Uncle Roger,

Maybe the seemingly ageless Count Petofi got some work as an film extra in Hollywood after departing (?) Collinsport in 1897 and appeared as the Sheik's venerable grandfather in one of those pre-talkie films? Heck, the good Count would only be 275-years-old today (I think) at Ms. Scott's upcoming event. 

There is a recent interview with KLS on YouTube with a guy named Peter Mac. Ms. Scott discusses DS, her many books, and the challenges she faced as the primary care provider for her late husband.

In addition, KLS discussed how the COVID pandemic adversely affected the Dark Shadows Festivals over the past several years. And, KLS seemed to indicate that the festivals had finally come to an end. Maybe Ms. Scott will write a book on the history of the DS Festivals and the festival reminiscences of the DS fans?

Pat Priest was in the film, “Easy Come, Easy Go,” with Elvis Presley. I remember reading in Bruce Dern’s autobiography (an actor, who, incidentally, would have been great as a guest star on DS), that he dated the lovely Ms. Priest for some time.

It was odd that the producers cast another actress as Marilyn Munster in the film, “Munster Ho Home.” Apparently, they somehow thought that Pat Priest was too old to portray Marilyn  Munster in the film. 

Josette,

Watching that report on a group of vampire aficionados (?) together over there in England, did you, by chance, also spot KLS, seated there at a table, peddling her many books to those vespertilian fans?

Bob

Many happy returns, Uncle Roger.

Have your trademark drink, a snifter of brandy, on the Blue Whale house! 

Bob

PS Maybe KLS will come up with, yet, another inventive book theme: “Birthdays of the Dark Shadows Fans!”?     

Great point about the relative cost of that landscape Dr. Hoffman bought from the Todds for $300.00 in 1969. It got me to thinking about the value of other apparently rare items we saw on DS; how much was that seemingly ubiquitous silver-filigreed pen worth, that caused poor Roger Collins so much anxiety and “agita”? And, considering how the darned thing continued to work so flawlessly after over 170 years, how much would Josette’s music box go for today in 2022?

That ornately hand-carved box that Barnabas gave to Phillip and Megan Todd was even more ubiquitous in Collinsport than Burke Devlin’s silver-filigreed pen; we’d see it on a table in the hallway outside of David Collins’ bedroom in Collinwood (I think?), on the mantle over the fireplace in the Old House drawing rooms and the d@mned may have also been in poor Victor Flagler’s house, when Barnabas and Dr. Hoffman visited Cliff at his home during their brief visit to Collinsport, circa 1995. Maybe many residents of Collinsport owned exact replicas of that distinctive Leviathan “Naga” box in much the same way that people own exact replicas of that kitschy ladies’ stocking leg-lamp, featured in the 1983 film, “A Christmas Story” today?

Of course, the most-cherished and, no doubt, highest-valued item on DS has to be Barnabas’ silver wolf’s head cane. It was probably worth as much as all of Naomi Collins’ extensive jewelry collection and even Nicholas Blair’s exquisitely-tailored (and, presumably only) light-grey suit he wore exclusively while dating Maggie and master-minding the Adam and Eve Progeny, Satanic Take-Over-The-World-Plot

I think it’s safe to say that the folks at PBS’ “Antiques Roadshow” program would have an absolute field day, appraising the value of all these rare and unique DS items! And, what about if Lovejoy, that renowned British antiques dealer, ever paid a visit to Collinwood? Lovejoy was a divvy,” a person with the unique ability to recognize exceptional and valuable items. He could literally spend countless hours in both the East and West wings of Collinwood, perusing all of the curios and artifacts, the Collins family had accumulated over the centuries. If Lovejoy had happened to discover the Parallel Time room in the East Wing with all of its opulent furnishings and possessions, I wonder how the usually-unflappable Lovejoy would react to seeing that cornucopia of valuable items and not being able to get in there and handle all of those treasures? Oy vey!

In these days of rampant inflation, I believe that the current members of the Collins family, could easily weather the current uncertain economic times by hocking that statue of the bare-chested shoveler in the Collinsport foyer or even Angelique’s striking portrait for a couple of bucks at the local Collinsport flea market!








(and presumably only) light-grey suit!

Yes, Uncle Floyd is great, a veritable legend in the Garden State! Floyd was on various cable and uhf stations in the NYC greater area for well over twenty years. When Uncle Floyd was on New Jersey Network, the Garden State’s PBS station, his show would come on every night before NJN’s airing of “Dark Shadows.” I can’t remember if NJN aired just one or two episodes of DS each night, it’s 36 years ago.

NJN did start with Barnabas’s arrival at Collinwood, when a startled Mrs. Johnson answered the front door to find Barnabas sporting a hat (probably the only time we ever saw Mr. B. wearing a hat). NJN kept airing DS for several years up until episode number 1006, where 1970 PT Horace Gladstone confronted Cyrus Longworth, saying, “And, Cyrus Longworth is John Yaegar and John Yaegar!”

Unfortunately, NJN had a change in management, and the new general manager thought that DS was “beneath PBS’ dignity” and ordered DS off of NJN. This ticked off many viewers, who had donated money to NJN to specifically keep DS on the air until the the final 200 episodes or so of DS were broadcast. A subsequent class
action suit returned a great amount of that donated money back to the understandably outraged DS fans, effectively kicking that stuffy station general manager right in the “keester.”

I remember that Uncle Floyd had a friendly rivalry with DS, where his viewers would mail in posters to Uncle Floyd, depicting him “battling” Barnabas in various scenarios. Uncle Floyd also had a friendly “feud” with the actors on the original “Star Trek,” which aired everyday on Channel 11 opposite Uncle Floyd in NYC, with Uncle Floyd “battling” Captain Kirk and Mister Spock.

Uncle Floyd had a number of comedic sidekicks on his show, including “Mugsy,” “Looney” Skip Rooney and Scott Gordon, who, I believe, was active in the NYC Dark Festivals. In addition, Uncle Floyd has appeared in several films, such as “Good Morning, Vietnam,” starring the late Robin Williams and Forest Whitaker. And, Uncle Floyd is a regular at many of the comedy clubs in the tri-state area, including Uncle Vinnie’s Comedy Club in beautiful Point Pleasant, NJ.

Yes, Uncle Floyd is a true Renaissance man from the “great” state of New Jersey! Maybe Uncle Floyd and KLS will discuss possible entrepreneurial endeavors over lunch at either Holsten’s Ice Cream, Chocolate & Restaurant in Bloomfield, NJ (where Tony Soprano & family enjoyed Holsten’s delicious onion rings, possibly for the very last time) or at Pizza Land in North Arlington, NJ, just a stone’s throw from Satriale’s Pork Store in beautiful Kearny, NJ. I’ll bet that Maggie never enjoyed such epicurean delights at the Collinsport Inn Coffee Shop or even at Collinwood, as Ms. Evans will enjoy during her upcoming visit to the Garden State. Mangia, Maggie! 

Yes, Quentin did have cool sideburns; he reminded me of the great Herb Alpert of the Tijuana Brass. Incidentally, Mr. Alpert will be touring the US this summer, along with his incredibly talented wife, Lani Hall, formerly the lead singer for Sergio Mendes and Brazil 66.

I’ve been fortunate enough to have seen Ms. Hall perform twice. She has the most beautiful voice I have ever heard. Mr. Alpert is now 87-years-old. He is absolutely amazing. I know our cousin, Ben, is also a big fan of both TJB and Sergio Mendes. I hope to see Mr. Alpert and Ms. Hall this summer at The Count Basie Theatre in beautiful Red Bank, NJ.

As to Bruno’s prodigious pompadour, I think the 1970 PT Bruno Hess had a more impressive hair style than the real time Leviathan Bruno Hess. The thing I most remember about real time Bruno, was that snazzy shearling coat he always wore while he was kow-towing to Jeb Hawkes. Bruno kind of looked like a darker Marlboro Man in that distinctive coat.

Didn’t Aristide have a relatively short hair cut? Aristide seemed to be more of feckless fop, much more concerned with his “GQ Magazine” attire. And, Lazlo wore his hair longest of all, if I recall correctly.

I’ll bet that warlock Judah Zachary was absolutely delighted that he took over Gerard Stiles’ body. Judah went from being like the chrome-domed Colonel Klink to the bushy-haired US Senator Teddy Kennedy.