Just What Is The Mystery Of This Screenplay, Girls????????????

                                 The screenplay, in question, being the one George Seaton wrote for "The Song Of Bernadette," a film, which, if you have read this blog long enough, you know how much I feel about.

                                   With so many screenplays, past and present, published, I have always, quite obviously, wanted to read this one.  But trying to get one's hands on it is a mystery.

                                       Several years back, I came across, in red binding a collection of screenplays, all of the best Hollywood films in the year, 1943.  Conspicuously absent from the collection was 'Bernadette,' and in the introduction, the compiler explains why--it had something to do with not being able to acquire publication rights.  Which is funny, because one of the world's best known films of that year, "Casablanca," is in that anthology with no problem; 'Bernadette' is known, but is definitely for more specialized tastes, and known to more discriminating (and not just Catholic) viewers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                         Within the past year, I began looking into the whereabouts, if any, of this script, and I found two locations--one which makes perfect sense, the other not.

                                            Seaton's own personal copy of the 'Bernadette' script, was donated by him to the library at St. Mary's College in Notre Dame, Indiana, as a tribute to his home state and home town of South Bend.  But there is another copy of the script, housed in the archives of the library at Dartmouth College, in New Hampshire!

                                               The mystery surrounding this is fascinating.  Why would Dartmouth own a "Song Of Bernadette" script? Whose copy had it been? And how did it turn up there?  The story behind this would be as fascinating as going up to Dartmouth--the locale I am nearest--and reading the script myself.

                                                  Which I hope to do. I am curious to see how it reads, if there are any scenes in its pages that did not make it into the final print of the film, as I know it.  I can picture the whole thing, like that scene out of "Citizen Kane," with the prune faced librarian ordering me about, limiting my time, coming in at the end, so I do not abscond with a valuable artifact--which I would be tempted to do, but know I never would--and the light streaming in.  Just like in the Orson Welles classic!!!!!!!!!!

                                                      Whether this turns out to be true or not is something only time will prove.  I assure you, if I go, darlings, I will provide a full report.  Meanwhile, there seems to be  an aura of mystery surrounding this film--not only the script, but in the fact that, in the nearly 40 years I have been going to movies on the revival circuit, (and in the days when there were more revival houses, and more movies shown!!!!!!!!!!) the only time this was EVER shown as on May 8, 2008 (a Sunday, of course!) at the Walter Reader Theater as part of a Jennifer Jones retrospective.  Ironic, considering that just bout 19 months later, she died.

                                                           There is more here than meets the eye!  And I intend to get to the bottom of things!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                                             Even if I have go up to Dartmouth, dressed as a nun! Heaven help me; I"ll probably look like Gladys Cooper!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!