The Dark Shadows Daybook: Aug 21-25 Recap

If you were a member of the DARK SHADOWS cast, the week of Aug.21-25 was a tough one, no matter what year it was (literally or narratively.) If you were Quentin Collins, for example, you were looking down the barrel of a werewolf curse while simultaneously dodging the ill intentions of a Hungarian warlock. David Selby had the equally tough job of trying to convey all of this to the audience, forced to act out something that's un-act-able (to coin my own word.) He comes through unscathed, never again needing to prove his courage in the face of adversity.

Here's how the week went:

Aug. 21, 1968, Episode 568
"Jonathan Frid begins the episode with surprising command and conviction when detailing why Eve must be created. The tiger in Barnabas’ tank was always an edged uncertainty, and to see him in a position of absolute certainty is a reassuring reminder of his Shakespearean chops."  LINK

Aug. 23, 1968, Episode 570
"This may be the closest that Barnabas has come to admitting affection for Julia. Jonathan Frid seems more engaged in the material, as is John Karlen, his Jiminy Cricket. Both men are reaping the benefits that can only come from acting in the longform medium of the soap." LINK

Aug. 25, 1969, Episode 832
"It is a roller coaster for Quentin Collins. Trapped in a cell, he goes from certainty that Trask will see him transform to delighted cockiness that he mysteriously… doesn’t." LINK



Meanwhile, we also unearthed some clippings related to a rare, full-color poster that was published in 1968 by The Philadelphia Inquirer. Was this a big deal? Well, the newspaper seemed to think so. They even provided a "U.S. DECLARES WAR" sized headline on the front page to tease the supplement. You can see the gallery HERE.