Out of the Dark Shadows - Part 3

Out of the Dark Shadows - Part 3

In the third part of my"appreciation" of all things Dark Shadows on Downright Creepy, I discuss my feelings toward the 1991 primetime revival:

…it seems more dated than even the original series from 25 years earlier.  I think it's because of the big hair; the hairspray budget must have been astronomical.  And I must admit that the pleasure I get from watching it comes from seeing familiar story lines reinterpreted in a "modern" age rather than from any particularly unique style or substance.

I have analyzed the first six episodes of Dark Shadows (1991) and compared it to the original series (episodes 210-365, first broadcast between 4-17-67 and 11-17-67) and the theatrical version, House of Dark Shadows (1970).  For the qualities I like most about Dark Shadows, the revival series lies somewhere between its previous two incarnations.  I discuss its atmosphere in the Downright Creepy article, so here I'll expand on its characters and stories.

The Characters
Victoria Winters is similar in both the revival (Joanna Going) and the original series (Alexandra Moltke).  Both are innocent and somewhat gullible, but 1991 Victoria seems to more eagerly embrace her relationship with Barnabas Collins.  Perhaps this is because she is not caught in a love triangle with another man like she is in 1966.  (Remember, the character is not present in House of Dark Shadows.)  1991 David Collins (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) seems more precocious than 1966 David and less sinister than 1970 David (David Henesy in both).  These two characters are used to advance the story in 1991 much the same way they are in previous versions.  However, Victoria's role as the possible reincarnation of Josette DuPres, begins immediately in 1991 without Maggie Evans first being a candidate, as she was in both 1966 and 1970.

Instead, Maggie (Ely Pouget), who now works at the Blue Whale with its owner/her father, Sam Evans (Eddie Jones), is the resident psychic and secret lover of Roger Collins.  Maggie is much more a free spirit than her predecessor (Kathryn Leigh Scott).  She's a "modern" woman with a healthy sexual appetite.  Sam is pretty much reduced to a background character.  While he did not appear in House of Dark Shadows, Sam (David Ford) is a relatively major player in the original series, teaming with various characters to investigate his daughter's condition.

Roger (Roy Thinnes) doesn't have a lot to do in Dark Shadows (1991); however, he has more to do than he did in Dark Shadows (1966) and House of Dark Shadows.  He doesn't appear in every episode, but he does have the secret-romance-with-Maggie subplot.  He portrays Roger less arrogantly/flamboyantly than Louis Edmonds.  It seems he's more accepting of potential supernatural threats than his predecessor.  His sister Elizabeth Collins Stoddard (Jean Simmons), has absolutely no other role in 1991 (or in 1970) than to be the family's matriarch and occasionally dispense her wisdom.  In 1966, Elizabeth (Joan Bennett) has an ongoing subplot most of the time, especially the one where she is self-confined to the Collinwood estate.

In 1991, Carolyn Stoddard (Barbara Blackburn) plays a modern vixen to the hilt.  I suppose she's no worse than the 1966 and 1970 versions portrayed by Nancy Barrett, but seems far less innocent.  I don't find not much difference between her behaviors before and after she becomes Barnabas's vampire slave.  In 1991, Joe Haskell (Michael T. Weiss) is more a combination of previous love interests for the young women of Dark Shadows.  Joel Crothers played him in 1966, but the characters "responsibilities" were split in 1970 by Roger Davis as Jeff Clark and Don Briscoe as Todd Blake.  Weiss really amps up the sex appeal for the women and gay men in the primetime viewing audience.

Ben Cross's interpretation of Barnabas Collins in primetime is more intense than Jonathan Frid's in daytime, yet closer to how Frid played him in the movie.  In early episodes, Cross seems to be more of a bad guy and less sympathetic than Frid.  However, in his moments of regret and self-loathing, he makes his tortured feelings more clear.  The difference is more stark.  Cross grows on me as the series continues; however, my favorite version of Barnabas is Frid's in House of Dark Shadows.  Willie Loomis (Jim Fyfe) is still largely a sounding board for Barnabas's thoughts and plans.  When he first appears in the story, John Karlen plays him in 1966 as a greedy drifter and in 1970 as a greedy caretaker.  In 1991, he's the greedy nephew of housekeeper, Mrs. Johnson.  But in 1991, he's apparently mentally challenged, and that makes him more sympathetic to me.  Plus, his relationship with Barnabas seems to make him a better person, less damaged than his predecessors.

As played by Barbara Steele, Dr. Julia Hoffman's motives are more selfish and vindictive in primetime than as played by Grayson Hall in daytime and in the movie.  However, this is demonstrated more by her actions than her reactions; she's really quite sedate most of the time.  Grayson Hall is more obvious with her feelings externally, with exaggerated expressions.  I mean, just look at her eyes in the picture below.  While in all versions Julia experiences unrequited love with Barnabas, I don't really feel it in Dark Shadows (1991).  We'll never know if Julia would have eventually become close friend and confidant of Barnabas in the primetime series like she did in the original.

The Stories

The pilot episode of Dark Shadows (1991) begins with narration from Victoria Winters that is nearly word-for-word the same as that from the first episode of Dark Shadows (1966), but in a distinctly different visual style:  colorful and cinematic.  The Victoria of both eras arrives in Collinsport for the same purpose: she has been hired to be the governess of troubled young David Collins.  In both versions, Vickie is an orphan hoping to find answers about her past; in neither version does she ever find them.

Click here to watch a comparison of the arrival of Victoria Winters at Collinsport.

Both Dark Shadows (1991) and House of Dark Shadows (1970) use the character of Daphne as Barnabas's first victim when he arrives at Collinwood.  Dark Shadows (1966) has no such character; early vampire attacks are only referenced or shown with anonymous women walking the foggy streets of Collinsport.  A character like Daphne allows a tangible representation of what is happening around town and provides a means for the characters to learn about vampires.  More importantly, in the primetime series, having Daphne be part of the Collins family adds some emotional purpose for the peril she's in.

In 1991, as news of the attacks spread, Sheriff George Patterson consults local professor, Michael Woodard.  In 1966, Patterson and Woodard, often with Sam Evans and/or Joe Haskell, were the primary people investigating the strange goings-on.  In 1991, though, Woodard meets an untimely fate, Evans is a background character and Haskell is involved more as a victim himself.  Instead, Dr. Julia Hoffman arrives on the scene to help investigate with Patterson and Woodard (before his demise).  In 1966, she masqueraded as an historian to insinuate herself into Collinwood, and in 1970, she is already living at Collinwood as an acknowledged historian.

In all versions, Barnabas "hires" Willie after he springs him from his chained coffin.  At some point, Willies tries to warn Vicki (or Maggie), which results in a beating from Barnabas. In the 1991 version, this happens earlier than in the other two.  In fact, it is after Vickie's first visit to the Old House, when Barnabas shows her Josette's room.  When Barnabas later stands outside Vickie's window, hissing and gnashing his fangs, the ghost of his sister, Sarah Collins, appears and leaves Barnabas crying, "I cannot help myself."  Sarah has no part in House of Dark Shadows; however, she is prominent in Dark Shadows (1966), even though Barnabas sees her only after several other characters have already done so.

Click here to watch a comparison of the three depictions of thebrutality of Barnabas Collins.

The extended-length pilot introduces all the characters and sets-up the storylines for the next five one-hour episodes.  Beginning with the second episode, though, each one seems to focus primarily on one storyline, making them more stand-alone than most primetime soap operas.  For example, episode two deals mostly with the fate of Daphne Collins as she eventually becomes a vampire, attacks Joe Haskell, then is hunted down and staked at the Collinwood stables.  (By the way, this is almost exactly the same arc for Carolyn in House of Dark Shadows, sometimes shot-for-shot.)

At the end of episode two, Julia has discovered Barnabas's secret and, after talking herself out of his threats, promises that she can help him.  This unfolds through episode five pretty much the same way in the original series and the movie.  For some reason, it's interesting to me that in both of the originals, Julia learns what she does because she cannot see his reflection in her makeup compact, but in the revival, it's because she doesn't see it in a large wall-hanging mirror.  This could be because in a later episode, he destroys a wall-hanging mirror (I don't remember if it is the same one) in a moment of rage.

In episode three, there is a development unique to Dark Shadows.  Professor Woodard discovers Barnabas’s (and now Julia’s) secret and takes photos of Julia’s notebook.  He tries to alert Sheriff Patterson, but is attacked by Barnabas before he can do it, which results in him being staked when he tries to attack the sheriff in episode four.

Also in episode four, a fleeting subplot about David’s mother, Laura, comes and goes.  Not much is gained by this subplot, where David uses a voodoo doll to attack his father, except that we see a demonstration of Maggie’s psychic abilities as she tells Vickie that Laura is a witch.  Vickie also meets Sarah for the first time and now believes David about her existence.

The cure storyline resolves in episode five as Barnabas grows closer to Vicki.  When she learns about their relationship, a jealous Julia sabotages his treatments just as he becomes more eager to complete them.  As in the other versions, Barnabas transforms into a withered version of himself, only to return to his youth when he attacks Carolyn (in 1966 and 1991; in House of Dark Shadows, he attacks Maggie Evans).  As far as I’m concerned, she gets what she deserves, throwing herself at Joe the way she does while he’s still grieving for Daphne.

Click here to watch a compilation of scenes summarizing the cure storyline.

Episode six sets-up the second half of the series, after the ghost of Sarah Collins prevents her brother, Barnabas, from killing Dr. Julia Hoffman.  By now, the entire family is aware of Sarah’s presence and decides to hold a séance to learn more.  House of Dark Shadows has spun to its own conclusion by now, but at this point Dark Shadows (1966) is Dark Shadows (1991) are pretty much at the same point.

I consider the 1991 primetime revival to be more a remake of House of Dark Shadows, although it is certainly infused with elements of the original daytime soap opera that could have led to a lengthier run.  In fact, both House of Dark Shadows and the pilot episode of Dark Shadows (1991) were directed by Dan Curtis.  In several spots, he uses nearly the same camera angles, lighting and shots.

Click here to watch a comparison of scenes depicting the arrival of Barnabas Collins at Collinwood.

That does it for now.  I’m going to a screening of Tim Burton’s take on Dark Shadows tomorrow night.  Hopefully, I’ll be energized by it and will continue future analyses of both the original series and it’s primetime revival.