Night of Dark Shadows (1971)

User Rating:

5.1/10   

Director:

Dan Curtis

Writers:

Dan Curtis (story)
Sam Hall (screenplay)

Release Date:

4 August 1971 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Horror | Mystery | Romance | Thriller

Tagline:

Just another night of... Terror.

Plot:

A painter and his wife move into a home and find themselves plagued by ghosts and spirits of his ancestors that used to be witches. |

Plot Keywords:

Ancestor | Ghost | Hanging | Gothic | Seance

Cast

David Selby	...	Quentin Collins / Charles Collins,
Grayson Hall	...	Carlotta Drake
Kate Jackson	...	Tracy Collins
Lara Parker	...	Angelique Collins
John Karlen	...	Alex Jenkins
Nancy Barrett	...	Claire Jenkins
Jim Storm	...	Gerard Stiles (as James Storm)
Thayer David	...	Rev. Strack
Christopher Pennock	...	Gabriel Collins
Diana Millay	...	Laura Collins
Monica Rich	...	Sarah Castle
Clarice Blackburn	...	Mrs. Castle

Also Known As:

Curse of Dark Shadows

Runtime:

95 min | USA:129 min (director's cut) | West Germany:90 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

USA:GP (original rating) | USA:PG | Australia:G

Filming Locations:

Lyndhurst Estate, Tarrytown, New York, USA

Company:

Dan Curtis Productions

Trivia:

Filmed on the grounds of the gothic estate Lyndhurst on the Hudson River in New York State.

Movie Connections:

Follows House of Dark Shadows (1970)

MGM KILLED NIGHT OF DARK SHADOWS

In 1975 I was a freelance writer in New York. During that year I was honored to interview stage and screen actress and one of the stars from Dark Shadows, Grayson Hall. It was during this interview that I learned why NIGHT OF DARK SHADOWS was such a bad film.

The late Ms. Hall related a story which told of how MGM called her husband, "Dark Shadows writer" Sam Hall and told him that he would have to fly out to California and edit out nearly 30 min. from his latest film. After his sad task was done he returned home and shortly thereafter the film was released. It was not up to the standards the the series nor MGM's hit from just the year before "House of Dark Shadows" had. The idea was excellent. Dialog well written, stylishly photographed and wonderful performances from the cast. The problem was the fact that the feature made little sense. It plotted along for 90 min's filled with questions and vagueness.

However, the good news is that most of the edited footage has been found and is now in the process of being re-edited. Night of Dark Shadows, through the popularity of the series, is in a sense going to be re-born. Sam Hall's work shall now be seen as it was created. Perhaps then we will be able to appreciate this classic haunted house story, the way it should be, without studio butchering.