Please be patient while audio and images load... Use this link to open a stand-alone web page The background audio (227KB) may be found here: http://codelphia.com/ds/Hollingshead/ShowsComments(low).wma A better version of background audio (642KB) may be found here: http://codelphia.com/ds/Hollingshead/ShowsComments(better).wav The Truth About Willie's Middle Name It seems that there is some dispute about the name of the character portraid by John Karlen in Dark Shadows' 1970 Parallel Time. This is because his name as it appears on the book he wrote is different than that used on the show. On the book, his middle name appears to be Hollingsford, but this is ignored by every character who speaks the name, Hollingshead, even when they have the book in their hands. Most likely the prop department made a mistake with the name on the cover and the production chose to ignore it figuring it wouldn't be noticed at television resolution. In any case, the name was spoken on five occasions by four characters. I'll set up each of those cases and then play the original soundtrack from the episodes in question... We first encounter 1970 Parallel Time in episode 969 when Barnabas, while searching for Megan's coffin, sees a bright light shining from beneath a set of double-doors in the East-Wing. It is through these doors that the book in question is thrown at the end of episode 971. It lands at his feet and Barnabas picks it up, then enters the room which has gone dark and empty. He is astonished as he reads the cover,,, Dark Shadows - Episode 971 - March 16, 1970 AUDIO CLIP: BARNABAS: "THE LIFE AND DEATH OF BARNABAS COLLINS" By William Hollingshead Loomis This same scene is played by Jonathan Frid again at the start of episode 972. The setup is exactly the same. Dark Shadows - Episode 972 - March 17, 1970 AUDIO CLIP: BARNABAS: "THE LIFE AND DEATH OF BARNABAS COLLINS" By William Hollingshead Loomis Just after the titles, in this same episode, 972, in the drawing room of the old house, Barnabas shows the book to Willie Loomis. Dark Shadows - Episode 972 - March 17, 1970 AUDIO CLIP: WILLIE: ... Hey Barnabas! What is that? Who wrote that book? BARNABAS: (close-up, turns to face him) You wrote it, Willie. WILLIE: (zoom in for a close-up on his puzzled face) What are you talkin' about? BARNABAS: See for yourself. (hands him the book) WILLIE: (takes the book and looks at the cover) "The Life and Death of Barnabas Collins by William Hollingshead Loomis." Hey wait a minute. Nobody knows my middle name! Later in this same episode, 972, Barnabas shows the book, which he has wrapped in a manilla envelope, to Professor Stokes in the drawing room of Collinwood... Dark Shadows - Episode 972 - March 17, 1970 AUDIO CLIP: BARNABAS: For this, (removes the book from the envelope and hands it to him) has reached me. STOKES: (accepts the book, places his monocle in his eye, reads the title) "THE LIFE AND DEATH OF BARNABAS COLLINS" by William Hollingshead Loomis. What does this mean? The last mention of Willie's middle name is made as Michael Stroka, who plays Bruno Hess in parallel time, reads the voiceover at the very beginning of episode 986. Dark Shadows - Episode 986 - April 6, 1970 AUDIO CLIP: VOICEOVER: The great proud house of Collinwood where Barnabas Collins has discovered that another identical Collinwood exists in parallel concurrent time and he has stumbled inadvertently through the barrier that separates the two times. His ancient curse has followed him even here and his guilty secret was discovered by the dissolute William Hollingshead Loomis ,who has chained his coffin in a deserted basement room. Were he free, he would see that a woman has come to Collinwood adding terror to the fears of its new mistress Maggie Collins. The woman uncannily resembles Maggie's husband's first wife who is six months dead. Thanks for your time and thanks for listening, Use this link to open a stand-alone web page