"Dark Shadows" (1966) TV series 1966-1971

Creator:

Dan Curtis
(more)

Seasons:

1

Release Date:

27 June 1966 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Fantasy | Horror | Mystery | Romance | Sci-Fi | Thriller

Plot:

The rich Collins family of Collinsport, Maine is tormented by strange occurrences.

Plot Keywords:

Maine | Gothic | Death | Magic | Cult Favorite

Awards:

Nominated for Primetime Emmy.

Cast

Jonathan Frid	...	Barnabas Collins / ... (594 episodes, 1967-1971)
Grayson Hall	...	Dr. Julia Hoffman / ... (474 episodes, 1967-1971)
Nancy Barrett	...	Carolyn Stoddard / ... (402 episodes, 1966-1971)
Joan Bennett	...	Elizabeth Collins Stoddard / ... (387 episodes, 1966-1971)
Alexandra Isles	...	Victoria Winters / ... (337 episodes, 1966-1968)
Louis Edmonds	...	Roger Collins / ... (321 episodes, 1966-1971)
Kathryn Leigh Scott	...	Maggie Evans / ... (309 episodes, 1966-1970)
David Selby	...	Quentin Collins / ... (307 episodes, 1968-1971)
David Henesy	...	David Collins / ... (276 episodes, 1966-1970)
Lara Parker	...	Angelique / ... (269 episodes, 1967-1971)

Series Directed by
Lela Swift		(585 episodes, 1966-1971)
Henry Kaplan		(294 episodes, 1967-1971)
John Sedwick		(252 episodes, 1966-1968)
Sean Dhu Sullivan		(49 episodes, 1968)
Dan Curtis		(20 episodes, 1968-1969)
Jack Sullivan		(12 episodes, 1968)
John Weaver		(6 episodes, 1968)
Pennberry Jones		(5 episodes, 1968)
Dennis Kane		(5 episodes, 1969)

Series Writing credits
Dan Curtis		(1,225 episodes, 1966-1971)
Art Wallace		(1,155 episodes, 1966-1971)
Gordon Russell		(371 episodes, 1967-1971)
Sam Hall		(315 episodes, 1967-1971)
Ron Sproat		(218 episodes, 1966-1969)
Malcolm Marmorstein		(82 episodes, 1966-1967)
Violet Welles		(82 episodes, 1969-1970)
Joseph Caldwell		(62 episodes, 1967-1970)
Francis Swann		(36 episodes, 1966)
Ralph Ellis		(2 episodes, 1969)

Series Produced by
Dan Curtis	....	executive producer (1,225 episodes, 1966-1971)
Robert Costello	....	producer (843 episodes, 1966-1969)
Peter Miner	....	producer (235 episodes, 1969-1970)
Lela Swift	....	producer (126 episodes, 1970-1971)
Sy Tomashoff	....	associate producer (64 episodes, 1971)
George DiCenzo	....	associate producer (8 episodes, 1969)

Series Original Music by
Bob Cobert		(1,224 episodes, 1966-1971)

Series Production Design by
Sy Tomashoff		(1,224 episodes, 1966-1971)
John Dapper		(unknown episodes)

Series Costume Design by
Ramsey Mostoller		(1,093 episodes, 1966-1970)
Mary McKinley		(131 episodes, 1970-1971)
Hazel Roy		(unknown episodes)

Series Makeup Department
Irene Hamalin	....	hair stylist (8 episodes, 1966)
Vincent Loscalzo	....	makeup artist (7 episodes, 1966)
Dennis Eger	....	makeup artist (unknown episodes)
Jack LeGoms	....	hair stylist (unknown episodes)
Dick Smith	....	makeup artist (unknown episodes)
Edith Tilles	....	hair stylist (unknown episodes)

Series Production Management
Michael Brockman	....	unit manager (10 episodes, 1966)
Joe Adams	....	unit manager (unknown episodes)
Gary Blohm	....	unit manager (unknown episodes)
Patrick Plevin	....	unit manager (unknown episodes)

Series Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Michael Ream	....	assistant director (unknown episodes)

Series Art Department
Milt Honig	....	graphic artist (unknown episodes)
Trevor Williams	....	set designer (unknown episodes)

Series Sound Department
Frank Bailey	....	sound (11 episodes, 1966)
Ed Blainey	....	sound effects (11 episodes, 1966)
Tom McCue	....	sound (11 episodes, 1966)
Anthony Amodeo	....	sound (unknown episodes)
Neil Bobrick	....	sound (unknown episodes)
Nick Carbonaro	....	sound (unknown episodes)
Bernard Fambrough	....	sound effects (unknown episodes)
Leonard Hirshfield	....	sound (unknown episodes)
Jack Kelly	....	sound (unknown episodes)
Henry Plimack	....	sound (unknown episodes)
Fred Ripple	....	sound (unknown episodes)
Terry Ross	....	sound effects (unknown episodes)
David Thuesen	....	sound (unknown episodes)

Series Stunts
Alex Stevens	....	stunt coordinator (1 episode, 1968)

Series Camera and Electrical Department
Mel Handelsman	....	lighting director (11 episodes, 1966)
Felix Trimboli	....	first assistant camera / assistant camera (4 episodes, 1968-1970)
Nicholas Besink	....	video engineer (unknown episodes)
Roz Bigelow	....	lighting director (unknown episodes)
Alan Holden	....	lighting director (unknown episodes)
Everett Melosh	....	lighting director (unknown episodes)
Howard Sharrott	....	lighting director (unknown episodes)

Series Costume and Wardrobe Department
June Puleo	....	wardrobe mistress (unknown episodes)

Series Music Department
Sybil Weinberger	....	music supervisor (1,224 episodes, 1966-1971)
Arthur De Cenzo	....	music supervisor (11 episodes, 1966)

Series Other crew
Ken McEwen	....	associate director (511 episodes, 1969-1970)
Gloria Banta	....	assistant to producer (11 episodes, 1966)
John Devoe	....	stage manager (11 episodes, 1966)
J.J. Lupatkin	....	technical director (11 episodes, 1966)
Ed Pontorno	....	video (11 episodes, 1966)
Harriet Rohr	....	production assistant (11 episodes, 1966)
John Sedwick	....	associate director (11 episodes, 1966)
Amber Brie	....	stand-in (2 episodes, 1970)
George DiCenzo	....	stand-in (2 episodes, 1970)
Syd Andrews	....	stage manager (unknown episodes)
Andy Balint	....	video (unknown episodes)
Patricia Bannon	....	associate director (unknown episodes)
Bill Degenhardt	....	technical director (unknown episodes)
Melissa Foster	....	production assistant (unknown episodes)
Deet Jonker	....	technical director (unknown episodes)
Karen Kayser	....	production assistant (unknown episodes)
Hector Kicelian	....	video (unknown episodes)
Robert Livingston	....	associate director (unknown episodes)
Edward Melton	....	stage manager (unknown episodes)
Michael Michaels	....	video (unknown episodes)
Dick Moller	....	video (unknown episodes)
Pat Moran	....	production assistant (unknown episodes)
Bill Morris	....	technical director (unknown episodes)
Murdock Pemberton	....	stage manager (unknown episodes)
Rudy Piccirillo	....	video (unknown episodes)
Alan Pultz	....	associate director (unknown episodes)
Indra Sadoo	....	video (unknown episodes)
Ross Skipper	....	video (unknown episodes)
Al Smith	....	technical director (unknown episodes)
Michael Stanislavsky	....	associate director (unknown episodes)
George Whitaker	....	technical director (unknown episodes)
Dave White	....	video (unknown episodes)

Production Companies

• Dan Curtis Productions

Distributors

• American Broadcasting Company (ABC) (1966-1971) (USA) (TV) (original airing)
• MPI Home Video (1990) (USA) (VHS)
• MPI Home Video (1999) (USA) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Junior Sophisticates  miss scott's clothes
• Ohrbach's  fashions
• Screen Time Images  DVD authoring and encoding

Also Known As:

Shadows on the Wall (USA) (working title)
The House on Storm Cliff (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

30 min (1225 episodes)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White (1966-1967) | Color (1967-1971)

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Filming Locations:

Essex, Connecticut, USA

Company:

Dan Curtis Productions

Trivia:

Thayer David holds the record for playing the most characters in this series. He portrayed Matthew Morgan #2, Ben Stokes (in 1795), Prof. Timothy Eliot Stokes, Sandor Rakosi (in 1898), Count Petofi (also in 1898), Stokes (Parrallel Time), aged Prof. Stokes (1995), aged Ben Stokes (1840), aged Ben Stokes (Parrallel Time, 1840).

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: Jeremiah Collins's headstone is misspelled "Jerimiah Collins."

Quotes:

Roger Collins: Alright Kitten, let me get out my score pad and we'll go over the guests who are still ensconsed here.
Carolyn: Well, Jason is still here.
Roger Collins: Check.
Carolyn: But Willie Loomis has gone.
Roger Collins: Oh bravo! You can't keep the jet set down can you? Tell me, did he accept an invitation from the Prince and Princess of Monaco or could he simply not stand another one of Mrs. Johnson's famous boiled dinners?

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "The Prisoner: Dance of the Dead (#1.7)" (1967)

Move over, Buffy.

Warning: Soap operas are habit-forming, and this is about the most addictive one ever filmed. Dark Shadows, the daytime serial which ran in the 1960s broke new ground to say the least. A vampire (Barnabas Collins) is released after a 170 year imprisonment to wreak havoc on his old stomping grounds. There's witchcraft, ghosts, romance, unrequited love, bodies buried in the cellar, duels to the death, werewolves....Any one of these elements is enough to build a story on. Put them all together and you've started a new religion. No wonder DS had such a dedicated cult following. Now it's back, released on DVD and unless I'm badly mistaken a whole new generation is out there getting hooked on this crazy show. The old B&W episodes are fun to watch and the restored color programs look better than ever.

This show is well worth restoring. One reason; never before or since have so many gorgeous actresses been gathered together in one place. For us guys that alone makes it worth a look. Lara Parker is stunningly beautiful as Angelique. Kathryn Leigh Scott (Maggie Evans) came to the series from Hugh Hefner's Playboy Club. Need I say more? Nancy Barrett (Carolyn) is a blonde bombshell in her own right. And we certainly can't leave out Alexandra Moltke (Victoria Winters) who on a good day tops them all. No wonder the plain-looking Julia Hoffman (Grayson Hall) couldn't score with Barnabas. She had no chance against competition like that. And like any soap there are plenty of handsome hunks for the ladies to admire. David Selby, Roger Davis, Joel Crothers, and of course Jonathan Frid (Barnabas) to name a few.

Dark Shadows is remembered as being campy with lots of bloopers. You see overhead microphones, malfunctioning props, actors flubbing their lines. But this just adds to the fun. It was more like a stage play than a TV series. As a daily show with so many special effects they were in uncharted waters. They did well considering the technology available at the time. On a limited budget they even had to borrow equipment from other sets on occasion. As the star, Jonathan Frid was carrying a tremendous workload. He rarely got enough sleep so he was bound to flub now and then. Some days even without makeup he probably looked like one of the undead.

For those of us over 40 seeing these shows again is like going to a reunion. The DVD set includes interviews with the surviving and now much older actors, a sad reminder of how much time has passed. But life goes on and vampire tales are hot stuff right now. Youngsters who are seeing all this for the first time will laugh at the bloopers. But they'll keep coming back for more. Some of the bloopers are not really bloopers at all. They're just life the way it really happens. We all flub our lines and drop things in our daily lives. And when Quentin yanks that sword off the wall, unintentionally sending a few other items crashing to the floor, well that could just as easily have been part of the script. Indeed, it might have made the scene more intense. Dark Shadows is the most far-fetched soap opera ever made. But at the same time it's the most believable because the characters stammer, stumble, and bang their heads on low hanging objects just like we do. That's why we love them. And that's why we'll always love this show.