4
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| ← Dark Shadows (1966) episode 4 → | |
| Episode number | 4 |
| Timeline | 1967 |
| First aired | June 30, 1966 |
| Tape date | June 16, 1966 |
| Narrated by | Victoria Winters |
| Written by | Art Wallace |
| Directed by | Lela Swift |
| Home video | VHS: CS V1 DVD: TB C1D1 |
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Elizabeth and Roger question Victoria about Burke. Victoria meets a hostile David Collins.
Contents |
[edit] Synopsis
Teaser
- My name is Victoria Winters. The dark night presses in on the crest of Widows' Hill as though it were alive. I can almost feel it crushing against the windows, whispering to me, telling me to run while I can. But I've come too far and waited too long, and the fear of darkness is only for children.
Vicki reads a book in bed while it storms outside. When her window becomes unlatched, she gets up to stop it from slamming. As she sits back on the bed, she hears the front door slam. Someone begins climbing the stairs in the foyer as Victoria brushes her hair. She gets up and goes to listen at the door as the person reaches for the knob. Liz sees Roger about to enter Vicki's room and tells him to come downstairs with her. He tells her to go to bed, but she insists he do as she says.
Act I
Roger comes into the drawing room and pours himself a drink. Liz chastises him for disrespecting their guest and threatens to kick him out of her house. Roger tells her that Burke Devlin accompanied Victoria on the train into town, but she tries to brush it off. He tells her Burke has become very wealthy and can't believe she's not going to do anything. He explains that he thinks Burke may have said something to Vicki and that's why he wants to talk with her. He gets angry that the girl was allowed to come to Collinwood and argues that he's as much a member of the family as Liz is. He's not going to stand by while Burke tries to destroy him, or lock himself away in the house as she's done. Carolyn bursts in and compliments Roger on his speech.
Act II
Carolyn comments on the lack of sound-proofing in the house and Roger tells her not to be concerned with their discussion and to go back to bed. Carolyn wants to know if it's Burke Devlin that wants to kill him. She says that Vicki told her Roger blew a fuse when he heard Burke had given her a ride from the train station. She asks who Burke is and Liz tells him he's just someone they used to know and isn't going to harm anyone. Roger requests Carolyn bring Miss Winters downstairs, but Liz doesn't think it's a good idea. Carolyn stops their arguing and Liz concedes that Vicki should come down and answer some questions. Carolyn goes upstairs to fetch Vicki. Liz yells at Roger for the way he's acting and questions how their ancestors would handle the so-called problem. Roger tells her he's going to fight this battle his way.
Act III
Vicki lets Carolyn into her room and Carolyn defends Roger, saying he's had a rough time. She vaguely alludes to his wife (Vicki incorrectly thought that she was dead) and David, his handful of a son. Vicki asks what she's getting at and Carolyn says that Roger wants to ask her some questions downstairs. Vicki points out that it's almost midnight and Carolyn jokes that he turns into Dracula at the stroke of twelve. In the hall, Vicki inquires about what he wants to ask her, but she's leaving that up to him. Carolyn sends her to the drawing room, as she goes off to bed, expressing how glad she is that she's come to Collinwood. Before she heads downstairs, a door opens behind Vicki, then shuts quickly. In the drawing room, Liz insists she be the one to talk to the girl. Vicki comes in and is asked about Burke. She explains that she met him at the station after she got off the train and he gave her a ride to the hotel. He didn't say anything in particular about the Collins family and never mentioned why he came back to Collinsport. Liz says that'll be all, but Roger has more questions. He sends Liz off to bed, promising to speak with Vicki only for a few more minutes. With Liz gone, he pours himself a drink.
Act IV
Roger is amused by Vicki's aversion to the pain of drinking Brandy. The topic briefly turns to David and the difficulties he'll present to her, before returning to Burke Devlin. He believes she's withholding information about Burke. She admits his attitude towards Collinwood seemed negative, and he'd tried to talk her out of coming there. Roger angrily begins grilling her for more information which she doesn't have. He disbelieves the coincidence that she and Burke were on the same train. Roger quickly changes his tone when Vicki gets upset about being interrogated and tries to leave. As the clock strikes midnight, Vicki heads back up to her room to get some sleep in case she decides to leave on the morning train.
Act V
At two in the morning, Vicki is awakened by loud sobbing sounds coming from somewhere in the house. She gets up to investigate and heads to the drawing room, but the sound stops. Returning to the foyer and discovers David on the staircase. The boy angrily tells her he hates her.
[edit] Memorable quotes
- David Collins: "I hate you."
[edit] Dramatis personae
- ← Joan Bennett as Elizabeth Collins Stoddard →
- ← Louis Edmonds as Roger Collins →
- ← Nancy Barrett as Carolyn Stoddard →
- David Henesy as David Collins →
- ← Alexandra Moltke as Victoria Winters →
[edit] Background information and notes
- First episode with David Henesy, who portrays David Collins.
- Elizabeth has an odd, proprietorial concern for Victoria--going so far as to warn Roger to stay away from the new governess.
- Carolyn jokes that at the stroke of midnight, Roger turns into Dracula. This is the first reference to a vampire on the show.
- The sobbing voice would be next heard in 37.
[edit] Continuity and mistakes
- The painting of Isaac Collins has moved since the last episode from the left side of the drawing room window to the right side.
- Elizabeth has a hard time opening the drawing room doors to let Victoria in.
- When Victoria spots David on the stairs at the end of the episode, the teleprompter can be seen on the far right and a crew member can be seen moving near the bottom of the screen.
