Daphne Collins
Actors Michael T. Weiss as Joe Haskell and Rebecca Staab as Daphne Collins from 1991’s Dark Shadows Resurgence
Accountant Elizabeth Stoddard, who was made her niece in this version. This original female character is a mixture of two heroines at once – Daphne Budd – Elizabeth’s secretary and the first victim of Barnabas Collins from the 1970 film “House of Dark Shadows” and its novelization by Marilyn Ross, and Caroline Stoddard from the same place (in the film “House of Dark Shadows” Daphne was brunette, who was also courted by Julia Hoffman):
Actress Elizabeth Blake Richards as Daphne Budd in House of Dark/Dark Shadows (1970)
In the 1991 series, when Daphne threatens David Collins, it reminds us of the pool scene where Cousin Carolyn also finds David and convinces him not to be afraid of her:
Frame from the film “House of Dark Shadows” 1970
Both girls emerge from the mist in snow-white robes, like the Brides of Dracula or Lucy Westenra… Daphne moves towards David, hissing and baring her fangs:
Carolyn does almost the same, but David runs away from her in horror:
And here is another copied scene – members of the Collins family, immersed in mourning, have a memorial dinner, and then David unceremoniously bursts in and announces to the dumbfounded relatives that their relative has not died, which certainly causes a wave of indignation and indignation among them:
Shot from the film “House of Dark / Dark Shadows” 1970
Professor Michael Woodard tells a saddened family, “I believe Daphne was destroyed by a vampire, and that she walks around like one of the living dead tonight,” a line usually spoken by Professor Timothy Eliot Stokes in the 1970 film.
Also, a scene was plagiarized from the movie “House of Dark Shadows” where local cops kill a vampire, this time Daphne Collins:
Although, as far as I remember, Caroline Stoddard was killed in exactly the same way (secondary!)
Shot from the film “House of Dark / Dark Shadows” 1970
Barnabas Collins
Actor Ben Cross as Barnabas Collins
Here actor Ben Cross, known to Americans from the movie “Chariots of Fire”, took on the role of Barnabas, originally played by Jonathan Freed.
The vampire in his performance turned out to be much younger and sexier.
Barnabas’ backstory duplicates what we already saw in the original Dark Shadows from episodes 366 to 460, when a séance held by members of the Collins family to contact the spirit of Barnabas’ younger sister, Sarah, sent Victoria Winters back in time to 1795, where she looked more like a Mary Sue and almost got hanged for witchcraft.
It’s exactly the same here – Barnabas’ aunt Abigail suspects Victoria of witchcraft and summons a witch hunter to get rid of her. In this version, Jeremiah Collins, who was billed as Barnabas’ uncle in the original series, becomes his brother.
The plot lines with Josette DuPre are also repeated – Barnabas wants to marry her, gives her a music box, but because of Angelica, she falls in love with his brother Jeremiah, and Barnabas arranges a duel out of jealousy. As in the original, Jeremiah dies of his wound, is resurrected as a zombie by Angelica, and dies again…
But Victoria ends up not in 1795, but in 1790, unlike the series, where she also becomes the governess of the younger brother of Barnabas, Jeremiah and Sarah – Daniel Collins, who looks like David.
Barnabas himself from the 1991 series, with the exception of appearance, in fact, does not differ much from his predecessor, played by Jonathan Freed.
This character is more of a mixture of Barnabas from the original 1966-1970s series and the hero of the same name (or rather, the villain) from the movie House of Dark (Dark) Shadows.
Barnabas’ servant is called Ben Loomis and is an ancestor of Willy Loomis who also becomes a reluctant servant, whereas in the original Ben had the surname Stokes and was the ancestor of Professor Timothy Eliot Stokes, who was initially extremely hostile to Barnabas.
Episode 435 of the original “Dark Shadows” where Barnabas Collins and his servant and close friend Ben Stokes meet.
In addition, in the 1991 series, Ben Loomis was also a coachman and was eventually turned into a vampire by Angelique Bouchard, while in the original, Ben Stokes was an illiterate convict arrested after the war for illegal entry into private property.
Joshua Collins, Barnabas’ father, forced him to work for himself to close his criminal record. After befriending Barnabas, Ben changed for the better and was rewarded for his loyalty to the Collins and his service with $100 and a small plot of land outside of town, where he happily married and continued his family.
But after one of the members of the Collins family named Desmond brought the head of the warlock Judah Zachary, Ben became the first victim of its harmful effects – he committed suicide by taking a knife and almost cutting off his head, as episode 1119 of the original series tells us.
Ben Loomis (right) from the 1991 series, Barnabas Collins’ servant and part-time coachman
About Ben Loomis, besides