Picture of the Week: Taping Dr. Jekyll

This week, it's a rare colour shot of Dark Shadows creator Dan Curtis and director Charles Jarrott on the set of Curtis' 1967 adaptation of The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll & Mr Hyde. After Dark Shadows was commissioned in 1966, the show's producer wasted no time in getting more gothic-themed projects off the ground, and this lavish Canadian co-production was the result.

When the two-part TV special was first announced in October 1966, The Pittsburgh Press reported on plans to tape in London from a script by Twilight Zone supremo Rod Serling, and Jason Robards playing the title roles. By the time Dr. Jekyll finally stepped in front of the cameras in Spring 1967, Serling had moved on and taping had relocated to Canada via New York, with Jack Palance taking the lead role.

The finished production slouched in ABC's ratings but received critical acclaim, netting four Emmy nominations, including one for Dick Smith's special make-up. Dan Curtis used Smith again to create Jonathan Frid's memorable old-age make-up for Dark Shadows. The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde is available on DVD and can be purchased by clicking here. 

If you would like to submit an image for Picture of the Week, email webmaster@collinwood.net.

A Poster Poser

Reader Alastair Baker has written in to shed some light on the distinctive poster art seen in David Collins' bedroom on Dark Shadows in early 1969: "I finally figured out the two posters on David's wall," says Alastair, "They've been driving me mad for months. They are from the Fillmore Auditorium in late 1967. The one by his bed is from August 22-27 featuring the Paul Butterfield Blues Band, Cream and South Side Sound System. The second on a far wall is from August 29–September 3 1967, featuring Cream and Electric Flag."

During the mid 1960s, San Francisco's Fillmore Auditorium was a hub for counterculture and psychedelic music, playing host to Jimi Hendrix and The Doors, amongst others. "For a show not renowned for cultural referencing, aside from women's fashion trends, this was a surprise," says Alastair. "Do you know how they got on set? Did an actor or a tech visit San Fran on holiday and check out these gigs and decide to update David's room?" 

Who knows, but it's a rare example of contemporary culture making it across the threshold of Collinwood. Here are the original posters in all their retro glory. Click on the images below for a larger view.

Wolf Moon Rising Preview Extract

Angelique actress Lara Parker has a Dark Shadows novel out next month, and we're delighted to be able to share a preview of the book's prologue. Wolf Moon Rising is an exciting new story stretching across a century, following on from 2006's The Salem Branch. You can also find out more about the book in our exclusive author interview with Lara from last year by clicking here.

Wolf Moon Rising: Prologue

The trees draw in their shadows, a violet stain seeps over the sky, and beneath the stone walls of a hundred year old mansion, the vampire stirs. Encased in a smothering blackness that smells faintly of blood, Barnabas can feel an unfamiliar surge of strength, but where he lies there is no space, no air, only his foul breath, and demon memories crawling beneath his eyelids like maggots. Panicked, he gasps to breathe, claws above his head. His fingernails rip his silken shroud, and wooden splinters dig into the quick. 

Then, in the midst of his struggling, a wave of sorrow washes over him and he lies back in his coffin with voices humming in his brain. Once again, he has died forever. Had he been royalty in the Elizabethan age, an effigy would have been carved to adorn his tomb. He is that figure of veined and polished marble, hands fixed, face motionless, and buried within, a scarred and blackened soul.

High in an upstairs bedroom of the Great House, another anguished immortal paces the floor. restless and loose-limbed as a caged carnivore. Head pounding from too much brandy, Quentin lurches toward the mirror of his bureau and grimaces at his loathsome reflection. He lifts a furred hand to blot it out, and a low growl rumbles in his chest. 

Picture of the Week: Gypsy Denise

This week it's a ultra-rare photograph of a 10 year-old Denise Nickerson (Amy Jennings) in a Summer stock presentation of the Stephen Sondheim musical Gypsy. Coincidentally, Dark Shadows' Marie Wallace (Eve) appeared as showgirl in the original Broadway production back in 1959. The picture comes courtesy of reader Dale Canter, who takes up the story:

"My neighbour allowed me to scan this photo to share it with you. Unfortunately, this photo is creased having been damaged in a drawer. Denise Nickerson is pictured at the left, circa 1967, in a summer stock presentation at Butler University in Indianapolis, Indiana. Denise played the role of Baby June. The leading lady in the production is Gisele MacKenzie, in the centre, as Gypsy Rose Lee. The girl at the right is my neighbour, Nancy Zdeněk, age 12, in the role of Baby Louise. The play was presented for a period of one week. This photo is courtesy of Nancy."

If you would like to submit an image for Picture of the Week, email webmaster@collinwood.net.

Picture of the Week Special: A Family Portrait

This week, as a special treat, here's a newly created version of the classic 1967 Dark Shadows cast photograph, presented in colour for the first time. I work as a graphic designer and digital illustrator, and have wanted to have a go at doing this for ages. I love this shoot and experimented with it a while back, unpicking the heavy fish-eye distortion on original. That tweaked frame was eventually used on the cover of the Return to Collinwood book.

Pictured are (L-R), David Henesy (David Collins), Kathryn Leigh Scott (Maggie Evans), Sharon Smyth (Sarah Collins), Anthony George (Burke Devlin), Robert Gerringer (Dr. Woodard), Nancy Barrett (Carolyn Stoddard), Dennis Patrick (Jason McGuire), Alexandra Moltke (Victoria Winters), John Karlen (Willie Loomis), Jonathan Frid (Barnabas Collins), Grayson Hall (Dr. Julia Hoffman), Clarice Blackburn (Mrs Johnson), Dana Elcar (Sheriff Patterson), Louis Edmonds (Roger Collins) and Joan Bennett (Elizabeth Collins Stoddard).

In common with most other soaps of the era, formal photo sessions for Dark Shadows were few and far between. During the five years of production, only two group photographs are thought to have been taken – this one in 1967, and a second the following year. Shot in June 1967, during the week of episodes that followed Elizabeth's shocking wedding day confession, the production team succeeded in gathering almost the entire cast – David Ford (Sam Evans) and Joel Crothers (Joe Haskell) were the only regulars absent.

Shot to mark the first anniversary of Dark Shadows, amazingly the pictures remained unseen for over 30 years, languishing in ABC-TV's photo archives until they were uncovered in 1998. Since then, this shoot has become one of the most widely-seen from Dark Shadows, with Tim Burton even creating a version of his own to promote the recent feature film. A few other pictures taken on the same day were published at the time, including a shot of Barnabas looking menacingly over Elizabeth's shoulder and Barnabas alone peering through cobwebs in the Collinwood basement with his arms outstretched.

If you would like to submit an image for Picture of the Week, email webmaster@collinwood.net.

Picture of the Week: Dan Gets Derailed

This week, it's a candid 1978 snapshot of Dark Shadows creator Dan Curtis on the set of NBC's costly failure Supertrain. Conceived as a rival to The Love Boat, the weekly show featured mystery and anthology-style drama on a futuristic luxury train, which came complete with its own gymnasium and disco. For its brief run it was the most expensive show on American television.

Before long, low ratings and backstage creative differences saw Dan Curtis abruptly leave the project to make way for a doomed mid-season revamp. Even before his departure, the cracks were beginning to show. "Put the train on with no scripts and no actors and see how long it lasts," he grumbled about NBC's decision to promote the train as the star of the show. "The train is terrific, but it's only the ambience."

By February 1979, the disgruntled now ex-producer was rather less diplomatic. "It was the biggest mistake I made," he told The St. Petersburg Times. "I directed it under the most insane conditions... With the money I was dealing with and the time, I'd love to see anyone duplicate that one." Signing off, he declared: "I don't care what anybody says about it. It wasn't f**king brain surgery... but that's what they wanted. They wanted a picture like that and I gave them one."

If you would like to submit an image for Picture of the Week, email webmaster@collinwood.net.

Picture of the Week: Joan Lights Up

This week, Joan Bennett (Elizabeth Collins Stoddard) lights up in a 1942 advertisement for Chesterfield Cigarettes. During her 1940s heyday, Joan enjoyed a lucrative sideline endorsing products, including a long-term contract as the face of Lux soap. 

Here she's pictured in her American Voluntary Services uniform. During World War Two, Joan was an active member of the organisation, up until when she fell pregnant in early 1943.

If you would like to submit an image for Picture of the Week, email webmaster@collinwood.net.

Picture of the Week: Louis' Worldly Ways

This week it's a rare press shot of Louis Edmonds (Roger Collins) in the 1954 New York revival of Restoration comedy The Way of the World. Louis played the lead role Mirabell and is pictured with his co-star Gerry Fleming as Millament. Dark Shadows' Thayer David (Professor Stokes) also appeared in the same production.

Writing in The New York Times, critic Brooks Atkinson suggested that: "Edmonds will make an excellent Mirabell when he speaks with more grace and clarity and relaxes a little bit." Meanwhile, The Herald Tribune's Walter Kerr was distinctly lukewarm about both the play's leads: "Neither lacks the hauteur or diction essential to this kind of verbal antic, but both... spend most of their time chasing musical notes uphill and down dale, letting humour lag."

If you would like to submit an image for Picture of the Week, email webmaster@collinwood.net.

2013 California Festival Event Photographs

The Dark Shadows Festival's weekend of events in Coronado, California took place last month, with over 300 fans congregating to enjoy the premiere screening of the new independent film Doctor Mabuse, along with a gala celebrity luncheon the following day, which included a music concert by David Selby (Quentin Collins).

The Festival's next Dark Shadows event is a cruise to Bermuda, taking place in October; For more information, click here. The Festival have also announced that they will be hosting a 2014 summer event at the Lyndhurst Estate in Tarrytown, New York. Lyndhurst was the location for Collinwood in the two 1970s Dark Shadows movies and today is a National Trust property. More details will be announced later in the year.

Courtesy of the Festival, we have some photographs from the California event, taken by Maria Barbosa. Pictured above are Christopher Pennock (Jeb Hawkes), Jerry Lacy (Reverend Trask), Kathryn Leigh Scott (Maggie Evans), Lara Parker (Angelique) and David Selby. Seen below are Lara Parker; David Selby; and Jerry Lacy. Click on the thumbnails for larger views.

Joan Bennett: From Collinwood to Hollywood

We're delighted to share two recently-discovered images of Joan Bennett backstage on the set of NBC's Hollywood Squares, taken on September 13, 1970. Joan was appearing on the much-loved game show to promote the release of House of Dark Shadows.

Joan is seen pictured with panelist Bill Reynolds and her good friend, horror legend Vincent Price in the first image, and is seen alongside Hollywood Squares and Bewitched regular Paul Lynde in the second. Click on the images for a larger view.

Kathryn Leigh Scott's Novel Mystery

Dark Shadows actress Kathryn Leigh Scott (Maggie Evans) has written a new novel, Down and Out in Beverly Heels, which is released today. We caught up her to chat about the book's inspirations and her writing routine...

So Kathryn, what was your starting point for Down and Out in Beverly Heels?

I once saw a segment of 60 Minutes about women who were living homeless in affluent neighbourhoods in plain sight – what I call homeless and hiding it. I was intrigued by the idea of a woman who had it all and lost everything, and it doesn't take much. Illness, bad investments, career meltdown, divorce, mental health issues or natural disaster can destroy everything in short order. For me, writing and acting always begin with a what if? So I imagined not only what it would be to lose everything – home, friends, reputation, earning potential – but how to survive it and, most important, redemption and finding the road back. But I also write funny, so my story has an edgy humour.

You first published the story as Murder in Primetime, back in 2006. What made you decide to revisit the idea and how different is the new version from the original?

I printed a limited number of Murder in Prime Time paperbacks that were never sold in stores, but only available to fans of Dark Shadows at the festivals and on my website. I asked everyone who read the book to send me their suggestions to make it better. Well... I got so many really complimentary letters full of ideas... I used all those reviews and comments to rewrite the book, and even changed the name of the lead character. It's a far better book, and I am now almost finished with the sequel!

The theme of suddenly losing one's financial security seems more topical now than it was when the book was first published...

In truth, these days anyone can identify with this story because it's about people who have worked hard, found success through their own efforts and then see it all wiped out. Who doesn't understand that?

Meg, your central character, is an actress from a cult television show. Dare we ask how much of her is drawn from your own experiences?

I write like an actress. I write in scenes and imagine what I would do 'if'... Hollywood is a world I know and experience, so it's fun to write about, but also when something goes wrong, the public exposure is terrific! I know you can hear my voice in the writing, but Meg Barnes is quite different from me and what she experiences only exists in my imagination.

What's your approach to writing? Are you disciplined when working on a manuscript?

I make up a story and write it down in a few pages, that are full of what ifs. Then I write an outline and force myself to write 1,000 words or three pages a day and I don't get a glass of wine until I do. Sometimes I find an excuse to come up with less, but it has to be a really good excuse.

Who inspires you as a writer?

I've always been a fan of the great British women mystery writers, who create wonderful atmosphere, characters you care about and stories that pull you into their world...  Dorothy L. Sayers, Agatha Christie, Margery Allingham, P.D. James, Josephine Tey... I love them and their use of language! And I'll never be their equal.

Nonetheless, is there a particular passage or scene in the book you're proud of?

There are some scenes where Meg is auditioning and working on set that I think really capture the behind-the-scenes experience... and I'm most proud of the scenes when Meg is very vulnerable as a homeless woman living in her car.

What are you working on next? Are there any more novels in the pipeline?

I have a screenplay based on Down and Out in Beverly Heels completed and another screenplay in the works. I'm almost finished with the sequel to Down and Out... I am half through a non-fiction book  and have the sequel to Dark Passages to write.

To order Down and Out from Beverly Heels in paperback and Kindle formats, click here.

Kathryn is also offering fans a bonus signed bookmark with proof of purchase from the book from Amazon. For more information, click here. Kathryn will be signing copies of the book at New York's Barnes & Noble store on 82nd Street and Broadway on Monday April 1 from 7.00pm. For full event details, click here.

A Glimpse Inside The Studio

Reader Ron Edens has written in to share some great shots of the original Dark Shadows studio, located on Manhattan's West 53rd Street. More than 40 years on, it's a still a working studio space, and until recently was the home of The Wendy Williams Show. 

"It was actually formerly a lumber yard before ABC took it over and although narrow, extends north from 53rd up to 54th, thus giving them a block's length to have multiple sets up at one time," explains Ron. "I rang the bell and a worker came to the door and I asked if I could take a peek. He said, unfortunately, no way. OK, I thought, fair enough, so I took a picture from the street and then went over to 54th Street to see the loading dock entrance. Lo and behold, the bay doors were open, so I took a couple of pictures! It's pretty exciting to see where the Collinwood drawing room and all of those other great sets were!" Click on the images for a larger view.

Pictures From a Scrapbook

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.

Picture of the Week: Mitchell Gives Chase

This week, it's a publicity still from Chase, the 1973 cop show that starred Mitchell Ryan (Burke Devlin). The brainchild of The A-Team creator Stephen J. Cannell, the high-octane drama cast Mitchell as the leader of a team of undercover Los Angeles cops and ran for one season on NBC.

Chase's short primetime reign was a disappointing experience for Mitchell, who dismissed the show as "badly cast... badly directed," when later reflecting on its troubled production. "When it started doing badly in the ratings, they cut the stunt budget," the actor told The Modesto Bee in 1976: "That was the one area – those chases – where the show was good."

If you would like to submit an image for Picture of the Week, email webmaster@collinwood.net.

Picture of the Week: Drawn-Out George

This week it's a great 1961 caricature of second Burke Devlin actor Anthony George, in his guise as one of the detectives of Checkmate. Anthony is pictured with his co-stars Sebastian Cabot and Doug McClure.

Offscreen, the pressure of heading the cast of primetime television show often placed a strain on Anthony, as he revealed in a 1962 interview with The Evening Independent. "I still haven't figured myself out yet... I'm now getting what I fought for – and, believe me, it wasn't an easy fight – I should be deliriously happy with myself, but I'm not." 

Anthony went on to explain the frustrations of Checkmate's fast turnaround. "Why do they keep rewriting scripts? Do you know what it's like to memorize a script at home with the feeling that no matter how letter-perfect you master your lines, they're going to change it anyway?" He concluded: "To me, it's like driving a car with faulty brakes!"

If you would like to submit an image for Picture of the Week, email webmaster@collinwood.net.

Picture of the Week: Period Drama Moonlighting

This week it's a radiant 1969 shot of actress Virginia Vestoff (Samantha Collins), taken during the recording of the cast album for Broadway show 1776. During her stint on Dark Shadows, Virginia juggled her appearances with evening commitments as Abigail Adams in the stage musical. "It's lucky I like period costumes, because I wear them both afternoons and evenings," she told TV Dawn to Dusk in 1970. "I live in three centuries... the 18th on Broadway, the 19th on TV and the 20th in my everyday life – and I enjoy the best of each of them!"

1776's cast also included David Ford (Sam Evans) and later, when adapted for the big screen, Emory Bass (Mr. Best) and Daniel Keyes (Eagle Hill Caretaker). A perennial favourite, the film is still repeated and is also available on DVD.

If you would like to submit an image for Picture of the Week, email webmaster@collinwood.net.

Writing The Visual Companion: Mark Salisbury

As director Tim Burton's official biographer, author Mark Salisbury has worked a number of Burton-related volumes, including the acclaimed Burton on Burton and the newly released tie-in Dark Shadows: The Visual Companion. We caught up with Mark to get the lowdown on the new book...

You've had a long association with Tim Burton. How did you first make contact with him?
One Sunday afternoon in 1985 I went to see a Touchstone Pictures’ dinosaur film Baby: The Secret of the Lost Legend at my local cinema and was surprised to find Burton’s original short Frankenweenie showing prior it. I didn’t know who Tim Burton was – this was before Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure was released – but I was completely enthralled from the word go, and knew I was watching something very special. I remember scribbling Burton’s name on a scrap of paper in the dark when the short ended, certain it was one to remember. 

Did it take long to meet the man himself?
I eventually met him a few years later at a Warners’ Christmas party in London – he was shooting Batman at the time – although I had arranged to have dinner the following week with him and horror author Clive Barker for an article I was writing for the now defunct horror magazine Fear: Their conversation was later reprinted in the book Shadows of Eden. I interviewed Burton again for Edward Scissorhands and Batman Returns and in 1994 approached him about writing Burton On Burton, which was first published the following year.

Given your unique perspective, where would you say Dark Shadows fits into the Burton filmography?
I think all of Burton’s usual themes and preoccupations are present in Dark Shadows. Perhaps the only difference is the film marks the first time Johnny Depp asked Burton to direct him in a film. Typically it’s been Burton doing the asking.

Any theories on what attracted Burton to tackling Dark Shadows?
He grew up on the show. Just like Depp, he would run home from school in order to see it. As a monster movie-loving child what’s not to love about a TV show featuring vampires and werewolves and ghosts? Moreover, a show that was on during the afternoon.

You were on set for Dark Shadows. How would you compare the atmosphere to previous Burton shoots?
Burton’s sets are generally fun-filled and relaxed. This appeared even more so. The script was funny, once the actors got hold of it, wearing those costumes, in those environments it was hysterical to watch. There was much laughter on set and during dailies.

What does The Visual Companion have that will surprise fans?
Because the book’s publication comes after the film’s theatrical and home entertainment release, we were able to show certain images – among them Carolyn’s transformation – that we might not have been able to if the book had preceded the film. For me, the book’s strength, however, is the sheer amount of behind-the-scenes photos that reveal the artistry involved in creating the film’s amazing sets. I particularly love the section detailing the creation of Collinsport – designed by the genius that is Rick Heinrichs – although my favourite photo is on pages 124-125, which shows Alice Cooper performing at the happening.

And what did you think of the finished film?
I always find it really hard to comment on any new Burton film, because, typically, I’ve read the script, spent many, many days on set, and so feel too close to the finished product to form an objective opinion. Typically it takes me a few years to divorce myself from the “I-was-there-when-they-shot-that-bit” or “That-wasn’t-in-the-script” thoughts when I’m watching one of his films. That said, I’ve seen Dark Shadows a couple of times and really enjoyed it.

Dark Shadows: The Visual Companion is available at a discount price by clicking here, and also in a limited collector's edition signed by Tim Burton, which can be ordered by clicking here. UK readers can also purchase the book by clicking here.

Postcards From Collinwood

Here are some fantastic rare vintage images of Seaview Terrace, the Rhode Island mansion used for the exterior of Collinwood in Dark Shadows. Reader Bill Branch shares these beautiful postcards, showing the property at various points during its history.

The first picture shows the house shortly after its construction, when it was known as the Edson Bradley Estate; The third shows the house during its time as a school for girls, Burnham-by-the-Sea, during the 1960s; The fourth was taken in the mid-1960s, around the time filming took place on Dark Shadows. To see more rare photographs of the house, click here.

Click on the thumbnails for a larger view. Courtesy of the Bill Branch collection.

Picture of the Week: Necking In The Afternoon

This week, it's a 1982 TV Guide advertisement for Dark Shadows, promoting Barnabas' new lease of life in syndication. Throughout the 1980s, distributors Worldvision scored a hit with the show's huge back catalogue and Dark Shadows soon became a fixture on many PBS stations, as The Los Angeles Times reported in 1987:

"'It has really made our late night,'  said Larry White of KFME-TV Channel 13 in Fargo, N.D." Others were in agreement. "'It's our top membership program,' said Neal Hecker of public television station WNYC Channel 31 in New York."

If you would like to submit an image for Picture of the Week, email webmaster@collinwood.net.

Look Inside The Dark Shadows Movie Crew Book

Recently I was lucky enough to obtain a copy of the Dark Shadows movie cast and crew book. This hefty 200-page limited edition hardback was produced as a gift to people who worked on the film and was never made available to buy.

Only 1,000 copies were produced and mine is number number 398. It's a beautiful collection of of unseen backstage photography, with comments from cast and crew, including director Tim Burton and the big screen's Barnabas Collins, Johnny Depp.

Seen below are some glimpses from inside the book, including a wry little nod to this very blog. Click on the thumbnails for larger images. Don't forget, the Dark Shadows movie comes to Blu-Ray and DVD on October 2 and is available to buy now in Instant Video download format by clicking here.