Re: Barnabas, Liz & The Werewolf on What’s My Line

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

I remember seeing those clips, Bob, and I think - but don't quote me - it's on one of the DS videotapes from the '90's.  I do recall watching it, I just don't remember where (and it was quite some time ago, pre-youtube). 

Gerard

Gerard,

I did not know that those appearances are on the DS videotapes. I finally splurged to buy the DS dvds recently and I’ll check to see if MPI included those DS  “What’s My Line” segments on the dvds.

Thanks,

Bob

I remember meeting Carole Shelley at an event in NYC where I reminded her of this. She was rather befuddled (However did I guess that?), very much like the Pigeon Sister she once played.

Hi Bob, i really enjoyed watching that. It was cool to see.
Anne

Anne,

I liked seeing DS stuntman Alex Stevens appear in his werewolf makeup and then remove it on the show. While that DS werewolf makeup was not as good as the makeup Lon Chaney, Jr. wore in the Universal Wolfman films, it was much better than the werewolf makeup actor Eric Braeden wore as a werewolf on an episode of “Kolchak:The Night Stalker.”

Bob, if you do find it on one of the DVD's of those old videotapes, let me know.  I really don't know if that's where I saw those clips, but I did see them quite some time - I'm talking decades - ago.  I just don't know where. 

Gerard

Gerard, the What's My Line clips are on the Dark Shadows Bloopers and Treasures dvd.  It also has Jonathan Frid's and David Henesy and his mom appearances on The Generation Gap.

Bob, if you do find it on one of the DVD's of those old videotapes, let me know.  I really don't know if that's where I saw those clips, but I did see them quite some time - I'm talking decades - ago.  I just don't know where. 

Gerard

Gerard,

Yes, those appearances by the DS actors on both “What’s My Line” and “The Generation Gap” are included on the MPI dvds , specifically dvd # 129, of the 131 dvds in the entire MPI collection.

Incidentally, David Henesy’s and his mother’s appearance on “The Generation Gap,” features an appearance by the Ohio Express (one of Uncle Roger’s and my personal “favorite” groups from the 1960s) and a question dealing with their “classic” song, “Yummy, Yummy, Yummy”).   

The MPI dvds also feature Jonathan Frid’s appearance on “The Merv Griffin Show” and Joan Bennett’s appearance on “The Mike Douglas Show” and a ton of DS reunions and tributes. I think that you would enjoy watching these various video clips.

Bob

All three of the DS What's My Line appearances are available for viewing on YouTube. The three clips have been posted together as a Dark Shadows special program which means that it's probably been directly from the DVD.

And, yes, Bob, I love the Ohio Express. I has the pleasure of seeing the lead singer, Joey Levine, perform at a tribute to bubblegum music at BB Kings in NYC several years ago. Joey has had an impressive career as the composer and occasional singer of various commercial jingles. Sometimes you feel like a nut. You Asked For It, You Got It. Toyota. This Bud's For You. These are a few of his works.

But he also contributed vocals to a lot of bands that were basically composed of studio musicians. The most successful of these was probably Reunion with the rapid fire Life Is A Rock 
But The Radio Rolled Me.

Reunion with the rapid fire Life Is A Rock But The Radio Rolled Me.

OMG, I'd completely forgotten about that record - but I immediately tracked it down on YouTube and played it. The video is a total nostalgia hoot!

Ohio Express

Something else I'd completely forgotten about, but I just watched a video on YouTube of them performing their hit Chewy, Chewy. Over time one forgets that Quentin's sideburns, especially after David Selby grew his own, were a popular look for guys in the late '6os and Joey Levine's look is a perfect example of that. It's no wonder Selby wasn't afraid to do it.

All three of the DS What's My Line appearances are available for viewing on YouTube. The three clips have been posted together as a Dark Shadows special program which means that it's probably been directly from the DVD.

And, yes, Bob, I love the Ohio Express. I has the pleasure of seeing the lead singer, Joey Levine, perform at a tribute to bubblegum music at BB Kings in NYC several years ago. Joey has had an impressive career as the composer and occasional singer of various commercial jingles. Sometimes you feel like a nut. You Asked For It, You Got It. Toyota. This Bud's For You. These are a few of his works.

But he also contributed vocals to a lot of bands that were basically composed of studio musicians. The most successful of these was probably Reunion with the rapid fire Life Is A Rock
But The Radio Rolled Me.

Oh, yeah, Uncle Roger, they’re showing around 20 minute clips of DS episodes on Dark Shadows Fans Unite over on YouTube, I think that they are currently showing the first year or “Pre-Barnabas” DS episodes.

That’s great that you saw Joey Levine, an original member of Ohio Express at B.B. King’s in NYC. It’s located at Times Square, right? I’ve never been there for a concert, but I understand that many of the classic 1960s bands, like The Association, The Lovin’ Spoonful and The Classics Four have performed there in the past.

I didn’t know that Joey Levine was such a prolific song writer and composer. Charles Fox is another talented guy, who wrote music for films and tv shows like “Love American Style” and “The Love Boat.” Jim Yester, one of the original members of The Association, told me that Charles Fox wrote the film score for “Goodbye, Columbus,” which also included several Association songs (like “Goodbye, Columbus”) on the album.

Have you seen the documentary, “The Wrecking Crew,” about all of the legendary studio musicians, who played on a ton of 1960s albums for groups like The Byrds, The Monkees and Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass and many others? It’s a fascinating look into the great music from our generation, nearly sixty years ago.

You know, it’s too bad that DC did NOT play any of this tremendous ‘60s music on DS. I would have liked it if Bob Rooney had arranged for “Happy Together” or “Satisfaction” to have been on the juke box at The Blue Whale. 

Bob

Bob, I saw several shows there, including Lulu and Nancy Sinatra. Lulu was a disappointment. She looked great, sounded terrific but she only sang three of her own songs. Nancy gave the audience what they came to see. She performed the hits, promoted her then new album and let yours truly sing with her on Sugar Town. Please note that I have never considered myself a singer but I am apparently quite entertaining. Especially if you've exceeded the two drink minimum. By a lot.

BB Kings was located in the Times Square area. Unfortunately, due to increased rent and covid restrictions, it closed a while back.

Bob, I saw several shows there, including Lulu and Nancy Sinatra. Lulu was a disappointment. She looked great, sounded terrific but she only sang three of her own songs. Nancy gave the audience what they came to see. She performed the hits, promoted her then new album and let yours truly sing with her on Sugar Town. Please note that I have never considered myself a singer but I am apparently quite entertaining. Especially if you've exceeded the two drink minimum. By a lot.

BB Kings was located in the Times Square area. Unfortunately, due to increased rent and covid restrictions, it closed a while back.

Uncle Roger,

That’s great that you got to sing with Ms. Nancy Sinatra! I would have messed up the lines of the song due to
stage fright and also from standing right next to her. I think I mentioned previously that I saw Nancy Sinatra and her daughters in Hoboken, NJ, when a bust of her late father was dedicated at Sinatra Park on Sinatra Drive along the Hudson River. Ms. Sinatra was very outgoing and gracious at the event.

Nancy Sinatra sang the song, “Bossman,” during her appearance on “The Sopranos’” episode, “Chasing It” on episode four of the show’s final season. Ms. Sinatra appears as herself and sings the song to mobster Phil Leotardo, a man at least as evil as warlock Judah Zachary was.

I read somewhere, that singer Lulu criticized a song that The Turtles had recorded. Needless to say, Lulu and The Turtles never did perform together on stage.

It’s too bad that the B.B. King nightclub closed. I guess that a lot of those classic 1960s groups now tour the country at the annual Happy Together Concerts.

I would have liked to have seen The Beach Boys or The Doors perform at Collinwood on the original DS series, just like Alice Cooper performed at that “rave” at Collinwood in the Tim Burton DS film.