House of Dark Shadows (1970)

Vampire Barnabas Collins is released from his prison and searches for a cure to his affliction, so he can marry the incarnation of his lost love.

Director:

Dan Curtis

Writers:

Sam Hall (screenplay), Gordon Russell (screenplay)

Stars:

Jonathan Frid, Grayson Hall, Kathryn Leigh Scott

1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Jonathan Frid	...	Barnabas Collins
Grayson Hall	...	Dr. Julia Hoffman
Kathryn Leigh Scott	...	Maggie Evans
Roger Davis	...	Jeff Clark
Nancy Barrett	...	Carolyn Stoddard
John Karlen	...	Willie Loomis
Thayer David	...	Professor T. Eliot Stokes
Louis Edmonds	...	Roger Collins
Don Briscoe	...	Todd Blake (as Donald Briscoe)
David Henesy	...	David Collins
Dennis Patrick	...	Sheriff George Patterson
Lisa Blake Richards	...	Daphne Budd (as Lisa Richards)
Jerry Lacy	...	Minister
Barbara Cason	...	Mrs. Johnson
Paul Michael	...	Old Man

Storyline

House Of Dark Shadows, based on the very popular TV Gothic soap opera, follows the life (or is that AFTERlife) of Barnabas Collins. Recently unleashed from his coffin by local drunk, Willie Loomis, the vampire (Barnabas) goes on a killing spree, while at the same time charming his present day family members. In the process he meets local girl Maggie Evans and notices that she looks exactly like his deceased fiance Josette. Barnabas assumes that she is the reincarnation of Josette, and plans to make him his unholy bride for eternity.

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Plot Keywords:

vampire | cure | love | blood | reincarnation | 

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Taglines:

Barnabas Collins, vampire, takes a bride in a bizarre act of ultimate lust.

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Genres:

Drama | Horror | Romance

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Certificate:

GP

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

6 March 1971 (Japan)

Also Known As:

Amores de Vampiros

Filming Locations:

Lockwood-Mathews Mansion - 295 West Avenue, Norwalk, Connecticut, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$750,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

97 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

"Dark Shadows" producer Dan Curtis originally intended to edit together footage from the original TV series into a feature-length film, but this concept was quickly abandoned in favor of a new story.

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Quotes

Barnabas Collins: Every wedding needs a witness. And you will be witness to this one.

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Crazy Credits

SPOILER: There is a scene during the closing credits: Barnabas turns into a bat and flies away.

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Connections

Referenced in Z Channel: A Magnificent Obsession (2004)

User Reviews

The Gothic soap opera hits the big screen with a bang

I remember seeing this movie when I was about 12 years old on TNT in Europe in beautiful widescreen format. I was absolutely mesmerized! My mom told me how she was a fan of the original series (not die-hard, but a fan) and watched it with me. It was such a great movie, so much happened in the 90 minutes of the film that it boggled my mind. Several plotlines intertwined and characters came and went (which was annoying to me). I didn't see this movie again until last year on video. The widescreen format was gone, but it was great to see it again! I didn't remember seeing the bloody stakings in the TV version (but it wasn't edited) and was pleasantly surprised. I had to check the box again to be sure what the rating was. Sure enough, PG. Today, I would still be careful if my kids watched it! The acting in the film is marvelous and shows how soap opera actors can break from that tired formula. Everyone from Kathryn Leigh Scott to Thayer David shine in their roles, a personal favorite being beautiful blonde Nancy Barrett. This is overall a nostalgiac shocker and worth a look at least once. Hopefully someday someone will find the 25+ minutes of film cut from the original print and release it intact on video!