I will never forget January of 1968, while switching channels on my TV, coming upon a close-up of a character named Barnabas Collins played by actor Jonathan Frid.
I was immediately struck by the appearance of this character--I mean this guy was perfect for the role of a vampire. If a prototypical vampire is a person with dark hair, dark thick eyelashes and eyebrows, deep set dark eyes, and a gaunt sunken face with an expression of suffering and desolation accompanied by an air of mystery and nobility, then this guy was it!
At that instant I felt both enchantment and deep disheartenment at the appearance of this character, for I thought to myself, “what a waste to not use a character like that to portray a vampire”. I had absolutely no idea that within weeks this character would become transformed into a vampire by the casting of a curse by the witch Angelique!
This event was one of the most prescient of my life, and we have to give credit here to Dan Curtis and associates for making such a stupendous casting call!
Here then, for the first time ever--unlike the Addams Family and The Munsters--we had a show on gothic horror called, Dark Shadows, being taken seriously on TV.
But what is it exactly about the character of Barnabas Collins that has made him so endearing to us for so long? I believe its a combination of factors; here they are in numerical order:
1. His uniquely regal, dark handsome, virile appearance created a sense of mystery and awe: Dark hair, dark thick bushy eyebrows, dark thick eyelashes, dark deep set eyes, prominent thick nose, sunken gaunt cheeks, firm powerful shoulders--in other words, here was a character that was not only very attractive by most standards, but most importantly, very attractive in the vampire sense of the word. He, like actor Barry Atwater who played, The Night Stalker; and like actor Max Schreck, who played Nosferatu, had the look about him in terms of bone structure and physical traits that endeared him to playing the specific vampire role that he played.
For example, comparing actor Jonathan Frid’s appearance to that of Ben Cross who played Barnabas Collins in the 1991 remake, it was obvious to me from the beginning that Ben Cross as Barnabas Collins would not work partly because of the sparseness of his eyelashes, and because of his lack of that all-around, “dark mysterious look”. If Johnny Depp is successful as Barnabas Collins it will have to be based on his (and Tim Burton’s) own individual merits and large fan base, because he too lacks that all-around, “dark gaunt virile masculine mysterious look”.
2. His persona of respectability and importance: His firm penetrating gaze and measured politeness greatly contributed to the psychological factors we associate with respectability. These psychological factors were then enhanced by the camera close-ups and the camera’s persistence on keeping him in focus--that is, you immediately knew who was the most important person in the room!
3. His feelings of guilt, and his sentimentality and vulnerability juxtaposed alongside his immense supernatural abilities and monstrously evil nature, resulted in a character that surpassed the complexity-of-role of previous vampires. One moment we have a blood-thirsty serial killer of-the-worst kind, and at another moment, a vulnerable, heartbroken, guilt-ridden creature making a mournful speech to Josette's portrait at the Old House. In fact, I would suggest that in terms of endearing psychological traits, that this sharp contrast between his vulnerability and monstrosity is what has made Barnabas Collins one of the most magnetically attractive TV characters of all time!
4. Jonathan Frid’s previous experience playing Shakespearean characters may be an under appreciated factor here in that he projected the character of Barnabas Collins in his mind so deftly that we were psychologically, “tricked” into thinking he was the character whose role he was playing--but then again, this is a skill of all great actors (and kudos to all co-starring actors and actresses for helping bring his character to life!).
To sum it all up, there is a term called, “synchronicity”, which is defined as the harmonious orderly alignment of events that would otherwise seem to appear random. I would argue that the casting of Jonathan Frid as Barnabas Collins is one such synchronous event. And I would further suggest that it is doubtful if there was an actor at that time that could have stepped into the shoes of Jonathan Frid and played the character of Barnabas Collins as successfully as he did.
In conclusion, I have often wondered if my exalted reaction to seeing the character of Barnabas Collins on TV that afternoon in 1968 is not somehow connected to the synchronous event just mentioned--after all, do I not draw vampires? (see my article and video, I Draw Vampires). And am I not writing this article as Warner Bros serendipitously prepares to release yet another remake of Dark Shadows?
You forgot one thing about Frid's perfect casting as a vampire -- his voice. He had the perfect looks, manners, acting style to be the tortured, gentleman vampire, but he also had the perfect voice as well.
ReplyDeleteFrid's voice was deep, powerful and smooth. Frid used his sonorous, elegant voice superbly to bring drama to the role and define the personality of Barnabas with an expressive voice. The depth of his voice added masculinity and power to the character as well.
In addition to his looks, Frid also had the perfect voice to play a nobleman vampire.
Yes, you are absolutely right, his voice was very important. Of the voice characteristics you mention I am thinking that perhaps sonorousness is the most encompassing because within that sonorousness or deep resonance or power, there is this projection of confidence and conviction which made listening to him absolutely spellbinding. And that elegance in his voice that you note can perhaps be partly ascribed to his articulateness and eloquence.
DeleteHis voice traits, which I inadvertently left out, then, definitely contributed to this persona of respectability I mention in the article. To sum it up: Here was a guy who when he talked, people listened!
Thanks for your helpful comment.
On a side note, Jonathan Frid passed away on April 14, 2012, two weeks after I published this article--and I did suspect that something like this might happen. As I have previously suggested, I believe my life and that of Jonathan Frid's were synchronistically intertwined at certain junctures, especially at those pertaining to his portrayal of Barnabas Collins.
Rest in Peace Brother.
Yes, he use his beautiful sounding voice to perfection! He was simply mesmerising.
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteWhere are your vampire drawings? I'd love to see them.
ReplyDeleteCouldn't have said all this better, myself. And I have the (mis)fortune to attempt to perform that voice. Yikes!
ReplyDeleteAlfredo, Thank you for a wonderful essay about the magic of Jonathan Frid's Barnabas Collins. Earlier this year I wrote an essay which I've attached here. Enoy, Melissa King
ReplyDeleteJonathan Frid & Barnabas & Collins: The Voice Beautiful
There have been many actors with wonderful, unmistakable voices: Paul Robeson, James Mason, Laurence Olivier, Richard Burton, Max von Sydow, Derek Jacobi and James Earl Jones among others. I’m new to DS and didn’t know who Jonathan Frid was until I stumbled onto a YouTube DS clip of Angelique putting The Curse on Barnabas. Playing the clip I was captivated by JF’s voice – that mellifluous, silky, resonant baritone with impeccable diction and savored cadences.
Barnabas Collins was one of the first multi-faceted characters on daytime television and the complexity of his persona is filtered through his deeply expressive eyes but also through the extraordinary instrument that is JF’s voice. JF has a note for every emotion: unctuously charming, romantic, sinister, plaintive, bitter, sarcastic, mocking, indignant, sensual/erotic, enraged and pretty much everything else. I noticed while watching the addictive 1795 storyline that Barnabas did more than die from a bat-bite and be resurrected as a vampire. In the vampiric transformation, my ear notices that JF lowered the pitch of Barnabas’ voice. I was reminded of how Laurence Olivier, with the help of a voice coach, lowered his normal baritone by more than an octave to play Othello at the National Theatre in the mid ‘60’s. Similarly, JF gives the vampire Barnabas an extra sonorous and luxuriantly darker range of shadings to his dialogue. But JF didn’t stop there. Barnabas the night creature has more gravitas, aristocratic bearing and a unique, other-worldly aura. He has a mesmeric presence that, even when he trips on a line or his dialogue is a bit absurd, you can’t take your eyes off him. In short, I think JF deepens and revs up his portrayal from this point on.
On top of JF’s vocal artistry, his Barnabas was stunning to look at and possessed a romantic, Byronic hero quality made all the more potent combined with his beautifully expressive, eloquent eyes, the spectral makeup, the Regency period costumes’ svelte cutaway coats, vests, cravats and cloaks. All this enhance Barnabas’ dashing, gallant allure. Add Barnabas’ self-disgust, blood lust struggle, tenderness, isolation, bitterness, vulnerability, endless, heart-breaking search for a reunion with Josette through her reincarnations as Maggie and Kitty, and seeing Josette in Rachel Drummond, delusions that he can destroy Angelique’s curse, the way he fiercely clings to what remains of his humanity and you have an irresistible, inspired star turn. JF broke the mold of what a vampire could be and vampiredom in all forms of entertainment have never been the same since.
It’s a shame that JF didn’t do audio books or documentary voice-overs. Let’s face it, JF could read a transcript of “Jersey Shore” and make the vulgar, moronic language sound like John Keats. But what we do have are hundreds of DS episodes brought to melodious, magical life by JF’s magnificent, complex performance and extraordinary vocal instrument. Thank you, Jonathan!