The Television Horrors of Dan Curtis: Dark Shadows, The Night Stalker and Other Productions, 1966-2006 [Hardcover]

Jeff Thompson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 13, 2009 | ISBN-10: 078643693X | ISBN-13: 978-0786436934

The award-winning and innovative director Dan Curtis was known for helming epic war movies, but before that he darkened the small screen with the horror genre's most famous soap opera. Curtis directed the groundbreaking daytime television serial Dark Shadows from 1966 to 1971 and then turned his lens to numerous made-for-TV horror movies. This book examines 16 horror films that Curtis produced, co-wrote, or directed, as well as the cultural impact of Dark Shadows and its various incarnations. The book features 69 photographs and a foreword by Jim Pierson of Dan Curtis Productions.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Jeff Thompson is a professor of English at Tennessee State University in Nashville. He contributes articles on film and popular culture for magazines and books, as well as Web sites dealing with Dark Shadows and horror cinema.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 208 pages
• Publisher: McFarland (March 13, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 078643693X
• ISBN-13: 978-0786436934
• Product Dimensions: 10.1 x 7.2 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,730,107 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Canyon News Entertainment Editor Tommy Lightfoot Garrett Loved This Book, July 25, 2009

By 

Jason Crawford "Jason Crawford" (San Francisco) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Television Horrors of Dan Curtis: Dark Shadows, The Night Stalker and Other Productions, 1966-2006 (Hardcover)

HOLLYWOOD--"The Television Horrors of Dan Curtis" is a great book that was published by McFarland Publishing, a company that specializes in books for film students and people interested in the educational and historical side of entertainment.

Dan Curtis is a name that is synonymous with the ABC Television series of the late 1960s "Dark Shadows." That series which lasted until 1971 remains one of the most famous soap operas in television history. To this day fans meet annually for a "Dark Shadows" reunion, which include invitations to many of the show's cast members who are still living.



Dan Curtis however was a lot more prolific than many of his fans realize. After "Dark Shadows" became a cult classic, Curtis was sought after by television executives who wanted him to bring that monster, horror genre to primetime with television movies. In addition to films like "Gargoyles" (1972), "Satan's School for Girls" (1973), "The Dark Secret of Harvest Home" (1978), Curtis also was the brains behind "Miss Jane Pittman" (1974) and "The Legend of Lizzie Borden" (1973).

Curtis became acclaimed for horror and it led him to create a movie "Burnt Offerings" (1976), which he produced and directed. This would be one of the final films that starred the legendary Bette Davis. My friend Ed Begley, Jr. guest starred in "Dead of Night" in 1977. But television fans also remember his second television cult classic "Night Stalker" (1972). Curtis perhaps built his name with this series, because being a nighttime series the audience was much larger.


This book chronicles in excellent detail the career of the legendary director from 1966 through 2006. The author Jeff Thompson seems not only impressed by the distinguished career of Mr. Curtis but he also seems to grasp the fascinating imagination and mindset of a great director who created a whole new genre in television. During the 1960s Westerns were a dying genre for TV, but Curtis reinvented and reinvigorated fans and critics with his groundbreaking storytelling that not only left chills down the spine, but made us wonder if there was something out there that we weren't aware of. He made people think. Perhaps he brought that type of attitude to what is now considered a television staple. Every show today makes people wonder and think; however, in the past, people saw television as simply entertainment.

This book is filled with little known facts that fans of Dan Curtis would find fascinating, enlightening and educational. This book however reads very easily and the photographs are incredible. The author Jeff Thompson is a professor of English at Tennessee State University in Nashville. He is also involved in literary work that includes film and popular culture. The Foreword is by Jim Pierson.

I could hardly put this book down. It's a must-read.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Illustrated with sixty-nine period photographs, October 15, 2009

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Television Horrors of Dan Curtis: Dark Shadows, The Night Stalker and Other Productions, 1966-2006 (Hardcover)

Some of the most popular and influential television horror fantasy shows have been the work of award-winning director Dan Curtis. Perhaps the most enduringly memorable were 'Dark Shadows' and 'The Night Stalker'. Now the work of this innovative director has been compiled in "The Television Horrors Of Dan Curtis" by Jeff Thomson (Professor of English, Tennessee State University - Nashville). From 1966 to 1971 Curtis was involved with the production of sixteen made-for-television horror films which he produced, co-wrote, and/or directed, in addition to his pioneering Dark Shadows series. Illustrated with sixty-nine period photographs and informed and featuring an informed and informative foreword by Jim Pierson of Dan Curtis Productions, "The Television Horrors Of Dan Curtis" is a unique and highly recommended addition for professional and academic library American Television History reference collections and supplemental reading lists.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Thoroughly Enjoyable and Extremely Well Done!, October 8, 2009

By 

Peter Macchia "bookworm1978" (USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Television Horrors of Dan Curtis: Dark Shadows, The Night Stalker and Other Productions, 1966-2006 (Hardcover)

What can you say about television pioneer Dan Curtis ? How do you sum it up? If you are having trouble finding the words look no further, they are all in Jeff Thompson's new book. The Television Horrors of Dan Curtis provides an in depth ( and a very well researched) look at the career of one of the great and generally underrated geniuses of the small screen. Inside you will find all kinds of information about Curtis' early work as an innovator from his early days with the CBS Golf Classics , to the creation of his cult classic soap opera Dark Shadows and epic mini series Winds of War and War and Remembrance . Not to mention the multitude of prime time movies and series for which Curtis lent his parituclar brand of style and cahrisma. Including quotes and insight from those who worked with the man through out his career and knew him best. Though Curtis may no longer be with us, the "Curtis magic" lives on in this new volume. Informative, entertaining and well worth the money ...Buy the book!!!