- "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."
- ―Madame Findley
| Episode 647 | |
|---|---|
| |
| Air date | December 17th, 1968 |
| Writers | Sam Hall |
| Director | Lela Swift |
| Producers | Robert Costello |
| Starring | Joan Bennett; Louis Edmonds; Thayer David; David Henesy; Denise Nickerson |
| Episode guide | |
| Previous Episode 646 |
Next Episode 648 |
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[]
| Actor | Role |
|---|---|
| Joan Bennett | Elizabeth Collins Stoddard |
| Louis Edmonds | Roger Collins |
| Thayer David | Professor Stokes |
| Cavada Humphrey | Janet Findley |
| David Henesy | David Collins |
| Denise Nickerson | Amy Jennings |
Notes & Trivia[]
- This episode is included on disc 4 of Volume 11 of the Dark Shadows DVD series collection.
- Closing still: Collinwood storage room.
- This episode is part of the "Ghost of Quentin Collins" storyline.
- Amy 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[]
- "Someone just tried to kill me."
- ―Roger Collins
- "Don't children play outdoors anymore or is that considered hopelessly old fashioned?"
- ―Professor Stokes
- "A war is being waged. And we must find the one who started it."
- ―Janet Findley
See also[]
External Links[]
 This article pertains to an episode from the original Dark Shadows television series. This template will categorize articles that include it into the Dark Shadows episodes category. Characters
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