With
a few celebrated exceptions, the Dark Shadows cast
generally remains an obscure one to aficionados of cult television.
Even in the age of multi-channel cable television, the majority
of the show's actors remain shadowy figures outside of their
familiar characters. Drawing on extensive new research, Barnabas
& Company: The Cast of the TV Classic Dark Shadows
is a new reference book which uncovers a wealth of trivia,
facts and figures for the entire Dark Shadows role-call.
Composed
of a selection of career biographies, with additional trivia
sections and a history of the show, the book has a gossipy,
easygoing style that impresses, offering some important new
observations on the Dark Shadows phenomenon along the
way. For example, in the opening history of the show, the
author comments on the intrusion of reality during the show's
run, with some insightful comments from Nancy Barrett on the
effect of the Vietnam War on the show's original fairy tale
qualities. It's a brief aside, but a valuable one that adds
an extra dimension to the rose-tinted view of the studio days
one usually hears.
Elsewhere,
the book revels in the absurdities of show business, gleefully
documenting a number of hilarious "what were they thinking?"
productions with appropriately droll asides. If Denise Nickerson's
Broadway lead in a musical production of Lolita doesn't
sound bad enough, then Grayson Hall's hilarious turn as a
lesbian nightclub promoter in sexploitation flick Satan
in High Heels should raise a few smiles, in a role that
the actress agreed was best forgotten - she denied even appearing
in the film at certain times in her career.
Where
the book scores most highly is in its coverage of the actors'
stage careers. Unlike most other cult shows, Dark Shadows
drew its cast largely from the New York stage, and the detailed
credit listings demonstrates the weight of formal training
and experience that informed so many of the series' memorable
performances. The New York theatre, preserved only in scarce
reviews and Playbills, represents a crucial lost part of Dark
Shadows' heritage, the value of which should not be underestimated.
What emerges is a vivid picture of what a microcosm that world
was for the show's actors, and the criss-crossing of career
paths is dizzying. Many reviews and synopses are included,
and though some are disappointingly brief, many succeed in
bringing those lost performances back to life.
For
too long Dark Shadows has been wrongly remembered for
wobbly sets and wobblier acting. Craig Hamrick's indispensable
new guide impressively redresses the balance, shedding new
light on one of the most eclectic and accomplished casts ever
assembled for a television show.
Order
this book from Amazon.com
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