| Edith Collins | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Edith Collins | |
| Aliases: | Ghost of Edith Collins |
| Series: | Dark Shadows |
| Gender: | Female |
| Notability: | Minor character |
| Race: | Ghost |
| Location: | Collinsport, Maine |
| Relatives: | Gabriel Collins (husband); Edward Collins (son); Judith Collins (granddaughter); Carl Collins (grandson); Quentin Collins (grandson); Jamison Collins (great-grandson); Nora Collins (great-granddaughter) |
| Status: | Deceased |
| Died: | 1897 |
| First: | Episode 701 |
| Final: | Episode 1186 |
| Actor: | Isabella Hoopes Terry Crawford |
Edith Collins is a minor character featured in the 1966-1971 ABC Gothic soap opera Dark Shadows where she played by two different actresses. She was introduced in episode 701 where she portrayed by Isabella Hoopes in a storyline known as the "1897 Flashback". The character was re-introduced in 1970 as a younger woman in episode 1119 where she was played by actress Terry Crawford. Hoopes played Edith Collins in five episodes of Dark Shadows, while Crawford played her in six episodes. She made eleven appearances in total, ten as a living person, and one as a ghost.
Overview[]
Edith Collins, maiden name unknown, was married into the wealthy Collins family of Collinsport, Maine. She lived during the early to late 19th century. Edith was the wife of Gabriel Collins and the grandmother of Edward, Judith, Carl and Quentin Collins. Her great-grandchildren include Jamison and Nora Collins.
Biography[]
1840[]
1897[]
By 1897, Edith Collins was very old and in failing health. For many years, she was the caretaker of a dark family secret that had been handed down to her by father. The secret was that a Collins family ancestor - Barnabas Collins, had been made a vampire and was entombed in a secret room in the Collins family mausoleum.
Nearing the end of her life, Edith Collins spent most of her days bedridden. She had befriended a gypsy fortune teller named Magda Rakosi, who would read Edith's fortune with Tarot cards. Edith considered Magda her spiritual advisor and allowed the woman and her husband, Sandor, to habitate in the falling ruins of the Old House.
Though frail in health, Edith was still very much sharp in mind. She determined that she would pass along the family secret to the oldest living grandson, Edward Collins. Edith's youngest grandson, Quentin Collins, returned to Collinwood after traveling abroad for a year. When he heard that his grandmother was on the verge of dying, he attempted to make peace with her in the hopes that she would leave him a suitable inheritance. Quentin tried to charm Edith, but she never forgot the rotten soul that inhabited her grandson. [1]
Inconsistencies[]
The history of Edith Collins presents a bit of a continuity quagmire. There are two versions of the character, whose lives are in contrast to one another due to changes in the timeline. The original Edith Collins (Hoopes) was introduced as an elderly woman living in Collinwood in 1897. She died of natural causes in this year. A younger version of the character (Crawford) lived at Collinwood in the year 1840 when she was in her early twenties. This storyline aired some time after the "1897 Flashback", even though it chronologically took place before. The younger version of Edith was murdered by her husband Gabriel, thereby negating the events of the 1897 timeline. Since that timeline would have been irrevocably altered, it is difficult to reconcile the fact that Quentin Collins from 1897 is still alive in the present-day canonical timeline.
Another inconsistency presents itself when Elizabeth Collins Stoddard recalls the story how her great-grandmother, who would have been Edith, gave her an emerald pendant as a gift on her 18th birthday, which would have been in 1935 - thirty-eight years after Edith's passing. It is possible however, that Elizabeth may have been speaking of a maternal great-grandmother. [2]
Notes & Trivia[]
- The character of Edith Collins was created by director Henry Kaplan and writer Sam Hall based on concepts originally developed by Art Wallace and Dan Curtis.
- Edith enjoyed reading Tarot cards. This hobby was also shared by Natalie du Prés in 1795, who was married in to the Collins family.
- Actres Terry Crawford usually played the role of maid Beth Chavez on Dark Shadows.
- The identity of Edith and Gabriel's son is unknown. No mention of him is made during the "1840 Flashback" storyline, but obviously such an individual existed in order to continue to the family line.
- Edith Collins originally wanted to live in the Old House, but Daniel Collins insisted that Gabriel and she lived at Collinwood - a decision that Edith always resented. [3]
- Edith and Gabriel held a family picnic on the day before their wedding. [4]
- According to Edith's mother, Edith could never keep a secret. However, she proved her wrong by taking the Collins family secret regarding the vampire Barnabas Collins to her grave.
- Edith Collins brought back a gold-plated revolver from France, which she gave to Judith Collins as a souvenir. This weapon was later used in the murder of Rachel Drummond. [5]
Appearances[]
- Dark Shadows: 1119 (Re-introduction)
- Dark Shadows: 1146
- Dark Shadows: 1154
- Dark Shadows: 1160
- Dark Shadows: 1161
- Dark Shadows: 1186 (Murdered)
- Dark Shadows: 701 (1st appearance)
- Dark Shadows: 704
- Dark Shadows: 705
- Dark Shadows: 706 (Original death)
- Dark Shadows: 710 (As a ghost)