VLC Referencing old .srt file

[GilDawson]

Every time I perform the following steps...

• Launch VLC V2.0.9 TwoFlower (Intel 32 bit) under MacOS 10.6.8.
  -->VLC Media Player window opens with Playlist 0 (zero) and Playlist pane empty.
  Pull down from File > Open File > Select movie (.m4v) > Open.
  -->Playlist 0 changes to Playlist 1.
  -->Movie name (.m4v) appears in Playlist pane.
  Select Movie name in Playlist pane.
  -->It turns blue.
  -->The window's title bar changes to the name of the movie.
  Click the "PLAY" (right-facing triangle) button in the bottom frame of the window

...Three things happen:

1. -->A new window opens with no frame.
2. -->The movie starts playing in that window.
3. -->The "Errors and Warnings" window pops up in front of the movie window (so that the movie window does not have focus until I click on it.)

The "Errors and Warnings" window has two error messages. They both refer to an .srt file that no longer exists. That .srt file does not pertain to this movie. It pertains to, and was named for, a different movie that I was working with last week.

How can I:

1. -tell VLC to forget about that .srt file?
2. -tell VLC to open the movie window (so that I can set parameters) but not start it?

--Gil