theme277 from template monster and replacing with new template

firstly I did not install this one so not sure if the installer did the sql with it. however I installed zen1.5 in a test store and then also installed this template without sql. I then installed (after making sure everything was right) the oxford dark template and it worked beautifully.

so owner decided that this is the look she wanted and asked me to apply this template to her live 1.3.9h store. It is supposed to work with this version too so I put all its files over. Admin sees the directories for it cause I find the sideboxes there to choose from. now when I go to the main store all I get is blank black page -- background is supposed to be black but none of the product imaes nor anything else appear, not even either side of sideboxes.

removed and reinstalled files---uploading everything 3 files at a time and still no joy.

any ideas what I might have done wrong?

anyone else ever used theme277 and not be able to remove template to use another?

no link to store cause I removed the template again.