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Topics - Bob_the_Bartender

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31
Hey gang,

After taking a ride with an Uber driver recently, I thought how great it would have been for the residents of Collinsport and more specifically, the occupants of Collinwood, to have been able to avail themselves of this terrific car service. Just imagine how much time, inconvenience and, I dare say, lives could have been saved or prevented if they had had Uber in that quaint New England fishing village?

When Vicky Winters first arrives in Collinsport via train, the chivalrous Burke Devlin graciously provides Vicky with a chauffeured limousine ride to the Collinsport Inn. Yet, when the new Collins governess reaches the inn, she is informed by Mr. Wells, the amiable hotel desk clerk, informs her the town’s only taxi cab has a flat tire and will not be available for some time. So, Vicky has to park her comely carcass on a stool at the Collinsport Inn Coffee Shop and proceeds to be called a “jerk” by a curiously blonde-coiffed waitress, Maggie Evans. If Uber had been available, Ms. Winters could have just driven straight out to Collinwood and avoided not having been called a “J-E-R-K” by the pretty and acerbic-tongued Collinsport Inn employee.

And, what of that tragic incident that occurred years before in Collinsport, where an inebriated Burke Devlin allegedly ran down a local Collinsport resident after a night of unrestrained drinking with his “good friend,” Roger Collins and Roger’s winsome fiancée, Laura Murdoch (or is that Stockbridge)? A pre-arranged ride with a responsible and sober Uber driver would have avoided that senseless tragedy. It would have also saved the melancholy Sam Evans from perjuring himself in an attempt to assist the scheming Roger Collins from avoiding responsibility for actually have driven the car that fateful night.

Needless to say, Roger could have avoided a near fatal crash if only he had called for a Uber drive into Collinsport to meet with Burke Devlin at the Blue Whale. But, no, “Roger-the-Dodger” just had to drive his flashy Mustang down that treacherous road, not knowing that his precocious son had sabotaged the infamous bleeder valve on his car’s breaks. Next time, Roger, let Uber do the driving, will you?

I guess reckless driving just seemingly runs in the Collins family, because shortly after Roger Collins’ near fatal crack-up, Collins heiress Carolyn Stoddard also has a fender bender accident, resulting in her reclusive mother, Elizabeth, having to leave Collinwood for the first time in 18 years in order to bail out her wanton and rebellious daughter. (I’m surprised Elizabeth didn’t take away the spoiled Carolyn’s car right then and there.)

And, how about the fiery and tragic auto death of psychic investigator, Dr. Peter Guthrie, killed on his way while driving to the Old House to conduct a seance to discover Laura Collins’s dark secret? What if the good Dr. Guthrie had ordered a Uber ride, perhaps driven by a driver for whom English was a second language? When the evil Phoenix, Laura Collins, recited her incantation in English causing the car to crash, the English-challenged Uber driver, probably wouldn’t have a clue what she was saying, thereby ironically avoiding that awful auto conflagration.

And wouldn’t Dark Shadows history itself have been dramatically altered if, when Vicky and Barnabas were to take a quick drive to the Eagle Hill Cemetery, Vicky had instead called Uber for a chauffeured ride to visit the Collins Family Mausoleum? Heck, that Uber driver would not have clinched and wrecked the car, merely by spotting Peter Bradford (or Jeff Clark) on the road to the cemetery. Just think, no over-turned car, then no Dr. Lang (God forbid!), no life force-exchange experiment, no Adam, no Eve., etc., etc.

I could go on about how unfortunate that Uber did not exist back then in Collinsport: a Uber-driven car would have enabled Dr. Julia Hoffman to devote her full attention to the possessed Roger Collins and prevent him from jumping out of the car after he had literally tried to harpoon the redoubtable Dr. Eric Lang in his office. If Barnabas had hired a Uber car, then Barnabas “Parnelli Jones” Collins would not have “accidentally” hit Grant Douglas, a/k/a Quentin Collins, in front of the Todd’s’ antique store, much to Carolyn Stoddard’s great horror.

Alas, how the Dark Shadows legend could have been dramatically changed had only Uber been there to take the wheel.


32
Calendar Events / Announcements '24 I / On Absent Friends
« on: January 16, 2021, 04:57:26 PM »
Hey, gang,

I just wanted to express my thanks to Midnite, MB and Dom for maintaining and moderating this outstanding web site for all of these years!  It provides all of the “Dark Shadows kiddies” (as the late, great Louis Edmonds once nicknamed us) a forum to discuss and exchange ideas on the world’s greatest Gothic soap opera ever.

And, during these seemingly unending months of COVID-created self-quarantine, The Dark Shadows Forums has been an oasis of joyful diversion for myself and I venture to say many of my DS “cousins.”  I am so glad to be able to read the postings of my fellow DS fans, such as Gerard, Uncle Roger, Gothick, Annie, Josette, Magnus Trask to name several great posters.

Still, I wish that so many of our other outstanding and long-too absent posters would check in occasionally.  I mean, much like the DS actors who reunited for that Halloween Zoom-cast on You Tube recently, I would greatly like to hear from such former DSF regulars as Birdie, Cassandra, CastleBee, Dr. Eric Lang, Jennifer, Raineypark and the irrepressible Ringo Collins to name but a few.  And, ProfStokes, I certainly include you on the list of superb DSF posters, and I see you log-on here from time to time, but I really wish that you would post with more of your insightful thoughts and comments.

Well, enough of my Ezra Braithwaite-like ramblings, I hope everyone is well, including you, MB, and we can put the utter lousiness of 2020 behind us all in 2021.

All the best,

Bob


33
Calendar Events / Announcements '24 I / The Winds of War
« on: November 05, 2020, 10:25:09 PM »
Hey gang,

I noticed that Dan Curtis’s two epic series, “The Winds of War” and “War and Remembrance” are on You Tube.  The two series feature several DS actors, including John Karlen, Barbara Steele, John Harkins, Dennis Patrick and Addison Powell.

I had not seen these series in many years and I thoroughly enjoyed seeing them again, especially during these days of COVID-inspired self quarantine.

Bob

34
Current Talk '18 / Where Was Willie Loomis From?
« on: April 27, 2018, 08:14:33 PM »
Was it ever mentioned on DS where Willie hailed from?  I do not recall ever hearing any mention of Willie's hometown on the show.

On one of the DS dvds, John Karlen related in an interview that Dan Curtis and the DS producers wanted John to use a "Southern accent" in his portrayal of Willie.  That's the only mention I remember of where Willie may have possibly come from.  Does anyone know what was Willie's hometown and state?

35
Current Talk '17 II / In Praise of Louis Edmonds!
« on: September 28, 2017, 08:34:51 PM »
Hey gang,

As a young kid back in the sixties, I always enjoyed watching Louis Edmonds as the "slightly" haughty and supercilious Roger Collins (in addition to his other memorable characters on DS).

And when Mr. Edmonds was portraying Roger, Joshua, Edward, Amadeus (?), and, I believe, Brutus Collins, there was always something that Mr. Edmonds did (or more to the point) did NOT do; he never wore a toupee on his head.  I can't say this is definitely true, but Mr. Edmonds, going sans the toupee, might very well have had the philosophy of: "When you've got it, worry about it.  When you lose it, forget it!"

I get the impression that Mr. Edmonds could not be bothered, wearing some God-awful rug on the top of his head. (Although, it's rather obvious which fellow male DS co-stars of Mr. Edmonds' DID wear a Cy Sperling "special" for their roles. But, no names, please!)

So, now as an aging, greying and somewhat folliclely-challenged DS fan myself, I praise Mr. Edmonds for his apparent hip and blithely insouciant attitude about his thinning locks, circa 1966 to 1971.

Bob

PS It was a hoot, nonetheless, to see the, by then, completely bald Mr. Edmonds, sporting a William Shatner-like toupee on the ABC soap, All My Children, in his memorable role of Langley Wallingford!

36
Hey, gang,

We've all seen films and photographs of all of the kids who regularly assembled in front of the ABC television studio where DS was filmed.  Now, I know that soap operas have never had live studio audiences, like many of the past and current day sit/coms have.  However, if Dan Curtis had allowed the fans into the show's tapings, do you think the audience would have behaved like the studio audiences did at the tapings of "The Odd Couple" and "The Bob Newhart Show" in a very subdued and controlled manner, or would the fans have acted as uproariously and vociferously as the kids who sat down for the tapings of "Happy Days"?

Of course, whenever, Barnabas, Quentin, Willie, and Angelique walked onto the set, I imagine that the kids would have gone wild with delight.   [ghost_grin]

However, if the Rev. Gregory Trask or Count Petofi happened to walk onto the set, I suspect that there would have been a chorus of boos and jeers from the "Dark Shadows kiddies"!  [ghost_tongue]

As to Jeff Clark, I think that the kids in the audience would have shown no reaction at all (either positive or negative), sort of like the way that the kids reacted whenever Anson "'Potsie' Webber"  Williams strode onto the set at Arnold's Drive-In on "Happy Days."  [ghost_huh]

Bob


37
Current Talk '15 I / Dark Shadows on Decades Channel
« on: June 06, 2015, 07:02:30 PM »
Hey, gang,

Excuse me if this has already been posted, but a new channel, called "Decades" aired about 120 episodes of DS recently.  The episodes began with the arrival of Barnabas at Collinwood going up to the episode where Barnabas was just about to "off" Dr. Dave Woodard.


"Decades" airs classic tv shows like The Fugitive, Mission lmpossible and Kung Fu. Hopefully, they will air additional episodes of DS in the future.

Bob

38
Current Talk '14 II / Carl Collins & Pansy Faye: The Brad & Angelina of DS!
« on: November 09, 2014, 02:29:31 PM »
Hey, gang,

I've been watching several of the 1897 dvd's recently, and I was struck (and disappointed) on how very briefly Pansy Faye was on the show.  Wasn't that an absolutely terrific DS episode when an absolutely smitten Carl Collins introduced his beloved Pansy to Judith and Barnabas at the Old House?   Oh man, the look of total surprise and disbelief on their faces as Pansy "regaled" them with one of her trademark British dance hall songs was priceless! [hall2_shocked] [hall2_embarrassed]   

Needless to say, Judith was NOT pleased with her younger brother's choice for a bride.  Judith would have been even less pleased, if she had stayed long enough at the Old House to observe Pansy down that glass of sherry, which Beth graciously provided her with, in one quick and, decidedly, unladylike gulp! [hall2_tongue]

Can you imagine how Charity, the Rev. Trask, and, especially, the toffee-nosed Edward Collins would have reacted if they had made Pansy's acquaintance? [hall2_shocked]  Oh, to see the cockney Pansy Faye, taking up residence at Collinwood with Carl would have been so much fun, sort of like seeing Hyacinthe Bucket's (pronounce "Bouquet") "slightly" randy sister, Rose, taking up residence with Prince Charles at Buckingham Palace! [hall2_rolleyes]

And, what of Carl Collins, a man I like to refer to as "Shecky" Collins?  Wasn't he like the official clown prince of comedy of Dark Shadows? [hall2_smiley]  I vividly remember watching that classic DS episode back in 1969, when we first get to see Carl, creeping up to an unsuspecting Barnabas in the Collinwood drawing room,  and then holding a pistol  to Barnabas' head, assuring him that he was about to blow Barnabas' brains out.  Poor Barnabas was obviously trying to quickly figure out how he was going to try to "explain" to Carl just why his brains were not spread all over the finely paneled walls after Carl pulled the trigger.   [hall2_undecided] Thankfully, the gun was just a toy from Atlantic City, that merely dropped a large handkerchief, which read, "Bang!" (I believe), much to Barnabas' great relief and much to Carl's great amusement! [hall2_grin]   (Incidentally, do you think that this was one of the few times when the DS writers wanted us all to get a big laugh on this usually eerie and serious Gothic series?)     

Or how about the time the stuff-shirted Edward tried to open a can of tobacco and out popped one of Carl's fake, coiled snakes? [hall2_grin]  Oh, just think of the uproariously funny mischief that both Carl and Pansy could have perpetrated together in the great house of Collinwood.  Sadly, it was not to be. [hall2_sad]

So, as Pansy might have sung for the great enjoyment of all the fishermen, farmers, businessmen and working girls in attendance at the Eagle Tavern:

I'm going to dance for you,
going to dance your cares away. 
I'll do the hootch-he-koo,
and Ta-ra-ra-boom-de-ay! [hall2_kiss] [hall2_grin]

39
Hey, gang,

I recently picked up a rather large book at my local library, entitled, "Monsters in the Movies: 100 Years of Cinematic Nightmares," by the aforementioned Mr. John Landis.

Let me tell you, the book is loaded with great photographs of many of the giants of the horror film genre, including Boris Karloff, Bela Lugosi, Lon Chaney, Lon Chaney, Jr., John Caradine and Sir Christopher Lee, among several others. 

There are several interviews with some of the prominent people in the horror film industry included, such as an interview with the late, great Ray Harryhausen, master of the stop-action film special effects.  Tom Hanks has said that Mr. Harryhausen's almost magical work in "Jason and the Argonauts,"  qualifies it as a masterpiece of special effects.  I liked Mr. Harryhausen's work in "The Beast From 20,000 Fathoms."  Seeing that huge dinosaur meandering around in lower Manhattan was a treat to watch.  (I'll bet that particular "critter" would have quickly cleared all of the demonstrators during their so-called "Occupy Wall Street Protest" at Zuccotti Park on Church Street and Cortlandt Street a couple of years ago!) [hall2_rolleyes] [hall2_wink]     

Mr. Landis also interviewed the great Sir Christopher Lee.  I found it interesting to read that Sir Christopher stated that he was not overpaid while he was making all of those wonderful Dracula films for the Hammer House of Horror during the 1950s and 1960s. I recall that KLS also mentioned that the DS actors were also not overpaid during her time on the show in her first book, "My Scrapbook Memories of Dark Shadows." [hall2_angry]

The only reference to any of the Dan Curtis projects that I could find in the book was a listing for Mr. Curtis' 1974 production of "Dracula," with the late, and menacingly taciturn Jack Palance.  I don't know why John Landis did not mention either "House of Dark Shadows" or "Night of Dark Shadows."  Then again, John Landis made scant mention of his own film based on a hit television series, "Twilight Zone" The Movie."  [hall2_huh]

I wholeheartedly recommend this book to those of you who can't get enough, reading about "Nosferatu," The Phantom of the Opera," and "Attack of the Killer Tomatoes"! [hall2_shocked] [hall2_grin]

Bob

40
Current Talk '14 II / How Did You First Find Out About DS, Way Back When?
« on: November 04, 2014, 01:26:01 AM »
Hey, gang,

I was attempting to remember when and how I first learned about Dark Shadows back in the glorious mid 1960s, and I believe  that I might have seen an article about the show in either a newspaper or magazine like "TV Guide" or "Time Magazine".  However, I do remember reading an article about Dark Shadows, and specifically Jonathan Frid's vampiric character of Barnabas Collins, in one of my favorite magazines as a "young and callow fellow," the one and only,  "Famous Monsters of Filmland"! [hall2_grin]

Yes, the late, great Forrest J. Ackerman, publisher and editor of "Famous Monsters of Filmland" was one of my heroes as a kid. I recall that my friends and I were huge fans of all of the great horror films of the 1930s and 1940s, featuring such cinematic giants as Boris Karloff, Bela Lugosi, Lon Chaney, Jr. and John Caradine.  And, what better place to read about these great actors (and their memorable Universal Film Studio films) than in "Famous Monsters of Filmland" every month?

In addition to all of the Universal Film Studio horror stars, Mr. Ackerman published articles on some of the great British horror film stars, including Peter Cushing and Sir Christopher Lee (whom we all saw in the recent "Dark Shadows" film with Johnny Depp as Barnabas Collins). 

Of course, Mr. Ackerman published articles on all of the great sci-fi films of the 1950s and 1960s, including: "The Thing From Another World," "The Day The Earth Stood Still," and "Plan 9 from Outer Space" (just kidding!).     

I recall one time when Mr. Ackerman appeared with host Tom Snyder on
The Tomorrow Show," and Mr. Ackerman wore one of Bela Lugosi's capes (which the first, great "vampire" had given to Mr. Ackerman) and such film memorabilia as the actual alien "arm," which the sled dogs bit off in Howard Hawks' sci-fi thriller, "The Thing From Another World."

Anyway, after reading Mr. Ackerman's glowing article about "Dark Shadows," I just had to check the new television show out, and I now "blame" the late Mr. Ackerman for getting me hooked for life on the supernatural goings-on in the mythical fishing village of Collinsport, Maine. [hall2_wink] [hall2_grin]

Can you remember what first brought your attention to "Dark Shadows" back during the halcyon days of the 1960s?

Bob 

41
Calendar Events / Announcements '14 II / Of Romance and Dark Shadows
« on: October 13, 2014, 07:36:54 PM »
I watched KLS' interview on Volume 2 of the DS DVD Collection 14 recently, which presents the 1897 story line.

Anyway, Ms. Scott spoke of how much she enjoys appearing at the DS Festivals and meeting the many fans of the program.  She mentioned that many friendships and even romances among the fans have occurred over the years.  In fact, at the very end of the interview, Ms. Scott related that one of the DS actors met and eventually married one of the DS fans in attendance at the festival.  This was news to me.   (This reminded me of the time when the late Richard Dawson, as host of "The Family Feud," met one of the contestants on the game show and eventually married the woman.)

Unfortunately, Ms. Scott did not state which DS actor had married a DS fan.  As a lifelong "Nosy Parker," does anyone know who Ms. Scott was referring to?
   

42
Hey, gang,

Over the four plus years of  Dark Shadows, there were a few items that seemed to eventually just fade from our view:

1. Maggie Evans' blond hair just "transformed" to KLS' natural brunette color one day in the Collinsport Inn Coffee Shop. [hall_shocked]

2. Barnabas' stylish hat, which he had on when Mrs. Johnson answered the door in April of 1967, was gone within a day or two (at the most).  [hall_huh]

3. Nicholas Blair's seemingly trademark gray, three-piece-suit was gone by the time he returned to oversee the Leviathon plot for world domination, and replaced by a navy blue, double-breasted suit.  (Maybe this was a good thing, when you consider that the suave warlock's original gray suit must have become "slightly" worn and somewhat "aromatic" by the time that Nicky B. returned in 1970.) [hall_rolleyes]

4. And, finally, John Yeager's "somewhat" prominent proboscis just seemed to transform into a normal schnozolla after a couple of days.  I've often wondered if the truly brilliant Dr. Cyrus Longworth was able to perform a rhinoplasty procedure on himself while he was in his alter ego state?     [hall_huh] [hall_wink]

Can you think of any other facets of DS that seemed to just disappear as the show progressed?

Bob

43
Hey, gang,

I don't know about you, but "Oceans' Eleven" has always been one of my favorite films.  And, how could you not enjoy a film, which featured the legendary members of THE Rat Pack: Mr. Frank Sinatra "THE Chairman of the Board"), Mr. Dean Martin (a/k/a "The King of Cool"), Mr. Sammy Davis, Mr. Joey Bishop, and the junior member of the Rat Pack, Mr. Peter Lawford, all, sadly, now gone.

These men were all so hip and with it, that the new "Oceans' Eleven" crew, featuring that vacuous, albeit now noticeably aging, pretty boy, George Clooney, among other eminent forgetables, literally pales by comparison. [devil2]

Anyway, as lifelong fans of Dark Shadows, wouldn't it be absolutely tremendous if we could each have a personal rat pack, or close coterie, if you will, of our own Dark Shadows favorites to both hang out with and chill out with? [skull_winks] 

I'd like to have a hopefully eclectic band of DS characters to hob nob with, comprising a cross section of some of the greatest minds and wits to ever reside in Collinsport, including Bathia Mapes, Ezra Braithwaite, the Eagle Hill Cemetery Caretaker, and the somewhat younger members of my personal DS Rat Pack, the voluptuous and sensual Donna Friedlander and the always uber-cool Buzz Hackett! [hall_cool]

Oh, it would be like Collinsport's answer to the famed Algonquin Club, having the extreme privilege of being able to sit down with this truly urbane and sophisticated group at a table in the Blue Whale, and discussing such heady topics as will Sheriff George Patterson really stay on Dr. Irwin Stillman's famed Water Diet this time or are Prof. Stokes and Janet Findlay actually more than just "colleagues" and "friends"?  [hall_huh] [hall_kiss]

Are there any specific DS characters with whom you would like to chill out with and discuss the true meaning of life over a couple of tall, cool ones at the Blue Whale? [hall2_huh] [8_1_214] [hall_grin] 

Bob


   

44
Current Talk '14 II / When Quentin Collins Met Joan Molinsky
« on: September 21, 2014, 07:56:04 PM »
Hey, gang,

Do you remember when David Selby was a guest on "The Joan Rivers Show" a number of years ago?  Apparently, Ms. Rivers (a/k/a Joan Molinsky," when she was growing up in Westchester County) was a big fan of "Dark Shadows." [ghost_smiley]

I recall how Ms. Rivers expressed how much she particularly liked the character of Quentin Collins on the show.  An obviously delighted and flattered Mr. Selby then proceeded to regale her and the studio audience with a reading of the words from "Shadows of the Night." [ghost_grin]  [ghost_wub]

Incidentally, I wholeheartedly recommend Ms. Rivers' last book, "Diary of a Mad Diva."  Let me tell you, the acid-tongued Ms. Rivers took absolutely NO  prisoners, as she skewered many "celebrities" in her uproariously funny book!!! [ghost_grin] [ghost_wink]

Bob

45
Hey, gang,

During the course of Dark Shadows'" run from the summer of 1966 to the early spring of 1971, I believe  that there were only three cast members, who were there for the entire run: Joan Bennett, Louis Edmonds and Nancy Barrett.  These three wonderful actors were there from the initial introduction of the contemporary Collinses to the rather disappointing and, quite frankly, sleep-inducing Collinses of 1840 PT.

Of course, there was one other original  DS actor, who almost made it to the end of the series in April of 1971, that being young David Hennesy, best known for his portrayal of the precocious and generally hell-raising David Collins.  I have wondered why David was not there for the conclusion of the series?  Did he just want to get off of the show?  (I believe  that David gave up acting not long after DS ended.)

Perhaps Dan Curtis and the Dark Shadows writers just could not come up with a character for David to play in the moribund and, thankfully, short-lived 1840 PT story line?

Do you have any ideas on David's apparently sudden and unexplained departure from DS?

Bob

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