Saving Milly on CBS July 9

Saving Milly, one of the final projects of Dark Shadows creator Dan Curtis, who passed away this year, will be rebroadcast on CBS on Sunday, July 9, at 8:00 PM Eastern/Pacific. Curtis directed this 2005 television film, based on the book, which deals with the relationship between political journalist Morton Kondracke and his wife Milly as they confront her diagnosis with Parkinson's disease. The CBS web page for the movie includes a synopsis and relevant links.

Lara Parker Appearances This Summer

Lara Parker (Angelique) will be making some appearances in California this month to promote her new Dark Shadows novel, The Salem Branch, which is scheduled to be released on July 11. Visit the Appearances page of her official web site for details.

To order a copy of The Salem Branch from Amazon and support this site through your purchase, click here.

To read other entries about the book on this blog, click here.

Dark Shadows Reborn Site Launches

The web site for Dark Shadows Reborn, the new series of audio dramas from Big Finish productions, launched on June 5, 2006. The site includes photos taken during the May recording session as well as a trailer.

The new Dark Shadows audio series was mentioned in an earlier entry on this blog on April 17, 2006. Click here to read that news item.

Dark Shadows 40th Anniversary Festival Information

The Dark Shadows Festival web site has just been updated to include details about the 40th Anniversary event to be held August 25-27, 2006 in Brooklyn. Visit the site for a guest list, event highlights, and a copy of the registration form.

Donna McKechnie Autobiography

An autobiography by Donna McKechnie (Amanda Harris) should be available in stores in September 2006. Amazon lists an August 29, 2006 release for McKechnie's Time Steps: My Musical Comedy Life.

While Dark Shadows fans know McKechnie for her portrayal of Quentin Collins' love interest, Amanda Harris, fans of musical theatre know her for her Tony Award winning portrayal of Cassie in A Chorus Line on Broadway. She has made occasional film and television appearances since Dark Shadows, but the majority of her work has been on stage.

For an overview of the chapters contained in Time Steps: My Musical Comedy Life, read the Playbill Online article about the book.

If you plan to purchase this book, please consider using this Amazon link. Your purchase will help to support this web site.

New Documentary from Alexandra Isles

Alexandra Isles (Victoria Winters) has directed a new documentary, The Healing Gardens of New York. Two screenings are scheduled in New York in June. For more information, visit the New York Women in Film and Television web site.

The film will be broadcast on WNET, New York's PBS station, as part of their Reel New York series, on July 27. For more information, visit the WNET web site.

Isles' previous documentary credits include Scandalize My Name, which chronicles the impact of McCarthy-era blacklisting on African-American performers. This film is available on DVD from Amazon. Click here for additional information.

This information was originally posted on the Dark Shadows Forums by victoriawinters.

Grayson Hall Biography Due This Summer

R. J. Jamison's biography of actress Grayson Hall (Dr. Julia Hoffman) is set to be released this summer. Hall, an Academy Award nominee, was married to Sam Hall, who went on to write for Dark Shadows. Their son, Matthew Hall, served as a writer for the 1991 Dark Shadows series.

Here's an announcement regarding the book:

Ms. Hall (1923-1985) was a widely acclaimed New York Theatre actress, 1964 Academy Award nominee and co-star of the 1960s-70s iconic Gothic television serial, Dark Shadows. Research into her career has uncovered reviews of Grayson's earliest stage appearances as a teenager on Long Island and includes material on her extensive stage work in New York City; Spoleto, Italy; and the Hedgerow Theatre outside Philadelphia. Rare, previously unpublished documentation of her television and film careers will also be presented.

The biographical project's goal is to provide a comprehensive, candid view of Ms Hall's professional achievements, persona and legacy for her admirers, the theatrical community, and students of the history of the American media arts.

The book contains excerpts of interviews with Kathryn Leigh Scott, David Selby, Nancy Barrett, Alexandra Isles, Marie Wallace, Diana Millay, Sylvia Miles, John Guare, Ted Mann, Arthur Penn, and Sam and Matthew Hall. It will also include several privately, unpublished photos of Grayson's early life, including a photo of her first husband -- Ted Brooks, and her theatrical endeavors.

The book is scheduled for publication in August 2006.

Information on the book can be found at www.rjjamison.com (Click on Non-Fiction)

Look for an announcement on this site when the book becomes available.

Dark Shadows DVD Collection 25

Originally posted on April 16, 2005. Episode and interview information added on April 30, 2006.

Dark Shadows DVD Collection 25 is scheduled to be released on July 25, 2006. According to MPI Home Video, the set contains episodes 1186-1226, which include the transition from 1840 to 1840 parallel time. Here's the synopsis:

At Collinwood in the year 1840, Daphne Harridge describes strange occurances she viewed in a room in the east wing. Dr. Julia Hoffman warns her to beware of the parallel time band she has witnessed. Barnabas begs Angelique to use her powers to help save Quentin Collins from being executed for practicing witchcraft. Using Quentin's stairway through time, Barnabas, Julia and Professor Stokes travel back to the future.

In 1841 parallel time, Bramwell Collins insists that Catherine Harridge marry him instead of Morgan Collins. As the family's oldest son, Morgan is placed in charge of the dreaded lottery, where a family member is selected to endure a night in a mysterious, cursed room. Kendrick Young discovers that his lover Melanie Collins suffers from a split personality. Carrie Stokes reveals that Morgan is possessed by James Forsythe, the man who placed the curse on the Collinses in 1680. The ghost of Brutus Collins taunts Morgan.

The set features bonus interviews with David Selby (Quentin Collins), John Karlen (Desmond Collins), Lara Parker (Catherine Harridge), and costume designer Mary McKinley.

This set also includes a reconstruction of Episode 1219, the only episode of Dark Shadows that does not exist on videotape or kinescope. Lara Parker (Catherine Harridge) provides a synopsis of the events of the missing episode.

If you plan to purchase this DVD set from Amazon, please click here or use the link below to help support this site through your purchase at no additional cost.

Criseyde's David Selby Site Update 4/29/06

A few odds and ends:

• Information about David's possible participation in a touring version of L.A. Theatre Works' Caine Mutiny Court-Martial has been added to the Upcoming Appearances section of the News page.
• The premiere date for Black Hole has been added to the Events Calendar on the What's New? page and to the News page.
• Information about a second book signing in Morgantown held this past week has been added to the Recent Appearances section of the News page. Anyone who attended is invited to share photos on the site.
• The oft imitated and sometimes flat-out duplicated Biography page has been updated to include recent projects.

http://www.ldrweb.com/davidselby

New Book by the "Other" Victoria Winters

When Alexandra Moltke (Victoria Winters) left the cast of Dark Shadows due to her pregnancy, a couple of other actresses took a stab at playing the part. One of them was Betsy Durkin, who now goes by the name Betsy Durkin Matthes.

Matthes has written a new book, Dressing the Man You Love: A Woman's Guide to Purchasing, Coordinating and Caring for His Classic Wardrobe. It is scheduled to be released on June 1, 2006. You can read more about Matthes and her book on the book's official web site.

Special thanks to Craig Hamrick who first posted about Betsy Durkin Matthes and her new book on his Dark Shadows Online site.

Use the link below to purchase a copy of the book from Amazon. Sales generated through this link will help to support this web site at no additional cost to you.