The Cutting Room Floor Page Sixteen: Discovery In The Basement

As Night of Dark Shadows is now edited, while Quentin rescues Tracy from Angelique's attack in Collinwood's basement, the action shifts to the tower parapet where Alex confronts Carlotta. However, the original script called for a great deal more to transpire before Alex and Carlotta's fateful encounter. In fact, during Tracy's rescue, Alex wasn't even anywhere near the tower - he and Claire were actually involved in the rescue - as well as in a major discovery:

	Night of Dark Shadows Script Excerpt (red text - included in film / white text - deleted from film) INT - SMALL ROOM - NIGHT <REMOVED TEXT> as she opens her mouth to scream, not a sound comes out. INT - BASEMENT AT DOOR - NIGHT Here the SOUND IS NORMAL, so Quentin, who is pulling at the door, reacts in horror to the SOUND OF TRACY'S SCREAM. Wildly, he pulls at the door, SCREAMING. QUENTIN For God's sake, Tracy! What is it, Tracy! Answer me! Suddenly Tracy's SCREAM stops abruptly as Alex and Claire ENTER THE SHOT, running toward Quentin. CLAIRE Where's Tracy? QUENTIN Help me with this door! As Alex grabs the handle with Quentin, they both start pulling. QUENTIN She's in there! We've got to get her out! INT - ROOM - NIGHT - SLOW MOTION Tracy lies on the floor, barely moving, completely enveloped in the white mist. THERE IS NO SOUND. INT - BASEMENT AT DOOR - NIGHT - NORMAL SOUND as Quentin and Alex, in a last desperate effort finally yank the door open. The light pours into the room as they run in. The white mist which envelopes Tracy disappears. She lies there, her eyes vacant with shock. They bend to her as Quentin cradles her in his arms. CLAIRE Oh, my God, it was the same thing! As Tracy starts to come out of it, she begins to sob. TRACY It was so horrible...she was here!...she was here! Quentin looks around the room. THE BRICK WALL - QUENTIN'S P.O.V. BACK TO SCENE as they help the still-crying Tracy to her feet, Quentin crosses to the brick wall and stands looking at it. He thinks for a moment, then turns to them. QUENTIN That's it! Alex looks at him. QUENTIN The brick! That was the sound! The sound of brick being laid. CUT TO: INT - SMALL ROOM - NIGHT as Alex and Quentin have just about finished ripping out the brick wall, the large iron door is revealed. Quentin grabs the rusted bolt and unlocks it. INT - ROUND BURIAL ROOM - NIGHT as the door opens and light streams in, Quentin and Alex stand silhouetted in the doorway. THE ROOM - THEIR P.O.V. The light of their candelabras reveal an aged pine coffin covered with cobwebs and dust. As they ENTER THE SHOT and cross to it, they suddenly see the skeletal remains of Charles Collins. In the B.G., the girls appear at the doorway. QUENTIN So this is why Laura was laughing at the funeral. They were burying an empty coffin.

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Special thanks to Steve Shutt for his assistance in locating two of the photos of Tracy's rescue which are used on this page.