Jonathan Frid, who played Barnabas Collins in 'Dark Shadows' show, dead at 87

[quispquake]

Source: MSNBC

Actor Jonathan Frid, who played imposing and elegant vampire Barnabas Collins on the gothic soap opera "Dark Shadows," has died at 87. Frid passed away on April 14 from natural causes in his native Ontario.

"Dark Shadows" ran from 1966 to 1971, drawing 20 million viewers at its peak. Frid joined the show in 1967 and his character, an elegant vampire recently freed from his chained coffin and returning to his family's estate, Collinwood, quickly became the unquestioned star.
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Read more: http://theclicker.today.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/04/19/11287058-jonathan-frid-who-played-barnabas-collins-in-dark-shadows-show-dead-at-87?chromedomain=entertainment&lite

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A huge fan of this show (and the two movies)...Many fine memories in the 70's of watching the reruns of this at 11:00 on Channel 56 Boston...RIP Mr. Frid...

[Atman]

1. I'm sorry, this in NOT "news."

Dark Shadows? Really? This is Late Breaking News? He hasn't been late breaking since 1976.

[nolabear]

4. Oh it's been news. We just haven't been telling you

because you say things like this. Let those of us who care,care, willya?

[denbot]

5. He hasn't been dead since 1976, so yes this is breaking news..

I remember the series from it's first run. During summer we would watch the reruns with our babysitter.

[quispquake]

8. To some of us, this IS news...

News isn't just politics dude...

[caseymoz]

13. As much news if Adam West died.

You know? bAtman?

[Atman]

16. This was in the "LATE BREAKING NEWS" section!

Why not Entertainment? There hasn't been anything "late breaking" about Dark Shadows for thirty years!

And, I'm sorry, to compare Batman to this Dark Shadows guy is really a stretch.

[HiPointDem]

27. or about american bandstand either.

[nolabear]

30. Oh so if it was Adam West, that would be different!

[1monster]

32. You are right. Much as I loved Adam West and as rocking good fun as Batman

was, it didn't come close to Dark Shadows. I never would have run home from the bus stop every afternoon and braved my mother's (religion-fueled) ire every afternoon to watch Batman. I did run home every afternoon to watch the dysfunctional Collins family and enjoyed every second of it... even if my mother had hissy fits over it.

And news isn't just political. BTW, I don't find the death of the icons of different generations to be entertainment. They are/were a big part of our social history and their passing is news.

[notadmblnd]

42. Au Contrair

there is a new Dark Shadows movie coming out and Johney Depp is playing the vampire Barnabas Collins I'm looking forward to it.

I remember me and my two sisters re-enacting the episodes daily. I always got the rotten parts. I had to be Julia, Barnabas or Reverend Trask. My sister is downstairs in mourning as I type.

[Atman]

59. Just cashing in on the Twilight craze.

[wandy]

20. Some of us have fond childhood memories of Dark Shadows...

Rest in peace Jonathan Frid.
You were as good a roll model as any.
Better than some.

[NoGOPZone]

36. Barnabas Collins was over two hundred years old

what's thirty six years to him?

[Cooley Hurd]

60. Yes, it is, apparently...

...as per the posts above mine.

[Tom1960]

2. I'm old enough to remember...

this show on in the afternoons at my friends houses when I'd come home from school. Never watched in the sixties...but because I like Goth things, I caught the prime time revival that aired in the nineties on Netflix. That really got my juices flowing so I started the original series on Netflix. It's a great show and what a loss for him to be gone now.

The creep factor in the original series is simply delicious and the little defects that you notice in the closing credits and microphone booms in the shadows or in the top of the frame just add to the experience.

I hope the Johnny Depp film is a success.

[nclib]

3. I'm sorry to hear this.

I loved that show.

[nolabear]

6. Good grief, he died five days ago. The evil kid in me wants to say

"What, were they making sure?" Ah, Barnabas. Conflicted, angsty, scenery chewing love of my afterschool life. Rest in peace, big man. Or, you know, not.

[asjr]

7. I hadn't thought about that show in years! It was

different at the time it appeared on television. Loved the theme song!

[stopbush]

9. Hmm. He died just as the new Johnny Depp/Tim Burton movie is being released.

Perhaps Frid will make a post-mortem appearance at the premiere.

[quispquake]

14. He's got a cameo in the movie...

Which will be a bit bittersweet (or creepier I haven't decided yet...).

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

53. He makes a cameo appearance in the film

Though having seen the trailer for the movie I think I'll wait till it comes on cable or is available on Netflix. The movie's a parody of the show and is supposed to take place in 1972 a year after the show was cancelled.

[solarman350]

10. cheney gets the "new" heart and Barnabas dies? It's just not fair!

and just when Johnny Depp was going to portray him in the major motion picture too!

[link:http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/fash-track/johnny-depps-dark-shadows-costumes-bloopers-304723|

[quispquake]

11. Oops...looks like this was a dupe post...

That's what I get by doing a search on Frid instead of Barnabas

http://www.democraticunderground.com/1002583469

[Tx4obama]

38. Not really.

In LBN it is considered a dupe only it if has been posted in LBN previously (other forums do not count), and it looks like your OP is the first time in LBN - so all is good

[yankeepants]

12. We were such fans when we were kids we named a kitten Frid.

[azurnoir]

15. I remember watching Dark Shadows after school in the 60's and 70's

Barnabas was the front runner of the modern vampire

[Larkspur]

25. I could only catch it during school vacations

I usually got home in time to watch the last 5-10 minutes of the show.

I actually liked the revamped TV series in the 1990's starring Ben Cross as Barnabas, but was disappointed that NBC didn't renew it. The new series ended as the first Gulf War began.

[ellie]

17. Terrible!

My brother and I loved Dark Shadows. We are both appalled at the looks of the remake.

[lunasun]

55. It is a spoof but Frid met with Depp and he is in the new movie cameo role

Tim Burton brought Frid and other original series cast members in for cameos in the movie
it will be odd -Burton- but I know I have to see it!!!

[closeupready]

18. I'd watch the show as a child, it seemed so scary then.

Watching it these days on Netflix, it's dated, but it still brings back memories of my childhood, watching Dark Shadows, Felix The Cat, Rocky & Bullwinkle, The Jetsons and Bugs Bunny.

[deutsey]

22. It also scared me when I was a kid

I used to pull the covers over my head in bed at night because I swore Barnabas Collins was standing in the corner with that cane of his waiting for me to fall asleep.

I watched reruns of the show when I was older and thought the show was hilarious (in an unintentional way). The cast would mess up lines, you could sometimes hear the crew dropping things off camera or see the boom mic dip into the scene, etc.

The theme music, however, still gives me the willies.

[maddiemom]

29. Remember the chick who played Caroline?

She fainted a lot, and most of those times flashed her panties. Very popular with the junior high aged boys who used to rush home to catch the end, hoping to get lucky.

[Cleita]

19. I never watched Soap Operas back then, but I fell in love with this one.

It was on at 4:00 PM every day and I would sneak out of work every chance I could to go home and watch it. Usually, an excuse like appointments, flu, etc., etc.. Bad me! But it was so addictive.

RIP Jonathan Frid/Barnabas Collins.

You got me in plenty of trouble back then.

[EFerrari]

21. You know, Cleita, I was just thinking that our generation is the first one

to form so many attachments to performers -- many of whom are now passing. Our parents had radio and then, movies but we had all of that plus television.

[Cleita]

23. We did, didn't we?

Even though it was mostly black and white, with cheesy sets and costumes, there was a lot of quality writing in those programs.

[Ratty]

41. And the music was pretty good too.

[wandy]

24. The importance of Barnabas Collins.....

One of the most defining features of Barnabas's character development is his very gradual but persistent transformation from a frightening creature of the night into the show's protagonist, where he is the one who selflessly and heroically risks his life time and time again to save the Collins family from catastrophe. Despite this, he was a flawed character whose foibles ensured that he never became the show's outright hero.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barnabas_Collins

Just goes to show theirs some good in all of us.

[woodsprite]

26. I know what killed him - seeing the Depp "Dark Shadows" previews

Seriously though, I loved the old series/movies and I loved Frid. Saw him in a play in NYC a long long time ago. Can't even remember which one now, but it was a Shakespearean play (I was 9 or 10 yo). We got a chance to meet him afterwards. Of course, the only thing I could think of was "I just shook hands with Barnabas Collins!" I'm sure that's not what my Aunt was hoping for when she took me to see the play and have exposure to the arts.

RIP Mr. Frid

I think I'll add another tombstone to our Halloween display this year in honor of Barnabas.

[Justice wanted]

28. oh, what a shame. I personally have never seen the show. My husband wants to get it but I know

serveral people who LOVED the show.


RIP dear Sir.

[brooklynite]

31. Lucky him; he won't see the Johnny Depp remake...

Turning it into a period comedy was beyond stupid.

[1monster]

33. OMG! I can pretty much asure you that I will NOT go to see this in

theatres this summer. I may buy the 1991 TV remake instead.

Tim Burton should never be allowed to get within ten miles of icons of the past. The man has no respect for the genius of others.

[Still Blue in PDX]

48. +10000 nt

[awoke_in_2003]

52. "Tim Burton should never be allowed to get within ten miles of icons of the past"...

agreed- Depp can do any acting job, but Burton ruins everything he touches.

[Casandia]

34. Maybe it will go straight to netflix or your local video store

after no one shows up for this horrible remake.

As for me - I have the 3 first dvd's where Jonathon Frid first appears on DS - the episodes where Barnabas kidnaps Maggie Evans. My favorite storyline!

[hamsterjill]

35. I used to peddle my bike as fast as I could to get home!

Last edited Thu Apr 19, 2012, 04:29 PM - Edit history (1)

When I was in elementary school, Dark Shadows came on at 3:00 p.m., and school got out at 2:50 p.m. Lived in a small town and biked to and from school.

In the afternoons, we all peddled as fast as we could to get home to watch Barnabas!

RIP, Mr. Frid.

[Vidar]

37. RIP, Mr. Frid.

[Tx4obama]

39. R.I.P. :( n/t

[Ratty]

40. Saw him at a DS convention once

Charming, gentle, soft-spoken man. But his real voice is NOTHING like Barnabas Collins. No English accent, a little nasal sounding even - I was shocked. Shocked I tell you.

[sofa king]

43. He must have seen a sneak preview of the film.

[BumRushDaShow]

44. R.I.P. - I was one of those kids who used to run home from school

to turn the show on at 4 pm.

I was so sorry to see this today. There was something about the show vs other soaps of the time, that seemed to draw a whole generation of kids.

I just watched the trailer to Johnny Depp's version coming in May and what a wacky take. But then the subject is definitely Tim Burton material.

Rest in Peace Mr. Frid / Barnabas Collins... You had alot of silent fans out there!

[quispquake]

45. When I was four...

My dad forbade me to watch "Dark Shadows" (I was easily scared)...of course, the first time I could, I switched channels when noone was in the room, and there was a skull burning in the fireplace...scared the hell out of me, and I didn't watch it again until reruns in the 70's (where I LOVED it...very addicted!!!). I'll be playing the (vinyl) soundtrack tonite...

[Zookeeper]

46. Glad he lived a long life, sorry to hear of his passing.

Luckily for me, I lived very close to school, so I didn't miss any of the episodes.

[cin63]

47. O nooo

I remember watching Dark Shadows when I was little with my mom! I loved it at age 4 and I still love scary things! Thanks mom!

[onehandle]

49. I met him several times when I ran Sci-Fi conventions.

RIP, sir.

That show simultaneously scared the Hell out of me and propelled me into puberty.

[iemitsu]

50. i thought that barnabas was un-dead.

how can this be?

[awoke_in_2003]

51. damn, I was just reading about him the other day. nt

[MrMickeysMom]

54. Dark Shadows... I remember it well

Can you hear the theme?

It was a departure from the general, and I was ready for the unusual at that age.

RIP Jonathan Frid

[Rhiannon12866]

56. K&R. Dammit all! I loved Barnabas!

And I wanted to be Angelique!

[area51]

57. RIP, Mr. Frid

Dark Shadows is my favorite show.

LIke a few others have posted upthread, not going to see the Depp movie, wish it wasn't a parody of the show.

[Tax Man]

58. that sucks

couldn't resist