683 — darkshadows

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Number	674
Timeline	1969
Narrator	Don Briscoe
Writer	Ron Sproat
Director	Lela Swift
Broadcast	February 5, 1969 (Wednesday)
Recorded	January 29, 1969 (Wednesday)
Video	Complete: Disc 71 Collection 12: Disc 3

We have 32 images of Dark Shadows 683

Julia hypnotizes Chris in an attempt to find out about the woman who helped save his life.

Synopsis

The great house of Collinwood appears majestic and serene in the fading afternoon sun, but there is no serenity within its walls, for Collinwood is a house that contains many secrets, dark, ominous secrets. And those who try to uncover them will find themselves in great danger. On the previous night, a séance was held, and the spirit of a woman was contacted. Her words will lead to the uncovering of other secrets, dangerous secrets. And those who are attempting to unravel the mysteries of Collinwood will find themselves in greater peril than they realize.

Barnabas and Julia try to find out more about the spirits in the house. Julia hypnotizes Chris in an attempt to find out about the woman (Beth) who helped save his life. Beth leads Chris to a spot on the ground; later Barnabas and Chris dig there and find a child's coffin.

Memorable quotes

Barnabas: (speculating) The children themselves killed Madam Findley.

Chris: (about Amy): She's a strange kid.

Julia: If we can't help Chris, then we have to expose him.

Barnabas: David is too, too clever.

Dramatis personae

Background information and notes

Production

Final episode to be written by Ron Sproat.
This episode only exists as a black and white kinescope copy. Compared to previous kinescopes, the quality is quite good; the image is sharp and the sound is clear.
This is the eighth episode with no pre-Barnabas cast members.
During the closing credits, Bob Lloyd says, "Dark Shadows is a Dan Curtis Production." It is the first the either or anyone for that matter has closed off an episode in this matter since episode 368/369

Story

Amy sings the lullaby "Rock-a-bye Baby."
The séance to contact Janet Findley occurred on the previous night.
Elizabeth never told David and Amy about Janet Findley's death. Barnabas thinks that the children are in danger, they know the killer, or they killed Findley herself.
GHOSTWATCH: Beth's ghost appears to Amy and gives her a doll. Later, she appears to Chris and leads him to an unmarked grave, which later yields the small coffin of an infant.
TIMELINE: Day 270 begins, and will end in 684. It was yesterday when Amy went to Bangor.

Bloopers and continuity errors

In the teaser, there is a dissolve between the shot of the drawing room doors and the candles. However, the dissolve starts at one point and then stops (though it's difficult to see what image the dissolve is going to, the picture then returns fully to the doors, and then the dissolve begins again.
When Amy sneaks into the drawing room via the secret door, the viewer can see a sort of oversized lighting gobo, known as a “cookie” or cucoloris, stacked against the inner back wall of the passage.
Potential confusion is caused by Julia asking Barnabas to "wait here; I'll be right back," because in the next scene, both Julia and Barnabas turn up at Chris' cottage. This is cleared up because Julia only meant for Barnabas to wait for her to get her medallion (to hypnotize Chris) so that then they could go out together.
Grayson Hall/Julia coughs when hypnotizing Chris. There appears to be an edit right after her cough. It is better done, however, than most edits on the show; they are often more obvious than in this case.
Who put the shovel by the tree? Amy? Beth?
Toward the end of the episode, when the scene shifts to Amy in the drawing room singing to the doll, Denise Nickerson is seen looking to her right, looking for her cue to begin singing and rocking the doll.