House of Dark Shadows (1970)

Director:

Dan Curtis

Writers:

Sam Hall (screenplay) and
Gordon Russell (screenplay)

Release Date:

6 March 1971 (Japan)

Genre:

Drama | Horror | Romance

Tagline:

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

Plot:

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.

Plot Keywords:

Vampire | Cure | Love | Blood | Reincarnation

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

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
Humbert Allen Astredo	...	Dr. Forbes (as Humbert Astredo)
Terrayne Crawford	...	Todd's Nurse (as Terry Crawford)
Michael Stroka	...	Pallbearer
Joan Bennett	...	Elizabeth Collins Stoddard
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Camila Ashland	...	Collinwood Party Guest (uncredited)
Chip Coffey	...	Collinwood Party Guest (uncredited)
Robert Costello	...	Collinwood Party Guest (uncredited)
George DiCenzo	...	Deputy (uncredited)
Philip Larson	...	Deputy (uncredited)

Directed by
Dan Curtis

Writing credits
Sam Hall		(screenplay) and
Gordon Russell		(screenplay)

Produced by
Dan Curtis	....	producer
Trevor Williams	....	associate producer

Original Music by
Bob Cobert		(as Robert Cobert)

Cinematography by
Arthur J. Ornitz		(as Arthur Ornitz)

Film Editing by
Arline Garson

Casting by
Linda Otto

Production Design by
Trevor Williams

Set Decoration by
Kenneth Fitzpatrick		(as Ken Fitzpatrick)

Costume Design by
Ramsey Mostoller		(as Ramsee Mostoller)

Makeup Department
Verne Caruso	....	hair stylist
Robert Layden	....	makeup artist
Dick Smith	....	special makeup effects artist

Production Management
Hal Schaffel	....	production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
William C. Gerrity	....	assistant director (as William Gerrity Jr.)
Dwight Williams	....	dga trainee (uncredited)

Sound Department
Bob Fine	....	sound mixer
Jack C. Jacobsen	....	sound
Christopher Newman	....	sound (as Chris Newman)

Stunts
Alex Stevens	....	stunt coordinator

Camera and Electrical Department
Dick Mingalone	....	camera operator

Music Department
Bob Cobert	....	conductor

Other crew
George DiCenzo	....	assistant to producer

Production Companies

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Distributors

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1970) (USA) (theatrical)
• Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) (1976) (USA) (TV) (original airing)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (1998) (USA) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (2012) (Germany) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2012) (Germany) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• Warner Home Video (2012) (USA) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2012) (USA) (DVD) (Blu-Ray)

Other Companies

• F. Hillsberg  titles

Also Known As:

Runtime:

97 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Finland:(Banned) (1971) | Norway:16 (1971) | UK:18 | USA:GP (original rating) | USA:PG | Australia:PG | Germany:16

Filming Locations:

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

Company:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Trivia:

This film was shot concurrently with the original "Dark Shadows" (1966) series. During the time of filming, the television program was in the middle of its 1970 parallel time story-arc. Major characters appearing in the film were written out of the TV series so that they would be available to shoot the movie.

Quotes:

Carolyn Stoddard:I'm beginning to wonder, cousin Barnabas, if I shall ever know you at all. There's so much about you... that I'm dying to know.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Z Channel: A Magnificent Obsession (2004) (TV)

This feature film adaptation of the popular Gothic soap opera recounts the resurrection of vampire Barnabas Collins(convincingly played by Jonathan Frid) who passes himself as a visiting cousin from England

The film features a number of the series regulars repeating their original TV roles, and there are several recycled plot elements from the show that come in handy for the movie. But producer/director Dan Curtis(the creator of the original series), knows the drastic difference between a daytime TV soap opera and a feature film, and uses this knowledge to create a striking, entertaining picture. Unlike an episodic TV series, the film doesn't allow the suspense to lag at a snail's pace, but actually builds suspense from the opening scene and never lets up! The performances by the multi-talented cast are truly wonderful, though star Joan Bennett(one of my most favorite characters on the show), doesn't get as much screen time as I would have liked. This is probably due to the fact that the film was cut by some twenty minutes before being released. But even in its truncated form, HOUSE OF DARK SHADOWS remains one of the greatest vampire/horror flicks of its time.