Sinister Barnabas or Guilt Ridden Barnabas?

[FireRose]

Jonathan Frid's  a wonderful actor even though he thinks that he didn't do such a great job with Barnabas Collins.

But I noticed something very interesting...

I was was watching some of the earlier episodes [spoiler]where Barnabas was released by Willie and he was beating Willie up and the kidnapping of Maggie Evans up to where he was trying to turn her into Josette.[/spoiler]

Then I watched some of the later episodes where [spoiler]Dr. Hoffman came in to the picture and began to cure him. Where he began to have some guilt about what he was.[/spoiler]

Now I don't know if anyone else has noticed this... but to me in the earlier episodes. Jonathan's nerves didn't really show up all that much on camera when he was being ruthless.

The nerves came in when he began to play him guilt ridden...

I think that is along the time when it became evident that Jonthan Frid as Barnabas Collins had turned Dark Shadows into a hit.

Now Jonathan is under the impression that because he couldn't remember lines is what gave him the most trouble.

From what I have read. I think that everyone who kept telling him that Dark Shadows was either going to succeed or fail because of him was the bigger problem in regards to how it effected him on camera.

[DSFan008]

Sinister Barnabas was great because he was just basically pure evil. it was fun to watch.

Most of his lines then where pretty simple too.

Then they went to guilt-ridden, and he started giving longwinded whiny speeches which he sometimes messed up.

I think though most ppl startrd complainning and worring because they had changed the dynamic of Barnabas...you know vampires are evil creatures ala Dracula but now Barn is good/guilty about his mosterous past...so people began to worry that fans would lose intrest in a Happy more nice-guy Barn.

but it worked and DS became a huge hit.

[Ian]

I honestly think that although people my lustfully pursue a raw, evil vampire, the thought of a reluctant, good-natured vampire is interesting, and a lot people just simply wanted to see more.

[PennyDreadful]

 Barnabas is a fairly complex character.

Although he became increasingly guilt-ridden as the show progressed , Barnabas  (as a vampire) always retained a dangerous vengeful edge, even in later episodes.  Because he was a vampire, he was subject to doing vampiric, evil things.  However, early on,  he didn't struggle against his evil nature and these are definitely his most classic appearances.  Adding the guilt element though, gave the character more longevity and allowed the audience to feel sympathy for the "monster".  I agree the guilt thing could get long-winded at times, but it added an interesting dimension to the character.  Don't get me wrong though, while the sypathetic vampire angle gave the character more depth, Frid could play dark, evil vengeance like no one else on that series and it was always compelling to watch him in that mode (even though we saw less and less of it as the series went on).

  I strongly disagree about Frid not "doing such a great job" as Barnabas.  We are discussing his performance nearly forty years later!  Jonathan Frid's performance as Barnabas is classic, despite the occasional flubbed line (I'm sure it wasn't easy learning that much dialogue overnight).  He's right up there with Karloff, Lugosi, Cushing and all the other horror icons IMO.  Frid absolutely inherited their mantle.

~Penny Dreadul~

[PennyDreadful]

Whoops, I just noticed you said "he thinks he didn't do such a great job".  He's overly critical of his own performance.  Frid is awesome.

[stefan]

It's my opinion Barnabas went through many character changes as the show progressed. Initially, I felt Barnabas was a very ambiguous person. What I enjoyed about very early Barnie was the "hint" of sadness, of tragic history, of evil or or love. As things progressed I'm sure the writing staff was kept busy trying to make something out of this interesting ambiguity and very watcheable actor. After the amibguity they leaned towards "evil vengeful" vampire Barnabas. This is my least fav JF interpretation as i felt he became wooden and had to subdue his naturally warm and expressive personality. Also I never cared for the rough evil gravely voice he adopted as "evil" Barnabas. What I did enjoy is when JF injected the suave high-born sophisticated part of Barnabas. I guess what I'm saying that I've enjoyed JF the best when he portrayed Barnabas as a combination of the whole, not just one-note evil. i felt JF simply soared as the tortured vampire such as in 1795 when he groaned near Jeremiah's tombstone at the start of the vampire's reign of terror.

[Jackie]

GREAT, a thread about Barnabas Collins [and Jonathan Frid]...I kind of "home". 

I first saw Barnabas back in the late 60's after he had turned into a "good" samaritan.  I took to him like a fish to water.  Just recently, after purchasing the DVDs, I had a chance to watch the earlier episodes of the "evil" vampire and I was shocked.    But I loved JF's performances as Barnabas from being evil/sinster to good or guilt ridden.  Barnabas was a mult-faceted character with characteristics most people have experienced at some point in their life.  He's selfish, endearing, compassionate and cruel. The list goes on....

Yes JF messed up on lines but who didn't?  He also had the most performances of all the actors on the show.  Over 500 episodes, more than Joan Bennett and Louis Edmonds who started in the very first episode and ended in the very last episode.  The writers also gave JF the most lines and "speeches" on top of making personal appearances when not on screen.  Taking that into consideration, JF did a superb job on DS.  I even LOVE his bloopers!!  

I belong to a DS list that is dedicated to JF and all his roles on stage and on DS.  Some of the members have even gotten into Shakespeare because of their interest in JF.  And just think, it all started with the love of DS, Barnabas Collins and the man behind those FANGS.

 

In case anyone is interested in that group, it's http://groups.yahoo.com/group/JonathanFrid.  There are members who have worked with JF in the past and one lady wrote a biography on him.  EGADS, I got off on a tangent.



This is from HODS.

[Nancy]

Jonathan Frid's  a wonderful actor even though he thinks that he didn't do such a great job with Barnabas Collins.

I don't think he believes that at all.  His essays on the subject, currently found on his website http://www.jonathanfrid.com, are honest appraisals about his work - good and bad.  Since he is a perfectionist, it frustrates him things that went wrong and keep on going wrong thanks to the syndication of the series and distribution on video and DVDs.   JF is more critical of himself than is probably warranted but he has no problem talking about the good work he did as Barnabas, as well as the bad work.  His view is that finding fault with an aspect of the work doesn't negate it.

Nancy

[EmeraldRose]

For the first time in many years, I am watching the "Evil Barnabas" episodes, when he was first on the show, on my tapes which I purchased from MPI.  It has been so long since I watched them, that I feel like I am watching them for the first time.    I had forgotten just how "evil" Barnabas was in the beginning.    I, too was shocked,  and his "evilness" was very frightening.   I must say that I prefer him as "The Reluctant Vampire".  

----- Sally -----
     

[Barnabas'sBride]

I started watching the show with the early Barnabas episodes, but my mother was a fan during its original run (she also got me interested in the show), and I went to her and said "I didn't think he was supposed to be this evil!".   When I watched the episodes with her I think it surprised her too, because she remembers the later half of the series.

I like both sinister Barnabas and guilt ridden Barnabas. A combination of both. Take away one of the aspects completely, and he doesn't seem as interesting. I see both aspects as different sides to him, a couple of parts of the greater whole. Guilt ridden Barnabas with a dark edge would be my ideal Barnabas, I suppose.