Barnabas Collins is a fictional character, a featured role in the ABC daytime serial Dark Shadows, which aired from 1966 to 1971. Barnabas is a 175-year-old vampire in search of fresh blood and his lost love, Josette. The character, originally played by Canadian actor Jonathan Frid, was introduced in an attempt to resurrect the show's flagging ratings, and was originally to have only a brief 13-week run. He was retained due to his popularity and the program's quick spike in ratings, and virtually became the star of the show.
A defining feature of Barnabas' character development is his gradual but persistent transformation from a sinister, frightening creature of the night into the show's protagonist, who selflessly, heroically and repeatedly risks his "life" to save the Collins family from catastrophe.
Barnabas Collins was the main character in most of the 32 "Dark Shadows" paperback novels written by Marilyn Ross (Canadian author W.E.D. Ross) from the late 1960s to the early '70s. (Ross wrote hundreds of novels in several genres and under various pseudonyms.)
TV Guide named Barnabas Collins #8 in its 2013 list of The 60 Nastiest Villains of All Time.[1]
On Angelique's arrival in Collinsport for the wedding in 1795, Barnabas was determined not to resume his affair. The spurned Angelique Bouchard, a practitioner of witchcraft, used a number of spells to manipulate Barnabas and his family and force his agreement to marry her. Barnabas discovered Angelique's duplicity, and shot her. With what she believed to be her dying words, she took revenge on Barnabas by summoning a vampire bat from hell to attack him. Barnabas fell extremely ill and died. Angelique survived and attempted to rescind the curse, but was unsuccessful.
Barnabas shortly thereafter rose as a vampire, and soon strangled Angelique. Collins later frightened his aunt Abigail (Clarice Blackburn) to death, and left the hatefully fanatic witch-hunter Reverend Trask (Jerry Lacy) entombed alive in the Old House basement. Sarah Collins died of pneumonia after a cold night spent hiding in the woods from her deceased brother. Adding to Barnabas' grief, his mother Naomi committed suicide after discovering his secret. Barnabas Collins blamed Angelique for the deaths of both his sister and his mother, and also blamed Lt. Nathan Forbes (Joel Crothers), who had told Naomi about him. Barnabas strangled Forbes, and attempted to transform Josette into a vampire. Josette was willing, if not fully cognizant of what this would entail, until Angelique revealed a vision of what she would become. Fleeing from Barnabas, Josette leapt off the cliffs of Widow's Hill to her death.
Unable to bear what he had become, Barnabas Collins asked his father, Joshua, to destroy him. Joshua Collins was unable to slay his son, and ordered servant Ben Stokes (Thayer David) to nail a cross to the inside lid of Barnabas' coffin and to wrap chains on its outside, forever imprisoning the vampire in a secret room of the family mausoleum at Eagle's Hill Cemetery.
The return of Barnabas Collins
In 1967, while searching the Collins family crypt for their rumored lost jewels, Willie Loomis (John Karlen) stumbled upon the chained coffin in which Barnabas slept. Believing the coffin to contain the Collins family riches, Willie inadvertently released the vampire. Barnabas attacked Willie and turned him into his unwilling servant.
Barnabas Collins introduced himself to the modern Collins family as a cousin from England, a hard-working businessman never seen during the day. The family accepted this story, despite having never before heard of him, because of his resemblance to the portrait of the ancestral Barnabas which hung in Collinwood. The thirsty Barnabas made victims of several Collinsport residents. He was particularly taken with waitress Maggie Evans (Kathryn Leigh Scott), who resembled his long-lost love, Josette. Barnabas was told by David Collins (David Henesy) that Josette's spirit still haunted the Collinwood estate, where it periodically helped and protected others, including young David. Barnabas Collins kidnapped Maggie, hypnotized her to believe that she was Josette, and planned to make her his vampire bride. Maggie escaped with help from the ghost of Sarah Collins, but the emotional distress of being kidnapped caused Maggie to regress to a childlike mentality and to forget all that had happened. Barnabas Collins then targeted David's governess, Victoria Winters (Alexandra Moltke) as a potential consort. He tried to seduce her away from her fiancé Burke Devlin (Anthony George), and then to bite her. The ghost of Sarah appeared repeatedly throughout and warned Barnabas, who was tormented by a feeling of responsibility for her death, away from evil deeds.
Maggie was sent to Wyndcliff Sanitarium, where Dr. Julia Hoffman (Grayson Hall) tried to get her to remember what happened and to identify her kidnapper. Dr. Hoffman found that the answer lay somewhere at Collinwood, and discovered who and what Barnabas was. Julia fell in love with Barnabas and attempted to cure him, and hypnotized Maggie to forget everything Barnabas had tried to do to her. Barnabas Collins initially distrusted Julia, and when her medical cure failed, viewed her as a risk who would be able to expose his true nature. He attempted to kill Julia, or to drive her mad so that no one would believe her accusations. Ultimately, Barnabas came to see Julia as a useful ally. The romantic relationship Julia desired never happened on-screen, but she became Barnabas' chief confidante and helped him many times, while Barnabas Collins became genuinely devoted to Julia and would go to extraordinary lengths to protect or rescue her when she ran afoul of enemies such as Angelique (eventually a firm friend), ghosts, and the ancient Leviathans.
Barnabas's women
Barnabas Collins's great love was his fiancée from 1795, Josette du Pres, but throughout the show he had interest in many different women, including Maggie Evans, Victoria Winters and Roxanne Drew. He wanted these women to share his vampire existence, and wanted Maggie and Victoria to assume the identity of Josette. His closest ally and friend was Dr. Julia Hoffman, who was quietly in love with him and supported his attempts to find happiness. While aware that Julia did have strong feelings for him, Barnabas' complex feelings for Julia evolved from initial fear and distrust to deep affection, devotion and protection. At one point, Barnabas Collins admitted to Willie Loomis that he cared for Julia more than he appeared to.
Other appearances
The 1970 MGM film House of Dark Shadows centers on the release of Barnabas Collins from his coffin by Willie Loomis. Unlike Frid's television portrayal of Barnabas, the Barnabas featured in the film was truer to a typical evil vampire, who by the end of the film had killed half of the Collins family. Barnabas himself is killed by Jeff Clark, now depicted as Maggie's boyfriend, and a dying Willie Loomis, when Barnabas tries to make Maggie Evans his vampire bride. Barnabas does not appear in the sequel, Night of Dark Shadows, which focuses on another relation, Quentin Collins.
In the 2012 film Dark Shadows, Barnabas is played by Johnny Depp as a somewhat-modernized version of the character from the original series. He has a deep obsession with Josette, has no forgiveness for those who betray him, and believes that his curse can be reversed. He shows deep emotions for his modern family members, whose lives he longs to be part of. He displays his television counterpart's powers and abilities, while subject to his cold vampire instincts. Barnabas tries to win the love of David's governess Maggie Evans, now called Victoria Winters, who reminds him of his lost beloved Josette. Depp's version is up to date with popular culture and has a strong taste for rock music. He wears a hair and clothing style similar to his late 1960s counterpart, but dresses more colorfully. His character is portrayed as somewhat more sexually active and eccentric than before. This incarnation has a different relationship with Dr. Hoffman, who never becomes his ally.
Barnabas often blamed his moments of cruelty on his transformation into one of the undead or "nosferatu," but other characters revealed that Barnabas was not always the reluctant victim that he claimed. He carried on a sexual dalliance with the obsessed Angelique despite his claim of love for Josette, which set in motion many tragedies in his life. Jealousy and wounded male pride caused him to fatally wound his uncle in a duel, after Jeremiah's elopement with Josette. He attempted to back out of his agreement to marry Angelique after she cured his sister of illness. Given proof that his newlywed bride Angelique was a witch, he attempted to murder her. A drunken Ben Stokes admitted that Barnabas, prior to his change, "...weren't no good then, neither— but now, he's worse!" When the vampire tried to silence his own father by killing him, an astonished Joshua Collins exclaimed: "You would kill even me! You must have always had so much hatred in you. No one could be filled with it so quickly!" While many of his flip-flopping infatuations with nubile young women could be attributed to his vampire curse and his need to find a vampire bride, his romantic choices during his periods as a human were equally immature and baffling. In later interviews, Jonathan Frid admitted this was all part of the character's success, "...the lies he told to himself."
However harsh or impulsive he may have been, Barnabas is nevertheless not without a conscience, either as a human or as a vampire. He is shown to be capable of feeling guilt for wrongs committed, as well as love for other people. For example, he shows a softer side for Dr. Julia Hoffman as he becomes closer to her, and once mentioned that he cared for her more than he let on. He risked his "life" whenever she was in grave trouble, and only when the Leviathans gave the order to have Julia killed did Barnabas have the strength to break free of their control. When Angelique tried to endanger Julia's life, an enraged Barnabas warned her that if she ever tried to harm Julia again, he would personally see to her own destruction. His confrontation with Angelique over the deaths that his curse had caused revealed that he did care deeply for his mother, his sister and for Josette.
Powers
Barnabas' abilities mimic those of the classic vampire Dracula, and include immortality, superhuman strength, superhuman speed, hypnotism, shape-shifting and teleportation. However, Barnabas has also been known to use sorcery. In an early storyline, he attempted to drive Julia mad by conjuring the spirit of her dead colleague, Dave Woodard. In 1795, Barnabas briefly resurrected Josette DuPres, who in the 20th century would warn the Collins family of approaching danger while wandering the Collinwood halls, and he used visions to lure Rev. Trask into a fatal trap. These seemingly magical abilities were never explained, but made Barnabas a deadly protagonist.
Notes
Jonathan Frid first appeared as Barnabas Collins in 1967 in episode #211, but Collins' hand was briefly seen in the climax to episode #210, prior to Frid's introduction. Series regular Timothy Gordon (uncredited) provided the hand, which was first seen choking Willie Loomis.
In a 1971 TV Guide article, Dark Shadows head-writer Sam Hall discussed the outline the show's finale would have taken had it not been canceled sooner than anticipated. Among other things, the plans involved Barnabas, a vampire once again, becoming mysteriously ill. Julia, deducing that his illness was due to his unique connection to Adam, would travel to Singapore to treat Adam, and there fall seriously ill herself. The now-recovered Barnabas would come to her and, at long last, declare his love and ask her to become his wife. Knowing that Angelique would never allow Julia to live, they would remain in the Far East after their marriage, and Julia would permanently cure Barnabas of his vampirism.
Dark Shadows is an American gothic soap opera that aired weekdays on the ABC television network from June 27, 1966, to April 2, 1971. The show depicted the lives, loves, trials, and tribulations of the wealthy Collins family of Collinsport, Maine, where a number of supernatural occurrences take place.
Jonathan Frid was a Canadian actor, best known for his role as vampire Barnabas Collins on the gothic television soap opera Dark Shadows. The introduction in 1967 of Frid's reluctant, guilt-ridden vampire caused the floundering daytime drama to soar to 20 million daily viewers. His watershed portrayal has been cited as a key influence on contemporary genre film and television series such as Twilight, True Blood and The Vampire Diaries.
Night of Dark Shadows is a 1971 horror film by Dan Curtis. It is the sequel to House of Dark Shadows. It centers on the story of Quentin Collins and his bride Tracy at the Collinwood Mansion in Collinsport, Maine.
Victoria "Vicki" Winters is a fictional character from the television Gothic soap opera Dark Shadows and its remakes of the same name. The role was originated by Alexandra Moltke on the ABC series from 1966 to 1968. After Moltke left to raise a family in 1968, actresses Betsy Durkin and Carolyn Groves briefly replaced her for only a handful of episodes, before Victoria was written out completely. Jaclyn Smith, who was married to Dark Shadows actor Roger Davis at the time, was offered the role when Moltke left the show, but she declined.
Jeremiah Collins is a fictional character played primarily by Anthony George during the 1795 flashback on the ABC television gothic horror soap opera serial Dark Shadows.
Josette du Pres is a character played primarily by Kathryn Leigh Scott during the 1795 flashback on the TV serial Dark Shadows.
Angelique Bouchard is a fictional character from the gothic horror-soap opera and film Dark Shadows, in which she is the main antagonist. She is primarily portrayed as a powerful witch, who is driven by her vacillating love and hatred for Barnabas Collins.
House of Dark Shadows is a 1970 American feature-length horror film produced and directed by Dan Curtis, based on his Dark Shadows television series. In this film expansion, vampire Barnabas Collins searches for a cure for vampirism so he can marry a woman who resembles his long-lost fiancée Josette.
Quentin Collins is the name of several characters featured in the 1966–1971 ABC cult TV Gothic horror-soap opera Dark Shadows. Variations of the character have been played by actor David Selby.
Collinwood Mansion is a fictional house featured in the Gothic horror soap opera Dark Shadows, built in 1795 by Joshua Collins. Collinwood has been home to the Collins family and sometimes unwelcome supernatural visitors since its inception. The house is located near the town of Collinsport, Maine, overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. Due to frightening rumors and legends, almost every resident of the town is afraid to drive by the house. The house has more than 40 rooms, most of which are closed off due to the lack of inhabitants and financial reasons. It features numerous secret passageways, including one leading to a parallel timeline, a time-traveling stairway, and a room perceived as a playroom by some and a linen closet by others. Most of the household activity revolves around the drawing room and foyer, and occasionally extends to the kitchen, dining room, and study. Collinwood is notorious for causing unrest and frustration among both the residents and visitors, likely due to its ominous atmosphere and mysterious past. Despite its unsettling reputation, the allure of the grand estate continues to draw intrigue and curiosity from those brave enough to explore its halls. It has been the scene of deaths, random acts of violence, and other misfortunes. In many episodes of the series, most local characters find it easier to just avoid it and the Collins family altogether.
Daniel Collins is a fictional character that appeared on the 1960s ABC daytime soap opera Dark Shadows. Initially the character was portrayed by child actor David Henesy during a storyline that has become informally known as the "1795 Flashback". In 1970, the character returned for the "1840 Flashback" storyline, this time played by stage actor Louis Edmonds.
Dark Shadows: The Book of Temptation is a Big Finish Productions audio drama based on the long-running American horror soap opera series Dark Shadows.
Dark Shadows: The Christmas Presence is a Big Finish Productions audio drama based on the long-running American horror soap opera series Dark Shadows.
Dark Shadows: The Rage Beneath is a Big Finish Productions audio drama based on the long-running American horror soap opera series Dark Shadows.
Dark Shadows is a one-hour television pilot that was a remake of the 1966–1971 gothic soap opera television series Dark Shadows. The pilot was commissioned by The WB and produced in 2004, but not picked up for a series.
Dark Shadows is a 2012 gothic dark fantasy film based on the gothic television soap opera of the same name. Directed by Tim Burton, the film stars Johnny Depp, Michelle Pfeiffer, Helena Bonham Carter, Eva Green, Jackie Earle Haley, Jonny Lee Miller, Chloë Grace Moretz, and Bella Heathcote in a dual role. Christopher Lee has a small role in the film, his 200th film appearance and his fifth and final appearance in a Burton film. Jonathan Frid, star of the original Dark Shadows series, makes a cameo appearance. He died shortly before the film was released. One of the film's producers, Richard D. Zanuck, died two months after its release.
Julia Hoffman is a fictional character played by Grayson Hall in the 1966 ABC soap opera Dark Shadows. A self-serving and conniving doctor in the fields of psychology and rare blood disorders, she is also head of the Windcliff Sanitarium, who moved into Collinwood and discovered the vampire Barnabas Collins. Initially, Julia represented a threat to Barnabas' undead existence, but eventually she became one of his most staunch allies. Together, Julia and Barnabas worked to assist the Collins family in the past, present, future, and in Parallel Time.
Dark Shadows: The Night Whispers is a 2010 Big Finish Productions original dramatic reading based on the long-running American horror soap opera series Dark Shadows.
Dark Shadows is a series of audio dramas continuing the story of the 1966–1971 television soap opera of the same name. There have been two productions of Dark Shadows audio dramas. The first production, released in 2004 by MPI Home Video, was based on a 2003 stage play. Since 2006, Big Finish Productions have produced a number of audio dramas.
References
↑ Bretts, Bruce; Roush, Matt; (March 25, 2013). "Baddies to the Bone: The 60 nastiest villains of all time". TV Guide. pp. 14 - 15.
Further reading
Ashley, Amanda. After Sundown. Zebra Books, 2003. p.130. ISBN0-8217-7528-6
Auerbach, Nina. Our Vampires, Ourselves. University of Chicago Press, 1995. p.137. ISBN0-226-03201-9
Bradley, Marion Zimmer. Witch Hill. Tor/Forge, 2000. p.58. ISBN0-312-87283-6
Chamberlin, John Edward. COME BACK TO ME MY LANGUAGE: Poetry and the West Indies. University of Illinois Press, 1993. p.190. ISBN0-252-06297-3
Clifton, Chas S. Her Hidden Children: The Rise of Wicca And Contemporary Paganism in America. Rowman Altamira, 2006. p.101. ISBN0-7591-0202-3
Clute, John and Grant, John. The Encyclopedia of Fantasy. St. Martin's Press, 1999. p 823. ISBN0-312-19869-8
Hamrick, Craig. Barnabas & Company: The Cast of the TV Classic Dark Shadows. iUniverse, 2003. p.22. ISBN0-595-29029-9
Jones, Stephen. The Essential Monster Movie Guide: A Century of Creature Features on Film, TV and Video. Watson-Guptill, 2000. p.99. ISBN0-8230-7936-8
Mansour, David. From Abba to Zoom: A Pop Culture Encyclopedia Of The Late 20th Century. Andrews McMeel Publishing, 2005. p.109. ISBN0-7407-5118-2
Massey, Brandon R. Dark Corner. Kensington Books, 2004. p.64. ISBN0-7582-0249-0
McNally, Raymond T. and Florescu, Radu R. In Search of Dracula: The History of Dracula and Vampires. Houghton Mifflin Books, 1994. p.270. ISBN0-395-65783-0
Mitchell, Charles P. The Complete H.P. Lovecraft Filmography. Greenwood Press, 2001. p 220. ISBN0-313-31641-4
Parker, Lara. Dark Shadows: Angelique's Descent. HarperCollins, 1998. ISBN0-76533-260-4
Parker, Lara. Dark Shadows: The Salem Branch. Tor/Forge, 2006. ISBN0-76530-457-0
Parker, Lara. Dark Shadows: Wolf Moon Rising. Tor/Forge, 2013. ISBN0-7653-3259-0
Pope, Dan. In the Cherry Tree. Picador, 2003. p.81. ISBN0-312-42236-9
Pringles, David. Imaginary People: A Who's who of fictional characters: from the Eighteenth Century to the... Scolar Press; Ashgate Pub, 1996. p.51. ISBN1-85928-162-1
Rainey, Stephen Mark and Massie, Elizabeth. Dark Shadows: Dreams of the Dark. HarperCollins, 1999. ISBN0-06105-752-5
Riccardo, Martin V. Vampires Unearthed: The Complete Multi-media Vampire and Dracula Bibliography. Garland Publishing, Incorporated, 1983. p.19. ISBN0-8240-9128-0
Scott, Kathryn Leigh. The Dark Shadows Companion. Pomegranate Press, 1990. ISBN0-938817-26-4
Scott, Kathryn Leigh. My Scrapbook Memories of Dark Shadows. Pomegranate Press, 1986. ISBN0-938817-03-5
Scott, Kathryn Leigh and Pierson, Jim. The Dark Shadows Almanac - Millennium Edition. Pomegranate Press, 2000. ISBN0938817183
Scott, Kathryn Leigh and Pierson, Jim. Dark Shadows: Return to Collinwood. Pomegranate Press, 2012. ISBN978-0-938817-66-6
Senn, Bryan and Johnson, John. Fantastic Cinema Subject Guide: A Topical Index to 2500 Horror, Science Fiction, and Fantasy Films. McFarland & Co, 1992. p.551. ISBN0-89950-681-X
South, James B. Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Philosophy: fear and trembling in Sunnydale. Open Court Publishing, 2003. p.318. ISBN0-8126-9531-3
South, Malcolm. Mythical and Fabulous Creatures: A Source Book and Research Guide. Greenwood Press, 1987. p.260. ISBN0-313-24338-7
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