Since no other male fans have spoken up yet about Don the divine, I'll take the initiative.  He has a considerable following amongst the gay DS fans to this day.  One of my dearest friends and I take turns claiming Chris Jennings as our boyfriend whenever he, as it were, comes up.  His shirtless scenes are incredibly exciting.  I guess somebody realized how much his swimmer's physique spiced the show up because there are SEVERAL episodes where he comes in and rips his shirt off!  This was well before the period when all the soaps featured shirtless hunks parading around too.  Once again, DS was a pioneer for those other tired copycat soaps!

There is an interview with Don Briscoe from the early 90s available in the fan-published zine Fangs for the Memories.  He recalled being upset when Dan Curtis was directing the show one day and made him smoke a cigarette on camera--he felt it was setting a bad example for the young viewers of the show. He also recalled being in the cast of the Broadway production of Boys in the Band in 1969 as a career highlight.  At this time the original cast members were doing the film version.  

It's great to see Don remembered here.  

Steve

Hi Raineypark,

Love your post about the anachronisms in the current storyline btw--I foresee that as turning into a very long section.  The Countess' clothing is about 40 years out of date (maybe more, but those dresses were on their way OUT by 1770 for sure--why didn't they put her in a powdered wig?  Maybe the powder gave Grayson a sneezing fit!)  So there's lots to write about on that topic.

I've been a very erratic Festival attendee myself.  The main reason I keep going is because of my friends among the fans.  I do think there is some backbiting or cliquishness as Joe's friend mentioned, but I think if you don't hang out with certain groups of people who mainly keep to themselves, you'd never notice it.  I think this kind of thing was more noticeable back in the 1980s when an event that drew 200 people was big news.  They routinely get 1500 on Saturday alone in NYC and last year's not-previously-announced mail-registration only for Sat. was presumably to circumvent fire code violations due to the crowds who always show up for the New York Festivals.  I think the fandom has really grown now that the show has become a mainstay (and wisely so) on the Sci Fi Channel.  It clearly has an appeal that transcends time!  And DS fandom has a magic that transcends petty fannish squabbling.

So, I hope you encourage your friend to join you at a Festival.  I bet you'll have a great time.  

As for improving the Festivals--the actors I really loved on the show are all dead.  They used to do more skits (I will never forget a marvelous one act thing Marie Wallace did one year) but if the skits are non-DS the fans often don't have much interest.  I was so upset about people coming in and going out and talking during a wonderful performance David Selby did in NYC a few years ago.     There used to be a video room set up where they would screen episodes and rare videos of other projects the actors had appeared in.  Perhaps these features will appear again at future festivals.  I've been meaning for years to approach the Festival committee about doing a tribute to Grayson Hall featuring clips from my collection, but I haven't ever managed to find the time to write up a proposal.  It would be lovely to have one for Thayer David, as well, though presumably fan interest would be smaller in that.  He is one of my top favorite DS thespians ... I do appreciate it that a few others here have written appreciatively about his work, as well.  Jonathan Frid commented once at a Festival about how sweet Thayer was and how he was like everyone's favorite Uncle on set.

Gawd, that was a never ending post!

Cheers, Steve

Thanks for posting this info, Bridget.  I remember that book from my childhood.  Marvelous illos by Maurice Sendak the miraculous one.

Great project for Mr. Selby!  Perhaps a screening can be arranged at the next DS "Festival."

Best,

Steve

So they're starting with Barnabas' introduction?  I hope they start with the first episode of the week Barnabas was released from his coffin; otherwise they'll be stuck with an odd number of episodes at some point when/if they go back and release the pre-Barnabas weeks on DVD.

And let's hope they don't elect to go with the EDITED version of these weeks released on the first 8 or 9 original MPI videos ... you'll miss several of Buzz's scenes if they do that!

Glad I'm not a DVD junkie ... still happy with my DS videos ... let's hope MPI releases some DETAILED, ACCURATE info on this set so folks who pre-order don't wind up with a product that is not up to standard!

Steve

Originally posted by Steve on February 27, 2002 at 09:34:33:
In Reply to: Just Whose Head Is It Anyway? posted by Bob the Bartender on February 27, 2002 at 07:55:23:

Bob, your comments are always a highlight of my visits to this board. What fun!

I personally think the skull belonged to Amanda Harris' Great Aunt Hortense. There was clearly a thing for ratty hairpieces that ran in that family. Plus the jawline shows that Hortense liked to chatter almost as much as Amanda.

Altogether now, one two three: "Qu-wu-wu-woo-woo-wooo-woooooooooENNNNNNTINNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN!!!"

Posted by Steve on February 26, 2002 at 07:36:48:
In Reply to: viki and david posted by sam evans on February 23, 2002 at 08:35:15:

Dear Sam Evans,

I'm sure you'll never see this reply, but, just in case you do visit again, here's my stab at answering your question.

We're not allowed to discuss gossip about the DS actors here, but, as it happens, from what I have read Alexandra and David had a perfectly happy working relationship. I think that there are several reasons why there are hardly any Vicki/David scenes in the 1968 storyline:

(1) Vicki was no longer the focal point of the series; she was a subsidiary focal point, and her story revolved around Barnabas and the dreadful Jeff Clark storyline. Given that Vicki only got so much air time in a season where there was an awful lot going on, she was more likely to have scenes with Barnabas, Jeff, or Liz rather than David.
(2) David was even less in evidence than Vicki during 1968. He doesn't become central to the storyline again until the events leading up to Quentin's first appearance. David H seems to have been taking a hiatus from the series during the storyline currently aired--I believe he doesn't appear at all for several months (and Daniel Collins practically qualifies as a cameo appearance in 1795).

This is the best I can come up with to answer your question. I do believe that Vicki and David are in a couple of scenes together in 1968, but, so far as I can recall, never one on one (or very rarely if that).

Steve

Originally posted by Steve on February 25, 2002 at 10:00:10:

This movie has been shown several times locally, but I've missed it. It did sound interesting, although I heard it was awash in gratuitous violence, which made me wonder whether I would enjoy it.

I'm sorry to see you diss Hanna-Barbera. There was so much more to them than the Flintstones. Jonny Quest, the original 1964 episodes, had some of the best animation ever produced in America, I thought. The remake (as usual with these things) was unwatchable.

Steve