Elizabeth Collins Stoddard
Encyclopedia
Elizabeth Collins Stoddard was a fictional character
played by Joan Bennett
on the cult television ABC-TV
Gothic horror soap opera
Dark Shadows
from 1966-1971. Jean Simmons
portrayed the character in the reival series in 1991, Blair Brown
took over the role in the WB pilot
and will be played by Michelle Pfeiffer
in the upcoming 2012 feature film
. Elizabeth is the matriarch of the Collins family, the longtime owners of a cannery and shipping company in a small Maine
fishing town.
) had disappeared in 1949, some 17 years before the arrival of governess Victoria Winters
(Alexandra Moltke). Elizabeth had not left the ancient family mansion, Collinwood, since her husband went missing.
Elizabeth's younger brother is the snobbish Roger Collins (Louis Edmonds
). The father of both Elizabeth and Roger was Jamison Collins. Roger has a darkly mischievous (some would say diabolical) son named David Collins (David Henesy
), of whom Elizabeth is quite fond. Elizabeth's daughter is spoiled rich girl Carolyn Stoddard (Nancy Barrett
). Despite her imperious and reserved exterior, Elizabeth is a deeply passionate woman who harbors several dark secrets. The main one that emerged in the course of the series was that the reason she had not left Collinwood for nearly 20 years was because she had murdered her husband Paul Stoddard and that his body was buried in the basement. This proved to be an elaborate con by Paul and his criminal colleague Jason McGuire (also played by Dennis Patrick) in which they planned to blackmail the Collins fortune out of her. Fortunately the truth came out before any real damage was done, and McGuire was killed shortly thereafter by Barnabas Collins
as he desperately tried to recoup his losses. Paul eventually reappeared in 1969, and died the following year.
Many of the 1966-67 storylines centered on the character of Victoria Winters and her relationship with Elizabeth (as well as the greater Collins family as a whole). It was implied throughout the story that Vicki may have even been a blood relative of the family, but this plotline was never fully realized. The character of Vicki was eventually written out of the show in 1969 when she fell in love with a young man named Peter Bradford from the years 1795-6, and returned with him back to his time period to live out her life there. In 1999, writers Stephen Mark Rainey and Elizabeth Massie wrote the Dark Shadows novel Dreams of the Dark. The story concludes with a confirmation that Victoria Winters is in fact that illegitimate daughter of Elizabeth Collins. The identity of Vicki's father, however, is never revealed, though some speculate that the identity of Vicki's father was fisherman Bill Malloy (murdered in an early storyline). In 2003, the Dan Curtis Productions
-approved full-cast audio drama Return to Collinwood also confirmed that Vicki was Elizabeth's illegitimate daughter during the reading of the late Collins matriarch's will; again, the father was unidentified.
The character of Elizabeth Collins Stoddard also appeared in the 1970 MGM film, House of Dark Shadows
. There is very little distinction between the film version of Elizabeth and the television version, despite the fact that both productions take place within independent continuities. In the film's sequel, Night of Dark Shadows
, Grayson Hall's
character, Carlotta Drake, states that Elizabeth died some time after the events of House of Dark Shadows.
Elizabeth also appeared in several of the Marilyn Ross gothic novels by Paperback Library published during the 1960s-70s, as well as the original Dark Shadows comic book series published by Gold Key Comics
.
revived the Dark Shadows series as a one-hour night time soap opera for NBC
. The role of Elizabeth was played by veteran actress Jean Simmons
. Due to the series' early cancellation, very little attention was given to Simmons' character, but she differed from her predecessor in that she was not portrayed as an eccentric recluse, but rather as a high-spirited passionate woman with a strong devotion to her family. This version of Elizabeth also appeared in three separate comic book adaptations by the defunct publishing company Innovation Comics.
.
-Johnny Depp
feature film adaptation will star Michelle Pfeiffer
as Elizabeth.
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
played by Joan Bennett
Joan Bennett
Joan Geraldine Bennett was an American stage, film and television actress. Besides acting on the stage, Bennett appeared in more than 70 motion pictures from the era of silent movies well into the sound era...
on the cult television ABC-TV
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
Gothic horror soap opera
Soap opera
A soap opera, sometimes called "soap" for short, is an ongoing, episodic work of dramatic fiction presented in serial format on radio or as television programming. The name soap opera stems from the original dramatic serials broadcast on radio that had soap manufacturers, such as Procter & Gamble,...
Dark Shadows
Dark Shadows
Dark Shadows is a gothic soap opera that originally aired weekdays on the ABC television network, from June 27, 1966 to April 2, 1971. The show was created by Dan Curtis. The story bible, which was written by Art Wallace, does not mention any supernatural elements...
from 1966-1971. Jean Simmons
Jean Simmons
Jean Merilyn Simmons, OBE was an English actress. She appeared predominantly in motion pictures, beginning with films made in Great Britain during and after World War II – she was one of J...
portrayed the character in the reival series in 1991, Blair Brown
Blair Brown
Bonnie Blair Brown is an American theater, film, and television actress. She has had a number of high profile roles, including a Tony Award-winning turn in the play Copenhagen on Broadway, as well as a run as the title character in the television comedy-drama The Days and Nights of Molly Dodd,...
took over the role in the WB pilot
Dark Shadows (2004)
Dark Shadows is a one hour pilot that was a remake of the 1966–1971 series Dark Shadows. The pilot was commissioned by The WB Television Network and produced in 2004. Directed by P. J. Hogan, it was filmed at the Greystone Mansion, which also served as the Collinwood Mansion for the previous...
and will be played by Michelle Pfeiffer
Michelle Pfeiffer
Michelle Marie Pfeiffer is an American actress. She made her film debut in 1980 in The Hollywood Knights, but first garnered mainstream attention with her performance in Brian De Palma's Scarface . Pfeiffer has won numerous awards for her work...
in the upcoming 2012 feature film
Dark Shadows (film)
Dark Shadows is an upcoming supernatural drama film based on the 1966-1971 gothic soap opera of the same name. The film is directed by Tim Burton and stars Johnny Depp as the vampire Barnabas Collins. It is scheduled to be released on , 2012 in both conventional and IMAX theaters.-Synopsis:In 1752,...
. Elizabeth is the matriarch of the Collins family, the longtime owners of a cannery and shipping company in a small Maine
Maine
Maine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost...
fishing town.
Original series
At the start of the series (1966), Elizabeth's husband Paul Stoddard (Dennis PatrickDennis Patrick
Dennis Patrick was a well-respected American character actor best known for his works in television shows such as Jason McGuire and Paul Stoddard in Dark Shadows, Somerset, Vaughn Leland in Dallas, movies such as Joe...
) had disappeared in 1949, some 17 years before the arrival of governess Victoria Winters
Victoria Winters
Victoria Winters is a fictional character from the television Gothic soap opera Dark Shadows and its remakes of the same name. The role was originated by Alexandra Moltke on the ABC series from 1966–1968. After Moltke left to raise a family in 1968, actresses Betsy Durkin and Carolyn Groves briefly...
(Alexandra Moltke). Elizabeth had not left the ancient family mansion, Collinwood, since her husband went missing.
Elizabeth's younger brother is the snobbish Roger Collins (Louis Edmonds
Louis Edmonds
Louis Edmonds was an American actor from Baton Rouge, Louisiana. He was best known for his roles in Dark Shadows and All My Children....
). The father of both Elizabeth and Roger was Jamison Collins. Roger has a darkly mischievous (some would say diabolical) son named David Collins (David Henesy
David Henesy
David Henesy Raised in New York City, Henesy was a child actor in film, television, and Broadway. He appeared in "Oliver!", "Jenny" , and daytime television series Dark Shadows in the roles of David Collins, Daniel Collins, Jamison Collins, and Tad Collins...
), of whom Elizabeth is quite fond. Elizabeth's daughter is spoiled rich girl Carolyn Stoddard (Nancy Barrett
Nancy Barrett
Nancy Barrett, born , is an American actress. She is best known for her portrayal of "Carolyn Stoddard" in the popular 1960s Gothic soap opera Dark Shadows....
). Despite her imperious and reserved exterior, Elizabeth is a deeply passionate woman who harbors several dark secrets. The main one that emerged in the course of the series was that the reason she had not left Collinwood for nearly 20 years was because she had murdered her husband Paul Stoddard and that his body was buried in the basement. This proved to be an elaborate con by Paul and his criminal colleague Jason McGuire (also played by Dennis Patrick) in which they planned to blackmail the Collins fortune out of her. Fortunately the truth came out before any real damage was done, and McGuire was killed shortly thereafter by Barnabas Collins
Barnabas Collins
Barnabas Collins is a fictional character, one of the feature characters in the ABC daytime serial Dark Shadows, which aired from 1966 to 1971. Originally played by Canadian actor Jonathan Frid, Barnabas Collins is a 200-year-old vampire who is in search of fresh blood and his lost love, Josette...
as he desperately tried to recoup his losses. Paul eventually reappeared in 1969, and died the following year.
Many of the 1966-67 storylines centered on the character of Victoria Winters and her relationship with Elizabeth (as well as the greater Collins family as a whole). It was implied throughout the story that Vicki may have even been a blood relative of the family, but this plotline was never fully realized. The character of Vicki was eventually written out of the show in 1969 when she fell in love with a young man named Peter Bradford from the years 1795-6, and returned with him back to his time period to live out her life there. In 1999, writers Stephen Mark Rainey and Elizabeth Massie wrote the Dark Shadows novel Dreams of the Dark. The story concludes with a confirmation that Victoria Winters is in fact that illegitimate daughter of Elizabeth Collins. The identity of Vicki's father, however, is never revealed, though some speculate that the identity of Vicki's father was fisherman Bill Malloy (murdered in an early storyline). In 2003, the Dan Curtis Productions
Dan Curtis
Dan Curtis was an American director and producer of television and film, probably best known for his miniseries The Winds of War and War and Remembrance, his afternoon TV series Dark Shadows, and the made for TV movie, . Dark Shadows originally aired from 1966 to 1971 and has aired in syndication...
-approved full-cast audio drama Return to Collinwood also confirmed that Vicki was Elizabeth's illegitimate daughter during the reading of the late Collins matriarch's will; again, the father was unidentified.
The character of Elizabeth Collins Stoddard also appeared in the 1970 MGM film, House of Dark Shadows
House of Dark Shadows
House of Dark Shadows is a 1970 feature-length horror film directed by Dan Curtis based on his Dark Shadows television series. Filming took place at Lyndhurst in Tarrytown, New York with additional footage at nearby Sleepy Hollow Cemetery: parts of the locals appeared on the Dark Shadows series as...
. There is very little distinction between the film version of Elizabeth and the television version, despite the fact that both productions take place within independent continuities. In the film's sequel, Night of Dark Shadows
Night of Dark Shadows
Night of Dark Shadows is a 1971 horror film by Dan Curtis. It is the sequel to House of Dark Shadows. It centers on the story of Quentin Collins and his bride Tracy at the Collinwood Mansion in Collinsport, Maine....
, Grayson Hall's
Grayson Hall
Grayson Hall was an American television, film and stage actress. She was widely regarded for her avant garde theatrical performances in the 1960s-80s. Hall was nominated in 1964 for an Academy Award and a Golden Globe Award for the John Huston film The Night of the Iguana...
character, Carlotta Drake, states that Elizabeth died some time after the events of House of Dark Shadows.
Elizabeth also appeared in several of the Marilyn Ross gothic novels by Paperback Library published during the 1960s-70s, as well as the original Dark Shadows comic book series published by Gold Key Comics
Gold Key Comics
Gold Key Comics was an imprint of Western Publishing created for comic books distributed to newsstands. Also known as Whitman Comics, Gold Key operated from 1962 to 1984.-History:...
.
Revival series
In 1991 Dan Curtis ProductionsDan Curtis
Dan Curtis was an American director and producer of television and film, probably best known for his miniseries The Winds of War and War and Remembrance, his afternoon TV series Dark Shadows, and the made for TV movie, . Dark Shadows originally aired from 1966 to 1971 and has aired in syndication...
revived the Dark Shadows series as a one-hour night time soap opera for NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
. The role of Elizabeth was played by veteran actress Jean Simmons
Jean Simmons
Jean Merilyn Simmons, OBE was an English actress. She appeared predominantly in motion pictures, beginning with films made in Great Britain during and after World War II – she was one of J...
. Due to the series' early cancellation, very little attention was given to Simmons' character, but she differed from her predecessor in that she was not portrayed as an eccentric recluse, but rather as a high-spirited passionate woman with a strong devotion to her family. This version of Elizabeth also appeared in three separate comic book adaptations by the defunct publishing company Innovation Comics.
2004 pilot
In 2004 a new version of Dark Shadows was produced for the WB television network. Only a rough pilot was made, and it never aired on TV as the WB opted not to pick the series up (it has aired at several Dark Shadows festivals). In it, Elizabeth was portrayed by Blair BrownBlair Brown
Bonnie Blair Brown is an American theater, film, and television actress. She has had a number of high profile roles, including a Tony Award-winning turn in the play Copenhagen on Broadway, as well as a run as the title character in the television comedy-drama The Days and Nights of Molly Dodd,...
.
Dark Shadows (2012)
The upcoming Tim BurtonTim Burton
Timothy William "Tim" Burton is an American film director, film producer, writer and artist. He is famous for dark, quirky-themed movies such as Beetlejuice, Edward Scissorhands, The Nightmare Before Christmas, Ed Wood, Sleepy Hollow, Corpse Bride and Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet...
-Johnny Depp
Johnny Depp
John Christopher "Johnny" Depp II is an American actor, producer and musician. He has won the Golden Globe Award and Screen Actors Guild award for Best Actor. Depp rose to prominence on the 1980s television series 21 Jump Street, becoming a teen idol...
feature film adaptation will star Michelle Pfeiffer
Michelle Pfeiffer
Michelle Marie Pfeiffer is an American actress. She made her film debut in 1980 in The Hollywood Knights, but first garnered mainstream attention with her performance in Brian De Palma's Scarface . Pfeiffer has won numerous awards for her work...
as Elizabeth.
Production
- Joan BennettJoan BennettJoan Geraldine Bennett was an American stage, film and television actress. Besides acting on the stage, Bennett appeared in more than 70 motion pictures from the era of silent movies well into the sound era...
, who played Elizabeth Collins Stoddard, is one of only two actors from the series who appeared in both the first and final episodes of Dark Shadows (the other being Louis EdmondsLouis EdmondsLouis Edmonds was an American actor from Baton Rouge, Louisiana. He was best known for his roles in Dark Shadows and All My Children....
(Roger Collins)). Bennett was also one of only three actors who remained on the series during the entire length of its production.
- As happened with many of the regular cast, Joan Bennett played several other characters during her tenure on Dark Shadows, including Naomi Collins, Judith Collins Trask, Flora Collins, Elizabeth Collins Stoddard (of Parallel Time 1970) and Flora Collins (of Parallel Time 1841).