149

The ghost of Josette Collins finishes the portrait of the Phoenix for the injured Sam Evans; soon after, it is destroyed by Roger Collins.

Synopsis

Teaser

My name is Victoria Winters. It is night at Collinwood, a night that will prove to be disquieting. One man feels an unexplainable respite, and a young girl feels a bitter rejection.

Carolyn Stoddard returns home and angrily slams the door. She tells Victoria about her trip to see Burke Devlin and that his speech sounded rehearsed.

Act I

Carolyn says Burke didn't sound or act like himself. She admits that she threw herself at him and demanded declarations of love, much to Victoria's disapproval. Carolyn is upset that Burke didn't hurt her with his rejection. She vows a vague revenge, then tells Victoria that Burke is in love with Laura Collins.

Maggie Evans gets off work and tries to fix dinner for her father; he's still not feeling well. Sam and Maggie discuss the freak accident which resulted in the burning of a canvas from across the room without burning its cover (146). Sam says the other painting is about to go up in flames, too... he's been seeing it in his mind all day.

Act II

Maggie tells Sam he needs to take it easy because he's suffering from anxiety. Sam has the urge to go to Collinwood, where he feels the unfinished first painting will be completed... something's going into that empty space. At that precise moment in David's room, the painting begins to glow with an unearthly light.

Victoria tells Carolyn not to be so vindictive; Roger jumps to her defense. She tells him the happy news about her relationship with Burke being terminated. Carolyn and Roger speak of Laura and Burke. Carolyn's shocked by Roger's blasé attitude, but Roger just says that Burke is up to his old tricks. In David's room, the ghost of Josette Collins appears and touches the painting.

Act III

Victoria has sent David out with Mrs. Johnson. but it will cost Roger a set of toy soldiers. The boy's father is pleased that David is out of the house and not looking at the painting. Carolyn suggests that Roger destroy it now; Victoria begs him not to because it would harm David. She admits her fear that she is responsible for the whole mess and relates the urge to take the portrait.

Sam shows up at Collinwood, wanting to see Roger. He wants to know why Victoria didn't let him destroy the painting in the first place. He and Roger have a wry discussion about the portrait, which Sam insists on seeing. Roger blames Sam's ego; Sam can't explain why he wants to see the painting. Victoria enters David's room and is overcome with a strange sensation. She sees the painting and screams; where there was once a blank spot in the painting, now there is David's face.

Act IV

Carolyn, Roger, and Sam rush to the scream. They meet Victoria running down the stairs; she shows them the finished painting. Standing next to Laura in the flames is the image of David. Roger asks Sam what it means—he saw the painting just that morning and it wasn't finished. Sam doesn't know what it means. He points out that the painting is dry, so it couldn’t have been empty this morning. He describes the sensations that led him to Collinwood. Roger wants to know how a total representation of David's dream has come to fruition on canvas. Sam describes the power that led him to paint the portrait and come to Collinwood. He describes being used to communicate.

Victoria admits she felt something strange in David's room, like someone had been in there. She describes the scent of jasmine, which she smelled "a few months ago" in the Old House after Josette appeared to her. Everyone wonders what David will do when he sees the finished portrait. To prevent him from finding out, Roger throws the painting into the fireplace. As it begins to burn, screaming erupts from the canvas.

Memorable quotes

Roger: (to Sam) You're sober now, and you're even more difficult to understand.

---

Carolyn: When will I stop making a fool of myself?

Vicki: How did you make a fool of yourself this time?

Dramatis personae

• ← Nancy Barrett as Carolyn Stoddard →
• ← David Ford as Sam Evans →
• ← Kathryn Leigh Scott as Maggie Evans →
• ← Louis Edmonds as Roger Collins →
• ← Alexandra Moltke as Victoria Winters →
• Rosemary McNamara as Josette Collins (uncredited)
• Sheila Ray as Laura Collins' scream

Background information and notes

Production

• The original videotape master of this episode has been lost. However, a filmed kinescope copy does exist.
• Diana Millay is erroneously listed in the credits, though she doesn't appear in this episode. (Addendum: The actress would be credited if her image is on screen. In this case, Diana Millay's image is on the painting, therefore she gets a screen credit.) [That explanation is not likely. There are countless examples of paintings of characters being prominently displayed on screen and the actor did not receive screen credit.]
• Although Kathryn Leigh Scott famously replaced the dummy that was to be used as Josette's ghost in episode 70, here the role is played by uncredited extra Rosemary McNamara.

Story

• GHOSTWATCH: Josette's ghost appears before the portrait of the Phoenix and completes it so it now also shows David's face in the picture.

Bloopers and continuity errors

• In the previous episode, Victoria decided it was best to keep David away from his mother, but she has an inexplicable change of heart in this episode.
• As Maggie and Sam are talking in the cottage and Sam says he wasn't hungry a boom mic shadow can be seen moving on the burned painting of Laura.
• Louis Edmonds flubs a line when Roger is talking to Carolyn about Burke and Laura. He says "I both know them so well" instead of "I know them both so well."
• Sam's coat gets stuck on something (the doorknob?) as he enters Collinwood.
• It is said to have been a few months ago when Josette appeared to Victoria in episode 126. This actually happened nine days ago in continuity and was aired three weeks previously.

End credits announcement

• The second season excitement continues with the return of "The Avengers" in color tomorrow at ten, nine o’clock Central Time, here on ABC.
• Dark Shadows is a Dan Curtis Production.

External Links

Dark Shadows - Episode 149 on the IMDb

Dark Shadows Commentary- Episode 149: The scent of jasmine

Dark Shadows Before I Die- Episode 149: 1/19/67