The 1953 classic Queen Bee gives an idea of what JC would have been like as Liz.  A very different kind of matriarch but one full of imperious grandeur and in full possession of her personal authority over her beleaguered family.  I would say that Joan C's performance in that film illustrates just why she would not have been good casting for Liz.  Casting is not so much about ability as it is about nuance, personality and something imponderable we call "fit" for lack of any more articulate way of expressing it.

A major difference between our Joan and Joan C is that our Joan did have a background in theater and occasionally went on what she called "buck and truss" tours (I would guess in the 1950s and early 1960s when work had dried up due to the negative impact of the Walter Wanger scandal on her career).  She came from a theatrical family with a solid history in the craft.  I would say that that was what gave Joan the wherewithal to sail through her scenes with such quietly grounded focus even when her lines weren't perfect on DS.  As I've shared before, Nancy Barrett did tell me once how terrified Joan would look at moments when they were standing next to one another in the middle of a scene and Joan had suddenly dried.  But somehow, the camera never caught that.  I always felt that Joan, like Jonathan, made her difficulty with lines work in how she expressed the character of Liz.  The words not always being exact became, somehow, an expression of the iron will of an indomitable woman.  And we loved her for that.

G.

That's a sweet memory, MB. 

G.

I'm much more excited by the news that hit last month that Eva has been cast as Virginia Woolf, opposite Gemma Arterton (if I'm remembering that second name correctly) as Vita Sackville-West, in a new film about the love affair between these two celebrated authors.  The focal point is the period when Virginia was writing ORLANDO:  it was written as a love letter to Vita, and in Virginia's mind, Vita WAS Orlando.

G.

Fans, this announcement was made on Herbie J. Pilato's Facebook page a few hours ago:

Look for Lara Parker, along with Kathryn Leigh Scott and David Selby, for a special tribute to "Dark Shadows" on a future episode of "Then Again with Herbie J Pilato" - coming soon to Decades TV.


Mr. Pilato appears to be some kind of retro celebrity--the name is vaguely familiar.  I don't know anything about the series.  Perhaps a more specific announcement about the broadcast date will come via Shadowgram at some point.

Best,

G.

Jonathan mentions the Gramercy Park hotel a couple of times, so I presume that it was a popular place for Thayer to visit, and he may indeed have gathered there with other DS cast members from time to time.  It sounds as if Grayson and Sam would have loved it, as well as Louis and Joan and others.  I found this note on Wikipedia about it:

"In 1958 Herbert Weissberg, a prominent New York hotel owner, bought the hotel. He added a gift shop, doubled the size of the bar and gave tenure to Pinky, the beloved hotel bellhop. Guests were drawn to its bohemian character, low prices and locale. The hotel's reputation for discretion attracted such musicians as Bob Marley and Bob Dylan in the 1970s. The Canadian and Chicago part of the first cast of Saturday Night Live stayed in the hotel during the show's premiere and Paul Shaffer, the show's original bandleader, continued to live in the annex for another 16 years. Other former residents include character actress Margaret Hamilton, actor Matt Dillon, and playwright David Mamet. Other notable guests include the Clash, Madonna, Debbie Harry, and David Bowie."

About ten years ago someone made a documentary about this hotel, I think mainly focused on its cultural significance. 

G.

Here's a reminiscence Thayer David's nephew, Jonathan Vincent, posted a couple of years ago of Valerie French, Thayer's wife.  (Note: Jonathan calls Thayer "David" because that was actually his given name--David Thayer Hersey.)

Jonathan (Vincent) recalls Thayer's wife, Valerie French:
"She was a B movie vixen. English. Lovely. We spoke the same language.
She died around 1991 of leukemia. She was blonde and busty. Really pretty, but also classy. I loved chatting with her. She'd keep me up all night. Val wore a blonde wig when I knew her. I don't know what her real hair color was. She also wore a corset and a stylized bra. Despite the fact that she was English, she was very easy going and not overly proper. She was funny and sassy. I really liked her. She was more outgoing than David. She liked to entertain and do tea with me. I'm half British so of course I like people who do tea time. We did tea a lot in the sun parlor. Very lovely person, Val."

Best, G.

I think the occasion was Thayer's marriage to Valerie French, which happened in 1969.

G.

Fans, last Saturday was Thayer David's birthday, and his nephew Jonathan posted these memories on the Thayer David fan club Facebook page.  I thought those who don't do Facebook might enjoy reading this because it is such a vivid portrait of an actor many of us just adore.

Best, G.

From Jonathan Vincent on Thayer David:

I think of all his roles, he liked playing Professor Stokes the most. It was the character that was closest to his real personality (he was my uncle). The mid-Atlantic/British accent was real and he didn't stray from it. A product of the time, and the theater. He also liked playing the villains. It's too bad he died before Nero Wolfe got past the pilot stage. It was picked up... by ABC if I recall. He was really happy about it, and he was going to remarry his ex wife, Valerie French. As it is now, so was it in the 60s and 70s that even many famous actors used to have to work very hard to piece a life together. Most of his time outside of DS, he was from play to play or character parts in films. It took a toll on him. He was a big guy, and liked rich savory things, like a pipe, red wine, and hearty food. He died peacefully in his NYC apartment in an armchair, while reading a book. His home was museum-like. Mostly Victorian portraits, canes, and gothic furniture. I've enjoyed hearing his fans express satisfaction that he really was very much like his screen persona. In fact, he often ad libbed or rewrote his dialog on DS for accuracy, and because those were a lot of lines to memorize over night. He liked to talk, but was often lost in thought, as well. When he was at our family home in Massachusetts, he liked to unwind in relative solitude in his room. It was usually after he came off a project, and he was tired. After a few days, he'd emerge for Sunday dinner and fascinate all of us with his stories. Like many of his DS cast mates, he was shy and social all at once. After wrapping on Fridays, the cast would go to a club, maybe the Gramercy Park, I can't remember. I think people would go there to see the cast, often still in costume. They used to be famous for being stuck in their roles, drinking Manhattans and talking in those mid-Atlantic accents. It is a somewhat sobering experience for me to realize I'm barely any younger than he was when he passed away. He always seemed timeless to me. I suppose in a way he is, on film and video, and in my mind. I'd sell my right hand to have an hour long conversation with him, now.