The Silver Screen Oasis

Did anyone else grow up watching this gothic soap opera every day? I used to really enjoy the adventures of Barnabas Collins (Jonathon Frid), a fine gentleman, scholar...and oh, yeah...vampire.

The show featured gothic horror, witchcraft, time travel, werewolves, a Frankenstein-style creation and everything else this side of the kitchen sink.

Any memories?

I loved it and would make sure to be home from school in time for it to begin. I was hooked from the beginning when it was a half hour in black and white.

Had the two soundtracks album, one with Jonathon Frid and David Selby on the cover and the other one that featured various soundtrack music that was done by the composer.

Even went to see the two feature length movies during their first runs in the theaters.

Loved it!

I also had one of those soundtrack albums, the one that had the photo insert of Barnabas and Quentin. And Jonathan Frid reading the lyrics to, I believe, "Strangers in the Night". Boy, do I remember that show, and like you, Lynn, would rush home from school to watch it - particularly remembering those frustrating episodes when Barnabas became "human" yet was always in that cliffhanger situation when he was threatened again with vampirism. And it never happened!

They re-broadcast some of those episodes up here in Canada some moons ago, and sadly, with a more mature and discerning eye, I found myself disappointed by the missed and often stumbling dialogue and sets that would often tremble. It was as if I were watching an Ed Wood movie. Still, Frid was an exceptional vampire. I also had a Barnabas Collins model that glowed in the dark. To this day I remember what was printed on the box: "This fanged hero glows/Just turn out the lights and watch him glow/Like nothing you've ever seen before . . .

Amazing what sticks in your mind.

"Running home from school" to catch each episode was exactly what we used to do. Yes, the trees would shake when the actors bumped them, and these were one-take wonders so there were plenty of flubbed lines, but we didn't care. Frid made an excellent vampire and Selby's mutton-chops were way cool in the 60's.

I remember having Dark Shadows trading cards and we definitely were the first in line to see the movie adaption.

It's not at all surprising that we're all classic movie fans. Even though we're all from different parts of the U.S. and in fact the world, we all remember doing the same thing as kids. This is another. Although I was a very young mother, I wasn't quite totally adult yet, and still had enough teen age in me to be sitting in front of the TV when Dark Shadows came on. I stopped watching about the time Angelique became the prominent character. I never liked her, and when the stories gathered around her, I changed the channel.

But as always, when recalling something like this, I can't help wondering, what happened to all those people, where did they go, did they quit acting? etc. etc. etc.

Anne

Anne,

For a few years in the early 1990s they were fan conventions for "Dark Shadows"iwith lots of member of the cast there.

David Selby had an okay Hollywood career after he left "Dark Shadows". He did a few movies like "Raise the Titanic" and then co-starred on "Falcon Crest" for a few years. I saw him about a year ago on the tv show "Cold Case".

Kathryn Leigh Scott (Maggie Evans) became an author of a couple of books on the phenom of "Dark Shadows". She has a small vanity press but the books may be available on Amazon.

Alexandra Isles (Victoria Winters) was the mistress of Claus Von Bulow and was allegedly the reason he tried to kill his wife, Sunny.

Louis Edmonds had a long run the soaper "All My Children" and on Broadway.

Roger Davis (Jeff Clark) was briefly married to Kate Jackson (his co-star) and replaced Peter Duel on "Alias Smith and Jones" when Duel took his life in the second season.

Harvey Keitel had a small role on the show as did the late David Groh who was better known as Joe, Rhoda Morgenstern's husband on the show, "Rhoda".

Leave it to you Miss Lynn:

I have recognized David Selby and Roger Davis on many shows after DS left but the ladies stories are quite interesting. The one I was always sure of however, was John Karlen, Lacey's husband on Cagney and Lacey, and after that he continued, usually as the bad guy in many guest appearances.

Anne

http://www.bitsofnews.com/content/view/5905/[url]

This is a link to an article that talks about the original show and a possible remake starring Johnny Depp.
Interesting stuff.