Who Was Gay In The Original "Dark Shadows" TV Series?

Any of the actors?

Most of the male cast. Straight: John Karlen, Robert Rodan, James Storm, Roger Davis. David Selby may be bi.
Barnabas sucked a mean dick. Of course, it looked like a flute afterwards.
Joel Crothers was gay, sadly died from AIDS in the 1980's I think.
But seriously folks, Frid is a fairy.
R2
The easier question would be, who wasn't gay on the Dark Shadows original series. Dark Shadows and Edge of Night were two of gayest sets in NYC in the 60s and 70s and that is saying a lot.
Chris Bernau
Keith Prentice, who was also in "The Boys in the Band". Died of AIDS in the early 90s.
Oh honey that show was so gay the shadows were pink.
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Roger Davis was a notorious pussy hound and very abrasive. None of the actresses wanted to be paired romantically with him. When Alexandra Moltke left, they were going to pair him with Katherine Leigh Scott. She threatened to quit if that happened. Joan Bennett wrote some negative things about him in her autobiography. Many of the other actors were gay. Love this homoerotic scene between two flaming gay actors trying to stay in character as their hetero characters. Talk about gay subtext.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sk9XIq8Ud2I
Louie Edmonds, later Langley on AMC was gay. In an interview Ruth Warrick was asked if they were an item off-camera, she said "No, he's with someone else."
Louis Edmonds was the very definition of a "dandy," and I loved him. So unapologetically flamboyant. His Hamptons home The Rookery became the spot of grand parties attended by his close Shadows and AMC colleagues.
Louis Edmonds Jonathan Frid Joel Crothers Anthony George Thayer David Humbert Allen Astredo Christopher Bernau Don Briscoe Keene Curtis Gene Lindsey Michael McGuire Addison Powell Keith Prentice Geoffrey Scott The biggest mystery how a little queen like David Henesy grew up to be straight.
Surprisingly, NOT the child actor who played little David Collins.
Also that queen Michael Stroka who played Aristede (and later Dixie Carter's brother Quention on Edge) was straight as well. He just totally camped it up...hard to believe he was not into cock.
Who is the queen with Frid in that video scene?
That's Anthony George, who was a huge queen. He was the second actor to play Burke Devlin after Mitch Ryan (the father on "Dharma & Greg") was canned after constantly coming to work drunk and forgetting his lines.
WHET David Henesy? It seems he never appeared at any of the conventions.
WHET to Geoffrey Scott? God,he was so handsome...
R12, I don't believe Thayer David was gay.
R19 - are you blind or headless?
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Kate Jackson
Shelley Hack
Anthony George left "Search for Tomorrow" so he could return to California to be with longtime partner, Earl Holliman.
Do you think David Hennesy got religion so he decided to be straight?
Is Jerry Lacy gay? I loved Louis Edmunds. He was my favorite character.
Jerry Lacy and Geoffrey Scott are not gay. Jerry is married to Julia Duffy. Scott was married at the time he was on Dynasty. Brian Sturdivant was a boy toy of Jonathan's at the time he was cast on DS - he played Claude North. God did he overact!!! Not gay - Mitch Ryan, Dennis Patrick, John Karlen, David Selby, Chris Pennock, Robert Rodan, David Henesey, Roger Davis. There has been a rumour about Don Briscoe being gang raped during his run on DS and that he sent him into an LSD freak out that cost him his job and career. Anyone able to elaborate more on that?
Heard that story about Briscoe from several sources so there's likely to be some truth in it. But he was probably doing LSD before that.
Tony George later went to ONE LIFE TO LIVE where he was notorious for hitting on the newest young men on the show.
Geoffrey Scott may have been married (never an indication of being straight, see: Travolta, John) but everyone in Hollywood and New York knows about Scott and his men.
Frid also had a relationship with Keith Prentice, who played Morgan during the show's final weeks. Prentice's imdb is pretty much three credits: Dark Shadows, the Boys in the Band and Cruising.
I didn't know Chris Pennock was on Dark Shadows! I remember him as Senator Mitch Williams on General Hospital, and fucking around with Susan Moore, "hostess" at The Floating Rib. (Poor Susan. We all knew you were a glorified whore.)
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I'm not past the 1968 episodes. Did they ever get a new Vicky or did she just leave the show. I love the actor who played Willy (John Karlen?).
They tried two different Victorias, but neight worked out and the character was written off. From what I've read Alexandre Moltke would have returned if they would have written another character for her in addition to Miss Winters. She was tired of playing 'Victimy Vickie'.
Thanks, I just knew one of the actors said he suggested Jacquiline Smith from Charlie's Angels. I might have the name wrong, anyway she didn't want to do a soap.
Any links to sources for the Don Briscoe rape story?
They did want to hire Jaclyn Smith as an Alexandra Moltke replacement. Nancy Barrett said that everyone liked her but her test was "awful". Her inexperience might not have been a hindrance but her thick Texas accent was.
Jaclyn Smith was Roger Davis' girlfriend at the time and was known as Ellen at the time. That's how she came to be known to the DS cast. Of course, years later she and Kate Jackson were together on Charlie's Angels, and Kate had worked with Roger (never on DS) for some ABC tv movie. Someone on another DS thread suggested Lara Parker had an affair with Davis and that turned Smith off of Parker, even though Parker and Jackson had remained friends from their DS days. So Parker was never hired to act on DS (though famously she did act in SWAT with Farrah Fawcett Majors) because Jackie vetoed her.
Barnabas(Jonathan Frid)is gay? I see he's still alive and has his own website.
Love this pic of Louis Edmonds and Jonathan Frid in bathing trunks at the beach-
http://images4.fanpop.com/image/photos/21100000/Jonathan-Frid-and-Louis-Edmonds-dark-shadows-21135586-335-435.jpg
Thanks for the pic.
They didn't call him Big Lou because he was tall.
That photo must have been taken at Big Lou's house in Cherry Grove. In his memoirs he talks about it a lot - it was his "haven". R31 - you'll also recognize John Karlen from his years on "Cagney & Lacey" as Tyne Daly's husband.
Roger Davis wasn't the only married actor on the show cheating with a costar! James Storm and Kate Jackson were a couple until the the second movie started filming right after the TV show ended. Then Kate and David Selby really began to act out their love scenes offscreen as well! James as heartbroken, and David's marriage nearly ended. Fortunately the affair cooled off and David and his wife reconciled, and had two daughters within the next few years, along with the son born during the show's run. They're still together today, after over 50 years! Series writer Sam Hall (Grayson's husband) talked about the affair (without actually naming Kate as the other woman) in an online interview last year, and said that Grayson encouraged the whole thing. Whew!
Matthew%20Morgan
Louis Edmonds used to call Darnell Williams (All My Children) 'Danielle' to his face. I wonder why?
I'm up to episode 800 and all these many people said here to be gay, the ones I've seen so far, don't have an [childish epithet posted by a bigoted tool] manner as far as I can tell. ... If it's true they were gay I suppose a big factor in getting casted was that they seemed hetero. Were there behind the scenes people at DS known to be gay...people who had influence on actor selection? The women. Any of them gay? It's common wisdom that male actors are disproportionately gay. Is that true also of women actors?
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Loved Darnell. Did Dark Shadows ever have a black cast member...I know, no black people in Maine. When they wanted some, they actually had to ship them in from the Congo.
r.44, really???? Do you realize how insulting you are? All the gay actors mentioned here don't have [childish epithet posted by a bigoted tool] manners????? What year do you live in??
r46 No insult intended.
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R45 I'm only into the 800's but I remember there was a black nurse. I can't recall the scene but she stood up to somebody trying to get into the hospital room for some nefarious purpose or other.
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r45 There was a black nurse I remember.
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Does anyone know what David Selby is up to these days? The last time I remember seeing him was as the lawyer in The Social Network. Loved him in Falcon Crest.
How about David Ford, who played Maggie's artist bear daddy (also John Hancock in "1776")?
Nope, believe it or not, David Ford was married to Nancy Barrett who played Carolyn.
Thank you, r52! I guess it was one of those false pings Jewish men give off. I ask because I've just been watching the early DS episodes where Barnabas Collins is introduced and is absorbed in redecorating the Old House and getting the placing of Josette's hairbrush just right on her vanity and refurbishing her wedding dress and raping Willie Loomis into submission I mean beating him with his wolf-headed cane.
r51
I thought maybe Don Briscoe died if aids, which makes no sense because he died in 2004.
No, poor Don passed away from heart disease. He was bipolar and had various mental issues that were complicated from drug abuse. He never attended any Dark Shadows events. He was much too fragile.
David Selby is better looking now, then he was when he was young. He really is a very handsome man. I never say that about old guys...few of us age well.
be honest
So Robert Rodan is straight......dammit.
There was a black male assistant to Count Petofi or to the gypsies ( I can't remember which) He couldn't speak 'cause his tongue'd been cut out.
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Clarice Blackburn (Mrs. Johnson) was definitely gay, as apparently is Terry Crawford (Beth). No "official" word on Kate Jackson.
Drug use and bipolarity were a deadly combination for Don Briscoe, who ended up living with his parents as a recluse until he died. He apparently gained a lot of weight, which also contributed to his health problems.
Bill
As is usual the case in the daytime, the nonromantic "couples" always wound up having the best chemistry: Barnabas and Willie, Barnabas and his hag Julia, Roger and the first Burke, etc.
Joel Cruthers was the only one at the time to be known to be gay.supposedly he had a 10 inch cock and slept with a young Tom Seleck.
Rebel Wilson
Any nude photos of DS guys ever pop up anywhere?
There are nude photos of Jonathan Frid but they appear to be photoshopped.
Joel Crothers was NOT the only one known to be gay. Also open about being gay at that time: Chris Bernau Don Briscoe Louis Edmonds Jonathan Frid Anthony George Geoffrey Scott Keith Prentice
Now I know why I liked Dark Shadows so much as a child. I had no clue they were all gay but must have had gaydar even at age 8. Ditto for The Village People. I bought there album for the cover and never realized it was a gay group until later. And if all of this isn't clueless enough I thought Divine was a real woman for ages. This is what happens when you grow up in rural Texas.
I wish there could be a show like this on tv now. The soap Passions kind of tried it but the acting was for the most part really bad and they relied to heavily on young pretty people.
Joel Crothers was not gay. He was engaged to marry long-time girlfriend, actress Velekka Grey, when he died from leukemia. Geoffrey Scott has been married for years to the same woman, and Anthony George had been married as well. Don Briscoe had a nervous breakdown after a bad LDS trip, which left him psychologically paralyzed. It was well known that Chris Bernau was fucking his GL co-stars Denise Pence and Kathleen Cullen (who played his daughter!). Not sure about Frid and Edmunds. Prentice was a notorious bi. The only actor who ever pinged was David Henesy, and he grew up to be straight.
Folks often say that Patsy Stone on AbFab is "really a gay man", but I've often felt that Angelique was a character gay guys would identify with? Myself, as a little boy I was scared to death of her (back then)!
Get a grip, r69. Denial makes you homophobic.
You know, a lot of this is so disrespectful. What does it matter what a person's orientation is? If you liked their acting just appreciate that. If they were a nice person, just appreciate that. I knew Jonathan Frid on a casual basis. I never doubted that he was gay. But when he bowed and kissed my hand, I could thrill at all the fantasy of Barnabas. He was a kind man. He took time to appreciate his fans. I never thought about who was gay when I watched Dark Shadows. I don't think about it when I watch any show, or when I meet people in real life. I don't know why it is such a big deal.
Anonymous
You must be new here r.72...and a woman.
Jonathan Frid was not gay. He was a celibate and he practiced Celibacy for many years. In the 1960 or 1961 he was a member of the Hugh Hefner's Playboy Club and he had yearly subscription of the Playboy Magazine.
Sprite82
[R69] is unbelievably naive. You "don't know" about Louis Edmunds? He could not possibly have been more out. Many, if not all, of the men who acted in Dark Shadows were gay. How is acknowledging that fact "disrespectful," as [R72] insists? Do. Not. Get.
I thought Kate Jackson is gay.
Someone said Humbert Allan Astredo was gay - are you sure? He had a daughter. Also, even though they're straight, anyone know if alexanandra Moltke and Mitchell Ryan had a thing?
I'd say [R69] is more than naive. Just about every statement is false. Either lacks the ability to research or another women in denial, or both.
who cares? i thought we accepted all peole. what does it matter who was gay and who wasnt since you werent go to sleep with any of them. why does gay or heterosexual matter otherwise?
I just saw "House of Dark Shadows" last week and Don Briscoe was really cute. What a shame about his life. Is that gang rape rumor true?
I think it's very important to accept all peole.
We started watching the whole series a couple of weeks ago. Right now Barnabas and all the other-worldly stuff has not really begun except for David and his ghosts and the old abandonned house. Joel Crothers is so sexy and I also like the guy who plays Burke Devlin. Joan Bennett always reads her lines on cue cards and Louis Edmonds is playing a male version of Phoebe Wallingford. What a ham ! He always looks very uncomfortable when he plays against macho Burke Devlin...Everything is fun to watch. The actor who plays Sam overacts and spits everywhere. Young David steals every scenes he's in and I love the mean housekeeper.
My partner and I started watching the series a couple of years ago. We are currently up to August 5, 1969. A little under two years of episodes to go! LOVING every second of it by the way.
r69 Thank you for such a good laugh. I haven't seen someone go to such extremes to "in" people in ages. Would love to see what you have to say about the number of gay men and lesbians in the Edge of Night cast in the late 70s/early 80s.
r82, stick with it. A much better Sam appears not long into the series.
David Henesy lives in Panama. He's married and his wife recently gave birth.
Jonathan may have thought he was gay, but that's only because he never met me!
Anybody remember Alan Feinstein? He appeared in the very first episode of DS. His main claim to fame was playing Dr. Jim Fields o Edge Of Night. Also, he played the gay football player in the TV movie "Alexander: The Other Side Of Dawn". Hmmm....appeared on Dark Shadows, Edge Of Night and played a closeted gay in a movie....I wonder....
Bill
r88 Alan Feinstein as Jim Fields was one of my first crushes. This was long before I understood what it meant. But as a 6 year old boy, all I knew was that I liked to look at him. Whenever Jim Fields was in a scene, he was the one I focused on.