the fan failed to show up.  Nobody else has ever been able to track down a copy of it.  It may be one of the things that no longer exists in the studio vaults.

I remember reading a detailed description, I would guess by Amanda as Vlad mentioned.  What I recall from that is that the names were switched so that Carolyn was the Mom (who made her living offering piano lessons--perhaps this is why we see Liz playing the piano a couple of times in the very first week or two of shows), and Elizabeth was the daughter.  I think they had the theme of the mother being a recluse and not having left the house in many years.

Did you try searching Art Wallace on the Forum?  That might lead you to it.  The House would probably turn up too many hits to be of use.

G.

Julia DID get her own back by bitch-slapping more people than anybody else at Collinwood.  At last count, besides Dear Dead Cassandra (hahahaha), Julia bitch-slapped Mrs. Johnson, Joe Haskell, and Sabrina.  She may have bitch-slapped Willie at one point, too--I honestly forget.

I sometimes wonder whether bitch-slapping was an approved technique with the American Psychiatric Association, given how frequently Julia used it to help various individuals "calm" themselves...

evilly grinning,

Gothique

Sorry to hear that these are not legit releases, but thanks Darren for letting us know.

A friend of mine turned my old VHS of The Devil's Daughter into a DVD-R, but I held onto the tape, and I'm glad I did so, now that I know about the very limited shelf-life of DVD-R's.

I agree one thousand percent about the need for decent releases of those wonderful old TV movies of the Seventies.  The one I want is The Cat Creature, with fabulous Gale Sondergaard (directed by genre afficionado Curtis Harrington--now something of a legend in his own right).  I bought a bootleg of it on eBay and the qualtiy is beyond shitty.  Watching even that did bring back happy memories, I must confess.

G.