Whatever Happened to Burke Devlin?

[bluefielder]

Nancy, I have an interview with Anthony George in the July/August 1995 issue of The TV Collector in which he stated that he hating doing Dark Shadows.  Another bone of contention with George was that he wanted to direct and Dan would not have that.  I moved last year and the issue is still packed away somewhere.

[Janet the Wicked]

I hated him doing Dark Shadows too.

[Gerard]

Oh Janet, you're so Wicked!

Gerard

[Nancy]

Wow.  This is news to me.  I think I am the only person on this board who liked Anthony George on the show.   Thank you for the reference.

nancy

Nancy, I have an interview with Anthony George in the July/August 1995 issue of The TV Collector in which he stated that he hating doing Dark Shadows.  Another bone of contention with George was that he wanted to direct and Dan would not have that.

[bluefielder]

Nancy, I liked Anthony George on DS too, but I liked him better on Search for Tomorrow.  I started digging around in a couple of boxes and found the issue.  If you want a copy of the interview, please email me.

[Gothick]

I also enjoyed Tony George's work on DS, particularly some of his scenes with Frid--the two played off one another really well, I thought.

I have to confess, however, that once I got to see Mitchell Ryan in the part (this was much later on--I first saw Tony's episodes in the 1976 syndication of the '67 stories), I felt he "inhabited" the role much more believably, for whatever reason.

As I am sure I have mentioned on here before, Tony George became friends during his DS period with both Grayson and Sam Hall.  I don't know whether he and Grayson ever got a scene together during her time on OLTL in '82-'83.  I had never known that Tony George "hated" doing DS.  I wonder whether he gave any reasons in that article.

Apparently about a year or two after the show went off the air, Joan Bennett was on a talk show somewhere and also said she had not enjoyed working on the show.  The only reference I know of to this particular interview is on the Grayson Hall interview tape from March '73 where the girls are discussing various people who had worked on the show with GH.  GH response is characteristic:  "You gotta remember--she's an old lady!" and she added that she thought that Joan had enjoyed a lot about being on the series.

G,.

[Nancy]

Thank you.  I can't import any more paper into my house at the present time. I appreciate the offer.

I started digging around in a couple of boxes and found the issue.  If you want a copy of the interview, please email me.

[Nancy]

I also enjoyed Tony George's work on DS, particularly some of his scenes with Frid--the two played off one another really well, I thought.

I know Frid enjoyed working with AG.  They did have great chemistry.

I have to confess, however, that once I got to see Mitchell Ryan in the part (this was much later on--I first saw Tony's episodes in the 1976 syndication of the '67 stories), I felt he "inhabited" the role much more believably, for whatever reason.

It certainly was a completely different take on the character.  I didn't dislike Mitchell Ryan's portrayal. 

Apparently about a year or two after the show went off the air, Joan Bennett was on a talk show somewhere and also said she had not enjoyed working on the show.  The only reference I know of to this particular interview is on the Grayson Hall interview tape from March '73 where the girls are discussing various people who had worked on the show with GH.  GH response is characteristic:  "You gotta remember--she's an old lady!" and she added that she thought that Joan had enjoyed a lot about being on the series.

I lean towards believing it was not so much the show itself the disgruntled performers disliked as much as it was the set.  By chance, I wound up taking a class taught by DS director Peter Miner and he told me how horrible it was working on the DS production because the demands were unrealistic (demands by the Executive Producer), the pace was crazy and things were chaotic to the point it was difficult to work.  He made a point of saying that Frid and the other actors were a pretty good bunch to work with and it was the production end of the show that was more or less a miserable experience.  I don't know how that environment and annoyed production personnel could not have trickled down to the actors who had to sense or overhear the back and forth that went on in the production end.  I know Ramse Mosteller (sp?) more than once walked off the set because she was frustrated with DC.   Henry Kaplan would scream at the actors sometimes.  Those stories have been told at the festival.

Some actors can tune out chaos and for others it makes work all that much harder and unpleasant.

nancy

[Gerard]

I also enjoyed Tony George's work on DS

I actually enjoyed his work as well, but as Jeremiah.  I think his more gentle approach worked better than if Mitch Ryan had done the part, making the character of Jeremiah more sympathetic and what happened between him and Barnabas more tragic.

Gerard

[alwaysdavid]

I would say that the decision to team Vickie up with the Peter Bradford character and his apparent(but puzzling) popularity with some of the veiwing audience led to Burke's not returning.  I remember reading somewhere that they had planned to bring him at a later time.

[buzz]

Having read a good deal of official and unofficial Dark Shadows history over the years, I have a short answer to why Burke was written out--Dan Curtis made up his mind that Burke had to go, and he went!  Anthony George probably asked for a raise, a surefire way to get Dan to give you the boot back in those "good old days."

The writers would protest that storylines and audience expectations were being disrupted, and Dan would narrow his eyes, angle his golf club, and ask "are you writing the show, or not?  I can get other people to write the show if you don't want to do it."

Gothick,

Thanks for the info. It makes sense as DC was the boss and he had final say, for better or worse. Thanks also for the Checkmate info, I'll be watching a few more.

[buzz]

I actually enjoyed his work as well, but as Jeremiah.  I think his more gentle approach worked better than if Mitch Ryan had done the part, making the character of Jeremiah more sympathetic and what happened between him and Barnabas more tragic.

I really liked Mitch Ryan as Burke, but after watching Anthony George again I've had second thoughts about his performance. His approach was different but he was likable.  I certainly would have prefered a return of Burke than the appearance of Peter Bradford.

[buzz]

I lean towards believing it was not so much the show itself the disgruntled performers disliked as much as it was the set.  By chance, I wound up taking a class taught by DS director Peter Miner and he told me how horrible it was working on the DS production because the demands were unrealistic (demands by the Executive Producer), the pace was crazy and things were chaotic to the point it was difficult to work.  He made a point of saying that Frid and the other actors were a pretty good bunch to work with and it was the production end of the show that was more or less a miserable experience. 

Nancy,

I believe its been mentioned by a number of actors, including Frid, that the production and special effects got in the way of the actors learning their lines. The special effects took precedence over the story and acting, and that, IMO, was a mistake. A balance needed to be maintained, and that didn't always happen.

[Janet the Wicked]

It definately would have been interesting to see what Mitch Ryan would have done with Jeremiah. I just wish Mitch stayed long enough to do the story where he had Barnabas investigated. I think that would have taken on a whole new level. I also think that Barn would have kilt Mitch's Burke. I think Mitch's Burke would have found the truth out about Barnabas. Barnabas would have kilt him and had Willie bury him somewhere.
You know, when Barnabas had the costume party, I think Mitch's Burke would have slugged him and taken Vicky home to Collinwood. And Carolyn too. And maybe Liz. Then he would have taken off his costume, brought the gear down to The Old House and shoved them at Barnabas, "Here, jerk! Take your stupid 1700's clothes and drop dead!" That's what I think anyway.

[rainingwolf]

Nope, you aren't the only one, Nancy-I liked him also. Though I preferred the first Burke, I liked Anthony George as well, and followed him when he went to One Life To Live.