by David Selby
In the summer of 1970, our story flashed forward to the year 1995, kind of like The Time Machine, which is one of my favorite movies. It is the story of a young scientist at the tum-of-the-century who builds a “time machine” and manages to travel forward and backward in time. Dark Shadows used the same trick in the form of the Parallel Time room and the stairway into time. When we arrived in the year 1995, Bamabas and Julia Hoffman (Grayson Hall) discovered that Collinwood was a deserted and abandoned mansion suffering from the ravages of neglect and the disintegrating effects of weather and time.
We decided that under these conditions the windows would have been demolished, the ceiling and beams would have tumbled down and plaster would have fallen off the walls and the ceilings. Leaves, dirt and debris would have created havoc on the inside. I decided that the best way to achieve this was to layer on top of everything the added elements that would have registered their effects on the interior of the foyer and the drawing room. I designed what looked like the overhead beams and chunks of old plaster and had the crew suspend them from the grid above. We created torn and shredded draperies and broken windows in place of the existing ones. We took the doors off their hinges and stood them askew. We exposed the brick that was beneath the plaster, even though there never had been brick there before.
The carpentry and paint shops had a couple of weeks to fabricate the various elements and ship them to the studio. I remember that it was a Friday night when the studio crew set everything in place in the drawing room and foyer. By midnight we had placed all the rubble and all but two of the eight hanging overhead sections of plaster and beams. The crew, who were by that time exhausted from a long and harrowing week of hard work, announced that whether I was done or not, they were going home. I really couldn’t blame them and I was only too happy myself to call it a night. The episodes that followed certainly gave the show yet another look, which was what kept us percolating.
With the passage of time, sets fall into disuse and because new sets can be very costly, it is always wise to adapt the old adage of “waste not, want not.” As an example of our recycling, Roger’s office fell into disuse and we needed a bedroom for Barnabas that was set in an earlier time period. The office had been a jewel of a set and rather than lose it, I went about refurbishing it. The set did indeed translate itself into a marvelous bedroom. It just shows you what a little red damask will do.
We used the drawing room in at least six different time periods and for the most part created different looks by refurbishing. There were also different forms of lighting throughout the ages. We would use candles in the 18th century, oil lamps in the early 19th century, gaslight in the late 19th century and, of course, electricity in the 20th century.
In the years since Dark Shadows left the air, there have been great strides in scenery and its design. Add to that, working in Los Angeles, where I did Capitol and The Bold and the BeautifuL, you can build sets in much larger units and they don’t have to be shipped by truck. This affords the opportunity to create sets with much more reality and detail. For The Bold and the Beautiful, I created a set that reminded me very much of Dark Shadows. The storyline called for a dungeon to be found in a house which had formerly been owned, as legend would have it, by the famous magician Harry Houdini. What a great opportunity this was for me to delve back into my old bag of tricks. Twenty-five years later I had the chance to create yet another chamber of horror. This time we would use velvet drapes, a grand chandelier and elegant Victorian furnishings. The project made me feel like I had really come home again. We even included candles and cobwebs.
It seems to me that I have come full circle. For me, and for our audience, Dark Shadows will never die!
Dr. Lang’s laboratory.
Studio Kid
by Richard Levantino
I BEGAN WATCHING DARK SHADOWS SOMETIME IN 1968 AFTER MY SISTER told me all about it. It was the show that everyone in my high school dashed home to watch in the afternoon.
Growing up in Brooklyn, I was lucky to be able to visit the ABC-TV studio in Manhattan where the show was taped. I had read about it in a teen magazine and I was anxious to meet some of the Dark Shadows stars. So, in the summer of 1969 I went to the studio for the first time, especially hoping to see my favorite performer, Lara Parker. But she was not working that day, so it would be almost another year before my wish came true.
In late February, 1970, on a return excursion to the Dark Shadows studio, I was thrilled to finally see Lara as she left to go home at the end of the day. She had been off the show for a few weeks but said she would now be appearing more often again. In addition to playing Angélique, she would also portray a new character named Alexis, who ended up being her twin sister in “parallel time.”
I learned Lara’s upcoming schedule and returned the following week with flowers for her, the first woman I had done this for other than my mother! Lara’s beautiful eyes lit up when I presented my gift. I took some great photos that day and it is a moment I’ll never forget. I also asked if she had any professional glossy photos of herself and the next week she gave me a terrific publicity photo I still have in my collection.
I saw Lara several more times during the spring and summer of 1970. was also privileged to get inside the studio and take photographs on the set. In June, on the day after I graduated from high school, I was treated to Lara, Jonathan Frid and several other cast members signing my yearbook. That is a real treasure!
Lara Parker outside studio and with fan Richard Levantino in 1970 and 1994.
Another Dark Shadows favorite of mine is Jonathan Frid. Also in the summer of 1970, he asked a bunch of “studio kids,” including myself, if we would like to help him process his enormous supply of fan mail. We got together at the studio on a Saturday and helped him sort it out the best we could. In return, Jonathan obtained passes for all of us to see a screening of House of Dark Shadows at the DeMille Theater. He also invited us to the Christmas party at the studio that year.
When Dark Shadows went off the air in the spring of 1971, I looked forward to the syndicated reruns, which took a few years to hit the air. Watching the show years later, I wondered if I would ever see Lara, Jonathan or any of the other cast members again. Happily, when the New Jersey Network PBS stations began airing the repeats in 1983, the Dark Shadows Festivals were born. Every year since then, fans have been fortunate to meet most of the actors in person and receive their autographs. It’s always fun to see them again and I personally thank them for all the enjoyment they have given through Dark Shadows.
Child of the Shadows
by Denise Nickerson
LET ME BEGIN BY SAYING HOW MUCH I ENJOYED PLAYING AMY JENNINGS and Nora Collins on Dark Shadows. All of the actors were terrific to work with and extremely talented. The crewmembers were always kind to me too—and I thought that Dan Curtis was the best.
But I must say that working with David Henesy was definitely the most fun aspect for me. We were about the same age, which was a treat since my acting career until then had mostly involved working with adults. David and I became good friends and had a lot of fun together.
I remember when we decided to open our own restaurant in the studio and sell lunch to the cast and crew. We had a hot plate to cook on and David’s natural talent for cooking (he would later manage and own several respected eating establishments in New York) and his enthusiasm enabled us to thrive for several weeks. Everyone humored us by purchasing our daily “blue plate specials.” We prepared quite a bit of David’s favorite, tuna à la king. I remember one of the teen magazines did a piece on our little enterprise.
Another memory of mischief with David was sneaking into Joan Bennett’s dressing room and smoking her cigarettes. (Although I don’t recommend this to other kids.) We were able to do this undetected because Joan always wore heavy doses of Jungle Gardenia perfume, which masks any other odor for about six blocks!
While on Dark Shadows, its enormous popularity forced me to change my already unlisted tel
ephone number numerous times. My home phone would constantly ring with girls calling to request Jonathan Frid’s home phone number, which of course I never divulged.
I think that my favorite moment on the show was when David Henesy and I discovered the ghost of Quentin Collins. David Selby was so nice to us and Quentin’s Theme is still a favorite of mine today.
Unfortunately, I had to leave Dark Shadows in the spring of 1970 to go to Germany to film the movie Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory. What I missed most were all my friends on the show. But I have wonderful memories, not to mention videotapes of the episodes, and it has been a real joy to see everyone at the Dark Shadows Festival cast reunions.
Denise Nickerson and David Henesy; Denise rehearsing with Diana Millay; Denise and David Selby.
Tribia
25th Anniversary Cast Reunion, 1991 Dark Shadows Festival, Los Angeles: (from top) Roger Davis, Lara Parker, Robert Rodan, Diana Millay, Terry Crawford, Donna Wandrey, Jonathan Frid, John Karlen, Marie Wallace and Dennis Patrick.
THE PORTRAITS OF BARNABAS
The original portrait of Barnabas Collins, dating from the 18th century, which hangs in the foyer at Collinwood, was posed for by producer Robert Costello. The face was not completed until Jonathan Frid was cast in the role. The portrait first appears in episode 205; on the front page of the script it is described as the “Jered Collins portrait in the foyer.” In the same script, the name “Jeremiah” is crossed out and “Barnabus” (misspelled) is written in by hand. Even as late as episode 209, the script still lists the name of the character as “Jered,” although “Barnabas” was always the name spoken on the show.
In 1967, Barnabas commissions the second portrait of himself, which is begun by artist Sam Evans in episode 222 shortly after Barnabas meets Sam’s daughter Maggie in episode 221 and is struck by her resemblance to Josette. Sam later works on the painting at home and delivers it to Barnabas in episode 255. It is then hung over the mantel in the Old House. During the period in which Bamabas is chained in his coffin by Will Loomis in 1970 Parallel Time, this portrait is shown in most episode openings during the voiceover. In the 1967 painting, Barnabas is pictured in a pose similar to the 18th century portrait but in modem attire.
The third portrait of Barnabas closely resembles the original 18th century portrait. It was made to be used in the movie House of Dark Shadows, where it appears in the portrait gallery of Lyndhurst which serves as Collinwood in the film. It is shown in closeup at the beginning of the scene in which Barnabas presents Elizabeth Collins Stoddard with Naomi’s original jeweled necklace.
During the time House of Dark Shadows was being filmed, the original 18th century portrait of Barnabas went missing from the television studio. Another portrait was made to resemble the original for use on the television series, During 1970 Parallel Time, this portrait of Barnabas is discovered by Amy and Daniel in episode 1003. It is rehung in the foyer in episode 1008.
In 1840, the portrait of Barnabas hangs in the room of Ben Stokes, Barnabas’ faithful servant in 1795 who is still alive in 1840. After Ben dies, the portrait is rehung in the Collinwood foyer. In 1841 Parallel Time, the portrait of , Barnabas does not hang in the foyer until the last episode. At the end of the final scene, the portrait is shown in closeup at the beginning of the final voiceover by Thayer David telling what happened to the characters.
THE PORTRAIT OF JOSETTE
The Old House is first mentioned in episode 70 in 1966. David Collins and Victoria Winters visit it and see the portrait of Josette, which hangs over the drawing room mantel. At the end of the episode the ghost of Josette, played by Kathryn Leigh Scott, emerges from the portrait and walks around on the porch of the Old House. The portrait next appears in episode 102.
When Barnabas Collins moves into the Old House in 1967, the portrait of Josette is moved to Josette’s room after its restoration by Willie Loomis. The portrait remains there until after Vicki goes back in time to 1795.
The first scene in Josette’s room in 1795 occurs in episode 374. The portrait of Josette mistakenly hangs over the mantel, but it has been removed when the next scene takes place there in episode 377.
The portrait of Josette officially arrives in episode 402, during the 1795 story. Naomi Collins tells Barnabas a package has arrived for him; Riggs is requested to bring it to the Old House. There Bamabas unwraps the package to reveal the portrait of Josette, which from the accompanying letter is intended to be André duPrés’ wedding gift to Barnabas and Josette. By episode 405, on Barnabas’ orders, the portrait of Josette has been hung above the mantel in the drawing room of the Old House.
In 1897, it is erroneously revealed that an artist named Coswell painted the portrait of Josette in 1797. In episode 866, the portrait is shown with a prominent signature and date in red paint in the lower right-hand comer.
CHANGE IN OPENING LOGO AND CREDITS
A change is made on the opening logo (where the name “Dark Shadows” appears on screen) beginning with episode 295, the first episode made in color. For black-and-white episodes, the logo is stationary and appears over three different films of waves and a silhouette of Collinwood. For the color episodes, the logo begins in a wavy manner, going to a stationary image when it is superimposed over Collinwood.
During the opening of the black-and-white episodes, films of three different waves appear. In the color episode openings, four different waves are shown. The second and third of the black-and-white waves are the same as the third and fourth color opening waves. The last wave is the only one in which the horizon appears.
The logo “DARK SHADOWS” is set in an unusual print style. The initial letters, “D” and “S” are set in Old English, but the remainder of the name, “ARK HADOWS” is set in Caslon Bold Condensed, but in capital letters, not in lower case print as might be expected.
1967 NABET STRIKE
Tuesday, October 3, 1967: Actors returned to work after meetings with Mr. Grott of AFTRA. Bob Gerringer and Daniel Keyes refused to cross picket lines. Bob’s replacement was Peter Turgeon, and Dan’s replacement was Peter Murphy. Executives were doing technical work. The NABET strike is still not ended, nor are they negotiating; there is no end in sight. Thursday, October 12, 1967: AFTRA gave the actors permission to return to work at 3:00 PM. Joan Bennett had been fined by the union for returning to work. October 12: Meeting at 7 PM with AFTRA officials; lawyer was George Gannantz. Two preliminary meetings with lawyer were held at studio. Still no NABET-ABC negotiations, meetings to start in Washington on Monday, October 30, 1967.
AFTRA Fines: Joan Bennett, $5400; Peter Turgeon, $3900; Alexandra Moltke, $3500; David Ford, $3500; Jonathan Frid, $3500; Grayson Hall, $3500; Louis Edmonds, $3500; Nancy Barrett, fine withdrawn; Anthony George, case adjourned but on November 17, $3500.
Claiming that the strike would kill Dark Shadows, Dan Curtis offered to pay the actors’ fines if they continued to work during the strike All of them obliged except for Robert Gerringer and Daniel Keyes, both of whom were replaced
SPECIAL ANNOUNCMENT ELIMINATES PART OF SCENE
The teaser for episode 251 is a repeat of the final scene from the previous episode, in which Maggie Evans almost stakes Barnabas Collins in his coffin using a tool left by Willie Loomis. The last frame is c closeup of Barnabas showing his fangs; he has not yet spoken to Maggie. On the original script,the first two pages of dialogue in Act I are marked “Not On Air—For Special Announcement” so that the start of Act I as _ televised begins, awkwardly, already in progress, with Barnabas remarking to Josette, “You still haven’t answered my question.” The unaired portion of dialogue from the start of the scene follows:
Barnabas: What are you holding, Josette?
Maggie: (unable to get words out) I ... I ...
Barnabas: Isn’t that one of Willie’s tools? Let me see it. (He snatches it away from her) What were you planning to do with this?
Barnabas: What’s the matter? Can’t you speak?
Maggie: Please
&nbs
p; Barnabas: Please what? What are you asking to to do?
Maggie: Don’t ...
Barnabas: Don’t? Don’t ... what? I’m afraid you’re not making sense, Josette.
Maggie: (a fleeting moment of hope) Yes, I ... I am Josette.
Barnabas: Of course. My bride.
Maggie: Yes.... your bride.
Barnabas: And we’re going to be happy together.
Maggie: Yes ...
Barnabas: To the end of time.