I finally get to use "Monkees" and "Dark Shadows" in a headline

In the weeks leading up to the premiere of Dark Shadows in 1966, the show's cast made the usual promotional rounds to introduce the concept of the program to viewers. Louis Edmonds spoke about playing spies and Nazis, Joan Bennett braced reporters with her sardonic wit, while Alexandra Moltke was stuck chatting about her relative inexperience.

Nancy Barrett's promotional feature took a turn for the weird. The syndicated story featured headlines such as "Things Happen to Her," the interview reads like a David Lynch movie. Puppets make an expected appearance.

The story centers on the Broadway production of Pickwick starring Harry Secombe, in which Barrett had a small role. Barrett was part of the touring company, as well, but that's not why I've asked you here today. Also part of the Broadway production was future Monkee David Jones. This was in 1965, when both Jones and Barrett were a year away from joining the casts of two of the most iconic television series of the 1960s. If god made anything groovier, he kept it for himself.

Below is a Dark Shadows promotional interview with Barrett from 1966, as well as a few photos from the 1965 production of Pickwick.



Nancy Barrett was all wet in Broadway play "Pickwick"
Oct. 8, 1966

After sloshing around on theatre stages in six states, Nancy Barrett is now on dry, solid ground in ABC-TV's romantic-suspense series, “Dark Shadows" at 4 p.m. weekdays WFIL-TV, Channel 6.

She is blue-eyed and fragile, and if she is alluring as Carolyn Stoddard in the network's gothic-styled drama, she was all wet in the recent Broadway musical, "Pickwick."

"It was the ice rink,” said Nancy. “The thing was always melting, and before we came to the ice skating scene, the stage boards covering the rink got soaking wet. We slipped all over the place, and I figure that until we brought the show to New York, I was kicked in the shins 20 times. The dancers had it worst of all. When one fell, the rest went down like dominoes."

Things happen to Nancy Barrett, who is lovely but lacking — no red corpuscles. Maybe tired blood is the reason she couldn't catch the guy who robbed her of three suitcases.

"It was my first day in New York," she recalled, “and when I got back to my car I noticed that two suitcases were missing. I rushed off to get a cop, but I wasn't more than a few feet away when a man rushed to the car, grabbed the last piece of luggage and fled. Naturally, I never caught him."

This is a girl who met her husband under a puppet stage ("I crawled under the curtain and there he was"), choked her way through her first stage role ("I don't smoke, but in almost every scene I had to come on puffing like a chimney"), and who is currently portraying a character that is completely unlike her.

"Carolyn Stoddard is stubborn, impulsive, and a swinger," said Nancy. "My idea of a wild evening is having a quiet dinner and singing to a recording of La Boheme."

"Dark Shadows,” like all daytime serials, makes great demands on actors. The work is exhausting, requiring early cast calls and endless rehearsals until the day's show is finished. Then a run-through of following afternoon telecast with actors taking home the scripts for further study. In all, it is a 14-hour workday.



"Working in a serial, and meeting the same people day after day, is unlike anything in show business," said Nancy. "It is hard to step in and out of character because you begin to see them as friends, not actors. If the role I'm playing requires antagonism or even hate, I find it a very difficult thing to do."

Everyone in "Dark Shadows" reacts the same way, from the star, Joan Bennett, down to 10-year-old David Henesy. Recently, after a scene in which the youngster was tongue-lashed mercilessly, he walked ever to Nancy and said: "You know, you really yelled at me."

"Things happen" to Nancy Barrett, 1966

In the weeks leading up to the premiere of DARK SHADOWS back in 1966, the show's cast made the usual promotional rounds to introduce the concept of the program to viewers. Louis Edmonds spoke about playing spies and Nazis, Joan Bennett braced reporters with her sardonic wit, while Alexandra Moltke was stuck chatting about her relative inexperience.

Nancy Barrett's promotional feature took a turn for the weird, though. Titled "Things Happen to Her," the interview reads like a David Lynch movie. Puppets make an appearance.

But don't take my word for it ...

Things Happen to Her 
Oct. 8, 1966
The Delaware County Daily Times

After sloshing around on theatre stages in six states, Nancy Barrett is now on dry, solid ground in ABC-TV's romantic-suspense series, “Dark Shadows" at 4 p.m. weekdays WFIL-TV, Channel 6.

She is blue-eyed and fragile, and if she is alluring as Carolyn Stoddard in the network's gothic-styled drama, she was all wet in the recent Broadway musical, "Pickwick."

"It was the ice rink,” said Nancy. “The thing was always melting, and before we came to the ice skating scene, the stage boards covering the rink got soaking wet. We slipped all over the place, and I figure that until we brought the show to New York, I was kicked in the shins 20 times. The dancers had it worst of all. When one fell, the rest went down like dominoes."

Things happen to Nancy Barrett, who is lovely but lacking — no red corpuscles. Maybe tired blood is the reason she couldn't catch the guy who robbed her of three suitcases.

"It was my first day in New York," she recalled, “and when I got back to my car I noticed that two suitcases were missing. I rushed off to get a cop, but I wasn't more than a few feet away when a man rushed to the car, grabbed the last piece of luggage and fled. Naturally, I never caught him."

This is a girl who met her husband under a puppet stage ("I crawled under the curtain and there he was"), choked her way through her first stage role ("I don't smoke, but in almost every scene I had to come on puffing like a chimney"), and who is currently portraying a character that is completely unlike her.

"Carolyn Stoddard is stubborn, impulsive, and a swinger," said Nancy. "My idea of a wild evening is having a quiet dinner and singing to a recording of La Boheme."

"Dark Shadows,” like all daytime serials, makes great demands on actors. The work is exhausting, requiring early cast calls and endless rehearsals until the day's show is finished. Then a run-through of following afternoon telecast with actors taking home the scripts for further study. In all, it is a 14-hour workday.

"Working in a serial, and meeting the same people day after day, is unlike anything in show business," said Nancy. "It is hard to step in and out of character because you begin to see them as friends, not actors. If the role I'm playing requires antagonism or even hate, I find it a very difficult thing to do."

Everyone in "Dark Shadows" reacts the same way, from the star, Joan Bennett, down to 10-year-old David Henesy. Recently, after a scene in which the youngster was tongue-lashed mercilessly, he walked ever to Nancy and said: "You know, you really yelled at me."

And the winner of Miss American Vampire is ...

We're coming up on the 45th anniversary of the Miss American Vampire competition. Surprisingly, there's still some consternation on who actually took top honors the 1970 pageant. The two women most often cited as having won are Sacheen Littlefeather (best-know as the woman who represented Marlon Brando when he refused his Oscar for THE GODFATHER in 1973) and Christine Domaniecki, who nabbed a cameo appearance on an episode of DARK SHADOWS thanks to her involvement in the event.

Domaniecki in episode 1,126 of DARK SHADOWS, broadcast Oct. 19, 1970.

For the record: Sacheen Littlefeather was the national winner.

The Miss American Vampire competition was conducted in 1970 as a promotional tool for HOUSE OF DARK SHADOWS (you can see a video ad for it at the top of the page). Regional contests were held around the country, but New York City and Los Angeles generated the most interest from competitors. Almost all of the documentary evidence circulating the Internet these days comes from the New York regional contest, which took place at Palisades Amusement Park in New Jersey in September, 1970. Jonathan Frid was on hand to crown the winner.

Christine Domaniecki gets into character,

Domaniecki was the winner of the New York regional event. She and eight regional winners (among them Barbara Marciel, Diane Kirby, Nina Johns, Signe Vernon and Beverly Rose) later traveled to Los Angeles for the national finals, where Littlefeather (aka Marie Cruz) won top honors. DARK SHADOWS cast member Nancy Barrett and cultural pestilence Regis Philbin were among the judges.

I don't think any of the women involved in the pageant lost any sleep over who won the pageant. While Littlefeather technically took home the title, history has declared Domaniecki the true winner of the event. Hers is the name most often associated with stories about it, and she appears in the few photos from the campaign that remain in circulation. In fact, I've yet to see any photos from the pageant finals in Los Angeles.

Below are rare, candid images you might not have seen before of Frid, Domaniecki and Nancy Barrett taken during the New Jersey event. Note the "Miss American Teen" logo which features the odd inclusion of Captain America's shield as part of the design.

These color photos are courtesy of Elena Nacanther, who is part of an effort to get Jonathan Frid nominated to Canada's Walk of Fame. You can see more photos from her group HERE.

This past summer, Domaniecki was a guest at a DARK SHADOWS gathering of fans in Norwalk, Connecticut. That's her above with fans Gene Caruso and David Caruso. 

Nancy Barrett returns in DARK SHADOWS: CURTAIN CALL

CURTAIN CALL, the next DARK SHADOWS audiodrama from Big Finish, is due out in January. Here's the official summary, which includes a few details about 2014's second installment, THE HARVEST OF SOULS:

Sheila Steafel as Henrietta Frobisher.

CURTAIN CALL sees the audio debut of cockney psychic showgirl Leticia Faye, played by Nancy Barrett (Dark Shadows, One Life To Live, Ryan's Hope). Leticia, now living in New York in 1857, is struggling to fit in with the high society she's married into. One night she meets the charismatic Joshua King, played by Peter Brooke (Doctor Who, Sherlock, Spooks), and it's the beginning of a dangerous new partnership.

DARK SHADOWS: CURTAIN CALL is written by David Lemon, a writer new to Big Finish. "It was great fun imagining Leticia’s life after the events of the TV series" says David. "I’m a big fan of the supernatural, especially in audio drama, so the idea of Leticia’s return to the limelight being fraught with danger - and echoes of both her past and future - really appealed to me” .

“It's a brilliant script,” says co-producer Joseph Lidster. “It's very funny but there's a real sadness at the heart of Leticia's character.”

The cover, full cast list and behind-the-scenes photographs are now available here. A trailer will be released shortly.

February's Dark Shadows release, THE HARVEST OF SOULS, sees us return to Collinsport in the 1970s to see what effect the events of this Halloween's Beyond the Grave have had on the surviving residents.

Pre-order CURTAIN CALL from Big Finish HERE.

THE FLIP SIDE takes a closer look at the Blue Whale's jukebox

 

BIG FINISH has released cast and story details for its next DARK SHADOWS audiodrama. Titled THE FLIP SIDE, the episode stars original DS cast members NANCY BARRETT, KATHRYN LEIGH SCOTT, and LISA RICHARDS. Here's a quick synopsis:

"Carolyn Stoddard is lost. Widowed at an early age, she's the lonely rich girl, drinking her life away as her friends grow up and move on. But Carolyn's life is about to change. Because Carolyn is about to be given a set of choices. And those choices will determine whether she is allowed to live or die. It's closing time at the Blue Whale but for Carolyn Stoddard the night is far from over. It's time to face the music..."

The story, which focuses on the character of Carolyn Stoddard, was written by CODY QUIJANO-SCHELL, an author new to Big Finish.

“I'm a huge DARK SHADOWS fan and I love Carolyn,” says Quijano-Schell. “She's a whirlwind of a character. She transitions from being sweet and vulnerable to being a monstrous brat… often in the same scene. The moment she first appeared dancing in the Blue Whale is the exact moment I fell in love with Dark Shadows. The original instrumental pop music composed by ROBERT COBERT is phenomenal. The tracks gave scenes set in the Blue Whale such a distinctive texture. That’s why I was so excited to hear there would be a new original song written just to accompany my script!”

The story features a specially composed song by singer-songwriter SEAN McGHEE - one half of the band ARTMAGIC, with RICHARD OAKES from SUEDE, and shortly to go on tour with the legend that is Alison Moyet. “Sean's a very old friend, and an experienced songwriter and producer,” says co-producer David Darlington, “and when I saw that there was scope in The Flip Side for a specially-composed song, I knew that rather than bashing my own head against walls for days on end trying to come up with singable melodies and lyrics, I could get him to write it to order!”

“I don't usually write period pieces, but the chance to compose an imaginary 1970s radio hit for a ghost story was too much to resist,” says Sean. “I located my inner Carole King for the music and kept the lyrics close to the spirit of Cody's excellent script, and the result is a song called The Better Side. It's quite unlike anything I've done before... but that's part of the fun.”

Visit BIG FINISH for more details, and to hear a trailer for the upcoming episode. A full interview with Sean McGhee about his involvement in DARK SHADOWS can be found at www.artmagicmusic.com.

Collinsport News Bulletins

*  KATHRYN LEIGH SCOTT, LARA PARKER and ANSEL FARAJ will participate in the Famous Monsters of Filmland Q&A panel at Comic-Con International in San Diego, Calif., on Friday, July 19. Faraj will be screening footage from his upcoming film, DOCTOR MABUSE: ETIOPOMAR, as part of theFamous Monsters "Stake of the Union" panel. The event begins at 7:45 pm in Room 5AB.

* The campaign to get JONATHAN FRID elected to CANADA'S WALK OF FAME has re-launched. "If we do nothing and don't promote nominating Jonathan now and for the rest of the year and also 2014 everyday, we will loose all the momentum that everyone has helped to build for him," the administrators of the campaign announced this week on their Facebook page. "Even though Jonathan did not get inducted for 2013, let me assure you everyone at CWOF absolutely knows who and what about Jonathan Frid implicitly. That's the power of all of you working to nominate him everyday. So please lets keep going."

At this stage in the campaign, people can nominate Frid on CANADA'S WALK OF FAME webpage. Vote often, and please help us spread the word.

* DARK SHADOWS: BENEATH THE VEIL is now available on CD and MP3 from Big Finish. The episode sees the return of MARIE WALLACE in the role of EVE, as well as NANCY BARRETT and KATHRYN LEIGH SCOTT (she's everywhere!)

* And last, but not least, BARNABAS COLLINS MEETS ALF.

Collinsport News Bulletins

LISA RICHARDS returns to the role of Sabrina Jennings in THE ENEMY WITHIN, a Dark Shadows audio drama coming in July from BIG FINISH. CHRISTOPHER PENNOCK and NANCY BARRETT are also slated to be part of that production.

KATHRYN LEIGH SCOTT announces a summer "blog tour" for her latest book, DOWN AND OUT IN BEVERLY HEELS.

LARA PARKER is planning a book tour for her novel DARK SHADOWS: WOLF MOON RISING later this summer and is looking for possible venues.

PATRICK McCRAY is halfway through the latest phase of THE DARK SHADOWS EXPERIMENT.

And last but not least, today marks the anniversary of the debut of DARK SHADOWS back in 1966. Here's how the show was presented to newspaper readers 47 years ago.

Eve returns in BENEATH THE VEIL

Well, THIS certainly got my attention.

When Big Finish announced the next slate of DARK SHADOWS audio dramas, it appeared they were setting off into uncharted waters. A handful of original cast members were attached to these episodes, but there were also many new names and faces involved. If BF wanted to experiment with the formula by creating new heroes and heroines -- characters free from the shackles of existing continuity -- I was willing to go with them. It would have been a risky venture, for sure, but the company has earned the benefit of the doubt.

That being said, I was relieved to see the return in this episode of DARK SHADOWS stalwarts KATHRYN LEIGH SCOTT and NANCY BARRETT, not to mention MARIE WALLACE in one of my favorite roles: Eve. The early details of the upcoming episode, BENEATH THE VEIL, simply mentioned that a serial killer had arrived in Collinsport. Eve's past life as French maniac Danielle Roget almost gaurantees she's somehow involved.  Here's the official summary: 

Alfie Chapman and Emma Finney, a young English couple, are on a road trip, travelling across America. When their car breaks down, they find themselves having to stay overnight in the small town of Collinsport.

And on that night, people start dying.

As Alfie and Emma become acquainted with the residents, they discover that there's more to the sleepy little town of Collinsport than they first thought.

But will they discover the truth behind the murders before they become the next victims?

BENEATH THE VEIL is scheduled to arrive in July. You can listen to an audio trailer for the story at the company's website, and look for an interview here with the episode's author, KYMBERLY ASHMAN, in the coming weeks.