Today's Montage / Bye Davey

[Cassandra]

I just wanted to comment on how much I loved seeing today's montage of David Collins.  I love the way it shows how much he has grown & changed over the years too.   I never realized just how much he's grown on the show until I viewed him in todays montage. To me, he always seemed to have that same "baby face" that he started out with.  But upon seeing him in the pictures, it's quite amazing how much he's grown since first appearing on the show back in 1966.

    I guess you could say that Sarah was his first little girlfriend on the show, followed by Amy, and now of course, there's Hallie (what happened?)    Im going to miss his character now.  IMO he should have continued with his acting.  He would have made a fine actor by today's standards.  He was such a natural at it.

Thanks for posting this montage.

Cassandra

[Patti Feinberg]

So, David Collins is exiting stage left.

I was wondering, what are some cousins' favorite David moments?

I was always enthralled to see David with mama Laura.

The montage I believe shows a pic with Vicki; I like the way David eventually warmed up to her.

Of course, the 1969? haunting is the piece de resistance.

(I actually enjoy Daniel & Jamison, but that's another topic).

What's your favorite David Collins moment?

Patti

[Maria_Merriweather]

My favorite David Collins scene takes place during the Phoenix storyline. Laura is trying to draw him into the flames. He starts screaming while Vicky is at the window trying to save him. David Hennesy is such a good actor. Another favorite scene is the one when David, talking to Barnabas at the Old House, tells Barnabas that he has seen the ghost of Josette.

[Raineypark]

I remember a scene in which Willie Loomis, desperate to get David out of the Old House before Baranabas comes upstairs, picks the child up and literally tosses him out the front door.

I recall thinking "That's it....there'll be another actor playing Willie Loomis tomorrow, after they fire this one for nearly killing the kid!"

[murph]

My favorite scenes with David are when he is paired with Amy, especially the early Quentin haunting scenes.

As I've stated in previous threads, I believe he did his best acting when he was working with others his own age, especially Denise Nickerson.  I know he is actually 2 1/2 years older than Denise but she more than anyone really inspired his acting, IMO.

Murph

[The Ghost of Sarah Collins]

My favorite David moments are all the scene's he and Sarah were in... 
also his wonderful on the water speech he gave to Barnabas.

  Sarah's

[dom]

My fave Davy (I loved it when Burke would call him Davy) moments are from the early eps. He was great throughout them, IMHO. I can do without most of what came after Barnabas arrived - I'm sorry to say. The exception would be when he was possessed by Petofi. His performances as Petofi were remarkable, again IMHO.

One scene that comes to mind is the one where he has stolen the note that was left with baby Victoria Winters on the orphanage steps. In the scene, he taunts Victoria with the note and eventually crumples it up and they physically fight for it. It is priceless.

And there was the scene where he goes berserk on Viki's suitcase. He played a wonderful little monster back then. lol

[ProfStokes]

I will have to agree with Maria_Merriweather.  David's first meeting with Barnabas was powerful and realistic.  Watching that episode at the 2001 Paley salute to DS was the first moment I realized just how talented an actor David Henesy really was.  By the point in the show that was airing on Sci-Fi at the time (just after this horrendous Summer of 1970, as a matter of fact), David's scripts had so degenerated that most of his lines consisted of, "Aunt Elizabeth/Maggie/Mrs. Johnson, I'm frightened/hungry/not sleepy."  These were formulaic scenes and dull to watch, but with a glimpse of the early episodes, I finally realized that Henesy the actor wasn't to blame and that with a good script he could really shine!  Indeed, he was a veritable lighthouse in the pre-Barnabas episodes as the semi-psychotic-but-slowly-thawing David.

I always felt that Henesy had great chemistry with Mitchell Ryan.  David Collins was almost human when he was around his pal, Burke Devlin.  Their friendship was one of the healthiest on the show and it was a joy to watch all of their scenes together.

Of course, any time that Henesy got to play possessed was gold! 

ProfStokes

[Gothick]

I've been watching the episodes from Autumn 1966 and it's stunning just how good Henesy was in them.  I was disappointed when I found out that I had missed taping the episode in which David begs Vicki to remain at Collinwood when he learns that she has seen the ghost of Bill Malloy (what do ya do with a drunken sailor?)

I also loved it when he played Jamison possessed by Petofi.  That was a fabulous performance!

For those who haven't read it, there was an interview with David H in one of the recent Pom Press books--I think it was the updated Scrapbook Memories (which bore practically no resemblance to the original edition).

G.

[Ben]

He would have made a fine actor by today's standards.  He was such a natural at it.

I vehemently maintain that Henesy was one of the most talented child actors of any generation.  Seldom are children given more than a few lines at a time, and rarely are they at the apex of an emotionally demanding storyline.  The DS writers gave Henesy's David Collins both.  However improbable the storyline, his performances were always sincere, believable, and gripping -- occasionally eclipsing the acting limits of some of the adults surrounding him.

I'm forever touched by the wrenching scene in which David and Maggie (or was it Vicki -- how embarrassing for my memory to fail me when I'm trying to make a point) were battling the hold that the ghost of Quentin exerted over David.  Maggie/Vicki was on the stairs in the Collinwood foyer, imploring David to run to her safe, waiting arms.  The long scene ends in a payoff embrace between the two.  This would have flopped, but for the fact that Henesy effectively created and sustained the high level of tension and conflict that the scene demanded.

Ben

[Bobubas]

I just wanted to comment on how much I loved seeing today's montage of David Collins.  I love the way it shows how much he has grown & changed over the years too.   I never realized just how much he's grown on the show until I viewed him in todays montage.
Thanks for posting this montage.

Let me second that Cassandra. Great montage MB!
While I consider David Henesy's performance throughout the run of DS to be fantastic, like Dom, I'm partial to his acting in the pre Barnabas episodes.
                                 Bob

[Annie]

Hi, everyone i liked when David Collins became
Tad and the way he did the incantation to bring
Daphne back to life.  He  says his lines very well.
And also did when The Q-man was a ghost!!!!
                                 Love Anne  ( YUMMY Q-MAN)!!

[Afan]

I loved David and Amy. Doesn't he appear at least briefly in l840 as the living Tad? Maybe it is just a picture that they refer to,but I thought that he was still in the show then.
Afan

[murph]

Hi Afan,

Yes, David Henesy still appears on the show as Tad but he will no longer appear as David Collins.  This is just like the "farewell Roger Collins" that was featured a few months back.  Louis Edmonds is still a part of the show but he will no longer appear as Roger.

I hope this clears things up for you.

Murph

[Afan]

Thankyou, that does. Afan