HIGHLA-L Digest - 16 Dec 2004 to 18 Dec 2004 (#2004-214)
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Sat, 18 Dec 2004 22:00:15 -0500
There is one message totalling 222 lines in this issue.
Topics of the day:
1. Season Five dvds: Stone of Scone
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Date: Sat, 18 Dec 2004 07:01:00 -0500
From: kageorge <kageorge@erols.com>
Subject: Season Five dvds: Stone of Scone
Commentary with screen captures at:
http://www.wordsmiths.net/MacGeorge/episodes/Season5/StoneofScone.htm
COMMENTARY: Adrian says that this was the only show they ever did
entirely in flashback, and was based on a real incident from the 1950’s.
The actors were ad-libbing throughout the episode, which is easy to do
when you’ve worked with people for a long time. Playing scenes with
Roger was fun, and MacLeod had to deal with Amanda as well and was kind
of “at a loss” because he was caught in between the two of them. One
funny incident was that, although Adrian had played golf more than
either Elizabeth or Roger, he mis-hit the ball, but Roger hit the ball
and it landed on the green. They were doing all of that off camera, so
that when they switched to being on camera, the comic timing was already
established. It was an easy show to shoot because they were just people
relating to each other, and he thinks that’s what came across in the
episode.
The director, Richard Martin, calls the episode a “whacky Highlander”
where everyone wanted to have fun and get away from some of their more
usual darkness. He says it was a bit of a free-for-all on set, and they
had some bad background actors, especially one cow that refused to stay
quiet, especially during Adrian’s lines. Martin notes that Roger arrived
on set the day after singing “his guts out” at a concert, and could
barely talk, so they had to adjust to that. But Daltry has wonderful
comic timing that worked very well. He did particularly well in the
scene where he and MacLeod were carrying the stone out of Westminster
Abbey, where the actual “stone” was really only Styrofoam.
Liz Gracen also calls the episode “whacky”, and says she was very
excited to work with Roger Daltry. She had to take a few golf lessons to
learn how to swing the club realistically, and the first day on set they
did that first golf scene, and from then on, “we never quit laughing.”
She loved the guy who played the caddy, and had a great time with it.
She says that Roger was holding this pole they were going to use to
carry the stone, and that the pole was big and Roger was a “little guy”.
Roger Daltry was, however, a very focused actor and a real professional.
She says she asked the director if she could play the part very
stylized, with 1950’s mannerisms, and got great costumes and wigs, good
writing and good fellow actors to work with.
OUTTAKES: They show Fitzcairn’s love-making scene when the police come
to arrest him. Daltry changes the line with each take, and the first
time he asks for ten minutes to get ready, then the second time asks for
a half an hour, and the third time he asks for an hour, and the crew
breaks up.
There is a deleted scene shown, as Fitz and Duncan snipe at each other
as they leave after their attempt at stealing the crown jewels.
THE EPISODE: The prologue opens in 1720 with both Fitzcairn and MacLeod
separately sneaking around in the “bowels of Westminster Abbey.” MacLeod
is there to steal the Stone of Scone, which he believes rightfully
belongs in Scotland, and Fitz is there to blow the abbey up because he
hates King George and wants to replace him with a Catholic king. In the
argument that ensues when they find each other, the gunpowder Fitz has
laid gets lit and both have to run for their lives.
Fitz and Duncan furiously face off, finally agreeing to settle their
dispute “on the field of battle” the next day at dawn, where the loser
gets to help the other accomplish their task. The battlefield turns out
to be a golf game that takes place in a field complete with a noisy,
drooling cow. They are dressed as elegant court gentlemen, complete with
long, curly wigs. When it looks like he’s losing, Fitz cheats and a
gullible but honorable Duncan goes along with Fitz’ scheme. Because of
their previous night’s misadventure, however, Duncan convinces Fitz that
they would be certain to be caught if they tried attacking the abbey
again. Fitz (at Duncan’s unintended suggestion) decides that in order to
rally people to his cause they must steal the crown jewels, located in
the Tower of London.
Segue to the same “battlefield” in 1950, Fitz and MacLeod are again
playing golf, this time a more friendly game, when Amanda arrives. To
Duncan’s amusement, it seems that Fitz has wagered Amanda on the game
(Fitz: “Do you think I’m taking unfair advantage?” Duncan: “I think
you’re an idiot.”). As Amanda appears to be taking Fitz to the cleaners
in the game, Fitz once again resorts to cheating, but gets caught at it.
Duncan: “I’ve seen you cheat at cards and I’ve seen you cheat at women,
but golf? What kind of a man cheats at golf!?” Fitz insists that he
hasn’t cheated at golf for centuries, and inadvertently reveals his
previous dishonorable behavior. Duncan is outraged that because of Fitz’
deception, they lost their chance to steal the Stone of Scone, and went
after the crown jewels instead.
Back in 1720, Fitz takes Duncan to a disreputable tavern (Dirty Dick’s)
to see Bernie Crimins (“Bernie the Fence”) who also happens to be both
the royal executioner, and an Immortal. A disgusting, belching, farting
Bernie sells them the floor plans to the Tower of London (and Fitz has
to pick Duncan’s pocket to get enough money when Bernie raises the
price). In a series of comic misadventures, Duncan and Fitz end up
fighting off royal guards, with Duncan acting heroic and fighting the
guards as Fitz yowls noisily in pain after he gets shot in the bum. Once
all the guards are finally subdued Fitz asserts, “I could have done
that.” Duncan: “Really?” Then more guards show up and they once again
have to run for their lives.
Back in 1950, Duncan declares their friendship is over and stomps away
in a huff, and Amanda eagerly questions their Scottish caddy about “this
Scone Stone”. He tells her it is worth more than the crown jewels, and
is “beyond any price!”
Amanda goes to what used to be Dirty Dick’s Tavern, and is now a stuffy,
exclusive mens’ club, and visits a well-dressed and well-spoken Bernie
Crimins (now “Lord” Crimins – it seems he purchased a title by
blackmailing the royal family). She seductively asks him for an advance
of money to facilitate stealing “a priceless stone.” It turns out,
however, that Amanda has accumulated a serious gambling debt with some
disreputable thugs who are prepared to hurt her if she doesn’t pay off,
and Bernie uses that knowledge to negotiate a 60/40 split of the
proceeds, noting that “if you renege on our deal, I shall cut out your
heart, before I take your head. Understood?”
Amanda now tries to seduce MacLeod, but he is too busy pouting about
Fitz’ betrayal to pay much attention to her efforts. (Amanda: “Am I
boring you?”) She selflessly offers to help him steal the Stone of Scone
to make him feel better, but he is suspicious. Amanda: “What? Are you
the only one who gets to be selfless? Don’t I ever, ever, ever, ever get
to be kind?” But Duncan says they couldn’t do it by themselves, and
there was no one else crazy enough to try. Enter a drunken, remorseful
Fitzcairn, who sloppily falls onto Duncan, begging for his forgiveness.
Duncan disgustedly, reluctantly accepts his apology, and Fitz ends up
being their reluctant co-conspirator, as the thieving trio who breaks
into Westminster Abbey on Christmas eve to steal the Stone of Scone.
Amanda gets them inside, then drugs a guard by sharing her “Christmas
cheer”. However, once Duncan shows her where the stone is – in the
throne chair – Amanda tricks Duncan and Fitz into a closet and locks
them in. Unfortunately, Amanda, after tearing apart the throne chair and
sending feathers flying everywhere in her search for the valuable stone
she mistakenly believes is there, gives up and retrieves Duncan and Fitz
(Amanda to herself: “Bernie isn’t going to like this!”) Duncan and Fitz
are vastly amused that Amanda thought the Stone of Scone was a precious
jewel. (Amanda: “It’s just a stupid rock!” Duncan: “It’s not just any
rock. Legend has it that this is the rock that Jacob lay his head on
when he dreamt of heaven, and whoever sits on it sits on the throne of
Scotland. The English stole it and now we’ll have it back!”)
With some difficulty, they haul the heavy rock out of the Abbey, and
Amanda tells them that she had made a deal with Crimins to steal a giant
diamond. They barely manage to make their escape before the police
arrive. The search for the thieves is on, and Amanda and Fitz announce
they intend to leave England, but Amanda’s likeness is circulated and
she is arrested. Bernie shows up to bail her own, and rather than face
his threat to cut out her heart and cut off her head, she makes a deal
to betray her co-conspirators, giving up Fitzcairn’s identity, and he is
arrested while diddling the hotel maid.
They are still hunting for the third thief, but Duncan has absconded
with the stone to Scotland, near Edinburgh, where he industriously
carves a second stone to be an exact match for the original.
Unfortunately, as he moves it into the car, he drops it and it breaks in
half.
In the meantime, Amanda and Fitz are in adjacent jail cells, where
Amanda tells him she ratted on him to save his neck and they make a bet
about how they are going to be executed.
But Duncan rides to the rescue by going to Churchill (whom he evidently
knows from his Secret Service days in WWII, convincing him to declare
the theft of the stone as a “schoolboy prank” in order to avoid rousing
the Scots against England. He promises that if he releases those
responsible, the stone will be returned, if not necessarily in one
piece. And so, it comes to pass that Duncan’s broken replica of the
Stone of Scone is the one that ends up back at Westminster Abbey. As
Duncan picks them up and they argue over who gets the reward money for
information leading to the return of the stone (of course, Amanda ends
up with it), Duncan blames Fitz’ original cheating as the cause of the
whole mess, and they agree to another “battle at dawn.”
They end up at the Royal Highlands Golf Course in Scotland, where once
again, Amanda is giving both of them a drubbing, and two women playing
behind them wait for their turn, sitting on a conveniently placed, oddly
shaped stone.
MY COMMENTS: This is probably my favorite of the comedic Highlander
episodes. It’s silly and the plot is outrageous, but that is the nature
of comedies. The production values were terrific, and the use of the old
genuine movie clips about the theft of the Stone of Scone were a nice
touch of 1950’s atmosphere. I always enjoy seeing Young!Bumpkin!Duncan,
dressed like a courtier, but acting like a rube. Fitz was a delight and
Roger Daltry clearly loves the character, and his pleasure in working
with Adrian and Elizabeth shows up in the natural comic timing the three
of them seem to share. Unlike some of the more awkward comedies
(“Dramatic License” comes to mind), all the characters are playing it
“for real” rather than working so hard to “be funny,” and therefore the
comedy works much more naturally.
I thought Amanda was especially good in her 1950’s hair bob and
pointy-bra costumes and screen-diva seductive mannerisms. The use of the
Bernie Crimin’s character was wonderful, although his disgusting-pig
nature was played so over-the-top in the 1720’s flashback as to push
those margins of “trying too hard.” The big-nosed Scottish caddy was
perfect in his little cameo role and even the cow was funny.
I have to say that the Pouting!Duncan scene where he inspects the hole
in his sock while Amanda tries to seduce him, only to shortly thereafter
have a stinking-drunk Fitzcairn fall all over him, is one of my favorite
Highlander moments.
I felt that the scene between Duncan and Churchill was the most awkward,
contrived aspect of the plot, though, and did anyone else notice that
the pictures of Duncan carving the fake stone were lifted straight out
of the stone carving scenes in “Shadows” (you can see Garrick’s ring)?
There was a lot of physical comedy in the episode which did not lend
itself to description here, but the overriding joy in watching it is, as
Adrian mentioned in his commentary, watching the three characters relate
to each other so naturally and easily. They were clearly having a great
time, and they took us all with them on a delightful, silly ride.
MacGeorge
All episode commentaries available at:
http://www.wordsmiths.net/MacGeorge/episodes/indexframeset.htm
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End of HIGHLA-L Digest - 16 Dec 2004 to 18 Dec 2004 (#2004-214)
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