There's an episode from the Leviathan story where newly married Jeb Hawkes and Carolyn are entering a hotel room. Jeb enters first and switches on the light but is spooked to discover a quivering phantom in the room with him, so he switches off the light to escape it and then suggests to Carolyn that they leave.

In participating in the comments section of Danny Horn's Dark Shadows Every Day and seeing occasional comments here on Dark Shadows Wiki, I have found that this is almost universally one of the least favorite special effects among Dark Shadows fans; they tend to make fun of it, find it laughable, and think of it as cheap looking.

But I was three years old, watching during the original broadcast in 1970. For some reason, it really intrigued me and was one of the memories of the show I always kept with me, until I could finally view it again on DVD some 43 years later. In those days, like any three year old, I would wake in the night with strange, out of body "flying" dreams -- the equivalent of "the thing under the bed." To readjust, I'd have to go back to sleep with the light on.

But here in this Dark Shadows episode, it's exactly the opposite. Turning on the light does not help Jeb Hawkes get back to normal. In order to be free of the specter that haunts him, he has to switch off the light and be in the dark with it. At that young age, that scene just struck me in a certain way.

It also provided me with an additional childhood memory I otherwise wouldn't have had. Thanks to Dark Shadows, I know exactly where I was and what I was doing and thinking in the first half of the four o'clock hour of an afternoon that was four months and fourteen days before my fourth birthday.

"I'm not Chris.

I'm Tom."

When Barnabas first comes back from town in 1795 all bloodied up. You never see it again.

When Josettte and Angelique speak French. You never see it again.

When Angelique, as a vampire, sinks in and commits.

Maybe every Angie vampire scene.

Every Nancy Barrett scene.

Interesting! I can see how that scene would be intriguing to a small child. I got through the Leviathan storyline not too long ago and remember that scene pretty well. Truthfully, I didn't have a problem with the shadow figure. Sure, it wasn't a grade-A special effect, but that was irrelevent to me. I don't watch the show for the special effects, I watch it for the story and characters. :) The way I see it, it's not supposed to be the shadow itself that's frightening but what the shadow represents: impending doom. No matter where Jeb goes, he can't escape it. It's always there, waiting for him in the light (rather than the darkness, which is definitely different). Bad special effect or no, if I had a shadow chasing after me that I knew meant my death, I'd be pretty wigged out too. 

Oh, wow! That's quite a few fours! Pretty neat that it did that. :)      

All good observations! I do remember Barnabas with blood on his face one time during the 1795 story. It stood out to me too. I also remember quite a few scenes of Angelique as a vampire. (I think the one that I remember the most clearly is when Joe Haskell stabbed himself in front of her.) And yeah, that Nancy... she's a powerhouse. :)

The scene of Quentin and Carolyn dancing to Quentin's Theme, with David Selby speak-singing to the music. Psychedelic musical interlude that I found very memorable. And random!

The kaleidoscopic Funhouse episode with Liz and David.

Now, That’s Disturbing.

LARA PARKER  S SCENES,ESPESIALY CURSEING BARNABAS,PLAYING WITH HERSELF AS ANGELIQUE & GOOD TWIN ALEXIS,& WITH MORGAN /KEITH PRENTICE...SUCH A HOT COUPLE !

I will never forget the scene in the mausoleum where Roger says this is where his "incestors" are buried. He made a joke of it and moved on. I forget the other actor in the scene but they didn't even blink. Oscar for that person lol, I was rolling. Louis Edmonds was fabulous.