A DAY WITH GRAYSON

An Interview with Dee Kearney by Nancybe

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1. I understand that you spent a day with Grayson on the set of Dark Shadows. Can you tell us when that was and how it came about?

Yes, on August 14, 1970, I visited the Dark Shadows studio in New York with Mark Messina, president of Grayson Hall's fan club. Mark was visiting the East Coast for vacation with his family. We decided that it would be a perfect time to make plans to visit the DS studio while he was here. He first checked with Grayson ahead of time to make sure she was scheduled to be at the DS studio that day. Mark is originally from St. Louis, MO and I am from Philadelphia, PA. He was also president of Clarice Blackburn's fan club and I was president of Louis Edmonds' club.

2. Had you ever met Grayson before?

Yes, I met Grayson Hall (GH) on a previous visit to the studio in the Spring of 1969.

3. Do you remember what Grayson was wearing that day? Did she look different in person than she did on television? Did you have an overall impression of her appearance?

When we met Grayson on 8/14/70, she was wearing a green and yellow robe and appeared a little bit tired, after having just awakened from a nap. She had been out in California shooting her "Night Gallery" episode, "Certain Shadows on the Wall" and came right to the DS studio from the airport that morning. Grayson was getting ready to have curlers placed in hair by Edith Tilles. She only had on a little bit of make-up at the time. David Henesy stopped in to see Grayson, and we all chatted for a few minutes. I asked GH if I could take a picture of her and she said, "Sure"! David was standing behind her and was totally amazed that I was going to snap a picture of GH in her curlers. We all shared a good laugh.

The next stop was the make-up room where Grayson applied her own make-up. My overall impression of her appearance at this point was that she was beginning to resemble the person I knew on the TV screen, Dr. Julia Hoffman, except she was still wearing a robe and had curlers in her hair! However, later when she was all dressed up for the dress rehearsal, she looked absolutely stunning.

4. Whom did you meet from the cast and crew that day? Was Jonathan Frid there? What was everyone like? Did you get to talk to any of the crew and ask questions about the production of the show?

Including Grayson, we met the following cast members: David Selby, Kate Jackson, David Henesy, and later that day we met Thayer David.  Kathy Cody was at the studio, but unfortunately we didn't have an opportunity to meet her. Jonathan Frid was not scheduled to be at the studio that day. We did learn, though, that he stopped over at Grayson's apartment later that evening after Mark and I had left.

We met the following crew members: Sy Thomashoff (scenic design), Edith Tilles (hairdresser), Dennis Eger (make-up) and a woman named, "Midge" (wardrobe). We also met George Smith, the guard, and Diane Paliotta the DS secretary. Mark interviewed Edith on tape and gave Sy a written questionnaire to complete. Some of the questions Mark asked Sy in the written interview were about Sy's schooling background and his favorite style of furniture. One of the questions Mark asked Edith was if there was any particular brand of hairstyling goods she would endorse. Her answer was that she recommended Pantene products over any other.

5. What scenes were they working on the day you were there? Did you get to watch any rehearsals or taping? If so, was the process much different than you had imagined?

The day we were there, they were working on episode #1085. It was when Julia learned the stairway that she and Barnabas had used to return from 1995 had been built by the 1840 Quentin Collins. This was during the ghosts of Gerard and Daphne storyline, just before the 1840 flashback.

We got to see the run-through and dress rehearsal. When it was time for the episode taping, we had to watch it on a TV monitor in another room. After the taping, we went to the rehearsal hall (the room with all the mirrors) and sat in on the next day's script reading. At that point, Thayer David came in wearing a blue and white outfit with bright white shoes which was just perfect for a hot summer day in August!

Yes, the process was much different than I had ever imagined. It was like watching a jigsaw puzzle being put together from beginning to end. Also, it was an incredible learning experience that I will never forget.

6. What sets did you see? How did reality compare to your impressions from watching the show on TV? Any big surprises?

We saw the "permanent" sets of Collinwood and the Old House. Some of the temporary sets we had seen that day were the playroom with the dollhouse, Daphne's bedroom and a few hallways set up which were required for that day's episode. These were set up for the storyline when David and Hallie became possessed by the 1840 Tad and Carrie.

It was a surprise for us to see how small Collinwood and the Old House sets were, (especially the Drawing Room and Foyer at Collinwood) as opposed to what we were used to seeing on TV. We were a little taken aback when we peeked inside the door, supposedly leading to the kitchen and Mrs. Johnson's quarters, and it looked like a cellar with junk stored back there! We then went up the staircase in the Collinwood foyer and crossed in front of the stain-glassed window to the door. Behind the door were steps leading back downstairs! It was a hidden escape route, so to speak, for the actors and actresses to come back downstairs. There were props hanging up on the wall behind the door that were apparently stored there and used for certain sets when needed. On the Old House set, the stairs only had about six steps leading to nowhere -- a drop back down!

One thing that stands out in my mind was seeing the beautiful ornaments, draperies, chandeliers, candelabras, portraits and fireplaces -- with many thanks to the talents of Sy Thomashoff.

7. What was the atmosphere like on the set?

I enjoyed how the atmosphere on the set was light and lively with the actors being humorous in the beginning then becoming more serious as they proceeded through each phase until the finished product, the taping. It was quite an exciting experience to witness a typical day in their daily studio schedule.

I particularly remember Grayson and David Selby joking around when they were going over their lines during the run-through. Mark and I were laughing hysterically. It was obvious that Dan Curtis was not at the studio that day!

8. Did you do anything besides visit the DS set?

Yes, after G.H. was done with work for the day, we took a short cab ride with her to her apartment.

9. Tell us about Grayson's apartment. How was if furnished? What were your impressions of the apartment? Did it seem exotic, elegant, formal, homey? How did Grayson seem at home?

The Hall family lived in a huge apartment which was decorated beautifully with many antiques. It was absolutely elegant. Their cute dog, "Thing" was jumping up and down to greet us! And we met "Carrie" the housekeeper. G.H. gave us a tour of the apartment. The kitchen was unique and had a working area and counter towards the middle of the room, with all sorts of cooking utensils hanging down from above. The foyer and living room walls were done in a pomperian red. Mark sat in a chair by the fireplace and Grayson sat in a Martha Washington armchair. I sat on a beautiful and very comfortable davenport. There was a gold ceramic lion sitting on top of the piano, which added a nice touch as a decoration. Later, Grayson sat next to me when she opened her birthday gifts and Mark took our picture. We had given G.H. early birthday presents and she said that she appreciated our thoughtfulness and kindness.

Grayson seemed very relaxed at home and she looked great in her paisley tent dress with her make-up and hair still intact from taping that day's episode.

10. Did you get to meet Sam or Matthew Hall while you were there? What were they like? Did you get to talk to Sam about Dark Shadows?

It was a thrill to meet Sam Hall that day! Unfortunately, we didn't meet Matthew because he was away at summer camp. Sam was a very charming and nice person and seemed a little bit on the quiet side at first. Grayson offered Mark and I something to drink, and Sam served us drinks from the bar. Here's a humorous story about the drinks. We politely accepted the drinks that Sam made for us from the bar, which were a combination of Scotch and soda. I remember accepting the drink out of courtesy, but I had never tasted Scotch before! I still recall taking my first sip and trying everything I could do to swallow the first sip without making serious facial expressions, due to the bitterness of the liquor! Mark was having the same difficulty with his drink. When Grayson and Sam stepped out of the room for a few minutes, we poured some of our drinks into the plant next to us. It was either the plant or the dog's water bowl! What a hoot. I will never forget this for as long as I live. I just hope the plant survived!

We talked with Sam about DS and he told us that the show was going back into the past to 1840 in another few weeks.  Grayson and Sam were concerned about the ratings slipping and were hoping the flashback would help boost the ratings. We also talked about the DS movies. Sam was comfortably stretched out on his black regency lounge chair, and, as G.H. pointed out, this was definitely his chair!

11. Do you remember any stories Grayson may have told you? Did she make any comments about the show? Or comments about her characters or roles in Dark Shadows?

Mark brought his tape recorder along and conducted an interview with Grayson. He asked her a series of questions for the fan club newsletter.

Grayson talked about Jonathan Frid and how popular and famous he had become. She told us that Jonathan had been over to their apartment on numerous occasions. She also said that she was fond of "little" Nancy Barrett!

In regards to Grayson's roles on DS, I remember her mentioning about her role as "Magda" and how she had to wear a certain kind of make-up to create a darker complexion.

She thought the show was fascinating and exciting and couldn't get over all the fans who stood outside the studio door everyday to meet the DS cast.

12. Which of her DS personas (e.g., Julia, Magda, Natalie) most resembled Grayson?

G.H. was very much like her "Dr. Julia Hoffman" character on the show. By the way, she talked about how the part was originally going to be cast for a male doctor!

Grayson was asking Mark and I questions about ourselves. (The ever inquisitive Dr. Hoffman - LOL.) She was quite surprised when I told her I was from Philadelphia, the same city she was from originally. G.H. attended the same high school as my mother (Simon Gratz) although they attended different years. G.H. was very interested in our lives, and I thought it was extremely kind and thoughtful of her to ask about us!

Yes, I have three souvenirs from that special day. One is an 8 X 10 photograph on which she wrote that she would remember Mark and me always. The second souvenir is a little blue index card she autographed as, "Best Wishes Always, Grayson Hall". And, third, she had drawn a little map for me with directions to an Italian restaurant Mark and I went to for dinner that evening after leaving their apartment. Grayson recommended the restaurant, and Mark and I had a delicious meal there!

An interesting tidbit...Mark and I went to La Scala's restaurant and enjoyed a delicious spaghetti dinner. While at the restaurant, we thought we saw Alexandra Moltke, her husband Philip, and two other gentlemen sitting at a table directly across from us. At first, we weren't going to bother them. Mark, however, got brave (with a little bit of my coaxing) and approached the table. He asked if they were the "Isles" family, but the "lady" (could it have been Alexandra?) informed him that they were not. We were almost certain that it was Alexandra, but we thought maybe she didn't want to be recognized. To this day, I often wonder if it really was Alexandra in the restaurant!

My overall impression of Grayson was the same as her fan club slogan: "Grayson Is Great!" She was truly an incredible lady, entertaining, outgoing, and she said whatever was on her mind. She was honest, humorous and caring... sometimes all at the same time!

15. What are your lasting memories of that day?

My lasting memory was when G.H. walked Mark and I to the elevator, and we said our good-byes. She gave us both a kiss on the cheek.

Once on the elevator, Mark and I "freaked out" making sure it wasn't a dream. We had held in our excitement from the events of that unforgettable day, and just like a bubble, we had to let it burst! After behaving in an "adult-like" manner all day, we were still teen-agers who were overwhelmed and thrilled from experiencing one of the most memorable days in our lives.

I look up to the sky and heavens with heartfelt thanks to Grayson for making it all possible.

Thank you, Dee!