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Post by colin1975 on May 1, 2010 17:29:14 GMT
Hmm apart from 'The Open Door' and 'The Fall Of The House Of Usher' episodes, I didn't particularly enjoy any of the set. Shame really as I had really been looking forward to getting it. I think the shorter duration of those earlier episodes tend to lend themselves better to a good watch; the later ones just feel a bit of a plod and frequently feel very cheap. In this respect it does seem very cruel indeed that so many of those earlier episodes have been lost to us, most likely forever. Still, I reckon I'm very much in the minority here so I'll shut my yap now.
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Post by helrunar on Jun 5, 2016 15:36:46 GMT
I got this set a few years back and I was thrilled with the series. The original format featured David Buck as Richard Beckett, an "elegant young gentleman of means" derived from the hero of Le Fanu's novella, The Room in the Dragon Volant. (This story was filmed in the 1970s as a Swedish-Irish co-production--for some reason, the Richard Beckett character's name was changed to Robert Terence, portrayed by the attractive and amiable Brendan Price, who also did a Tom Baker Doctor Who serial.) There are great production photos in the booklet that comes with the disc set, including many from the missing stories. Jane Merrow's Carmilla is indeed a very sad loss. Among other wiped stories I see The Canterville Ghost with Eleanor Bron as Hekate, a Vernon Lee adaptation (Phantom Lover) with Virginia McKenna, and Joss Ackland in a film of Room 13 (the James story). The clip from their redaction of Casting the Runes is a teasing hint of how this would have looked.
I enjoyed all the surviving stories. Denholm Elliott's performance in Dracula was a huge and very agreeable surprise, and the version of Jewel of the 7 Stars is my sentimental favorite as finally we saw this story in its original Victorian setting with marvelously florid performances from all on board.
H.
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Post by The Lurker In The Shadows on Oct 1, 2017 16:33:25 GMT
Although most of the early episodes of Mystery and Imagination are now lost, it appears that audio recordings were made of some of the episodes now missing with at least five of these surfacing around the time that a video excerpt from the lost adaptation of Casting the Runes turned up. These appear to have been recorded by simply putting a tape recorder next to a television set, with the microphone also picking up any background noise in the room - coughs, furniture being moved, snoring(?), etc - but are still a welcome record of shows that would only exist as a tiny selection of publicity photos and in the memories of those lucky enough to have seen them at the time. The five recordings didn't appear on the subsequent DVD release of the remaining episodes of the series, and have only now materialised online. They are; The Lost Stradivarius - starring Jeremy Brett, and introducing David Buck as regular narrator and host of the early series, Richard Beckett; www.youtube.com/watch?v=btOE5A-4I14&t=0sThe Tractate Middoth - first of four M.R. James adaptations in the series; www.youtube.com/watch?v=IswoaMcLKfg&t=0sLost Hearts - starring Richard Pearson as Mr Abney, with Freddie Jones, later to play Sweeney Todd in the fourth series; www.youtube.com/watch?v=bn30zrKPhr8&t=0sThe Canterville Ghost - with Bruce Forsyth and Eleanor Bron; www.youtube.com/watch?v=bYOSyf9TgK4&t=0sRoom Thirteen - adapted from M.R. James' Number 13; www.youtube.com/watch?v=lnzd5VTvSHw&t=1s
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Post by ropardoe on Oct 1, 2017 17:58:39 GMT
Although most of the early episodes of Mystery and Imagination are now lost, it appears that audio recordings were made of some of the episodes now missing with at least five of these surfacing around the time that a video excerpt from the lost adaptation of Casting the Runes turned up. These appear to have been recorded by simply putting a tape recorder next to a television set, with the microphone also picking up any background noise in the room - coughs, furniture being moved, snoring(?), etc - but are still a welcome record of shows that would only exist as a tiny selection of publicity photos and in the memories of those lucky enough to have seen them at the time. The five recordings didn't appear on the subsequent DVD release of the remaining episodes of the series, and have only now materialised online. They are; The Tractate Middoth - first of four M.R. James adaptations in the series; www.youtube.com/watch?v=IswoaMcLKfg&t=0sLost Hearts - starring Richard Pearson as Mr Abney, with Freddie Jones, later to play Sweeney Todd in the fourth series; www.youtube.com/watch?v=bn30zrKPhr8&t=0sRoom Thirteen - adapted from M.R. James' Number 13; www.youtube.com/watch?v=lnzd5VTvSHw&t=1sI've have these audio recordings for a while as you know, and it's been so tempting to mention them but I didn't dare until I knew they were available on-line. You're not joking about the snoring - clearly the person recording "Lost Hearts" didn't exactly find it riveting. One thing which surprised me is how much M&I messed with the ending of "The Tractate Middoth" - I had completely forgotten that.
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Post by helrunar on Oct 1, 2017 21:13:52 GMT
Lurker, this is awesome news! Many thanks.
I have started listening to "The Lost Stradivarius"--intriguing!
Best wishes,
H.
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