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118
Number

116

Timeline

1967

Narrator

Alexandra Moltke
(as Victoria Winters)

Writer

Ron Sproat

Director

Lela Swift

Broadcast

December 7, 1966
(Wednesday)

Recorded

December 1, 1966
(Thursday)

Video

Complete: Disc 14
Beginning 4: Disc 2

118 Gallery
We have 2 images of Dark Shadows 118

Matthew holds Victoria hostage in a secret room of the Old House while Joe and Burke look for her

Synopsis

My name is Victoria Winters. It is night at Collinwood and I'm desperately afraid it may be the last night of my life. I'm held prisoner in a secret room of a deserted old house by a half-crazed, desperate man. A man who once attempted to kill me. At Collinwood the only three people in the world who could rescue me have just discovered I'm nearby.

Burke thinks Victoria's disappearance may have something to do with Matthew's. He orders Elizabeth to call the Sheriff. Burke and Joe team up to search the grounds after Elizabeth arms them with Roger's guns.

Matthew scolds Victoria after tying up the young lass; she tries to convince him she was not tricking him. She is confident that she will be found and he will be brought to justice; he believes they shall never be found.

Elizabeth remembers that Victoria was on the way to the Old House when last seen. Joe and Burke stick together (and work well together). They find a piece of cloth from Victoria's dress and head the quarter-mile from the fence to the Old House.

Matthew begins to abduct Victoria and plans to take it one step at a time as they flee, he plans to use her as a shield should the eventuality arise. Joe and Burke arrive at the Old House, forcing Matthew and Victoria back into the secret room. Joe searches upstairs, while Burke searches downstairs. When the drawing room is empty, Josette's portrait takes on an eerie glow that disappears when Joe comes back down the stairs.

Matthew listens as Joe and Burke discuss the Sheriff's men. Joe tells Burke that he and Carolyn used to explore the Old House as kids. Burke wants to look over the house again; he sends Joe to ask Elizabeth about secret rooms or closed-off sections that they might not know about. Elizabeth knows of a room that is sealed off. Josette's portrait glows again while Burke is in the foyer, but goes dark as he walks back in the main room. Joe comes back and tells Burke about the Storm Cellar, which Burke has already searched. Outside the room, they discuss how they've looked everywhere everybody knows about. They agree to join the sheriff's men elsewhere. Victoria manages to scream moments after Burke and Joe depart, infuriating Matthew. He tells her it was a "real dumb" thing to do.

Memorable quotes

Joe: (to Burke) Don't get trigger happy.

Dramatis personae

Background information and notes

Production

  • This episode was recorded out of broadcast sequence. The previous episode to be recorded was 116.
  • Matthew nervously smokes a cigarette; this is the first time we've seen him do so.
  • Burke and Joe arm themselves with Roger's shotguns. They are double-barrel, break-open, over-under shotguns (as in one barrel mounted on top of the other) of the kind commonly used for hunting and skeet shooting, which is fitting for an aristocratic family with a large property.

Story

Bloopers and continuity errors

  • Boom microphone shadows can be seen when Victoria and Matthew are in the foyer.
  • Squeaking camera equipment continues through the episode.
  • Just before Matthew re-enters the Old House a technician's hand can be seen briefly to the right of the screen to signal Thayer David when to open the door (after the insert shot of the moon).
  • When Joe and Burke are searching for Vicki and are at the fence where she said she had lost her wallet, Burke asks how far the Old House is from there. Joe says about a quarter mile. Also note that this route past the fence is supposedly a short cut between the Old House and Collinwood, according to David. A few episodes ago, it was noted that the Old House was only a five-minute walk from Collinwood.
  • Ohrbach's is misspelled in the credits as Orhbach's.

External Links 

Dark Shadows - Episode 118 on the IMDb

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