|
|
|
|
|
THE DARK SHADOWS MOVIES (1970s)
|
They tended to be the very first television to movie adaptations - McHale's Navy (1964), McHale's Navy Joins the Air Force (1965), Munster Go Home! (1964), Batman (1966), and House of Dark Shadows (1970). The first McHale's Navy film was pretty good, the second not so great, but I would say they were on par with the sitcom. That's not really saying much but they were movies for kids. Munster Go Home! was a dumbed down, God-awful, stretched thin episode of the CBS show (that had just been cancelled), relying too much on bad puns and childish slapstick. It might actually play better if you've never seen The Munsters before, the best gags were all too familiar from the TV production. The first season of The Munsters represented some of the funniest television ever but the motion picture never aspired to that level of quality, in terms of the writing anyway. But it does sport the original cast (with a new Marilyn) in vivid color for the first time and featured a cool new dragster created by George Barris.
Say what you will about this mid-sixties primetime portrayal of the Dark Knight but if you liked the 1966 Batman TV show you'll love the movie of the same year.
But for me, House of Dark Shadows stands as the most effective TV adaptation to the big screen until Star Trek II the Wrath of Khan came along in 1982. The daytime soap opera Dark Shadows struggled to find an audience before Jonathan Frid joined the cast as Barnabas Collins. This happened in 1967 just after Batman ignited in primetime; both Frid and Adam West became instant pop icons. Perhaps it was the success of the Batman movie that prompted MGM to green light a film version of Dark Shadows four years later.
House of Dark Shadows is a faithful re-telling of the origin of Barnabas Collins straight from the soap opera plotline, only far more gruesome and bloody. Creator and producer Dan Curtis constructed a rock solid scenario so a blood curdling time was had by all. There are many creepy moments and genuine chills in this gothic tale of a vampire released after more than a century in captivity, consumed with a longing to romantically reconnect with his long-buried past.
The music by Robert Cobert was a major contributor to the overall creepiness of Dark Shadows and it is carried over nicely to the motion picture version. Some of the dialogue and camera set-ups are identical to the first Barnabas TV story arc but the house was different, by necessity. You can't shoot a motion picture on a TV soap opera set so the Lyndhurst Estate in Tarrytown, New York and the Lockwood-Mathews Mansion in Connecticut became the new Collins' mansions. The feature film broke with the TV show's continuity in another key area in that almost everyone was left dead by the end credits.
Like the television series, part of the film takes place in the past but there's no Barnabas - instead Quentin Collins (David Selby) is the center of attention, a silly prat possessed and in love with the ghost of Angelique. Most of the cast of House of Dark Shadows returned except Jonathan Frid and Joan Bennett as Elizabeth Collins Stoddard. I guess she stayed dead after the last movie. Actors who played supporting characters that were offed in the first film were reincarnated with different identities in Night of Dark Shadows - but then that was a common thread on the TV show as well. This movie was a great deal more violent and overtly sexual than the afternoon soap, obviously, but not the least bit scary. I was left totally confused by the whole tawdry affair, being a fan of the show and seeing familiar characters in so murky a setting. Unlike the first Dark Shadows movie, which surprised everyone with strong box office receipts, Night of Dark Shadows wasn't as successful.
Can you imagine not wanting to be the star of what could have been a lucrative film franchise? He should have instead been apprehensive about not working again; Jonathan Frid was rarely seen on TV or in movies after the ABC series left the air in March of 1971, two days before Night of Dark Shadows began filming. The daytime soap had undergone a major change in the last months of its existence with Frid portraying perennial loser Bramwell Collins in a drab storyline that took place in the 1800s. Gone were the vampires, werewolves, and fantastic characters, replaced instead by boring archetypes who were vaguely terrified of a room in the home, a worn out theme by then. I guess the network wanted to see if the show had any pull as a typical soap opera (set in the past?) without the bizarre plotlines before they pulled the plug. A scene from the original Dark Shadows TV show:
The director's cut of Night of Dark Shadows was announced to be coming to DVD in 2012 (but I haven't seen it, just the theatrical version). I should give this motion picture another shot. Unlike House of Dark Shadows, Night was directed by Dan Curtis but MGM forced him to rush cut over 35 minutes from his finished film. This might account for the lack of cohesion. An interview with series creator Dan Curtis: Here's a Question & Answer period with Jonathan Frid, Barnabas Collins, from a 2009 Dark Shadows convention.
In 2004, a pilot for a new Dark Shadows series starring Marley Shelton as Victoria Winters and Alec Newman as Barnabas Collins was produced but never picked up. Hit Shows of the Seventies: Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy / Gene Roddenberry in the 1970s / 1977-1978 Superhero & Science Fiction TV Shows / Funniest SNL Skit Ever! / Remembering Suzanne Somers / Prisoner: Cell Block H / Why John Amos Left Good Times / Reviving Match Game / How Betty White's 'Happy Homemaker' Came About / Remembering Cindy Williams / Creating The Rockford Files / TV Dads Talk Sex & Fatherhood / TV Shows We Watched 50 Years Ago / How Maude Came About / The Hagers Rediscovered! / Rare Audio of Bette Davis' Broadway Bound Flop 'Miss Moffat' / Interview With Director John Erman / Orson Welles' Last Interview / Remembering Ed Asner / When PBS Got Naked: Steambath / Bruce Vilanch on Writing for Donny & Marie / Writing For Fernwood 2 Night / Kris Kristofferson vs Barbra Streisand on A Star Is Born? Kinda... / Remembering Gavin MacLeod / 20 Funniest SNL Skits of All Time / Cher Reviews Her Iconic Outfits Since 1965 / Best Columbo Episodes / Star Maidens Sci-Fi Series / Sonny Bono's Last Show 1974 / Interview with Cindy Williams (Lavern & Shirley) / One of the Most Controversial Episodes of All In The Family / Outside Chance / Remembering Carol Wayne / The Night Johnny Carson Broke Down / Real People / That's Incredible! / Gavin MacLeod on His MTM Castmates / Norman Mailer & Muhammad Ali / Charles Nelson Reilly Flops on Broadway / Chuck Norris vs Eva Gabor / Dear Detective / Dirty Sally / Peggy Lee & Anthony Newley's Weird Pre-Show Rituals / The Protectors / Chevy Chase Talks Hollywood Cocaine Parties / 1977 Season Show Openings / Love Boat's Oscar Winning Guest Stars / Henry Fonda's 4 Favorite Films / Tom Snyder Interviews Star Trek Cast & Harlan Ellison / The Corner Bar / Tim Conway's 'The Dentist' Sketch / Roy Radin Revue: Drunken Ronnie Spector / Henry Winkler on His Happy Days Audition / Patrick Duffy of Dallas Interview / Time Express / Wonder Woman Leaves Paradise Island / 1972-73 TV Season / George Burns on the Carson Tonight Show in 1989 / Best Season of Dallas Ever? / Cloris Leachman Remembered / Ken Berry Interview / Why Barney Miller Ended / Vivian Vance Almost Joined the Cast of Rhoda / Marilu Henner Talks About Andy Kaufman / Cher on Mike Douglas 1979 / TV Show Book Tie-Ins / 1972 Jackie Robinson Interview / Dr. Strange 1978 TV Movie / Kathy Garver Interview / Space: 1999 / Paint Along with Nancy Kominsky / Mary Kay Place Albums of the 1970s / The Supremes - Mary Wilson vs Diana Ross / When Bruce Dern Killed John Wayne / 1974 Tom Snyder Our Gang Special / Remembering Ken Berry / Bruce / Caitllyn Jenner? / Billy Crash Craddock Interview / Melissa McCarthy Almost Quit Acting Days Before Landing Gilmore Girls / Bar Rescue's Wildest Customers! / TV HITS - By the Numbers / Alex Baldwin On His TV and Film Roles / Ray Charles' BIG Problem With TV / Top Ten Sitcoms of the 1970s / James Cameron Made No Money for Titanic / Growing Up In The Playboy Mansion / Ed McMahon Drunk on the Air! / Lucy Interviewed by Barbara Walters / Valerie Harper Cancer / Jeff Bridges Breaks Down His Iconic Roles / Dallas vs Eight is Enough / 1974 MAD Magazine TV Special - Never Aired! / Iconic M*A*S*H Restaurant Coming To Kroger? / When Lucy Got Fired / Partridge Family and Brady Bunch at Kings Island theme park 1972-73 / Awkward Talk Show Moments / Allan Blye Interview / Jack Benny's Last Tonight Show 1974 / Patricia Heaton's Audition for Everybody Loves Raymond / Luke Perry's Last Role / Johnny Cash's Last Interview / Judy Garland's Last Film / Who Was Bob Gordon? / Richard Dreyfuss vs Bill Murray / Jeff Ross vs Everybody / Tennessee Williams 1972 Interview / Ed Asner Interview / Norm Macdonald vs OJ Simpson / Tony Kornheiser Interview / Freddy's Nightmares TV Series / Emmy Award Multiple Winners / Nathaniel Taylor aka Rollo Lawson / Mary Kay Place Albums of the 1970s / That Girl & TV's Single Working Women / Can You Identify These Stars? / Betty White vs Joan Rivers / Paul Lynde's Greatest Hollywood Squares Zingers / Sonny Comedy Revue / Star Trek Animated / Dark Shadows / Hal Linden Interview / Dark Shadows Movies / Dark Shadows Novels / The Night Stalker / One of the Funniest Carol Burnett Show Skits Ever / Fred 'The Hammer' Williamson / Johnny Carson interviews Lucille Ball / Dawn Wells / Betty White : An Appreciation / Bette Davis' 2 Best Interviews 1971 / Barbara Eden Interview / Gavin McLeod / Spider-Man 77 / The Next Step Beyond / The Music Dark Shadows / 1970 TV Shows / Mike Connors Remembered / Mike Wallace, Virginia Graham & Jim Longworth / Dick Clark / Woody Allen Hosts Tonight Show 1971 / Carson Tonight Show / Alan Alda Interview / Jackie Gleason Show / 1973 TV Shows / Thriller / Post Modern Sitcoms / Elvis in Greensboro / Remembering Dick Van Patten / TV Dating Shows / The Jacksons TV Show / Fall Previews of the 70s / Lance Link, Secret Chimp / Star Wars Holiday Special / Alias Smith and Jones / 1977 Year in Review / Top Ten 1970-76 / The Rockford Files / All in the Family / Sam Hall (Dark Shadows) Interview / Actor Ed Nelson / Death of Archie / Battlestar Galactica / Wonder Woman / Network Jingles / Class of '74 / Happy Days / Good Times / Mr. Bill / Dinah! / Maude / Doris Day Show / Pamelyn Ferdin Interview / The Bicentennial Minute / Jingles & Catch Phrases of the 1970s / Early Cable TV 1970s / TV commercials for Women / TV Moms / Country Music TV Shows of the 1960s & 1970s / Betty White Show / Ron Palillo / Shirley Jones Interview / Tom Bosley / Rodney Dangerfield / How Sanford & Son Ended / Sanford & Son Spin-Off Grady / Great Memoirs / Virginia Graham Show / The "N" Word on TV / 10 Classic Comedy Routines You Have To Laugh At Before You Die / Hollywood Squares / 1970's Teen Idols & The Hudson Brothers / TV Stars with 3 Hit Shows / The Rookies / Unsold Pilots / Jackie Cooper / The Good Guys / Match Game / Make Room For Granddaddy / Mannix & Gail Fisher / Bette Midler in the 1970s / Bonus 1970's Stuff: Silent Star Marion Mack / Biff Burger / 1970s Fast Food Chains / Latin Casino / Beverly Hills Supper Club Fire / 1970's Daytime Talk Shows / The Fess Parker Show / Brady Bunch Sex Dungeon? / Love, Loss & What I Watched |
DARK SHADOWS MOVIES (1970s)
Amazon Prime - unlimited streaming PR4 & PR5 Pages for Advertising
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
TV
Shows on DVD/ / / /
/ / / TV Show Reviews / /
/ / / / / Punk Book/ / / / / / / Holiday
Specials on DVD / /
/ / / / Classic
Commercials |
|
|||||||||||||||||
Save money! |
It's a foregone conclusion that whenever a big screen adaptation of a TV show happens it's a disaster. Over and over we see the examples. But there was a string of motion pictures based on television shows that were as good or better than the original TV series.
The motion pictures House of Dark Shadows from 1970 and the sequel Night of Dark Shadows from 1971 finally appeared on DVD in 2012. Interest in the Johnny Depp film version of Dark Shadows briefly made the series super hot again. Who would have thought this daily soap opera would rise again after the failed primetime revival in 1991? Sadly, the film was a flop on all levels, absolutely dreadful and a stiff at the box office... it was so poorly received that the studio put a hold on any future projects with Johnny Depp and Tim Burton.
Night of Dark Shadows I remember being schlocky and seemingly meant to go straight to the Drive-In circuit, the equivalent in 1971 of going direct to DVD.
Why didn't Curtis do something more in the same bloody vein of the series and the first feature? Jonathan Frid didn't want to do it, he was terrified of being typecast. 
