It was with sadness that we recently learned about the death of Dark Shadows audio engineer Frank Bailey. His niece, Mary Spohn contacted us to give us her memories of Frank and his time on the show:
"Frank W. Bailey was my Uncle. I know very little about him but I will tell you what I can. Uncle Frank was born September 10, 1914 in Bradford, Philadelphia. He passed away May 19, 2012 in New York City and laid to rest at a Military Cemetery in Long Island NY.
Frank Bailey had a younger brother and sister. His brother Lee died about 20 years ago and his sister – my Mom Alice – died 38 years ago. When I was in school I had to run home every afternoon to watch Dark Shadows. I loved watching that show and seeing Uncle Frank’s name under 'Audio'.
I felt I had a famous uncle. Recently I discovered he had a small part in the Ulysses adaptation by James Joyce in 1967. He also did sound for the soap One Life to Live and won an Emmy. He did some work at the Olympics and won an Emmy. He received an award for 25 years service for ABC."
Mary also shares some rare candid Dark Shadows shots from Frank's scrapbooks, taken by fellow audio engineer Henry Plimack in 1970. Shown above is Kate Jackson (Daphne Harridge); Below: Director Henry Kaplan oversees rehearsals on the Eagle bar set; Christopher Pennock (Gabriel Collins) on the drawing room set; Longtime series director and producer Lela Swift; Henry Kaplan conducts the actors with his trademark baton in the rehearsal room. Click on the images for a larger view.
- Dynamite have announced a new comic book miniseries, Dark Shadows: Year One, which will explore the origins of many of the show's familiar characters. Says the publisher: "How did Barnabas Collins become a bloodthirsty vampire? All it took was one
night of weakness, and Barnabas cursed his family – and himself –
forever! The twisted tale of one of pop culture's most iconic and
enduring vampires begins here!" The series hits stores from April onwards.
- James Storm (Gerard Stiles) can be heard in the new online radio drama Hothouse Bruiser, a hard-boiled dystopian detective series. To find out more and listen to excerpts online, visit the show's official website.
- Elizabeth Wilson, who appeared in the very first episode of Dark Shadows as Mrs Hopewell, can be seen in the new Bill Murray movie Hyde Park on Hudson. Elizabeth is still acting at the grand age of 91 and plays Mrs. Roosevelt in the new film.
- David Selby (Quentin Collins) has just filmed a guest appearance for TNT's drama series Rizzoli & Isles. He's also set to appear in You Are Here, a new film from Mad Men creator Matt Weiner.
- Marie Wallace (Eve) has been added to the guests sailing on Dark Shadows Festival's 2013 cruise to Bermuda, taking place from October 27. For information on the event, click here.
- And finally, Sharon Smyth (Sarah Collins) and Kathleen Cody (Hallie Stokes) are to appear at Seaview Terrace, the original Collinwood, as part of a special event on May 18, which will include a ghost tour of the historic mansion. For more information, click here.
The Dark Shadows Festival have announced a weekend of special events for April, taking place in Coronado, California. Stars from the show will appear for a gala screening of the new independent film Doctor Mabuse and a celebrity fan luncheon.
Saturday April 27 sees the official premiere of Doctor Mabuse with Jerry Lacy (Reverend Trask) Lara Parker (Angelique) and Kathryn Leigh Scott (Maggie Evans) appearing to sign autographs and discuss the project onstage. The event takes place at the historic Coronado Village Theatre.
Sunday April 28 will see a celebrity luncheon held at the nearby Marriott Coronado Island Resort with guests in attendance. David Selby (Quentin Collins) will appear to give a dramatic performance with live music, followed by autographs and panel discussions. The Marriott is offering a discount price for rooms across the weekend; to receive the special price, use the code drkdrka when booking online.
The event flyer is shown below. To view it in high resolution, click here.
It was with sadness that we recently learned about the death of Dark Shadows audio engineer Frank Bailey. His niece, Mary Spohn contacted us to give us her memories of Frank and his time on the show: 
