Dear Ms. Scott,

As lifelong Dark Shadows fans, we have followed your acting career since you first portrayed waitress Maggie Evans in 1966.

Yes, millions of kids across America rushed home to see you and your fellow DS actors every weekday at 4:00 PM. Our enthusiasm and steadfast loyalty prompted the late, great Louis Edmonds to nickname us the “Dark Shadows kiddies.”

And, as the the years passed by, we watched re-airings of DS on local television stations, PBS stations and finally on the Sci-Fi Channel, which broadcast the entire series. In addition, we got to meet you and many of your DS cast mates at the Dark Shadows Festivals, which have taken place in Los Angeles and New York City since the early 1980s.

Unfortunately, the “Dark Shadows kiddies” are not nearly as spry and active today as we were during the
1960s. In fact, we might better be described today as the “Dark Shadows sexagenarians” and the “Dark Shadows septuagenarians.”  Over the years, we’ve experienced the inevitable “joys” of the aging process, including arthritis, hernia surgeries, knee replacements and a hip replacement, which, I understand, you, yourself, underwent several years ago.

As much as we would all love to be as ageless and eternally youthful as Quentin Collins (courtesy of Charles Delaware Tate’s seemingly magical portrait), we’re all starting to understand our grandparents’ lament, “that the ‘golden years’ aren’t so ‘golden.’”

Of course, another aspect of the aging process, that many of us are now dealing with is that as retired individuals, we just don’t have the disposable income that we had when we were still working full time and receiving that steady paycheck every two weeks. Today, we have to carefully balance what we can spend on
entertainment and other social events. Living on pensions, Social Security and investments, has forced us to limit the activities that we used to frequently engage in.

And, to be quite frank, charging $40.00 to attend your upcoming Dark Shadows event at Lyndhurst with an additional charge of $125.00 to also attend your “Champagne at Collinwood” event on the weekend of July 19/20 is rather expensive. And, if you plan to attend both events with your spouse or significant other, the cost then exceeds $300.00. I don’t think that many of the older Dark Shadows fans can now afford that amount. Is the money raised from this event that important to you?

Finally, Ms. Scott, you’re now an octogenarian yourself, entering the “ninth inning of life.” And, we Dark Shadows fans are not far behind you. In his song, “The Last Worthless Evening,” the Eagles’ Don Henley wrote that, “there are just so many summers, babe, and just so many springs.” I know that you re-married last month. At this point in life, isn’t more important to spend your remaining time with your husband instead of organizing, yet, another Dark Shadows event? If I were to re-marry at this point in life, I would want to spend
as much time as possible with my wife. There really aren’t too many more summers and springs left for us to spend with the people we love.

Dark Shadows went off the air 54-years-ago. The Dark Shadows Festivals have been held for over forty years. As much as we all love Dark Shadows, due to the increasing age, declining health and reduced financial circumstances of many of the “Dark Shadows kiddies,” it really is time to put an end to these Dark Shadows
events. All good things must come to an end.

Sincerely yours,

Bob-the-Bartender

When I first heard that there would be a memorial service to honor the late, great Lara Parker, I was delighted. Ms. Parker was superb in the key role of Angelique Bouchard on DS. And, Ms. Parker was beloved by the many DS fans, who met her at the DS Festivals held in New York City and Los Angeles over the past forty years.

On a personal note, I first met Ms. Parker at the 1988 NYC DS Festival, which was held at the World Trade Center. Ms. Parker posed for a photograph with my fiancée and myself. Of course, Ms. Parker was very warm and gracious towards us and the many other DS fans at the festival. Over the years, I saw Ms. Parker at several  other of the NYC-based festivals: she was always friendly, cheerful and very interested in the lives of her many fans.

I recall that ProfStokes wrote a terrific account here on the DS Forums on the memorial service for Dennis Patrick, another beloved DS actor. ProfStokes wrote that several of Mr. Patrick’s friends and acting colleagues reminisced about Mr. Patrick’s life and acting career. ProfStokes also wrote that the memorial service was
conducted with class, respect and dignity.

So, I expected Ms. Parker’s upcoming memorial service would be handled in the same manner. But, then, I became aware of a “DS Celebration” to held on the very next day after Ms. Parker’s memorial service.
Apparently, this “DS Celebration” is an idea conceived by Jim Pierson, longtime producer of DS Festivals and
other DS-related endeavors. Now, I have seen and observed Jim Pierson at these NYC DS Festivals over the years; he has always impressed me as being ALL-business at these events. I recall at one festival, Mr. Pierson was acting as the auctioneer at a charity auction at that event. Mr. Pierson, in his soft Texas accent, announced, “that we now have a semi-nude photograph of Lara Parker for bidding.” I thought that that was a rather strange item to put up for bid at a charity auction.

Of course, at these DS Festivals, in addition to the acting skits and DS character  impersonations, there are the various vendors and DS actors also there, selling their books, photographs and other kitschy items, which no one really needs. And, no doubt, the ubiquitous Richie Halpern will be there, evidently channeling the spirit of the late comedian, Jerry Lewis, as Mr. Halpern monopolizes the stage in much the same way that “The Original Jerk” monopolized the stage during his long professional association with Dean Martin.

The reason that I mention all of this is that I think that all of these “fun-filled” activities seem to be very inappropriate to be held on the day everyone has assembled to honor the life and career of Lara Parker. To me, I think this idea of a DS Celebration” to honor Jonathan Frid’s 100th birthday on the next day after Ms. Parker’s memorial service is rather tacky and even unseemly. Couldn’t Jim Pierson and the other organizers of this “DS Celebration” have scheduled it for, at least, a month or so after and. Parker’s memorial service? By the way, I wonder if Ms. Parker’s husband and adult children are aware that this “DS Celebration” will take place a day after their beloved family member is to be honored.

I often corresponded with the late VAM, a wonderful and very insightful poster here on the DS Forums.VAM,  or actually Vera Ann, had also attended several of the NYC-based DS Festivals. I remember that Vera Ann and I once discussed how KLS’s repeated telling, at these DS Festivals, of when Louis Edmonds had to literally film a scene on DS with his pants off (and shot from the waist up, for obvious reasons) had become quite old and tiresome.

Vera Ann also once posted on this web site, that by continuing to attend the DS Festivals over the years, “were we all contributing to the Jim Pierson Retirement Fund?” I thought that Vera Ann’s caustic comment was very funny and also spot-on. Although some posters took offense at “VAM’s” orders irreverent remark. I wish that Vera Ann were here today to comment on this so-called “DS Celebration.”

I have been a poster here on the DS Forums for over twenty-five years, dating back to the Vantagenet days in 1998. In that time, I have never seen something as objectionable and as tacky as this “DS Celebration.” And, while I am speaking for myself, I know that there are several other longtime posters here on the DS Forums who also share my negative opinion on this highly questionable event,

I think that this so-called “DS Celebration” is one final (?), crass and especially cynical attempt to make a buck off of the DS fans who travel to Southern California to honor Lara Parker. Who knows, maybe Mr. Pierson can auction-off some more of those semi-nude photographs of Ms. Parker (if he still has any left ) on the day after
this beloved DS actor is memorialized? Shame on Mr. Pierson and the other individuals who are responsible for this all-too-obvious money grab.

Hey gang,

No doubt, that Joan Bennett, Dennis Patrick, Mitchell Ryan, Betsy Durkin, Vince O’Brien and Jerry Lacy are all celebrating this great American holiday either here or up there in Heaven right now.

Happy Saint Patrick’s Day to all my DS cousins/buddies. 

Erin go bragh!!!

Bob, half-Gaelic and half-Garlic.

Hey, gang,

As I’m sitting here watching a report on “The Today Show” on Halloween celebrations across the USA from Salem, MA down to Key West, FL and out to Deadwood, SD, it occurred to me that we never saw anyone either observing or even acknowledging the annual celebration of Halloween on DS.

Wouldn’t it have been cool (and even heartwarming) to have seen young David Collins and cute-as-a-button Amy Jennings walking from door-to-door in Collinsport and exclaiming, “Trick-or-Treat!” to such delighted Collinsport residents as Blue Whale bartender Bob Rooney, venerable Collinsport jeweler Ezra Braithwaite and Todd Antique Store proprietors, Phillip and Megan Todd?

And, who would David and Amy dress up as trick-or-treaters? Maybe David decided to go as Damien Thorn, the precocious child/demon from the film, “The Omen”? (Although, that wasn’t too much of a stretch for Davey Collins, as I’m sure you’ll all agree.) And, who would Amy dress up as? I’m thinking maybe Anne Shirley of “Anne of Green Gables.” Then again, the pixieish Amy might have opted to go as the “slightly” homicidal Rhoda Penmark from “The Bad Seed,” (one of Gerard’s and yours truly’s all-time favorite films). 

No doubt, back in 1956, when Maggie Evans, Joe Haskell, Harry Johnson, Buzz Hackett, Susie, the future silent waitress and the two Jennings brothers were all young trick-or-treaters, they all knew well enough to stay WAY away from Collinwood!  I mean, surly Collinwood groundskeeper Matthew Morgan was bad enough and to always be avoided, but the rumors that the ghosts of Josette Du Pres, Jeremiah Collins, Bathia Mapes, Hortense Smiley, Mordecai Grimes, Pansy Faye, Carl “The Comedian” Collins, Jenny Collins, Jason McGuire, Bruno Hess, Megan Todd and a host of others haunted the grounds of the great house of Collinwood nightly, was enough to scare away all of the young kids of Collinsport, Maine. 

Finally, I’d like to propose the question to everyone, who would the DS characters dress up as on Halloween? For example:

Would Carolyn Stoddard go out as either Taylor Swift or Gwen Stefani?

Would Willie Loomis go out as either Matthew Crowley from “Downton Abbey” or, more likely, as Ratso Rizzo from “Midnight Cowboy”?

Would Bob Rooney go out as either Father Jerry Connolly from “Angels With Dirty Faces” or Archie Bunker from “All in the Family”?

So, who do you think Vicky, Professor Stokes, Buzz Hackett and, of course, Barnabas would trick-or-treat as?

Bob, who’s heading for the annual Halloween Parade in a Greenwich Village tonight. 

Hey, gang,

I was re-watching the great Woody Allen film, “Radio Days,” which I hadn’t seen in over 25 years.

Okay, as I’m watching the end credits, I see Peter Lombard listed as the host of “The Mr. Abercrombie Program,” a sort of 1940s radio personal advice show version of today’s Dr. Laura Schlessinger.

So, I skimmed back through the dvd, and sure enough, with his deep, resonant voice, there was actor Peter Lombard, best known to loyal DS fans as Oberon, the Leviathan cult member, who, with the lovely Hazar, waylays and brainwashes Barnabas as Mr. B. is making his way on the path between the Old House and Collinwood during the 1897/1795 storyline.

Mr. Lombard appeared in four episodes of DS as the creepy and hooded Oberon, the Leviathan member, who initially advises and directs Barnabas as the temporary leader of the Leviathans.

Mr. Lombard was born in Spokane, Washington in 1935. He had a long career on Broadway as a stage actor, appearing in “Promises, Promises” as Jerry Orbach’s understudy. Mr. Lombard also appeared as Thomas Jefferson in the play, “1776,” along with such other DS alumni as David Ford, Virginia Vestoff and Daniel Keyes.

After retiring from acting, Mr. Lombard and his wife ran an antique store, “The Salvage Barn” on Hudson Street in Manhattan. The Lombards also ran a bed & breakfast in upstate New York, Mr. Lombard died in 2015 and was survived by his wife and two children.

Even though Mr. Lombard appeared in only a few DS episodes, I think that he left a lasting impression with his fine acting and that oh-so-wonderfully eloquent voice of his.

Requiem aeternam, Mr. Lombard.

Hey, gang,

I was watching the very early episodes of DS and Mrs. Stoddard was apologizing to Carolyn for the apparently tough time Carolyn had as a student at Collinsport High School. This got me to thinking, what was Carolyn’s life like when she was a high school kid? The other kids must have either been in awe of her or resented her wealth and privilege. I can’t decide which scenario it might have been.

Do you think Carolyn participated in many (or any) extracurricular activities at Collinsport High School? Do you think Carolyn wrote articles for the school paper? Did Carolyn participate in sports like tennis or softball at Collinsport High? Was Carolyn a cheerleader like the slightly older Maggie Evans apparently was? Did Carolyn develop a crush on Joe Haskell, when Joe was the starting quarterback for an admittedly so-so Collinsport High School football team?

I could see Carolyn being driven to and from Collinsport High School everyday by that old softie, Matthew Morgan.  No doubt, the other kids thought that was “slightly” weird. And, did Carolyn ever invite the other kids up to Collinwood for a party? With Mrs. Stoddard so concerned that someone might discover that her “beloved” husband was taking a permanent “dirt nap” under the floor of one of the locked rooms in the basement of Collinwood, I kind of doubt if Carolyn was ever allowed to bring friends from school up to the great house.

And, do you think that Carolyn was ever embarrassed when the other kids would gossip about why her mother never left that spooky old mansion?

Oh, what we might have seen if they had done a flashback of the early 1960 years at Collinwood. Anyway, you know in high school yearbooks how they sometimes make predictions about members of the graduating class? Well, maybe the 1965 Collinsport High School Yearbook had these predictions:

Most Likely to Switch Careers: Maggie Evans.

Most Likely to Succeed: Chris Jennings (future architect).

Most Likely to be Incarcerated: Harry Johnson.

Most Likely to Snag a Gig on WGBH’s “This Old House”: Tom Jennings (handyman extraordinaire).

Most Likely to Drive a Top-of-the-Line BMW and STILL be Unhappy: Carolyn Stoddard.

Most Likely to Enter Local or State Politics: Susie (Hoffenmuller?) (current Collinsport Inn Waitress).

Most Likely to be Featured in “Field and Stream Magazine”: Joe Haskell.

Most Likely to Finally Find Jesus: Irwin (?) “Buzz” Hackett.

Hey, gang,

Over on YouTube there’s a new posting of DS actors, appearing as the mystery guest on “What’s My Line” from the early 1970s.

Jonathan Frid in his traditional Barnabas Collins attire, Joan Bennett as the great lady of Collinwood and stunt man Alex Stevens, appearing in his lycanthropic get-up, appear in three episodes of WML.

This is the first time I have ever seen the the late Mr. Stevens in an interview. And, he actually removes his werewolf makeup during his conversation with the celebrity panelists. In addition, there is film of Mr. Stevens performing two stunts in film appearances.

The posting is entitled “NEW DS Specials Programs - What’s My Line on YouTube. I think that you all will enjoy it.

Bob

Hey, gang,

When I heard the news this morning that someone in the great state of Maine had won last night’s Mega Millions lottery prize of $1.35 Billion Dollars last night, I immediately wondered if “you-know-who” had bought the winning ticket in Collinsport?

No doubt, many of the residents of the quaint and charming fishing village of Collinsport, Maine were/are faithful lottery players. I could see Mrs. Sarah Johnson, Sheriff George Patterson, Bob Rooney, Susie, the silent waitress, Willie Loomis, the Eagle Bill Cemetery Caretaker, Professor T. Elliott Stokes, Collinsport undertaker Mr. Jaret and, even the usually iconoclastic Buzz Hackett queuing up for a chance to win a prize that only requires a dollar (actually two dollars) and a dream!

Yet, I wonder if the reclusive Barnabas Collins employed his knowledge of such arcane and esoteric subjects as the “secret number of the universe” to provide him with the Mega Millions’ winning numbers? And, what would the wise and introspective, former (?) vampire spend his lottery winnings on? Would Barnabas make a substantial contribution to his good friend, Professor T. Elliott Stokes’ unnamed university, specifically an endowment to fund an expanded department on the study of the paranormal, including witchcraft, the concept of Parallel Time and the ancient Chinese divination practice of the I-Ching?

Would Barnabas invest in the popular Brewster’s’ Department Store in Collinsport, with a new line of men’s clothes and accessories, featuring Inverness coats, black onyx rings and extremely stylish men’s silver wolf’s head walking canes?

Or, would Barnabas finally decide to renovate and modernize the Old House by paying the expert craftsmen from the PBS series, “This Old House,” very handsomely, indeed, to transform the Old House into an incredibly stately home, which Stephen King, Elon Musk or even Taylor Swift would like to live in at Collinsport’s sister city, the toney and very upscale Bar Harbor,
Maine?

Yes, Barnabas could now be living “la dolce vita” (the sweet life) if he lucked out last night by winning the Mega
Millions lottery prize. When you got it, flaunt it, Barnabas, baby!!!