449

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Number	443
Timeline	1796
Narrator	Nancy Barrett
Writer	Sam Hall
Director	Lela Swift
Broadcast	March 14, 1968 (Thursday)
Recorded	March 8, 1968 (Friday)
Video	Complete: Disc 48 Collection 6: Disc 4

We have 10 images of Dark Shadows 449

Joshua and Natalie hold a séance to summon someone who can lift the vampire curse from Barnabas. Shortly after, a strange woman arrives.

Synopsis[]

Teaser

A séance has been held in the great house of Collinwood, a séance which has suspended time and space, and sent one girl on an uncertain and frightening journey into the past, back to the year 1795, where, in a tower room, one man, a living secret from most of his family, waits impatiently for a curse to be removed.

Joshua Collins has sent a note to Natalie du Prés asking her to meet him at the Old House. When she arrives, one of the first thing she notices is that the portrait of Josette is not hanging over the fireplace in the drawing room. Joshua tells her that Barnabas Collins had it moved to Josette's room, a fact that Natalie does not believe since the portrait was still in the drawing room after Barnabas died. Joshua informs her that Barnabas is not dead.

Act I

Joshua tells Natalie that Barnabas is under a witch's curse, but the witch is not Victoria Winters. Natalie realizes now the truth that Angelique is the witch. Joshua hopes that Natalie has some knowledge of the occult, being from Martinique. Natalie suggests there might be a way to lift the curse. She will send out a psychic message in the hopes it will be answered by a knock on the door by someone who may be friend or enemy. But Collinwood must be empty. Joshua says he will think of some excuse to get everyone to leave Collinwood. As they prepare to leave the Old House, Natalie sees the portrait hanging over the fireplace change and become Angelique's portrait.

Act II

Back at Collinwood, Joshua has given the servants the night off and arranges for the family to listen to the governor speak at the Inn. Naomi and Daniel are already waiting in a carriage when Nathan and Millicent come in. When Joshua tells them he expects them to go into town, Nathan is reluctant, but Joshua insists the entire family must be represented. Nathan asks Joshua if he is also going, but he gives an excuse that his gout is acting up. Nathan insists on talking to Millicent alone first, insisting the final decision on whether to go will be hers. But before he talks to her, he talks to Joshua in private, wondering if this has anything to do with Barnabas. Joshua refuses to respond to that and tells Nathan he has five minutes to convince Millicent to go.

Alone in the drawing room, Millicent is looking out the window at the tower room. Nathan tells her she should go to the tower room to investigate the light that she sees but he claims is not there. Millicent is scared to go, and when she next looks towards the tower room, claims she no longer sees the light. Nathan says she is lying; she still sees the light. Nathan tells her she must go to the tower room tonight to investigate.

Act III

Joshua watches from the door as the carriage pulls away. He joins Natalie in the drawing room. She starts the incantation and tells him to think of Barnabas. Nathan, meanwhile, comes down the stairs, and Joshua, hearing him, goes out to the foyer. Nathan tells Joshua he can't find Millicent anywhere. Joshua says she must have already left with Naomi and Daniel, and he must follow on his horse immediately. When Joshua returns to the drawing room, Natalie starts the incantation again. Outside the tower room door, Millicent nervously unbolts the door and enters. Barnabas reaches out for her, grabbing her neck, and she screams.

Act IV

Barnabas tries to talk to the hysterical Millicent telling her she must not tell anyone what she has seen, but all Millicent can do is repeat "I can't..." Barnabas tells Millicent that she has given him no choice, and he moves in to bite her. The remaining lit candle in the drawing room goes out even though there is no draft. Joshua and Natalie head to the foyer, and all the candles there go out. The doors blow open and outside stands a hooded figure of an old woman. She enters the house and announces that the man they have summoned her to see is already gone.

Memorable quotes[]

Dramatis personae[]

Background information and notes[]

Production[]

The character played by Anita Bolster is not named in the episode except in the closing credits, where her name is given as Bathia Mapes.
Anita Bolster and Joan Bennett likely knew each other in Hollywood. Bolster's name is prominently featured in the opening credits of Scarlet Street, a film Bennett produced. Bolster is only on-screen for a few seconds and has one line of dialogue. A lobby card indicates a deleted scene in which Bolster appeared.

Story[]

Angelique's portrait makes its first appearance.
Although not named in the episode, Samuel Adams was governor of Massachusetts during this time.
INTERNAL MONOLOGUE: Millicent: recalling Nathan's voice.
GHOSTWATCH: Joshua and Natalie hold a séance to summon someone who can lift the vampire curse from Barnabas.
TIMELINE: Day 183 begins, and will end in 451. 6:10pm at the start of this episode. Natalie has been trying to accept the possibility that Angelique is the witch for "days" ever since Peter Bradford came to her (occurred in 443).

Bloopers and continuity errors[]

In the teaser, an overhanging branch gets caught in Natalie's hair as she enters the Old House.
Louis Edmonds flubs a line in Act I: "I did not think...this would...what it would mean to you."
There is no apparent reason for Natalie to still be at Collinwood given that Josette has been dead for some time.
Throughout the 1795 story line, Natalie has insisted she has no occult or psychic powers, with any abilities that she has limited to tarot card readings. She even at one point insisted that her tarot readings were only a "game." Yet now she claims the ability to send a psychic message to summon someone who may help lift the curse from Barnabas.
In Act I, when Natalie is startled by the candle going out near the portrait over the Old House fireplace and before the portrait of Angelique appears in its place, Grayson Hall reaches down twice to her left for no discernible reason.
A boom microphone shadow can be seen as Nathan and Millicent walk into Collinwood.
A knocking or creaking sound is heard as Nathan and Millicent talk at the end of Act II.
The lights dim before Natalie snuffs out the last candle.
The drawing room gets very dark as Natalie snuffs four candles, even though a much larger fire is still roaring in the fireplace.
When Millicent is in the tower room, the candle that she is holding is between her and her shadow, which is impossible. But it does allow the director to make interesting use of shadows in Act III.
Natalie's beauty mark now appears to be in the shape of a star (or a cross). [This is likely neither a blooper nor a continuity error. In the late 18th century, many women wore fake beauty marks as part of their makeup. Since they were painted on, their position and shape often changed to suit the mood.]