Fest Reports

The Game

In this year's version, fans were asked fans to submit their favorite scene that included Frid and one of a list of 10 actors. (Was Alexandra one of the choices?  Of course she should have been, but I don't recall there being 11.)  The most popular are presented here, in the order they appear on the show, along with comments and, in some cases, his observations.  This is the only segment that I'm aware of that was standing room only.  And because these scenes really were some of the best of the best, watching these clips was quite enjoyable.

#221 (with KLS)-- Barnabas and Maggie meet for the first time at the Collinsport Inn;
JF:  "Is he actually drinking that coffee?"  It looks to him like he really was, and he noted that he had a second cup.

#366 (with Alexandra Moltke)-- Vicki finds herself in 1795 and meets Barnabas, who doesn't recognize her;
JF makes reference to a young and innocent Barnabas.

#383 (with Anthony George, KLS and David Ford)-- Josette and Jeremiah reveal that they're married, and Barnabas strikes him;
JF calls this a powerful scene and one of his favorites.  It was the biggest event in DS history for him.  It was also remarkably challenging and contains a classic boo-boo that was caught barely in time by editing.  He always remembered it because of his long pause that had to be corrected and so he bargained with the technician since this was a truly classic scene.

#401 (with Thayer David) Ben reveals the identity of the witch to Barnabas;
JF:  Thayer David was one of his favorite guys on the show.  "I really thought he was a a brilliant actor."  He said he worked nicely and kindly.

#442 (with Jerry Lacy) Barnabas has lured Trask to the Old House and forces his confession;
JF:  "That was fun."

#446 (with Louis Edmonds) Joshua tells his son that only one of them will leave the basement alive;

#570 (with John Karlen) While dealing with both Tom and Adam, Barnabas admits to Willie that he cares for Julia;

#703 (with Joan Bennett, David Selby) Judith and Quentin meet Barnabas, and after she has left to see to serving tea, Quentin pulls a sword on him;
JF called the scene pointed.  [groan]

#744 (with Marie Wallace) Jenny goes to the Old House looking for Quentin and meets Barnabas;

#1070 (with Grayson Hall) While she is under Gerard's power, Barnabas tells Julia, "Never without you";

#1198 (with Lara Parker, Jerry Lacy) Barnabas declares his love for Angelique, who has died;

Finally, Frid presented his personal favorite--a scene from #661.  Barnabas relates the events of 1796, with his father insisting on ending the curse.

Frid said he hadn't seen some of these scenes in ages.  On the whole, he thought they were rather good.  The cast was given little rehearsal time yet that company of actors still gives pleasure some 40 years later.

David Selby

At times, Selby he seemed all over the map to me, straying occasionally from his two new projects, so I'm just going to do the best I can with this writeup.

The 60s were a time of personal, social and political changes for him, and Dark Shadows was his constant.  He talked about being recruited by the FBI to check out a few places in NYC.  Drugs were rampant on the Upper West Side.  He'd once had a romantic view of the FBI, having written a high school paper on becoming an agent.  But he turned down their request.

Eldridge Cleaver's Soul on Ice "stuck to me."  He understood the things he and Angela Davis were fighting for.  After he came to LA, he'd attend a gathering at the Inglewood Forum.

To a certain extent, the things that still concern us today-- the environment, toxic air, child care, senior care-- began for him back then; they were paramount in his thinking when he came onto DS.  Though somewhat apolitical when he he arrived in NY, he enjoyed the music of Joan Baez, Judy Collins, Phil Ochs ("I ain't Marchin Anymore"), and Bob Dylan ("Blowin In the Wind").

Speaking about the show (which he much less that day than in My Shadowed Past), if Barnabas had left, the show would have died a quick death.  Also, "Has there ever been a better character than what Jerry did with Trask? The true villain, though, was Angelique."  As for Quentin, he only wanted people to like him.

He said Lara Parker once went to DC to protest, and friends of his went to hear ML King's speech.  He wrote his dissertation while on the show, something that David Henesy teased him about.  Frid had gone to Yale, Thayer David to Harvard, Don Briscoe to Columbia, Roger Davis to Columbia and UCLA, Nancy Barrett to UCLA, and Lara Parker to the University of Iowa.  He said he got to know Virginia Vestoff during their occasional walks home together.  He learned she had been orphaned and on her own since she was 10 years old.  She managed to survive in NYC, but she had a vulnerability in her eyes.  Donna, Grayson, and Humbert had a lot of theater experience.  Chris Pennock was from the American Academy of Dramatic Arts; Kate Jackson also went there.  KLS was off a farm in Minnosota, Lara Parker is from Tennessee, and Karlen is from Brooklyn.

His other new book, The Blue Door, is about politics in S. Appalachia.  (Blue wards off evil spirits.)  We must learn to "get rid of those evil spirits" and move on.  He read a couple of excerpts from early in the book; I decided then to buy it, and it didn't hurt that Sally is a strong woman.

He was asked if he felt Lincoln's presence while playing him in The Heavens Are Hung In Black.  He said the Secret Service was everywhere on opening night.  They were "not going to let what happened happen again."  It made him a little nervous to see the military fatigues.  "Don't worry," he was told.  There were helicopters, too.

He got up the nerve to finally look at some DS eps.  The "roving hand"-- if that doesn't bring a smile!  He just about fell over.  "No wonder people laughed."  As for Quentin-- he always had a problem.

About his early career:  Sometimes you can't convince yourself that you're enough.  For his first theater audition, he didn't get the job.  He did not perform "Come to Me" from Brigadoon (he once played Sandy in a college production), but he brought it up here.  Grease (set in 58/59) was and still is special to him, because Sandy's song at the end ("Look At Me") sums up how he felt.

Grayson as Julia knew Barnabas' secret, but what Dan Curtis wanted for Barnabas was the last thing the fans wanted.

Pansity asked if there was a connection between his new book and his play Final Assault.  Yes.  He was told, "What you've got here is a novel."

While Robert Mulligan was signed on to direct Rich and Famous, he wanted Selby's hair to be short.  But the actor's strike went on for 3 months and George Cukor was brought in.  He thought he wouldn't keep the job since Cukor should have his own cast, but Jacqueline Bisset, who was also a producer, said no way.  George Cukor:  "Who in the hell told you to cut your hair?"  He was on the set the day Liz Taylor paid a visit to Fox.  He also met Cary Grant at the commissary one day and thought he was very nice; he'd meet him again while doing Falcon Crest.  (I recommend watching a tape to hear the quotes for these stories; I prefer to leave them alone.)

Joan Bennett, who did Little Women with George Cukor, almost got the lead in Gone with the Wind, but David Selznick wanted Vivien Leigh.  Cukor was replaced but he continued working privately with Leigh; Gable never got him fired.

Jim Pierson seemed to grow restless about the time and started toward the stage, but it was at that point that Selby said he dedicated his new DS book to Pierson and also to Ed Limato.  Pierson stopped in his tracks.

His book seems to tie these thoughts to a central theme.  But while he was on stage, there were a few times when I wondered what the point was that Selby was trying to make.  But that's me.

Thanks again, Midnite.  One thing that David's remarks highlight for me is the intellectuality of the show which was one of the things that attracted me to it for the long term.  Even with the often absurd plots and scripts, the intellectuality of the actors and their commitment to the work brought a layered quality to all of it that was unique.  Without the seriality of each installment unwinding five days a week, I don't think it would have built up to such an extraordinary edifice (if that's the right metaphor).

From his appearance here at Harvard a couple of years ago, I would say that David is a very confident extemporaneous public speaker.  But there's so much going on in his head that he does wander from point to point and it doesn't always necessarily tie up into the neat little package one might expect in this modern world of the soundbyte.

G.

The Costume Gala

I enjoyed the gala more than ever before!  Here are the participants; my apologies if I don't get a name right.

Charles Ellis returned as Charnac, with Richie Halpern assisting.

Angelique and the Supremes sang "Where Did Our Blood Go?," featuring our own Mary and Cassandra along with Cassandra's daughter Marlena, all in blonde curls, with an appearance by the Forum's Evan Hanley as Nicholas Blair.

Cathy Young spoke of unrequited love in an interior monologue called "Julia's Lament."

A couple (Phil and Taia?) as Joshua and Naomi

"The Zombie" (our VictoriaWinters... did hubby get his tie back?)

Alice Faye as a belly dancing Magda

Margaret as Queen Elizabeth Balmforth of Bavaria

Paul Kerr (sp?) as Nicholas Blair, constantly disappointed in his minions

Adamsgirl sang as the bride Josette (What a beautiful voice!)

ProfStokes sang "Hey Judah," a terrific song she wrote herself

Ann Kerr as Dr. Julia Hoffman (a Grayson fan!)

(name?) Elizabeth Collins as a 1920s flapper

Brianna in "Becoming Josette," with her own music box created with her mother

Margaret danced as a tree from NoDS; it was to have been a tribute to Cobert's music, but when the music wouldn't play, the audience encouraged her to dance without it.

Johnny Wheeler as Professor Stokes

Michael McKnight sang "From a Distance" as a tribute to castmembers no longer with us.

Evan Hanley was back as Nicholas Blair, reminding us that the Legions of the Damned salute you!

Finally, 16 year old Alex Meisner did a dead-on impersonation of Jim Pierson that you must see to believe!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I23BvDn2oMY

Ann and Paul Kerr:


Alex as Pierson, on the hotel patio:

The Costume Gala

(name?) Elizabeth Collins as a 1920s flapper

That would be Heather Rollerskate, pictured to the left of victoriawinters.

ProfStokes

Thanks.  Wonderful photo!

Wow, what a gallery.

If anyone posts Youtube video of Evan Hanley, I'd love to see it.  He's uncannily on-target as Nicholas.

G.

Ryan Nicholas Blair Dark Shadows Festival 2010

As usual, Midnite, many thanks for the great continuing Fest reports, I was curious to see what scenes made it into JF's game, most of them from 1795, one of his finest times on the show...

Thank you for the kind words.  BTW, a Frid quote from his Game elicited some chuckles from the fans around me-- about the scene between Barnabas and Willie, Frid said, "Karlen's Willie grew considerably."  Whaaa??!

SUNDAY

I don't know what they were thinking when Pennock and Roger Davis were scheduled to be on stage together, but it was all Pennock.  His shouts (reading from his comics) carried into the reception area, but it was Tara Pennock's a capella singing that drew me in; she did a very fine job with "Home."

Charity Auction

From Curtis' personal collection came a framed War & Remembrance photo, W&R scripts, his framed People's Choice Award for the same, his Emmy plaque for Outstanding Miniseries, a Hallmark plaque for Love Letters, his Producer's Guild of America plaque for Winds of War and W&R, his last kinescope (the infamous #211), and a pillow from his office.  The neatest item may have been his 16 Magazine plaque from 1969 for "Most Popular TV Show" that sold for $450.

There were the complete W&R scripts along with the soundtrack (usually only sold with the DVD), Curtis' miniseries Intruders Among Us on video, and the complete 1991 series on video; also some individual vids (collectible for containing scenes not on the DVD).

Also, artwork slates for the DS soundtrack albums, Barnabas posters (one wrinkled with a personalized autograph), groupings of calendars or Fest programs, a grouping of 6 DS special vids, copies of The Blue Whale/1st year book, and The DS Music Book autographed by Selby and Parker.  Spanish kinescopes went for $5 each.  A cracked HoDS commemorative mug went for $20 (seriously)...

Majestic dolls of Quentin and both versions of Barnabas, autographed Josette's music box, Imagine trading cards (1993 and the rarer 2001 set)...

Daughters of Darkness on DVD.

As already mentioned, Frid's items did not arrive, so the final bidding was for his script (and possibly his notes, but I'm not sure about that) from The Game II along with the DVD seen on Saturday ($875), and a seat at his banquet table that sold for $500.  I hope the winner of the latter got her money's worth since Frid departed after 30 minutes.

David Selby and Lisa Richards

Kathy Cody's segment, discussed in another topic, was followed by a superb performance by Selby and Lisa Richards from Tennessee Williams' Summer and Smoke-- the same scene Selby chose for his audition with Dan Curtis (performed before that in acting class), with Curtis' secretary reading Alma's part.  In the scene, the delicate Alma is sitting on a park bench and meets up with John, a doctor and terrible flirt who teases her ("You're swallowing air") and offers her applejack brandy.  He eventually invites her to go riding with him, but not before he tells her she has a doppelganger inside of her.

I can't say much more about Sunday's events, nor can I report what Frid did in his Reader's Theater beyond his reading of a discussion and the first Act of Richard III.  I'm very much looking forward to ProfStokes' Fest writeup.  (No pressure.)  Was Alex's impersonation of Pierson shown at the banquet?

Amazingly, the weekend events ran fairly on time.

Frid read a discussion?  Wow.

Kind of sad for the lady who paid $500 to have dinner with him, and he left after 30 minutes. 

So, RD failed to show up for the thing with Pennock, or just wasn't there for the weekend?

It sounds as if the days of the charity auctions are pretty much over, unless they try coaxing the 1991 personnel to come in and contribute mementos they might have in their garages that they'd like to offload.

G.

Maybe discourse would have been a better choice than discussion.  But he paused only briefly before reading, "Now is the winter of our discontent..."  I'm not so sure that it was an audience that appreciated what he was doing anyway.

Oh, Roger was there-- selling t-shirts and tote bags and such, and excitedly telling visitors to his table about his real estate ventures.  I asked if he would sign a photo taken 5 years ago, and even he commented on how much weight he has lost since it was taken.

Did anyone else see the expensively-dressed "suits" that surveyed the tables of merchandise?  Two letters came to mind...

Thanks so much Midnite!

I'm very much looking forward to ProfStokes' Fest writeup.  (No pressure.)

Thanks for the shout-out, Midnite.  However, I have retired from Fest reporting.  I just don't have the time for it anymore, and as a matter of fact, I didn't attend very many of the events this year.  So thank you for all of the reports you've shared so far.  I've really enjoyed being able to catch up on the news and the Q & A's that I missed.  I hope more people will post their recollections and opinions of the weekend; it's always so interesting to read different perspectives.

Was Alex's impersonation of Pierson shown at the banquet.

Alas, no.  We saw a short video of Frid putting his hands in cement and the many fans crowding around the Vista (I was suprised someone had been able to edit a video together so quickly), the Depp/Burton interview on the British TV program (which kept freezing), and a reel of clips and trailers from movies in which the stars had appeared (e.g., Race with the Devil, The Girl in Blue).

ProfStokes

WOW! Your recollections from the weekend are amazing Midnite. I was there, but didn't spend a lot of time in the main ballroom, so I've really enjoyed you bringing me up to speed with your detailed reports. It was great seeing you and getting to pose for our annual hug photo.