Customer Reviews

Barnabas & Company: The cast of the TV classic Dark Shadows

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4 star:		(4)
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2 star:		(1)
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With a few celebrated exceptions, the Dark Shadows cast generally remains an obscure one to aficionados of cult television. Even in the age of multi-channel cable television, the majority of the show's actors remain shadowy figures outside of their familiar characters. Drawing on extensive new research, Barnabas & Company is a new reference book which uncovers a wealth of trivia, facts and figures for the entire Dark Shadows role-call.

Composed of a selection of career biographies, with additional trivia sections and a history of the show, the book has a gossipy, easygoing style that impresses, offering some important new observations on the Dark Shadows phenomenon along the way. For example, in the opening history of the show, the author comments on the intrusion of reality during the show's run, with some insightful comments from Nancy Barrett on the effect of the Vietnam War on the show's original fair tale qualities. It's a brief aside, but a valuable one that adds an extra dimension to the rose-tinted view of the studio days one usually hears.

Elsewhere, the book revels in the absurdities of show business, gleefully documenting a number of hilarious "what were they thinking?" productions with appropriately droll asides. If Denise Nickerson's Broadway lead in a musical production of Lolita doesn't sound bad enough, then Grayson Hall's hilarious turn as a lesbian nightclub promoter in sexploitation flick Satan in High Heels should raise a few smiles, in a role that even the actress agreed was best forgotten - she denied even appearing in the film at certain times in her career.

Where the book scores most highly is in its coverage of the actors' stage careers. Unlike most other cult shows, Dark Shadows drew its cast largely from the New York stage, and the detailed credit listings demonstrates the weight of formal training and experience that informed so many of the series' memorable performances. The New York theatre, preserved only in scarce reviews and Playbills, represents a crucial lost part of Dark Shadows' heritage, the value of which should not be underestimated. What emerges is a vivid picture of what a microcosm that world was for the show's actors, and the criss-crossing of career paths is dizzying. Many reviews and synopses are included, and though some are disappointingly brief, many succeed in bringing those lost performances back to life.

For too long Dark Shadows has been wrongly remembered for wobbly sets and wobblier acting. Craig Hamrick's indispensable new guide impressively redresses the balance, shedding new light on one of the most eclectic and accomplished casts ever assembled for a television show.

There are numerous DS books on the market,almost always told from the point of view of a select few who appeared on the show and relate tales heavy on sunshine and roses. While these voices are important, they only provide one dimension. Mr. Hamrick, who has appeared at many of the conventions, is first and foremost a curious fan and thus approaches his writing with that mindset,adding a much needed balance to the scales without the usual rehash. If you can find Hamrick's comprehensive, yet rare 'Collectors Guide', grab this essential title also.

Being a DS fan since it's original run, I was delighted to read this book. It has lots of interesting facts and trivia that I believe fans will enjoy. Even though I've been a member of many DS internet mailing lists and message boards, there were things here I hadn't known of previously.

I believe this book will serve to increase an already substantial amount of interest in one of the most unique television shows ever produced, Dark Shadows!

Mr. Hamrick, who apparently knows many of the celebrities he writes about here, has fashioned a wonderful amalgam of trivia and scholarship. His research into the reel and real lives of the characters and cast of the landmark soap Dark Shadows brings the reader not only into the world of Collinwood, but closer to the people who inhabited it and made the fantastic seem real. Highly recommended for all fans of soaps and pop culture.

Finally, an honest, compulsively readable collection of portraits on the DARK SHADOWS cast.

A nice remedy to the endless amount of photo-heavy, content-lite other DS books.

If you want to really learn about the real people behind the characters, and like well-written material, this is your best option.

A must have, which adds a welcome degree of historical context and richness.

Highly RECOMMENDED!

It's always interesting to read a book by someone who knows and has access to several of the DS actors and crew and makes available a wealth of facts and figures and personal memories in which to compile this fascinating book.

A reviewer said that Jonathan Frid has "disassociated" himself from DS. He has on his official website (bearing his name) photos and personal memories of his first days on the series. Doesn't sound like disassociation to me. It's as on target as Mr. Hamrick's compendium of fun facts and trivia.

A must read for Shadow fans. Very impressive - I have read several books related to the show and other series of the time - this one is a cut above the rest. Thank you Mr. Hamrick. Great work.

I would like to thank Mr. Hamrick for his new book "Barnabas and Company." It's books like this one, and the Dark Shadows Almanac, and the Dark Shadows Companion that help to keep Dark Shadows alive in our hearts after nearly 40 years. This book belongs in the library of every DS fan.

Having been a fan of DS since childhood and feeling somewhat "empowered" with my own knowledge, I found this book to be right on the money with a lot more "stuff" that I didn't know. Craig writes what he knows and it's amazing considering his discovery of it after the show ended.
Along with Craig's book on Louis Edmonds, I have found that he really has a passion and love for this show and it's many stars. I look forward to future books by this author.

I started watching Dark Shadows when it first appeared on TV and am stil an avid fan. This book allows die-hard fans with a look at what we followed so closely many years ago. Barnabas was my personal favorite so this book is right up my alley.