← 150 → Timeline 1967 Narrator Victoria Winters Writer Malcolm Marmorstein Director Lela Swift Airdate January 20, 1967 Tapedate January 13, 1967 Home Video BEG 5, Disc 1 #7 We have 1 images of Dark Shadows #150

Liz and Laura head for a confrontation over young David.

Synopsis Edit

Teaser

My name is Victoria Winters. The flames in the fireplace at Collinwood blazed firecely as a painting was consumed by fire. But no one at Collinwood can explain the unearthly scream that filled the Great House.

Vicki has just seen Sam out, and he was very disturbed. She wonders where the scream came from; Roger suspects that wind blowing in the chimney is responsible for what they heard. He searches for logic; using this, Vicki wants to figure out how David's face got into the painting.

Act I

Roger drinks to avoid further discussion of the painting/scream and Vicki preps him for telling David about its destruction. Elizabeth, who has been walking around the grounds, comes in and Roger recaps recent events. Vicki insists that Mrs. Stoddard be told everything, and Roger is rude to her. She leaves to check on David's dinner. Roger tells Elizabeth that Sam dropped by and had a feeling that the painting had been finished, which it had been. Elizabeth tries to get Roger to admit he's disturbed by a painting of Laura and David in fire. Has he thought of David? Of course not.

Act II

David finds the painting missing and begins to threaten and yell at Roger. He realizes his father took it, and he demands it returned to him. He insists the painting is trying to tell him something and that he almost had it figured out. Roger tells him the painting was destroyed; David cries for a second and then says to Roger, "You burned it! You burned it!" Roger doesn't know how he knows. David mourns his painting at the fire. Elizabeth berates Roger after David runs out screaming. She sees through his campaign to get rid of David. She tells Roger that she's going to tell Laura that she can't see David anymore. She's sick of Laura's mystery.

Act III

David is in tears and Vicki tries to console him. She explains why she couldn't prevent the painting's destruction. Elizabeth goes to Matthew's Cottage and she and Laura drop the airs. Elizabeth makes her strong statement after Laura regrets the progress she's made with David. Laura is upset and insists she just needs more time with David. Elizabeth says no, especially not tonight because David's painting was destroyed. She says Laura needs to leave David alone and give him more time. Laura says time is the one thing she doesn't have. Which of them will be the timekeeper?

Act IV

David asks Vicki to tell him the story of the Phoenix so he can fall asleep. Laura goes to her window and stares out into the night. Elizabeth returns and tells Roger of her statement and the impending stalemate with Laura. David weeps, then wakes up and speaks with his mother, who has appeared in his room. Laura gives him a handkerchief and David falls into a deep sleep.

Memorable quotes Edit

• Roger Collins (to Vicki): "Vicki, you are the master of the understatement."

• Roger Collins (to Liz): "I decided that the time had come to destroy the painting, the ashes of which lie yonder."

Dramatis personae Edit

• ← Joan Bennett as Elizabeth Collins Stoddard →
• ← Louis Edmonds as Roger Collins →
• ← Diana Millay as Laura Collins →
• ← David Henesy as David Collins →
• ← Alexandra Moltke as Victoria Winters →

Background information and notes Edit

• The state police are suspicious that the body in Pheonix, Arizona was a victim of murder. One of the reasons for this suspicion is said to be that everything was locked from the inside. However, this should lead to the opposite conclusion because if everything was locked from the inside, any murderer must have stayed inside the apartment during the fire which based on the description of the fire, would not be possible. A door locked from the outside should raise suspicion of murder.

Bloopers and continuity errors Edit

• When the painting is seen on  David's  wall in episode 149, there is a model of a white sailing ship below it next to a toy robot. Later, when David returns and sees the painting is missing, the white ship is gone but the robot remains. Later when Vicky enters David's room to check on him, the robot is gone and there is a small mirror and two lamps on the desk.
• Roger stumbles on several words during his speach to David.