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Chit Chat by Mickey Greene,
syndicated columnist
Chances are, if you're a Baby Boomer, you
know Grayson Hall very well. After all, she was the beloved Dr.
Hoffman on the Gothic soap opera, "Dark Shadows." In addition
to Dr. Hoffman, Grayson also played Magda Rakosi, the gypsy who
curses Quentin Collins (David Selby) and turns him into a werewolf.
She was Julia Hoffman, the housekeeper in parallel time 1970 and
portrayed Constance Collins in the very last storyline before the
show went off the air. Movie buffs will remember her star turn in
"Night of the Iguana" opposite such luminaries as Richard
Burton, Deborah Kerr and Ava Gardner. For that role, she was nominated
for an Academy Award in the Best Supporting Actress category. While
she didn't win, the movie gained her lots of attention. Most fans
know these facts, but there's so much more to this beloved actress
who passed away in 1985. And, if you'd like to read more, you absolutely
have to get yourself a copy of "Grayson Hall: A Hard Act to
Follow" (2006) by R.J. Jamison, published by iUniverse.
"Grayson Hall: A Hard Act to Follow"
reviews the evolution of Philadelphia's Shirley Grossman into the
cosmopolitan Grayson Hall. The biography discusses her early life
surrounded by eccentric socialist-revolutionary minded aunt and
uncles, her early first marriage and subsequent second marriage
to write Allison Samuel Hall (who wrote for "Dark Shadows"),
her joy at living a grand New York theatrical life all the while
holding court in her kitchen and adoring motherhood. The biography
reviews, summarizes and provides anecdotes on her wide range of
theatrical, television, radio and film appearances including the
aforementioned John Huston's "Night of the Iguana" (as
the sexually confused Judith Fellowes), heralded turns on the New
York stage as two of Jean Genet's AC/DC madams – Irma in "The
Balcony" and Warda in "The Screens" – and corrects
the record regarding Grayson's arrival on, and participation in,
ABC's cult phenomenon, "Dark Shadows."
For me, Grayson's face says it all. It is
a strong face, yet delicate at the same time. This is the paradox
of who she was, and R.J. Jamison details it so wonderfully, laying
out for us a life that was rich and full, yet not exactly without
its heartache and disappointments. Jamison brings this woman to
life, and as you get to know her, you find yourself wishing, as
I did, that she could have been a friend of yours. Near the end
of the book, which tells of her battle with lung cancer (Hall had
been a heavy smoker most of her life), you find yourself grieving
with her husband, Sam, and son, Matthew.
Here's something quite fascinating I learned while reading the book.
Most "Dark Shadows" fans are aware that Dr. Hoffman (Grayson)
pined away with unrequited love for the handsome, brooding vampire
on the show, Barnabas Collins ( Jonathan Frid), whom she was trying
to "cure." However, that was entirely Grayson's idea to
portray the character that way. When the writers, directors and
Dan Curtis (creator of the show) finally caught on to how Grayson
was playing the good doctor, they used it to full advantage. To
this day, many "Dark Shadows" fans wish Julia Hoffman
had found her happy ending with Barnabas. In fact, there are several
Internet fan groups and message boards devoted to just this concept.
Reams of fan fiction have been written about it, speculating what
might have happened if the two had ultimately married.
I can't recommend this book highly enough. It is a marvelous, well-researched,
fun read!
© 2006 DBR Media, Inc.
Chit Chat by Mickey Greene is syndicated
in 450 US publications. Reprinted by permission.
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