Why is Willie Loomis in a croup tent when he's in a coma? Unless, of course, they're using someone else to play the part instead of John Karlen. Wouldn't it have just been easier not to show his face during that time?
Why is Willie Loomis in a croup tent when he's in a coma? Unless, of course, they're using someone else to play the part instead of John Karlen. Wouldn't it have just been easier not to show his face during that time?
I believe Karlen had just left the show (and wouldn't return until some 150 episodes later) -- I'm sure it was a replacement actor under the tent (do the credits list someone else? what episode # was it?). My guess is the layout of the set may have prevented the cameras from avoiding the actor's face (hence the tent). Remember this was a daily show under lots of deadlines and many decisions were probably made the day of filming (some probably made more out of convenience than for aesthetic purposes).
Then again if Willie got shot in the back 5 times maybe it would have been more medically appropriate to place him on his stomach (and his face would've at least been partially hidden).
This was episode 328. Actually, Karlen was in 1 or 2 episodes after that. When he woke up before going to a hospital for the criminally insane. (Which in my mind was another problem since he never had a trial & was convicted & sentenced based on finding Maggie's ring hidden in his room. But that's another story.)
Obviously, Dark Shadows didn't have a very large budget, as I'm sure was the case with most daytime serials, so they probably wouldn't have considered any type of consultation. I also had the thought that since he was shot in the back & had undergone surgery that he most likely would have been placed on his stomach. That would have made the tent unnecessary & could still have hidden his face. But, I'm not a doctor, so what do I know. :-)
hey there i'm tori from omaha
i started watching willie loomis on sci-fi channel back in the 90's.
john karlen is a great and groovy actor.
so i'm looking for some pictures of him.
let me know and send me them please thank you.
see ya all next time
There are several facebook fan groups on Facebook, Tori, with pictures of him.
They used an actor named Dean Perchall for when Willie is in a coma -- and that's why they use that tent device. Being always on a tight budget, Dan Curtis and/or other production personnel must have figured that since John Karlen isn't going to have any lines in that episode, they may as well just get an extra that will agree to be uncredited, that way they don't have to pay a larger amount to have Karlen in the episode. They did the same sort of thing when Barnabas' hand reaches out from the coffin to grab Willie by the neck. The character of Barnabas may have debuted in episode 210, but Jonathan Frid didn't make his debut until episode 211. In episode 210, the hand of Barnabas is that of uncredited extra Tim Gordon.
Being that Willie gets bitten on the arm, over and over, we never see it happen.
How great it would have been to see it from the start. But that, along with any other man-biting-man scene, would never make air back then.
I guess that we're lucky that they let a vampire get on TV at all....
Witness, how little, if any, blood is shown. Not on a vampire's face, hardly, except for 1795, and only a dribble on a victim's neck, which never looks real.
Then there's the stupid prosthetic "bite marks." Which look like barnacles. Maybe that was an inside joke.
And we never got to see Willie's arm.
hi karlcollins,tori is my name
and dark shadows is my game.
willie loomis is my favorite guy.
i use pretend he was my boyfriend.
i wish he was.
so i don't feel sad
bye now