Other then DC, who created Barnabas?

[Joeytrom]

I read in an interview with Art Wallce in a publication from the 1980's (I think the Dark Shadows Files) in which he claimed to have created Barnabas Collins himself.  I always thought that he was long gone by this time.

Anyone have any information on this?

[Gothick]

There's a book called Shadows on the Wall (I think) that is the material Art Wallace wrote for the original DS story outline.  Although he had long since stopped writing scripts in '67, he did reputedly do the outline for the basic Barnabas introduction storyline--the chained coffin, the cousin from England, etc.

As for the name Barnabas, somebody found that on an old tombstone--I'm thinking it was Bob Costello, but I could be wrong about that.  If memory serves, Costello was also responsible for casting Grayson when he ran into her in a bar one evening and basically asked whether she would like to play a doctor who tries to cure a vampire.  "A WHAT???"  Gods, if only one could go back in time... and be a fly on the wall...

G.

[Philippe Cordier]

Gothick is referring to what is often called the Dark Shadows story "bible," (my memory is failing me, but I think it is called "Shadows on the Wall").

However, there is no setup for the Barnabas character or hint for what is to come with mausoleums, chained coffins, cousins from England, etc.  Not even a hint of the Laura Collins as phoenix character (she's said to be in an institution, I believe, in the character sketch), which was when DS took its first prolonged foray into the supernatural.

"Shadows on the Wall" apparently grew out of Mr. Wallace's original script or notes for "The House," an older television drama presentation, which is going to be aired at the DS Festival this year (wish I could be there
  )

This preliminary story bible for DS sets up the Victoria Winters mystery, the Roger as alchoholic scenario (if memory serves correct -- I know he's killed off early on), Jason's blackmailing of Liz, and the very early story lines which were subsequently altered a great deal once the show got underway.  It is basically melodrama, with some thematic inspiration reaching back to Hawthorne's "House of the Seven Gables."  Nothing supernatural.

Since Wallace *apparently* had left the show before anything supernatural happened, I would question the idea that he suggested, planned, or outlined the Barnabas storyline, although it would be interesting to see evidence to the contrary.

I don't have access to my Program Guide, Shadows on the Wall, etc., but someone could check for sure when he was no longer credited with scripts, and I think it was quite a bit before the first tantalizing appearance of Josette's ghost at the Old House (which preceded the Laura story).  I do remember reading that he was still in the background supervising scripts by new writers, but wish we knew for sure how long his association with the show continued.

[Mysterious Benefactor]

Since Wallace *apparently* had left the show before anything supernatural happened, I would question the idea that he suggested, planned, or outlined the Barnabas storyline, although it would be interesting to see evidence to the contrary.

Excerpt from Art Wallace's interview for the DS Files book series:

GROSS: DO YOU THINK IT WAS ACTUALLY CREATED BY CURTIS' DREAM?

WALLACE:  It wasn't created by him. What came to him in the dream, if it was a dream, was the idea of doing a gothic show, but he had no show. He just had the idea of doing a daytime serial which would be different. He had no characters, no story, no nothing. The idea of doing a gothic show is what interested the network. Now if Dan Curtis dreamed that, then it's fine with me. I wrote the show, creating the actual details. For the first thirteen weeks of the show I wrote the whole thing, sixty-five scripts. Part of the situation -- which might or might not interest you -- in negotiating the contract I had with Dan Curtis, he insisted that he wanted to be called the creator of the show, and he and I went head to head on that because he didn't create the show, I did. He was totally adamant so we finally arrived at the conclusion that the credits would read "Series created by Dan Curtis, story created and developed by Art Wallace." I think that's the way the credits have read all the time. That was just in order to get the contract completed because he just refused to give up that credit. I would say that his credit should have said, "Concept by Dan Curtis," but he wanted that. So I wrote the first thirteen weeks of the show, after I had done that I found myself getting slap happy. We brought in other writers, and I just kind of supervised.

GROSS: HOW LONG WERE YOU INVOLVED WITH THE SHOW?

WALLACE: Actually, closely involved not much longer than one year.

GROSS: SO YOU WERE GONE BEFORE JONATHAN FRID ARRIVED.

WALLACE: No, I was there at the beginning of Jonathan Frid. I created Barnabas. It was just about near the end of the first thirteen weeks when we began to talk about where to go next, and by then the show had changed from being gothic/mystery/melodrama to being supernatural, which it wasn't in the beginning. At the outset, it was very much like the Gothic Romance novels.

GROSS: DO YOU REMEMBER WHAT THOSE EARLY EPISODES WERE LIKE?

WALLACE: The basic plotline was the typical Gothic novels. The girl comes to the house to be governess to the kid, and the house was very mysterious. There was a Heathcliff character, a creepy brother and a little boy, and creaky doors. But it wasn't supernatural. It became supernatural during the tenth or eleventh week on the air. I give total credit to that change to Dan Curtis. Dan insisted that it had to become supernatural and not be that it "might be supernatural." I think he was absolutely right, and that's when we had our first ghost. After the first ghost, the vampire idea came up. It was after Barnabas was introduced that I began to have less and less to do with the show. Then I just maintained my credit and royalty.

GROSS: WHY DID YOU LEAVE THE SHOW?

WALLACE: I was just tired of it. It was a grind and I had other things to do rather than write a show every day.

[Philippe Cordier]

I'm surprised to hear that the supernatural aspects of the show began that early, about week 10.  Not just spooky things that might have natural explanations, but an actual ghost.  It sounds from this interview like Barnabas arrived on the scene hot on the heels of this first ghost (which would later prove to be Josette), but that obviously was not the case.  Or was it?  Maybe it's just that the Jason (I want to say "Blaire" but I know that's not right ... ) blackmail storyline seemed so interminable to me, I thought that story alone took at least a year.    And after that there was still the Laura storyline before Barnabas was introduced.

So Wallace wrote scripts for 13 weeks, then supervised other writers (interesting how that particular term made it into my recollection --  I remember reading this interview some years ago).  After the arrival of Barnabas, Wallace then had "less and less" to do with the show.

And he was closely involved "not much longer than one year."  Did Barnabas appear at about the one year mark?

Maybe this all works out, but it seems surprising to me that no one seems to talk about Art Wallace as the creator of Barnabas.

[Joeytrom]

Art Wallace's memory is hazy, he wrote the first 40 episodes and then Francis Swann wrote for about two weeks.  Wallace then did some scripts after that.

Perhaps he left after the Jason Blackmailing/Maggie Kidnapping story ended.

[Cassandra Blair]

Maybe it's just that the Jason (I want to say "Blaire" but I know that's not right ... ) blackmail storyline seemed so interminable to me, I thought that story alone took at least a year ; ) And after that there was still the Laura storyline before Barnabas was introduced.

Maybe my memory is faulty, but didn't the Jason blackmail story overlap somewhat with the intro of Barnabas?

[Raineypark]

Maybe my memory is faulty, but didn't the Jason blackmail story overlap somewhat with the intro of Barnabas?

Nothing wrong with your memory, CB....of course Jason was still around when Barnabas arrived.  Barnabas killed Jason, and Willie buried him under the floor of the "casket" room in the Old House.

[Gothick]

Wallace's memory may be hazy, but he is correct that the show started getting really supernatural around week 10.  I forget the episode # but there is a scene where we see a book opening by itself in the drawing room.  The book is a Collins family history and it opens to a picture of Josette, I believe.  Around this time there is also an episode where there is a power failure and somebody (I think Vicki) sees a dark figure moving about in the foyer.

The episode where we see Josette's ghost at the Old House descend from her portrait and dance around the portico was episode 70, I think, which puts it about week 14.  Not too bad for "hazy" memories from Mr. Wallace.

G.

[Mysterious Benefactor]

I'm surprised to hear that the supernatural aspects of the show began that early, about week 10.  Not just spooky things that might have natural explanations, but an actual ghost.

Wallace's memory may be hazy, but he is correct that the show started getting really supernatural around week 10.  I forget the episode # but there is a scene where we see a book opening by itself in the drawing room.  The book is a Collins family history and it opens to a picture of Josette, I believe.

That is indeed true. And the episode in question was #52, which would have been the beginning of week #11. Wallace's recollection that something which was clearly supernatural and without logical explanation having happened "during the tenth or eleventh week" was quite accurate - particularly when he was able to pinpoint the time some 20 years later.

It sounds from this interview like Barnabas arrived on the scene hot on the heels of this first ghost (which would later prove to be Josette), but that obviously was not the case.

After Josette, there was Bill Malloy's ghost and the Widows, then Laura, then Barnabas. Although Josette's first appearance preceded Barnabas' first mention by about six months, Wallace actually said that soon after the show's first ghost, "the vampire idea came up" - not that the vampire himself soon appeared. Who knows how far ahead Wallace may have already plotted the show at that point? Unlike DC, Wallace did indeed believe in plotting events fairly far in advance. So with that in mind, the fact that it took another six months before Barn actually showed up doesn't seem at all unusual.

Maybe it's just that the Jason (I want to say "Blaire" but I know that's not right ... ) blackmail storyline seemed so interminable to me, I thought that story alone took at least a year. 

I love that storyline.    As I've stated serveral times, it's probably my favorite non-supernatural storyline that DS ever did - due in no small part to the absolutely wonderful performances of Dennis Patrick. During that storyline, Patrick had the ability to bring out the best in everyone he shared a scene with, and it was always a joy to behold. Well, at least for me.    (It's just too bad that lightening didn't strike twice with his portrayal of Paul Stoddard. Paul did have some great scenes - but for the most part, given the character's huge potential, he was wasted during Leviathans.)

And BTW, Jason's first appearance preceded Barnabas' release from the coffin by only 17 episodes. 

And he was closely involved "not much longer than one year."  Did Barnabas appear at about the one year mark?

Barnabas arrived on the scene less than 10 months into the series.

Maybe this all works out, but it seems surprising to me that no one seems to talk about Art Wallace as the creator of Barnabas.

Sadly, Wallace rarely gets all the credit he deserves.    And that's probably because many fans buy into the hype that DC is solely responsible for everything that ever happened on DS. But that is clearly not the case. And here on the forum, we try to make a point of pointing that out whenever possible...

[Gothick]

Maybe this is too extreme, but I tend to think that DS became a big success in spite of DC's interference... um, I mean, INPUT.

we all have our own opinions...

G.

[Charles_Ellis]

ART WALLACE LIED THROUGH HIS TEETH!  He left DS long before DC actually came up with the idea of bringing a vampire on the show. (supposedly, one of his daughters gave him the idea)  It was the combined efforts of DC, Bob Costello, writers Ron Sproat, Joe Caldwell,  Malcolm Marmorstein and Jonathan Frid himself (Ron Sproat knew him from Yale University in the 50s when Jon was studying for his MFA degree and encouraged him to have some input in the creation of the character) that led to the creation of Barnabas Collins.  All Mr. Wallace did was create the initial story with a long-term bible, and nowhere is there any mention of Barnabas or even Laura Collins as a phoenix (the Phoenix storyline was a Sproat/Marmorstein creation)

Mr. Wallace was obviously jealous of what the latter writers (especially Hall & Russell) did, having turned his basic Gothic melodrama into something unique and fabulous.  After 13 weeks of writing scripts he walked away and didn't look back until he found out that the show had become a hit without his presence.  I mean, read all the behind-the-scenes books and articles that have been written- aside from Mr. Wallace's pithy remarks, everything else published bolsters the above story about how Barnabas was created. 

[Patti Feinberg]

blackmail storyline seemed so interminable to me, I thought that story alone took at least a year.    And after that there was still the Laura storyline before Barnabas was introduced.

Me too Vlad (and I'm sorry MB that I have the opposite view; HATE! Jason, love Paul).

Does anyone know what ep # we would've been seeing/knowing presence of Josette? (IIRC, this is the first supernatural presence.)

Patti

[Mysterious Benefactor]

ART WALLACE LIED THROUGH HIS TEETH!

I respectfully submit that there is really no way to prove that Wallace lied or in any way distorted events as they actually took place. Granted, some of the other DS Files interviews were conducted before Wallace's had been done, but the subject of Barnabas' creation/introduction did come up and was discussed in almost all, if not all of them, with previous interviewees' remarks being quoted to current interviewees, who were asked for their comments. If Wallace had truly lied, one would suspect that at least one of the interviewees that followed might have mentioned that fact or at least disputed his claims. No one did.

Mr. Wallace was obviously jealous of what the latter writers (especially Hall & Russell) did, having turned his basic Gothic melodrama into something unique and fabulous.

Perhaps. Or perhaps not. But one thing that isn't up for dispute is the fact that prior to his interview with Gross, Wallace had successfully sued DC over Wallace's contributions to DS and his right to a share of DS merchandising profits. (I believe they settled on a lump sum). Wallace was quite proud of his contributions to DS and that they had been upheld in court. In what are frequently some of the frankest interviews ever to be conducted with the DS crew, nowhere is there a hint from anyone involved that Wallace might have been jealous of the success of his coworkers or anyone who succeeded him on the show. Perhaps he simply hid it well. Or perhaps it didn't exist.

After 13 weeks of writing scripts he walked away and didn't look back until he found out that the show had become a hit without his presence.

Actually, that isn't true. For example, Wallace's last credited script is for episode #85, which is within week #17 of the series. And there is no evidence to suggest that he even departed exactly thereafter.

I mean, read all the behind-the-scenes books and articles that have been written- aside from Mr. Wallace's pithy remarks, everything else published bolsters the above story about how Barnabas was created.

Well, it's no secret that many of the behind-the-scenes books (particularly those coming from PomPress) have a decided slant in which everything is framed in favor of DC. (In fact, I have it on good authority, that the original manuscript for the DS Companion, for instance, was different from the book we're all familiar with today - and that can be attributed to the way in which it was, er, "edited" before publication.) Wallace is either never mentioned or is merely a footnote in several of the books. But that doesn't necessarily mean that his contributions to DS were not substantial. Yes, much of what has been written about DS over the years is inaccurate - but that's especially true of some of the assumed "facts" presented in the PomPress books (we've lamented that fact many times here on the forum and have frequently provided our own corrections to, say, such things as the supposed idea that Lamar Trask was shot in episode #1198 (he was stabbed) or that Barnabas never actually gave Josette her music box (he did indeed in episode #404). What's worse is that many of the errors in the PomPress books were easily preventable had someone simply checked the readily available DS episodes in question. And, of course, there are also a great  many inaccuracies in the Files interviews. But most, if not all of them, can be traced back to some faulty memories concerning events that had supposedly taken place in the early episodes that had not been seen in some twenty years - not necessarliy to the behind-the-scenes events surrounding the evolution of DS.

[Philippe Cordier]

If Wallace had truly lied, one would suspect that at least one of the interviewees that followed might have mentioned that fact or at least disputed his claims. No one did.

On the other hand, has anyone connected with the show ever stated or confirmed that Mr. Wallace was indeed the creator of Barnabas?  There must be someone still alive who knows the facts.

I don't want to cast aspersions on Mr. Wallace's honesty.  I admire many elements of his early scripts (particularly the unconscious echoes from Hawthorne), I found "Shadows on the Wall" fascinating, and as I mentioned I would give a lot to be able to see "The House."  And the more I think about it, the early supernatural trappings you mention such as the book and the ghost could be straight out of "House of the Seven Gables" and may not be all that great a departure from the initial Gothic atmosphere.  Somehow, though, lady Phoenixes and a vampire do strike me as the work of a different hand -- all I can say is it just feels different.  But then Mr. Wallace may have been a remarkably diverse writer.