"Bay" Watch!

Today we zero in on a true oddity. Many folks have likely never heard of it, though for some of my readers it will be a true curiosity. It's a 1963 made-for-TV project which was called "Royal Bay," a pilot for a continuing series to feature a prominent family situated in the title locale. Each week, the series would use the family in question as part of an examination of a fellow resident (or visitor), making it something of an anthology. But the series wasn't green-lit. So the pilot was tinkered around with a bit, renamed and turned into a trim 65-minute "feature" which was barely shown in theaters in 1964, thereafter practically disappearing until being gently unearthed in the home video era. 

Initially just the title of the pilot episode, Della eventually became the title of the whole shebang. 

As the story begins, we meet the narrator for the show, Charles Bickford (seen here with the youngest of three sons, Robert Sampson.) Bickford is in the shipbuilding business and is the head of an influential family.   

Bickford observes a helicopter heading to Royal Bay and inside is his middle son, a successful attorney played by Paul Burke. 

Burke and a land developer descend on a stretch of property which will hopefully soon be the home of an expansive corporate facility. 

Burke is informed that it must be this piece of land, or else his company will take their investment elsewhere. 

Bickford is shown heading to his son's law office in this building with a remarkable facade. 

The inside is a time capsule of early-1960s hair, clothing and furnishings. Oh, and for fans of his, don't miss Burke's behind...!

Assembled are a cadre of local leaders, who Burke wants to quiz on how best to proceed. Among them, one Richard Bull, who some of you will recall as Nels Oleson on Little House on the Prairie. He receives billing in the credits, but is given basically nothing to say or do (perhaps a result of the editing of a once-longer program.) 

Bickford, who had a long, successful career as an actor, has never been a favorite of mine. He's effective enough, but I don't find him very compelling most of the time and the less said about that hairdo the better...

Burke is also not one of my people, but he's nice enough to look at and is filmed with care throughout. You all should remember him as Lyon Burke in 1967's Valley of the Dolls. 

As the legal counsel for the owner of the sought-after land, we have veteran actor Otto Kruger. This was the last project anyone saw him in, though it was (I believe) filmed prior to Sex and the Single Girl (1964), which was his final feature film.

The landowner will not sell to the developer and this will cause the city of Royal Bay to lose out on millions of dollars. So Burke gets the party on the phone. (Hilariously, he's seen through an open shelf in this bookcase while conversing on the phone. Not exactly private!)

In order to attempt to keep the deal alive, Burke agrees to meet with the landholder. But it must happen at the ungodly hour of 2:00am!

He wends his way through the night to the gated mansion in question; bas relief sculptures greeting him at the entrance. 

These people got COIN... 

A housekeeper takes his things and asks him to wait. 

While he's lingering, he takes note of some of the "interesting" artwork on the walls. 

An instant favorite is this somewhat eerie portrait. 

We all know that someone is going to be making a grand entrance down these stairs. (And it ain't Barbara Stanwyck, even though this set would soon be reconfigured somewhat and serve as the Barkley Ranch on The Big Valley!)

"See what I mean, Vern?" Same chandelier, even. 

As the estate owner emerges at the top of the stairs, Burke turns to offer the appropriate level of wonder. 

And here she comes, ladies and gentlemen...

...the lady of the house. The title character of Della. 

The potential adversaries square off. 

And deep beyond the gauzy filter over the lens (hey, Lucy did it, too!) we find the legendary Miss Joan Crawford!

Though the ostensible reason for Burke's visit is to go over the land deal, it's pretty clear that he's being tested by Crawford. 

Their semi-salty interchanges give one a glimpse into what might have been had Crawford wound up as Helen Lawson in Burke's Valley of the Dolls after Judy Garland's departure.

Alfred Hitchcock loathed shots like this one because he couldn't figure out whose point of view was being represented from within the fireplace. 

The regal, confident Crawford informs Burke that he is welcome to look through her ancestors' papers regarding any dispensation of the land in question. 

But it will be on HER terms. 

As they head into a nearby library, we spy another occupant, high up on a ladder. 

It's Miss Diane Baker, the girl in the earlier portrait, as Crawford's daughter. 

Burke is a fan of both the painting and its subject. 

As the younger twosome attempt to forge a rapport, Mama Crawford remains all business. 

Baker, still with us today at 88, grew to be a favorite of Crawford's in real life. 

The two had met when Baker played one of Crawford's office victims in 1959's The Best of Everything. (Incidentally, both Crawford and Bette Davis clashed with Hope Lange during the times they worked with her.) 

And not long after Della, Crawford had Anne Helm replaced by Baker for the William Castle shocker Strait-Jacket (1964.)

Anyway, Crawford informs Burke that he's welcome to investigate all the family papers regarding their land, but it must be done in her home and also at night. 

Baker is taken with Burke, but thinks that her mother wants him for herself! Their relationship is complicated, to say the least. 

Next we see the estate's elaborate gardens, dotted with all sorts of statuary.

Baker is one swingin' chick. But, seriously, she's been a bit infantilized by her mother and exists in a very confined atmosphere. 

Burke, on a breather from paperwork, comes upon her in her private world. 

Among all the boobies ("boobies, boobies!") Baker toys with the idea of a schoolgirl seduction of this interloper. 

Baker and her mother have lived alone on the estate since her birth (the father having died beforehand), shrouded in darkness and never leaving the grounds except at night. 

She shows him her favorite spot (no, not that one, despite the suggestive shadow on the wall!) It's an observatory Crawford has had built so that Baker can look at the moon and stars at night. 

This activity is overseen by La Crawford, who isn't exactly thrilled. 

Complicating matters for Burke is this little note, found tucked in his suit jacket pocket. But who is it from?!

The next day, Bickford's family is enjoying a picnic. 

Here we meet his eldest son, Richard Carlson (and grandkid.)

Exhausted and napping after his all-nighter at Crawford's Burke is awakened when one of his little brother Sampson's balls hits him. Sampson hilariously exclaims, "Hey man. How 'bout some family ball, man?"

Burke (misinterpreting? LOL) responds by rolling over onto his belly and showing his rump to Sampson. 

When he arises, we get a brief glimpse of what made Burke quite the ladies man in his day. 

Sampson, a very busy character actor for decades, would marry in the early 1970s and father a daughter before divorcing, but was gay and ended his years in a long-term relationship with a male partner.

This little gathering is basically what would have been the core cast of "Royal Bay" had it been picked up. I have to confess that with "guest stars" Crawford and Baker removed, there was not a lot to cling to in the way of compelling characterizations (though about eight minutes of excess footage was chopped out in order to turn "Royal Bay" into Della, so perhaps there was more going on with these folks in that rendition.) 

The casting just seems a little "off." Carlson was 21 years younger than Bickford and that tracks. But Burke was 35 years younger than Bickford. A sixteen year gap between sons. I actually mistook Carlson for an uncle the first time I saw this! 

Sampson was 42 years younger, representing a seven year gap after Burke! But at least he did seem physically right to be a son of Bickford. 

Burgeoning actor James Noah has a moment as Carlson's son, recalling a birthday party for Baker he'd attended as a child, which took place after 8:00pm!

Baker sleeps in the daytime and emerges at night. 

Crawford tries to make things as attractive and pleasant for her as she can. But as Baker matures, this unusual situation becomes more difficult to endure.  

This sequence represents one of very many in which the makers of Mommie Dearest (1981) drew inspiration more from Joan Crawford movies than Joan Crawford herself...

"See what I mean, Vern?"

It's just not a setup that is going to remain tenable forever.

Now Burke is staying at the house overnight as he continues to sort through family documents. 

Taking yet another break, he's shown the estate's pool by a bikini-clad Baker.

The actress performs a quite decent dive off the pool's board with no double used.

Then emerges from the water to try to lure Burke in as well. He demurs, sadly.

Not A Place in the Sun (1951), but "A Place in the Moon?"

Later, Baker slinks into Burke's bedroom and tries to pick up where they left off!

In the movie's only bit of beefcake, Burke darts out of bed to open the drapes, which sends Baker into a tizzy. 

This makes Mama Crawford angry in turn.

She has an amusing method of making sure her combatant doesn't get a word in...!

Baker doesn't get off so lightly, receiving a back-and-forth trademark slap from Crawford as her chiffon scarf flails away. 

"I'd have rather cut off my hand..."

Baker's days of complying seem to be coming to an end.

I love the colors and composition of this shot of worried Crawford. Not that this is one, but some of the actress's best moments in her career involved the telephone.

Now we're really getting the full-on Crawford armed-for-battle fashion. She's headed to Burke's office for a "come to Jesus" meeting.

It's a shock for the local townswomen (who apparently wear the same basic uniform as she!) to see Crawford out and about in the daytime. (The one in green is Leota Lorraine, a prolific extra and bit player who'd been in several prior Crawford movies, among many others.)

This is Crawford at her most imperious, waiting for the hapless secretary to look up and notice her arrival. ("Don't you know who I am?")

The girl vainly suggests that Crawford doesn't have an appointment, as if that detail is somehow going to come into play....! LOL

To his credit, following his little scene with her the night before, Burke doesn't just roll over and play dead for her. 

I know this post is graphic-heavy on our Joan, but I can't get enough of her various looks (in color!) from a rare time when she wasn't brunette or redheaded.

At this point, the all-important land venture is basically off the table. He's really more concerned about Baker now in any case. So he shows Crawford the door. Scenes like this gave Burke good experience, which he would later put to use with another Joan...

In the 1980s, Burke played congressman Neil McVane on Dynasty, where he and Joan Collins sparred more than once. 

After Burke, Crawford heads to the shipyard for a chat with Bickford who, as it turns out, was once a lover of hers way back when. These two stars never worked together in a movie during their hey-day, but have a nice professional rapport in this sequence. 

Oddly enough, Crawford had costarred with the aforementioned Otto Kruger (who was apparently always old!) in Chained (1934), but they have no scenes with one another in Della. 

Even though the big conglomerate didn't get the land they wanted, Crawford informs Bickford that she'd like to see something developed there which would benefit children, her own daughter being something of an invalid, or at least a shut-in. 

Arriving home, we discover that Crawford's ensemble has shoulder-high, detachable gloves (!), which she removes upon entry. Costumer Robert B. Harris was prolific and went on to clothe The Big Valley and Burke's Law, among many other shows. One of his protégés? Young Nolan Miller. You see how things come around and around? This look has Miller all over it.

An alarmed Crawford can hear a discussion taking place upstairs. 

It's Burke attempting to convince a distraught Baker to leave the house. 

Torn over how to proceed, Crawford listens from behind one of the many sheer draperies in the home.

Finally, no longer wanting to prevent Baker from her destiny, she tells her to do it. 

Yet at the moment of truth, Baker is unable to make the leap to the outside world in the light of day. 

There just doesn't seem to be any viable answer to their dilemma. 

Burke seeks advice from his older brother Carlson (remember him in Creature From the Black Lagoon, 1954?)

He also turns to daddy Bickford, who reveals a bit of info that's been buried for many years. 

Burke returns to the mansion for one final showdown over Baker's well-being. 

This jewelry set, by the way, also seen in her first look, was Crawford's own personal set. It would make anyone look dazzling. 

These two seem always at loggerheads, even though they both love Baker.

It's not terribly easy to see, but Crawford's blouse has a floral pattern which (naturally!) coordinates flawlessly with the tangerine-hued jacket and skirt. 

As she's escorting Burke to the door, an unseen Baker eavesdrops on the tail end of their conversation, misinterpreting its meaning. 

Thus, the situation doesn't end well. 

At the end of the program, we see father and son down at the shipyard, with Bickford relaying in voiceover that there are many other stories to tell. But this was the only story ever to come out of "Royal Bay." The show would have needed some mighty guest stars to measure up to the first one, and that was a tall order!

Whether you're a fan or now, there's something about that FACE. I don't even know if this script was written with JC in mind,, but if it wasn't, there is no one else who could have acted it the way she did. She goes through every conceivable emotion and, as usual, offers up a 100% commitment to the sometimes ridiculous material. 

Della can be seen right here on YT, provided by The Concluding Chapter of Crawford. The tireless, consumingly-dedicated webmaster of that site has unearthed countless bits of information about his subject. He's bravely debunked all sorts of salacious, incorrect, slanderous stories which have cropped up over the years since her death and he ALWAYS has the receipts, something very few biographers do as they rehash all the inaccuracies of prior "authors." This man can almost tell you what she had for breakfast on a given day and, if he does, he can prove it. Don't go there unless you want to dive into a fascinating rabbit hole of truth. I, as a die-hard fan of the actress, am indebted to his work.