Chiller Theatre 2005 presents "DS Reunion"

Well my fellow Collinwoodies, my friends and I are about to hit the road. I may not have net access until next week. I wish everyone a HAPPY ans SCARY HALLOWEEN!!! I will have a report on Chiller at my return!

Michael 

Hope you have fun! I wish I could go.... 

Links to two articles about the event that mention DS and/or the DS stars:

Night of the living TV-show reunions

Blasts from the past - For space geeks, horror buffs and couch potatoes, it's Super Bowl weekend

quote from The Star-Ledger:

Also, look out for a reunion by some cast members of the "Dark Shadows," the gothic/supernatural soap opera that ran between 1966 and '77

77!!! Wow....where was I??

Patti

I attended Chiller Theatre on Saturday and I had a great time. Kathryn Leigh Scott is such a sweetheart! I had never met her before, so you can imagine how happy I was to finally meet her and get her autograph. She didn't charge me for the autographs since I wanted her to sign a couple of Dark Shadows books that she had written. I was also able to get a picture with her. Marie Wallace was very friendly and funny. Marie asked if I wanted the book signed as "Crazy Jenny" since my name is Jenny. :-)  I'm a pretty shy person, so I was happy to find out that the actors of the show were all very friendly and down to earth; I was just wondering if anybody else has had a similar experience with any of the cast members of DS.   

The cast of Dark shadows are so nice and gracious with there time when you meet them. I have met so many of them at conventions over the years. They are all great. I am glad that you enjoyed meeting them. You should go to a Dark Shadows Festival because there are more guests that attend the annual festivals. The festival is in NYC next year. Find out all the details at www.darkshadowsfestival.com

My Chiller Report
This was my second Chiller experience. Our ladies of Dark Shadows had great tables just to the left of the autograph tent entrance. Immediately on the left was Katherine, who really did look lovely, as always. She had an especially beautiful outfit on Saturday with a golden yellow dress and black cape. (It was a little chilly by the doorway) Marie as always was a burst of energy in a red blazer and matching scarf. I picked up Marie's autobiography, which I reminded her she sold out of in Hollywood. (BTW, I do recommend the book to all of Marie's admirers.) Diana was in great spirits in a pretty black outfit. Next to Diana in the corner was a table for MPI. From the corner, next was "Count Yorga", Robert Quarry, star of the vampire film I always thought was AIP's take on Barnabas. Next to Robert Quarry was Leonard Stone, aka Mr. Beauregard from the original "Willy Wonka." he was pretty easy to talk to and happy to take a photo. He also had photos from his "Lost in Space" appearances as "Farnum." Next to Mr. Stone was our Denise who was doing a brisk business with Wonka photos as Violet. This may be her's and Leonard's first show together, but you Denise fans will have to tell us. I didn't have a chance to speak to Denise as she was  out from her table when I got my Leonard Stone photo.  I talked to Katherine and Marie several times over the weekend. (Just to the left of the DS ladies was the very dear Zacherly, who was still flying the Ghoul flag high! Got my CD signed.) 
     Katherine was especially interested in which of the guests were getting traffic. I notes to her that Barbara Eden's line was 1 and 1/2 hours long when I was in it Friday night, and I heard it averaged 2-3 hours Saturday and Sunday. Larry Hagman's line was generally shorter. I should note that Larry sat back behind his table and was really chatting with the autograph buyers. Barbara Eden did talk with you a bit when you finally reached her table, which by the way was about 2 feet higher than any else's, which I hear was her manager's request. She looks great, and gave everyone a nice smile. She was charging $20 for regular signatures and photos, but $40 for toys and it was $10 to have a photo with her. That one I paid. Larry Hagman was charging $25 per signature and $15 for a "photo opportunity." I passed on that one but got a photo with Larry at the concert Saturday night, for free.    Bill Daily was next to Barbara and is a real sweetheart, one of the most approachable people there and no charge for photos. Bill said he was having a great time and appreciated the fan attention. He said he lives in Mexico now "where no one cares what I did." I told him he was funnier on Newhart than Jeanie and he said, "Well, yeah. Newhart had great scripts, but Jeanie's scripts were Katherine notes she had been at a TVLand show with John Karlen doing autographs and they both noted Barbara Eden's lines were much larger than Larry Hagman's. I think Larry's "handlers" put people off a little, and although perhaps an okay guy, just not as approachable as Bill Daily (or our DS ladies.)
       I also told Katherine how "Batman" Adam West and Burt Ward "Robin" were doing good business. Burt doesn't do many shows, so I was happy to finally meet him and get a bat-photo and bat-book signed. Burt was charging $30, but I heard Adam West was charging $40 !!! (over the weekend, rumors flew around he was $50 or even $60 on Saturday.) Adam's business was a bit middling due to those prices.  The second longest line at the convention was the auteur of the original "Night of the Living Dead" and most of its sequels. Average wait, 45 minutes to 1 and 1/2 hours. There were plenty of zombies and zombie fighters with shorter lines. I would say my favorite was the original "Barbara" of the first film, Judith O'Dea, who is a super friendly person. My ex roommate has a severed arm prop he has the NOTLD people sign, and she though it was a real hoot!
       I also enjoyed meeting Clint Eastwood regulars William O'Connell and Geoffrey Lewis (also in Salem's Lot), Karen Allen, the "Blood Feast" gang who were a hilarious bunch especially Gore director Hesrchell Gordon Lewis, along with KLS's fellow former bunny Connie Mason (my wife says Connie was among the people KLS mentioned in "The Bunny Years." I forgot to ask KLS if she said hello to her), the gorgeous Kari Wuhrer, and Bobby "Boris" Picket of the original "Monster Mash." The latter especially meant a lot to me as when I was in 8th grade, being the "monster kid", on "Dare Day" at school, I had to sing "The Monster Mash" in front of the class. You know, its ironic that hardly anyone remember the original song, "The Mashed Potato" that is was a parody of.
      I picked up a few cool toys, a greatly discounted Sideshow Karloff Frankenstein's Monster and the companion Fritz, two Planet of the Apes chimponauts, and a really cool DS item, which was a Philadelphia area newspaper photo of Jonathan as Barnabas which folds out to be a full newspaper size page. It's circa 1967 or '68, and in tinted color, similar to the cards. Its one of the largest Barnabas photos I've seen available. I hope to get it framed and matted. As with any old newspaper, its somewhat fragile, but otherwise in good shape. (The back side is the color funnies.) If any DS fan from PA remembers any context or story about this, please let me know. 
         Last thing I wish to mention is the music bands on Saturday night.  They opened with the Ubangis, who reminded me of the Cramps with a mix of psychobilly and surf, then the Pete Best band, who did classic Beatles songs (Pete was the original drummer, prior to Ringo), then the Dead Elvi, Chiller's house band, who did some Halloween rockers and backed up Zacherly and Bobby "Boris" Pickett on "The Monster Mash." Zach and Dr. Skull (I think that's his name), did "Dinner with Drac."  Later, Pete best came back and with an introduction by TV's Charles Manson, Steve Railsback, (in the TV movie with DS's George DiCenzo) performed "Helter Skelter" with the Elvi.
        Chiller is crowded, Chiller is long lines, Chiller is expensive, but it can be an experience like no other. This is no the "family reunion" of the Dark Shadows conventions, but its a heck of a great way to spend Halloween.

Michael

Michael, thanks for the great report!.  I've been looking forward to your comments on the event.  One of these days I'll have to try and make it to Chiller.

CyrusL - sounds like it was a lot of fun!

I think I know what photo of Barnabas you're speaking of. Lucky. 

Hi!  Chiller Theatre sounds like fun...is this a traveling type show?  Would love to have met Larry Hagman...he seems so likable.  I used to work in the CNN building in Hollywood and one night while leaving the building...Barbara Eden was standing there in a robin's egg blue suit!   She looked very nice...tiny but her head seemed big (I don't mean it in a bad way- it is just an observation).  The mos stunning person I saw while working in the building was Meredith Baxter- she is absolutely beautiful with piercing blue eyes.

The cast of Dark shadows are so nice and gracious with there time when you meet them. I have met so many of them at conventions over the years. They are all great. I am glad that you enjoyed meeting them. You should go to a Dark Shadows Festival because there are more guests that attend the annual festivals. The festival is in NYC next year. Find out all the details at www.darkshadowsfestival.com

Thanks for the link. Kathryn and Marie both told me that I should attend next year's festival. I'm really happy that it's going to be in Brooklyn because my boyfriend lives there. By the way, if anyone wants to stay over at his apartment for the fest, let me know (it's actually a decent sized apartment).

Yes, Adam West was charging $40 per autograph.    Talk about milking the fans dry...I avoided that line. And why was Barbara Eden behind that pink curtain? I have to say that John Landis was very friendly though I must confuse that when I met him I just stood there like a grinning idiot because I was awestruck. How embarrassing.

It sounds fun, but very expensive.
Julianka

Thank you so much, CyrusL and JennieSim80 for sharing your experiences at Chiller!  I was wondering how that event went.  I wish I could have been there myself, but in lieu of the real thing, I've enjoyed reading your reports.

ProfStokes

Sounds like a keen time, Michael. Excellent report.

I attended a convention once where Russell Johnson was asking for ten or fifteen bucks for an autograph. It seemed odd that some of the actors were charging a fee for their sig. I reckon it suppliments their income. Or maybe they are donating the money to a charity. Any ideas on this?

Janet