Night over the great house of Collinwood. Night... filled with unexplained acts, for unbeknownst to the elders, two children have discovered ghosts from the distant Collins' past; ghosts who still insist upon having their revenge against the family; who are using the children; possessing them to accomplish their aims. And so, the son commits the unpardonable crime and tries to kill his own father.
| Episode 647 | |
|---|---|
| |
| Air date | December 17th, 1968 |
| Writers | Sam Hall |
| Director | Lela Swift |
| Producers | Robert Costello; Dan Curtis |
| Starring | Joan Bennett Louis Edmonds Thayer David David Henesy Denise Nickerson |
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Episode 647 of Dark Shadows was directed by Lela Swift and written by Sam Hall based on storylines developed by Art Wallace. It first aired on ABC on December 17th, 1968. This episode is part of the "The Ghost of Quentin Collins" storyline. In this episode, the Collins family try to determine the cause of Roger Collins' inexplicable fall down the staircase. Professor Stokes brings in a medium named Janet Findley in the hopes that she might be able to determine the cause of the strange occurances at Collinwood.
Synopsis[]
Amy Jennings fetches Elizabeth Collins Stoddard and tells her about Roger's accidental fall down the steps. As the two descend the staircase, Amy takes note of David Collins, who is observing the incident from across the way.
Elizabeth begins to rouse Roger and sends Amy to find Doctor Julia Hoffman. Roger gets to his feet and declares that someone just tried to murder him. He tells Liz that someone placed a wire across the steps, but there is no evidence of any such wire in existence. Elizabeth thinks Roger is over-reacting and helps him up the steps to his room. David meanwhile, pockets the wire in his night robe.
Elizabeth settles Roger down, but he still insists that somebody planted a trip wire and tried to kill him. Though concerned over Roger's well-being, she still thinks he is imagining that somebody deliberately tried to kill him. She goes to pour him a Brandy and finds a mysterious Tarot card resting upon the table. Roger cannot explain it, but knows that no such item was on the table earlier. Liz grows even more concerned and believes that there is a connection between the sudden appearance of the card and Roger's accident. David comes in and feigns concern over his father's health.
Liz goes back downstairs, but she cannot get the appearance of the Tarot card out of her mind. She telephones Professor Timothy Eliot Stokes and asks him to come over as soon as possible.
Meanwhile, David comes downstairs as well and meets with Amy. He regrets trying to kill his father, but Amy warns him that they must obey Quentin's wishes. David expresses grave concern over their recent dealings with the spirit, citing that this is no longer a "game". There is a knock and David answers it. It is Professor Stokes.
The children excuse themselves leaving Professor Stokes to speak with Elizabeth in the drawing room. Liz show him the Tarot card and Stokes grows concerned. Stokes believes the card was left behind by the spirit they communed with during the séance several nights ago. He tells that the card is called "Tower of Destruction".
The children go up to the secret room and David speaks to the musty air. He addresses Quentin and tells him that he is not going to follow his instructions any longer. Suddenly, the gramophone begins playing and the cradle begins rocking back and forth.
Downstairs, Professor Stokes contacts a professional medium of his acquaintance, Madame Janet Findley. Findley comes over to Collinwood and meets with Elizabeth. She immediately begins conducting a spiritual analysis of the house and flitters between the foyer and the drawing room. She goes into a trance and tries to make contact with any spirits lurking in the house. She perceives the presence of a ghost that is living somewhere in the house, but she is not sure where.
David and Amy listen from outside and fear that Madame Findley may learn about the presence of Quentin. They race upstairs to the secret room and cry out for Quentin, begging him to tell them what to do.
Cast[]
Principal Cast[]
| Actor | Role |
|---|---|
| Joan Bennett | Elizabeth Collins Stoddard |
| Louis Edmonds | Roger Collins |
| Thayer David | Professor Stokes |
| David Henesy | David Collins |
| Denise Nickerson | Amy Jennings |
Guest Stars[]
| Actor | Role |
|---|---|
| Cavada Humphrey | Janet Findley |
Notes & Trivia[]
- This episode is available on disc 4 of Dark Shadows DVD Collection 11 and disc 68 of the Dark Shadows: The Complete Original Series DVD collection.
- Opening narration: Cavada Humphrey.
- Closing still: Collinwood storage room.
- This episode is part of the "The Ghost of Quentin Collins" storyline.
- This is one of the few episodes of Dark Shadows where the opening narration is provided by someone who is not a regular cast member on the series.
Allusions[]
- Amy Jennings repeats Quentin's sentiment about how much David resembles his grandfather Jamison Collins. Ironically, actor David Henesy, who plays David Collins, also plays the role of Jamison in future episodes.
Bloopers[]
- When Professor Stokes answers the telephone, he has trouble keeping his monocle affixed to his eye.
Quotes[]
- Roger Collins: Someone just tried to kill me.
- Professor Stokes: Don't children play outdoors anymore or is that considered hopelessly old fashioned?
- Madame Findley: A war is being waged. And we must find the one who started it.
See also[]
The World of Dark Shadows
Gallery of Shadows
Miscellaneous
External Links[]
- Episode: 647 at IMDB
- Episode: 647 at TV.com guide
- Episode: 647 at TV Rage.com
- Episode: 647 at the Dark Shadows Wiki