What do you think?
Rate this book
Dark Shadows Movie Book: House of Dark Shadows and Night of Dark Shadows
Featuring producer/director Dan Curtis' original shooting scripts from "House of Dark Shadows" and "Night of Dark Shadows", this book contains previously unpublished publicity photos, stars' recollections, production credits, and promotional material--a treasure trove of trivia for "Dark Shadows" movie fans. 80 photos, 30 in color.
- GenresNonfiction
288 pages, Paperback
First published July 2, 1998
3 people are currently reading
60 people want to read
About the author
Kathryn Leigh Scott
65 books154 followersKathryn Leigh Scott is an author/actress.
Her novels: September Girl (2019); Jinxed (2015); Down and Out in Beverly Heels (2013); Dark Passages (2012)
Recent nonfiction: Last Dance at the Savoy (2016); Now With You, Now Without (2017)
Kathryn has appeared in Blacklist with James Spader (2019); Woody Allen's A Rainy Day in New York (2019), soon-to-be-released The Eleventh Green (2019) with Campbell Scott, and Three Christs with Richard Gere and Juliana Margulies. She's also appeared in Hallmark Channel's Broadcasting Christmas (2016), Lifetime's A Wedding to Die For (2017), and has a recurring role as George Segal's girlfriend Miriam on The Goldbergs.
She wrote Dark Shadows: Return to Collinwood (2012), and appeared in a cameo role in the Johnny Depp/Tim Burton film Dark Shadows (2012). She is recording the audiobooks of all 32 Dark Shadows novels by Marilyn Ross, published 1966-1970.
Kathryn grew up on a farm in Robbinsdale, Minnesota. Upon graduation from the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, Kathryn landed the ingénue lead in the classic Gothic daytime drama Dark Shadows (ABC, 1966-1971), and starred in the 1971 MGM feature House of Dark Shadows. Kathryn played four roles in the series: Maggie Evans, Josette du Pres, Lady Kitty Hampshire, and Rachel Drummond. Kathryn wrote Dark Shadows Memories to coincide with its 20th anniversary, and Dark Shadows Companion as a 25th anniversary tribute.
Kathryn launched Pomegranate Press, Ltd., to publish books about the entertainment industry, including guide books, biographies, textbooks and coffee table art books. She wrote The Bunny Years (the 25-year history of Playboy Clubs told through the women who worked as Bunnies), which was sold to Imagine Entertainment's Brian Grazer. She also co-produced a two-hour special for the A&E Network and a one-hour documentary for BBC-1 and Canadian TV, based on the book. Pomegranate has published over 50 nonfiction titles, including Scott's books Lobby Cards: The Classic Films (Benjamin Franklin Award for Best Coffee Table Book) and Lobby Cards: The Classic Comedies, both of which were published in the UK by Bloomsbury. She published a trade paper edition of the hardcover biography Coya Come Home, with a foreword by Walter F. Mondale.
Kathryn's theatrical credits include a lengthy run with James Stewart in Harvey in London's West End. She has appeared in many television series and miniseries, including the "Who Watches the Watchers" episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation, Barbara Taylor Bradford's Voice of the Heart, as Dan Travanti's wife in Murrow, as George C. Scott's mistress in The Last Days of Patton, as Philip Marlowe's girlfriend in Chandlertown, and as a series regular with Brian Dennehy in Big Shamus, Little Shamus. Feature films include Providence, The Great Gatsby, Brannigan, The Greek Tycoon, Assassination, 187, Parasomnia, and Dr. Mabuse.
Kathryn maintains homes in Los Angeles and New York.
Her novels: September Girl (2019); Jinxed (2015); Down and Out in Beverly Heels (2013); Dark Passages (2012)
Recent nonfiction: Last Dance at the Savoy (2016); Now With You, Now Without (2017)
Kathryn has appeared in Blacklist with James Spader (2019); Woody Allen's A Rainy Day in New York (2019), soon-to-be-released The Eleventh Green (2019) with Campbell Scott, and Three Christs with Richard Gere and Juliana Margulies. She's also appeared in Hallmark Channel's Broadcasting Christmas (2016), Lifetime's A Wedding to Die For (2017), and has a recurring role as George Segal's girlfriend Miriam on The Goldbergs.
She wrote Dark Shadows: Return to Collinwood (2012), and appeared in a cameo role in the Johnny Depp/Tim Burton film Dark Shadows (2012). She is recording the audiobooks of all 32 Dark Shadows novels by Marilyn Ross, published 1966-1970.
Kathryn grew up on a farm in Robbinsdale, Minnesota. Upon graduation from the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, Kathryn landed the ingénue lead in the classic Gothic daytime drama Dark Shadows (ABC, 1966-1971), and starred in the 1971 MGM feature House of Dark Shadows. Kathryn played four roles in the series: Maggie Evans, Josette du Pres, Lady Kitty Hampshire, and Rachel Drummond. Kathryn wrote Dark Shadows Memories to coincide with its 20th anniversary, and Dark Shadows Companion as a 25th anniversary tribute.
Kathryn launched Pomegranate Press, Ltd., to publish books about the entertainment industry, including guide books, biographies, textbooks and coffee table art books. She wrote The Bunny Years (the 25-year history of Playboy Clubs told through the women who worked as Bunnies), which was sold to Imagine Entertainment's Brian Grazer. She also co-produced a two-hour special for the A&E Network and a one-hour documentary for BBC-1 and Canadian TV, based on the book. Pomegranate has published over 50 nonfiction titles, including Scott's books Lobby Cards: The Classic Films (Benjamin Franklin Award for Best Coffee Table Book) and Lobby Cards: The Classic Comedies, both of which were published in the UK by Bloomsbury. She published a trade paper edition of the hardcover biography Coya Come Home, with a foreword by Walter F. Mondale.
Kathryn's theatrical credits include a lengthy run with James Stewart in Harvey in London's West End. She has appeared in many television series and miniseries, including the "Who Watches the Watchers" episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation, Barbara Taylor Bradford's Voice of the Heart, as Dan Travanti's wife in Murrow, as George C. Scott's mistress in The Last Days of Patton, as Philip Marlowe's girlfriend in Chandlertown, and as a series regular with Brian Dennehy in Big Shamus, Little Shamus. Feature films include Providence, The Great Gatsby, Brannigan, The Greek Tycoon, Assassination, 187, Parasomnia, and Dr. Mabuse.
Kathryn maintains homes in Los Angeles and New York.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
January 17, 2008
It's a real treat to see the original scripts to both HOUSE and NIGHT OF DARK SHADOWS, since both (especially the latter) suffered significant cuts before audiences got to see them way back when. The behind-the-scenes articles by several of the stars are priceless, especially Kathryn Leigh Scott's ruminations on some of the other personalities involved in the production. Nice package with great photos. Definitely recommended to fans of the movies and the TV series.
August 11, 2018
We are reaching a “crossover” point for DARK SHADOWS. The Viewers who were extremely upset with Tim Burton’s cinematic parody (like myself) are being replaced by a generation who see that movie as the starting point and are bored with the earlier series and movies because they’re not funny. The latter group should give this book a wide berth.
As the DARK SHADOWS daytime television series was winding down, MGM agreed to release a movie version (renaming it HOUSE OF DARK SHADOWS to distinguish it.) This was to closely follow the original story arc of the vampire, Barnabas Collins, which was only supposed to last for three-weeks before his popularity soared. Freed of the confines of the television screen, it was also much more violent and graphically bloody. It was such a success that it spawned a second film (renamed NIGHT OF DARK SHADOWS instead of the planned DARK SHADOWS II) that emerged right after the television series ended.
This book provides a capsule overview of the production process, along with Producer / Director Dan Curtis’ shooting scripts for both of them. There is also a collection of stills and behind-the-scenes photos from the films.
NIGHT OF DARK SHADOWS has long been condemned as being so choppy that it was almost incoherent. Honestly, I found HOUSE OF DARK SHADOWS to be very choppy, too. It was the version approved by Dan Curtis. NIGHT OF DARK SHADOWS was ordered to be recut in one day by MGM, shearing close to 40-minutes from the running time! If the book’s version of the events is true, Curtis argued for a compromise. However, an MGM executive, James Aubrey, refused and stated, “With your audience, it doesn’t matter!” NIGHT OF DARK SHADOWS wasn’t a failure (despite stories to the contrary), but it didn’t do nearly as well as HOUSE OF DARK SHADOWS.
The scripts revealed two things to me. HOUSE OF DARK SHADOWS was supposed to have more character development, so an audience didn’t need to have a working familiarity with the television series to enjoy it. Many cuts blurred the relationships in addition to moving the story in fits and starts.
The second thing is that, even in its original form, NIGHT OF DARK SHADOWS wasn’t a very original story and was much less involving than the one in the first film. Granted, the massive cuts and scene restructuring didn’t help. Clarifying points and character development were lost, along with a huge “reveal” that would have been interesting regarding the central character. (The ending onscreen news bulletin was also not part of the original script.)
I was very sorry that the book didn’t provide more production stories. There are glossed over comments about Thayer David and Roger Davis that would have been intriguing to pursue, and much more information about the daily interactions on the sets would have been greatly appreciated. However, for the film fans whose main interest is in “what might have been,” this is essential reading.
As the DARK SHADOWS daytime television series was winding down, MGM agreed to release a movie version (renaming it HOUSE OF DARK SHADOWS to distinguish it.) This was to closely follow the original story arc of the vampire, Barnabas Collins, which was only supposed to last for three-weeks before his popularity soared. Freed of the confines of the television screen, it was also much more violent and graphically bloody. It was such a success that it spawned a second film (renamed NIGHT OF DARK SHADOWS instead of the planned DARK SHADOWS II) that emerged right after the television series ended.
This book provides a capsule overview of the production process, along with Producer / Director Dan Curtis’ shooting scripts for both of them. There is also a collection of stills and behind-the-scenes photos from the films.
NIGHT OF DARK SHADOWS has long been condemned as being so choppy that it was almost incoherent. Honestly, I found HOUSE OF DARK SHADOWS to be very choppy, too. It was the version approved by Dan Curtis. NIGHT OF DARK SHADOWS was ordered to be recut in one day by MGM, shearing close to 40-minutes from the running time! If the book’s version of the events is true, Curtis argued for a compromise. However, an MGM executive, James Aubrey, refused and stated, “With your audience, it doesn’t matter!” NIGHT OF DARK SHADOWS wasn’t a failure (despite stories to the contrary), but it didn’t do nearly as well as HOUSE OF DARK SHADOWS.
The scripts revealed two things to me. HOUSE OF DARK SHADOWS was supposed to have more character development, so an audience didn’t need to have a working familiarity with the television series to enjoy it. Many cuts blurred the relationships in addition to moving the story in fits and starts.
The second thing is that, even in its original form, NIGHT OF DARK SHADOWS wasn’t a very original story and was much less involving than the one in the first film. Granted, the massive cuts and scene restructuring didn’t help. Clarifying points and character development were lost, along with a huge “reveal” that would have been interesting regarding the central character. (The ending onscreen news bulletin was also not part of the original script.)
I was very sorry that the book didn’t provide more production stories. There are glossed over comments about Thayer David and Roger Davis that would have been intriguing to pursue, and much more information about the daily interactions on the sets would have been greatly appreciated. However, for the film fans whose main interest is in “what might have been,” this is essential reading.
August 3, 2024
fascinating to track changes from page to screen.
Read
May 14, 2013 RESURRECTING THE CURSE OF THE COLLINS FAMILY!
When greedy Willie Loomis unwittingly unchains the hidden coffin of long dead Barnabas Collins, he unleashes a reign of terror upon the decaying family and the local New England town of Collinsport. Who suddenly turns up on their doorstop but a debonaire English "cousin" whose resemblance to the ancestral portrait is uncanny. He sets about restoring the Old House to its former grandeur, but is soon fatally attracted to the family's lovely governess. A series of attacks on local women are considered suspicious by the resident doctor and a loyal professor--both of whom come to the gruesome conclusion that there is a vampire on the prowl in quiet Collinsport.
This is fast-paced fluff of debatable literary merit, but if you are into Gothic Horror tales, you will enjoy the jealousy, evil schemes and desperate remedies undertaken to end this family curse. Alas-when the coastal mists finally evaporate there are few left to tell the grisly tale of a vampires's dream to achieve a normal life and reclaim his lost love. NB: This scenario vastly differs from the daytime soap, as Victoria Winters, Quentin and Angelique are not included in the blood-spattered cast. But if you are a warm-blooded female, you will surely fall for the austere charm of Barnabas Collins in hhis aristocratic Inversness cloak... He who looks not into mirrors...
(November 1, 2012.)
When greedy Willie Loomis unwittingly unchains the hidden coffin of long dead Barnabas Collins, he unleashes a reign of terror upon the decaying family and the local New England town of Collinsport. Who suddenly turns up on their doorstop but a debonaire English "cousin" whose resemblance to the ancestral portrait is uncanny. He sets about restoring the Old House to its former grandeur, but is soon fatally attracted to the family's lovely governess. A series of attacks on local women are considered suspicious by the resident doctor and a loyal professor--both of whom come to the gruesome conclusion that there is a vampire on the prowl in quiet Collinsport.
This is fast-paced fluff of debatable literary merit, but if you are into Gothic Horror tales, you will enjoy the jealousy, evil schemes and desperate remedies undertaken to end this family curse. Alas-when the coastal mists finally evaporate there are few left to tell the grisly tale of a vampires's dream to achieve a normal life and reclaim his lost love. NB: This scenario vastly differs from the daytime soap, as Victoria Winters, Quentin and Angelique are not included in the blood-spattered cast. But if you are a warm-blooded female, you will surely fall for the austere charm of Barnabas Collins in hhis aristocratic Inversness cloak... He who looks not into mirrors...
(November 1, 2012.)
December 14, 2012
I recently saw these two movies for the first time, and I knew going into it that the second movie was cut down severely from what was shot. I picked this up mainly to read the screenplay, and better understand what should have been going on in the movie. That's good, because the screenplays take up the vast majority of the book. That said, Kathryn Scott's diary entries from the shooting of the first film was probably the best part. I found myself laughing out loud more than once at her rather blunt opinions of some of her fellow actors. It's an enjoyable read if you've seen the films and want to know a bit more about them.
January 17, 2016
312 pages. The book has short pieces by Nancy Barrett, Lara Parker, Kathryn Leigh Scott and Darren Gross along with a number of color photos from the two movies. The vast majority of the book is taken up by the scripts for House of Dark Shadows and Night of Dark Shadows.
The two scripts are somewhat unusual as normal scripts are all typed out and neat. These two are scripts that have numerous changes on them including entire sections crossed out, numerous changes in the scripts and other kinds of notations
It makes up for a very interesting book.
The two scripts are somewhat unusual as normal scripts are all typed out and neat. These two are scripts that have numerous changes on them including entire sections crossed out, numerous changes in the scripts and other kinds of notations
It makes up for a very interesting book.
May 27, 2012
GREAT!!!! I loved both movies even though Night of Dark Shadows had been edited to shreds...Warner Bros. is supposed to release both movies on DVD and Night of Dark Shadows is going to be restored to the original director's cut (YAY Dan Curtis!)..
March 30, 2024
This book was good and fascinating also to see the differences in the original scrripts and the finished films. Thanks for all the memories and the editing technique. Great to see the pictures of the original scripts with updates. I will always love Dark Shadows!
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews