Saturday, June 27, 2026 at 7:30 PM
Hammer Museum, Los Angeles
Premiering on June 27, 1966, on ABC-TV, *Dark Shadows *(1966–71) represented an outré experiment in daytime television that became an unexpected breakout hit and evergreen cult classic. Created by horror-maestro Dan Curtis (*The Night Stalker*, *Trilogy of Terror*), the innovative soap opera, which initially struggled in the ratings, expanded greatly in popularity in its second year with the addition of a 175-year-old charismatic vampire character named Barnabas Collins (Jonathan Frid). As the eerily atmospheric series evolved to fuse gothic supernatural elements and romance into complex storylines, it developed a passionate youth following and became a pop culture phenomenon. In the process, the videotaped series earned the distinction of being the first soap to spawn a theatrical motion picture spin-off, *House of Dark Shadows* (1970), and several additional feature films and reboots. The beloved original series ran for over 1,200 episodes before its abrupt cancellation in 1971. In the ensuing decades, the aura surrounding* Dark Shadows *has only intensified, with the influential program enjoying nearly constant reruns in syndication, luring an influx of new viewers into the mysterious, shadow-drenched world of the wealthy Collins family of fictional Collinsport, Maine. Join us for a celebration of* Dark Shadows*, exactly 60 years to the day of its premiere, including the debut episode and rare archival footage. Before the screening, historian Jim Pierson will sign copies of *Dark Shadows Noir: Classic Black and White Photography from the Dan Curtis Productions Archive. *Following the screening, there will be a Q&A with *Dark Shadows *star, actor David Selby, and Jim Pierson. *Programmed and note written by John H. Mitchell Television Curator Mark Quigley.* The series debut introduces central protagonist, young Victoria “Vicki” Winters (Alexandra Moltke), as she arrives to begin her new life as a governess for the secretive (and cursed) Collins family. Directed by television pioneer Lela Swift, who would helm over 500 episodes of *Dark Shadows*. With original commercials. ABC. Production: Dan Curtis Productions. Executive Producer: Dan Curtis. Director: Lela Swift. Writer: Art Wallace. With: Joan Bennett, Mitchell Ryan, Louis Edmonds. Maggie Evans (Kathryn Leigh Scott) regains her true identity and plots a desperate escape from being eternally bound to her captor, vampire Barnabas Collins (Jonathan Frid). ABC. Production: Dan Curtis Productions. Executive Producer: Dan Curtis. Director: Lela Swift. Writer: Joe Caldwell. With: Jonathan Frid, Kathryn Leigh Scott, John Karlen. Carl (John Karlen) and his brother Quentin Collins (David Selby) are caught in a deadly confrontation between vampire Barnabas Collins (Jonathan Frid) and a crucifix-wielding preacher (Jerry Lacy). ABC. Production: Dan Curtis Productions. Executive Producer: Dan Curtis. Director: Henry Kaplan. Writer: Sam Hall. With: Jonathan Frid, David Selby, John Karlen.