House of Dark Shadows
| House of Dark Shadows | |
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Promotional film poster
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| Directed by | Dan Curtis |
| Produced by | Dan Curtis |
| Written by |
Sam Hall Gordon Russell |
| Starring |
Jonathan Frid Grayson Hall Kathryn Leigh Scott David Henesy Roger Davis |
| Music by | Robert Cobert |
| Cinematography | Arthur Ornitz |
| Edited by | Arline Garson |
| Distributed by | Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (USA, theatrical) |
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Release date
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Running time
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97 min |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $750,000 (estimated) |
| Box office | $1,836,000 (US/ Canada rentals) |
House of Dark Shadows is a 1970 feature-length horror film directed by Dan Curtis, based on his Dark Shadows television series. Filming took place at Lyndhurst Estate in Tarrytown, New York, with additional footage at nearby Sleepy Hollow Cemetery. In this film expansion, vampire Barnabas Collins (Jonathan Frid) searches for a cure for vampirism so he can marry a woman who resembles his long-lost fiancée Josette (Kathryn Leigh Scott). Curtis followed this movie one year later with Night of Dark Shadows, another expansion of the Shadows franchise, dealing with the witch Angelique.
Willie Loomis, the Collins family handyman, is searching for old treasure in the family mausoleum when he accidentally frees Barnabas Collins, a 175-year-old vampire who enslaves him. Upon his release, he attacks Daphne Budd, secretary to Collinwood’s matriarch, Elizabeth Collins Stoddard. She is discovered by Jeff Clark, who takes her back to the house where Dr. Julia Hoffman administers medical attention to her.
Barnabas introduces himself to the family under the guise of a "cousin from England". Elizabeth and the others are intrigued by Barnabas and take an instant liking to him. Barnabas insists on moving into the Old House and hosting a ball in honour of the family; however, on the night of the ball, Elizabeth's daughter Carolyn Stoddard is bitten by Barnabas while she is getting ready.
Later on at the ball, he is introduced to young David Collins's governess and Jeff's girlfriend Maggie Evans and is instantly smitten with her, as she bears a striking resemblance to his long-lost fiancée, Josette du Pres. Maggie is thinking about leaving Collinwood, but Barnabas persuades her to stay. Back at the Old House, he tells Willie about Josette and how she took her own life on the night they were to be married. Carolyn overhears and threatens to expose him out of jealousy. Enraged, Barnabas delivers a deadly bite to Carolyn, much to Willie's horror. A shaken Willie takes Carolyn back home; she slowly walks to the doorway, but she is soon discovered slumped in the doorway—dead—by the maid, Mrs. Johnson.
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