Original audio of CBS LATE NIGHT Network Premiere of HOUSE OF DARK SHADOWS

Sound portion of the Network Premiere of HOUSE OF DARK SHADOWS. Curious how the film made it's television premiere on CBS LATE NIGHT TELEVISION and I can tell you first hand, it was chopped to pieces. Film starred Jonathan Frid, Grayson Hall and Joan Bennett. Illustration by Cliff Carson

Category:

Film & Animation

Tags:

• VAMPIRES
• horror
• Cult
• films
• ART
• paintings
• classic
• movies
• Gothic
• settings
• MANSIONS
• storms

[strow1969]

Two things about this surprise me:

1) How much of the movie the give away in the illustrations.

2) The fact that they used a shot of David hanging (left hand bottom of screen) right at the end, since that was cut from the movie.

[Cineramicfilms]

@strow1969 The illustration gives alot of the movie away, but then so did the STYLE B one sheet poster at the time.

[ThymeBottle]

The illustration for this is fantastic. What is so weird, however, is the uncanny resemblance between Frid's "Old Barnabas" at 0:12 and Ben Cross' "Old Barnabas" in the Revival. The scene of Barnabas staked at 0:22 is quite similar to the actual scene. I remember crying when I saw that in the movie theater because Barnabas looked so handsome as the fog and shadows played upon his features in death. Then, the bat swooped up and I was thrilled at the prospect of seeing him again.

[Cineramicfilms]

@ThymeBottle Frid was foolish not to ride the character out and get as much mileage out of it as possible. Barnabas in the sequel could have been great.

[XOtericate]

I remember staying up and watching horror movies on CBS LATE NIGHT TELEVISION! Thanks for uploading this video!

[Cineramicfilms]

@XOtericate You're right. It made it's debut on CBS Late night movie.

[rickw1100]

@Cineramicfilms I agree. In fact the next time I saw him in a film was in "The Devil's Daughter", a T.V. film starring Shelly Winters. His part was rather small and he played a mute servant. I have read that the break with Dan Curtis was over money and also that he feared being "stereotyped" as a vampire- but "Dark Shadows" the film did great business even as the Television show was ending. He should have stayed with the character. The sequels success might have led to better offers.

[Bellero]

Hey, the illustrations are great! Who did them and were they ever published in a DS zine or other publication? They are very professional looking! Thanks for sharing!

[Bellero]

I know what you mean by chopped. I still have the version that superstation WOR broadcast back in the early 80s. A newbie viewer would have no idea that Willie was the one to first stab Barnabas in the back with the crossbow arrow. If I get time, I'll have to get that VHS out and upload that scene to YouTube.

[ThymeBottle]

@Cineramicfilms I would have enjoyed seeing him in a sequel to this. I suppose that in the sequel they would have shown his origins and how he got to be a vampire. I have not seen or read the original script for the second feature, but it would have made sense to show the more sympathetic aspect of Barnabas' nature. HODS aired again on TCM early this morning; naturally, I had to watch it.