Miss Ellie's head spin

[Snarky Oracle!]

... the one used early in Season 9 (per DVD).

Some people don't like it. I was mostly okay with it, except for the year they used it: smug, PC dream-season DALLAS.

Someone must have complained, because they switched it mid-way through. I think I'd like to keep the head spin in the middle, with the new center shot on the right, and Ellie-at-the-treehouse on the left.

 

[Snarky Oracle!]

 

[LMLDallas78]

I quite liked the head spin, it added a bit of drama for me and was a little different for Miss Ellie's intro.

I've always been bemused as to why Victoria's middle picture in the intro didn't seem to change. I'm sure that clip is from Rodeo season 3? I could be mistaken.
I'm certain everyone else's pictures changed, apart from maybe Ken Kercheval who had the same middle clip for ages. Is it because they were both Barnes'? Ha ha!

 

[Chris2]

Patrick and Victoria had middle pictures that stayed the same for years. Barbara‘s longtime middle picture was introduced in 1979-80 and briefly changed in the fall of 1980 before returning to the 1979-80 version. And stayed that way until she left in 1984. I wish they had resurrected that old clip of her when she returned, the same way that they brought back Patrick’s middle picture from before he left.

 

[Snarky Oracle!]

I'm not universally fond of the credits do-over for Season 8 (DVD count) in 1984.

The shots of the city are okay (although I have issues with some of their placement) and so are their composition, but the new images of Dallas manage to be both brighter and somehow darker simultaneously.

The credits from the first seven seasons were filmed during the winter of 1977/78, a bright, sunny, crisp-looking day.

But I heard somewhere (probably a tabloid) during the summer of 1984 that the opening DALLAS credits were being re-done, so I was excited and curious about how they'd look... That same summer, the Republican convention was held in Dallas, and whichever network was running it had spectacular sunset-y shots going into and coming out of the commercial breaks.

I was soooo disappointed that fall when the new season premiered, and all the new shots of Dallas were comparatively cloudy and over-cast --- bright in a way, drably yucky in another way. (Which seemed strangely appropriate for that ambivalent Donna Reed year). And never mind the childish reconstituted version from 1989 to 1991, which decided to mix actors' headshots with old shots of the skyline matching each drumbeat -- a potentially acceptable change in style if they'd bothered to update the images of the city... otherwise, it comes off as desperate.

 

[southfork88]

Mi è piaciuto molto il giro di testa, ha aggiunto un po' di drammaticità per me ed è stato un po' diverso per l'introduzione di Miss Ellie.

Sono sempre stato perplesso sul motivo per cui l'immagine centrale di Victoria nell'introduzione non sembrava cambiare. Sono sicuro che la clip sia della terza stagione di Rodeo? Potrei sbagliarmi.
Sono certo che le foto di tutti gli altri siano cambiate, a parte forse Ken Kercheval che ha avuto la stessa clip centrale per anni. È perché erano entrambi di Barnes? Ah ah!

On Dynasty many characters in the initial musical theme perform a head turn, a body turn or various strange acrobatics. I used to like all this, but now it seems a bit ... kitsch.

 

[LMLDallas78]

On Dynasty many characters in the initial musical theme perform a head turn, a body turn or various strange acrobatics. I used to like all this, but now it seems a bit ... kitsch.

Yes, well Dynasty would do! They over did everything. That's why I liked it here for Dallas, it was a bit different for Miss Ellie's middle pic.

 

[Snarky Oracle!]

On Dynasty many characters in the initial musical theme perform a head turn, a body turn or various strange acrobatics. I used to like all this, but now it seems a bit ... kitsch.

I mostly think of Susan Sullivan's head turn on FALCON CREST. Did they do them on DYNASTY, too?

 

[Richard Channing]

I mostly think of Susan Sullivan's head turn on FALCON CREST. Did they do them on DYNASTY, too?

Yes, Maggie on Falcon Crest and Laura on a later season of Knots Landing are the only two other opening credit head spins I can think of. I don't remember them doing one on Dynasty.

Edit: Actually they all do a very slow head turn in this version but Laura is the only one that qualifies as a spin.

 

[Snarky Oracle!]

Yes, Maggie on Falcon Crest and Laura on a later season of Knots Landing are the only two other opening credit head spins I can think of. I don't remember them doing one on Dynasty.

Edit: Actually they all do a very slow head turn in this version but Laura is the only one that qualifies as a spin.

The men always seem so bemused by what they're doing in that version of the KNOTS theme design; women take to it like ducks on water.

 

[LMLDallas78]

Pamela Sue Martin did one in Dynasty in the early seasons, not sure about anyone else in later seasons.

 

[southfork88]

Pamela Sue Martin did one in Dynasty in the early seasons, not sure about anyone else in later seasons.

Maggie Gioberti, Fallon 1 and 2, Sable Colby, but if you pay a visit to YouTube will find more ... head spins, body spins, sensual drinking, winks (including Clayton Farlow), goofy giggles, etc.

 

[southfork88]

Yes, Maggie on Falcon Crest and Laura on a later season of Knots Landing are the only two other opening credit head spins I can think of. I don't remember them doing one on Dynasty.

Edit: Actually they all do a very slow head turn in this version but Laura is the only one that qualifies as a spin.

In my opinion those of this theme are almost all rotations head spin, although the most evident is the one performed by Laura.

 

[southfork88]

An fun example of a total spin body, in the Italian soap opera, 'Un posto al Sole' which is set in Naples:

 

[Lastkidpicked]

Whenever I see a thread like this I'm reminded of a funny interview by the cast.

"The director puts the camera on you, and says 'Act natural'. Then they say, 'Don't look over there, look over here. Smile, but not too much of a smile. Spin around, but not too fast, and ACT NATURAL!'"

 

[Chris2]

Both Fallons on Dynasty did a spin around for the camera in a red dress. Pamela Sue Martin originated it in the season 2 opening credits, and then Emma Samms imitated it when she joined the show at the end of season 5.

 

[Laurie Marr]

The head spin is fine, but Linda Blair had already cornered that market.