Yet Another Gripe About Facebook and Timeline

As the web has become a part of pop culture, I do at times discuss web sites here. It also seems that the web site I write about the most is Facebook. Sadly, it seems I rarely have very much complimentary to say about Facebook. The reason is simple. It seems to me that Facebook is determined to go the way of MySpace in reducing the functionality of the site with each passing month.

Indeed, as I have complained elsewhere on this blog, Facebook recently implemented a new sort of profile called Timeline. Timeline is supposed to let one, in Facebook's own word, "...highlight the photos, posts and life events that help you tell your story." While Timeline does let one go to any given month in any given year on one's profile with relative ease, over all I believe it does the exact opposite of highlighting photos, posts, and life events. Because of its two column layout it is often hard to make sense of one's own Timeline, let alone those of friends. The end result is that one is too busy trying to figure out when a particular post was made in comparison to others to even care which posts are highlighted. This was one advantage Facebook's previous layout, the Wall, has over Timeline. Its simple, single column design made it easy to see posts and to know when they were made in comparison to others.  Is it any wonder most Facebook users prefer the Wall to Timeline?

Sadly, Facebook has not simply inflicted Timeline on its users, but on its business and brand pages as well, despite the fact that most users either hate Timeline or, at the very least, preferred the Wall. At the end of March Facebook switched all brand and business pages to the Timeline format. Now I have never visited Facebook pages that much, but I have found since Facebook forced all pages to the Timeline format I do so even less. Now if the average Facebook user is like me, then I rather suspect that pages have seen a dramatic drop in the number of visitors they receive. As to my own writer's page, I simply deleted it. Part of this was in protest against Facebook forcing all pages to the Timeline format. Part of it was also the fact that I believe that in forcing my page into the Timeline format Facebook then rendered it useless as a means of promotion. In the Wall format it might get a few visitors each month. In Timeline format, I suspect it would get none.

Now Facebook appears to be trying to improve Timeline. Unfortunately, the changes they have made the past few days are only cosmetic and one of them is hardly an improvement at all. The first change, made a few days ago, was to make profile pictures bigger. To me this is an improvement, as it seems to me that the profile pictures on Timeline were much smaller than those on the old Wall. Sadly, a change they made today is not an improvement at all. Quite simply, today they made the pictures in the Friends box on one's Timeline larger. To me this made a layout that is already unattractive enough (with the cover photo, boxes containing activities, and photos that are displayed much too large) even more unattractive. Here I must point out that Timeline already loads slower than the Wall did. With the friends' photos even larger, I suspect Timeline will load even slower. While this might not be a major concern for those of us with high speed internet, for those who only have dial up it is a major concern. Indeed, I have to wonder that they will even be able to use Facebook at all.

In the end it seems obvious to me that Facebook has forgotten the KISS principle (Keep It Simple, Stupid). As proof, Timeline is not a timeline at all. Twitter's single column feed, displayed from the oldest tweets to the newest, is a timeline. Google+'s stream, with posts displayed in single column from the oldest to the newest, is a timeline. With a double column layout that makes it hard to keep track of posts, Facebook's Timeline is not a timeline at all. Instead it is more like a scrapbook with only room for two rows of scraps, and those scraps are posted in such a way that it is hard to make sense of anything.

Sadly, it does seem to me that the initial furore over Timeline has died down and as a result even those who still detest Timeline are not complaining loudly enough. I rather suspect that the reason for this is that people have simply resigned themselves to the idea that no matter how much they complain, Facebook will not change a thing. I think they could be wrong. First, it was not that long ago that Facebook made changes to the news feed which resulted in widespread user outrage. As a result of the large number of complaints made by users, Facebook changed the news feed back more or less to the way it was. I rather suspect that if enough people complain about Timeline, then they will either return to the Wall or at least make improvements to Timeline (for instance, making it only a single column). By the way, if you want to complain about Timeline, at the bottom of their "Timeline: A New Kind of Profile," are two links where one can report bugs or make suggestions (i.e. complaints).

Many have commented about how Facebook's Timeline reminds them of what MySpace became in later years. Facebook has become "SpaceBook" or "MyFace." I rather suspect that if Facebook does not do away with Timeline or make improvements, they might well become MySpace: a once might social networking site that became a graveyard. It is not as if Facebook does not have a viable rival now (Google+). Sadly, it seems to me Facebook either realises none of this or they are simply in a deep state of denial. In that case, a few years from now we might be saying, "Do you remember Facebook?"

Guitarist Bert Weedon Passes On

Bert Weedon OBE may not be well known in the United States, but chances are that if you are a fan of rock music you have heard someone on whom he was a great influence. Bert Weedon was a  British guitarist and author of an instructional manual on guitar playing who would have an impact on three of The Beatles (George Harrison, John Lennon, and Paul McCartney), Pete Townshend, Keith Richards, Brian May, Jimmy Page, Tony Iommi, and Eric Clapton. Bert Weedon died on 20 April 2012 at the age of 91.

Bert Weedon was born on 20 May 1920 at East Ham, London. His father was a driver on the London Underground and in his spare time was part of the amateur song and dance team, Weedon and Walmisley. Young Bert Weedon would often accompany his father to Weedon and  Walmisley's performances at various railwaymen's clubs. When he was twelve his father bought him a guitar for 75 pence. Bert Weedon would leave school by the time he was 14 and work as an office boy while learning from a teacher in classical guitar. In 1934 he formed his first dance band, Butch Townsend and the Cold Shoulders. With the local butcher's son on drums, the band was named for the contents of his father's deep freeze. He played his first solo appearance in 1939 at the East Ham town hall.

During World War II Mr. Weedon worked as a part of rescue services. Following the war he joined jazz violinists Stephane Grapelli’s group. He played with various popular dance bands until in the early Fifties he joined the BBC Show Band, then led by Cyril Stapleton. He played for both BBC Radio and the BBC Television Service (now BBC One). Over the years he would be part of the music department of such shows as The Square and BBC Sunday Night Theatre.  It was in the mid-Fifties that he was signed to Parlophone. His first single, "Stranger Than Fiction," was released in 1956. He would have hits with the instrumentals "Guitar Boogie Shuffle (which went to #10 on the UK singles chart in 1959)," "Nashville Boogie (which went to #29 on the UK singles chart in the same year)," "Apache (which went to #24 on the UK singles chart in 1960)," "Sorry Robbie (which went to #28 on the UK singles chart in the same year)," and "Ginchy (which went to ##35 on the UK singles chart in 1961)." He also played as a session musician for artists ranging from Adam Faith and Tommy Steele to Frank Sinatra and Nat King Cole.

It was in 1957 that Bert Weedon's guitar instructional manual, Play in a Day, was first published. In the end it would sell two million copies and teach generations the rudiments of guitar playing. Play in a Day would be followed by Play Every Day. Over the years VHS and DVD versions of the books would follow. His books would be the starting point for many important guitarists in the history of rock music.

Bert Weedon would also appear frequently on television, particularly on children's shows such as Five O'Clock Club and Tuesday Rendezvous. He appeared on such shows as Thank Your Lucky Stars, The Dick Emery Show, The Golden Shot, and Chasing Rainbows. He also had his own, long running ITV series. In the Seventies he signed to Contour Records and released a series of albums. In the mid-Seventies he would top the British albums chart for one week with 22 Golden Guitar Greats, released on the Warwick label. He would continue to release albums into the Eighties.

Bert Weedon would have a lasting impact on many British rock bands of the Sixties and Seventies, and as a result he would have an impact on rock music worldwide. One need only consider that guitarists in three of the biggest bands of all time, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, and The Who, all learned their craft from Bert Weedon's books. In fact, it is possible that some may not have become guitarists had it not been for Mr. Weedon. In a eulogy by Neil McCormick in The Daily Telegraph entitled "Farewell Bert Weedon,the man who helped make stars of John Lennon and Paul McCartney," Eric Clapton was quoted as saying, "I wouldn’t have felt the urge to press on without the tips and encouragement Bert’s book gives you." To a large degree, then, Bert Weedon is responsible for the success of the British rock bands of the Sixties and the genres they would give rise to, everything from power pop to heavy metal. Few men could boast such an important place in rock history.

The Late Great Garry Walberg

You might not recognise Garry Walberg's name, but if you have ever watched very many television shows made from the Fifties to the Eighties, chances are very good that you would recognise his face. Garry Walberg was a prolific character actor who was appeared as a regular or semi-regular on many shows and guest starred on many more. Among many other roles on various shows and in various films, he was Oscar's buddy Speed on The Odd Couple and Lt. Frank Monahan on Quincy M.E. Garry Walberg died 27 March 2012 at the age of 90. The causes were chronic pulmonary obstructive disease and congestive heart failure.

Garry Walberg was born in Buffalo, New York on 10 June 1921. He first studied acting in Buffalo before moving to New York City to study acting there. It was in 1952 that he made his television debut in 1953 in an episode of the classic sitcom Mister Peepers. In the Fifties he would appear on such shows as Richard Diamond Private Detective, Black Saddle, State Trooper, The Twilight Zone, Law of the Plainsman, Rawhide, The Rifleman, and Tales of Wells Fargo. He was a regular on the detective series Johnny Staccato, playing the role of Police Sgt. Sullivan. In 1959 he made his film debut in The Gangster Story.

In the Sixties Mr. Walberg was a regular on Peyton Place for three seasons, playing Sgt. Edward Goddard. He guest starred on such shows as Michael Shayne, Outlaws, The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis, Perry Mason, The Detectives, Have Gun--Will Travel, The Real McCoys, Combat, Dr. Kildare, Ben Casey, The Virginian, Star Trek, The Fugitive, The Invaders, Lassie, Land of the Giants, Green Acres, Then Came Bronson, and Bonanza. He appeared in the movies Charro! (1969), The Maltese Bippy (1969), Tell Them Willie Boy is Here (1969), and They Call Me MISTER Tibbs! (1970).

Garry Walberg ended the Sixties and began the Seventies in one of his best known roles, that of Oscar's friend and poker buddy Speed on The Odd Couple. He was a semi-regular on the show from 1970 to 1974. It was in the late Seventies that he would play what may be his best known role, that of Lt. Frank Monahan on Quincy M.E. The series reunited him with old Odd Couple co-star Jack Klugman, who played the title role of Dr. Quincy M.E. Mr. Walberg began with the show when it debuted as one of the rotating elements of The NBC Sunday Mystery Movie in 1976 and remained with it from when it transitioned into its own series in 1977 and until it ended its run in 1983. In addition to his semi-regular role on The Odd Couple and his regular role on Quincy M.E., Mr. Walberg guest starred on such shows as Storefront Lawyers, Medical Centre, Columbo, Banacek, Search, Ironside, Love American Style, Kojak, Gunsmoke, The Waltons, and Mannix. He appeared in such feature films as The Organisation (1971), The Andromeda Strain (1971),  When the Legends Die (1972), Revenge of the Cheerleaders (1976), King Kong (1976), Two-Minute Warning (1976), and MacArthur (1977).

In the Eighties Garry Walberg appeared in the television movies Command 5 and The Spirit (a failed pilot based on the classic comic book character). He guest starred on Hardcastle and McCormick, Hotel, and Murder She Wrote. In 1993 he appeared on television in the reunion movie The Odd Couple: Together Again, reprising his role as Speed. It was his last appearance on screen.

If Garry Walberg appeared in so many television shows and movies over the years, it was perhaps because of his sheer versatility. He was as adept at playing comedy as he was drama. What is more, he could play nearly any role given him convincingly. One need no further than his two most famous roles, which was similar in some ways were in many ways quite different. He played the perpetually grumpy, often acerbic Speed on The Odd Couple. On Quincy M.E. he played  Lt. Monahan, who was initially sceptical of Quincy's theories and often exasperated with the medical examiner. His guest appearances on various shows could often be very different. On an episode of Land of the Giants, "Seven Little Indians," he played a rather sadistic guard. In the episode of Gunsmoke "The Buffalo Hunter" he played a buffalo skinner who helps Marshall Dillon bring his murderous boss to justice.

Throughout his career on television and in film Garry Walberg played everything from doctors to police officers to generals to lawyers to criminals. He was as convincing as a Starfleet officer on Star Trek as he was a cowboy on Outlaws. While there can be no doubt that he will be best remembered as Speed on The Odd Couple and Lt. Monahan on Quincy M.E., his career was filled with many more roles on various TV shows and in film, all of which he did well. 

Director Paul Bogart Passes On

Paul Bogart, who directed such feature films as Skin Game and TV shows such as All in the Family, passed on 15 April 2012 at the age of 92.

Paul Bogart was born on 21 November 1919 in New York City. Following his graduation from James Monroe High School in the Bronx he worked as a printer. He answered a "Help Wanted" advertisement for puppeteers and travelled with a marionette troupe. During World War II he served as a tail gunner in the United States Army Air Forces, but he did not see combat. After he war he worked various odd jobs and also returned to the marionette troupe. It was a friend who told him of openings at NBC. As a result he found himself as a stage manager at the network. He eventually became an associate director, working on such shows at NBC as Today and Howdy Doody.

It was in 1955 that he began directing primetime dramas, starting with an episode of Appointment with Adventure. In the late Fifties he directed episodes of such shows as Justice, The Kaiser Aluminium Hour, Suspicion, Shirley Temple Theatre, and Kraft Theatre. In the Sixties he directed such shows as The U. S. Steel Hour, Way Out, Armstrong Circle Theatre, The Defenders, Get Smart, and Coronet Blue. It was in the Sixties that he also began directing feature films. His feature film debut was The Three Sisters in 1966. In the Sixties he went onto direct Marlowe (1969) and Halls of Anger (1970).

In the Seventies Mr. Bogart directed the films Skin Game (1971), Cancel My Reservation (1972), Class of '44 (1973), and Mr. Ricco (1975). He directed several episodes of All in the Family, as well as such shows as Nichols, Alice, and Visions. In the Eighties he directed episodes of the shows Gloria, Mama Malone, The Golden Girls, and Bagdad Cafe. He directed the films Oh God! You Devil (1984) and Torch Song Trilogy (1988).

Paul Bogart was a director who was skilled in both television and film. It should be little surprise that he won five Emmy Awards for his direction on shows ranging from The Defenders to All in the Family to The Golden Girls. He was a master of timing, who always kept a close eye on the editing on his projects, whether it was a feature film or a television situation comedy. Although best known for his work in television, Paul Bogart was quite capable of creating very fine films. Marlowe, Skin Game, and Torch Song Trilogy were all very well done movies. Talented in both directing television and film, Paul Bogart will be remembered.

Levon Helm R.I.P.

Levon Helm, multi-instrumentalist best known for providing drums and both lead and backing vocals for the band, passed on 19 April 2012 at the age of 71. The cause was cancer.

Levon Helm was born Mark Lavon Helm on 26 May 1940 in Elaine, Arkansas. He spent his child hood in Turkey Scratch, a small village outside Helena, Arkansas. His family loved music, so that Mr. Helm was exposed to it at a very early age. At age six he saw his first live concert, one by Bill Monroe and His Blue Grass Boys. The show left an impression on young Lavon Helm's mind. When he was ten and eleven, during those times when he was not working on the farm or in school, he often went to radio station KFFA in Helena to watch blues legend Sonny Boy Williamson in his radio show, King Biscuit Time. By the time he was eleven he could already play both the guitar and the harmonica. Impressed by the drummers in Elvis Presley and Jerry Lee Lewis's bands, it would be rock 'n' roll that would lead Lavon Helm to become a drummer. He was only a junior in high school when he formed his first band, The Jungle Bush Beaters.

By the time Lavon Helm was 18 his talent was such that he was able to join Ronnie Hawkins' band The Hawks following his graduation from high school. It was at this time that Lavon Helm's stage name became "Levon Helm." The Hawks had some difficulty pronouncing Lavon's name correctly, more often than not pronouncing it "Levon." It was in 1959 that Ronnie Hawkins and The Hawks were signed to Roulette Records. Ronnie Hawkins and The Hawks would have a significant hit in 1959 with the song "Mary Lou," which went to #26 on the Billboard Hot 100.

It was in the early Sixties that Ronnie Hawkins and Levon Helm formed a new band of Hawks, recruiting Canadians Ronnie Robertson on guitar, Rick Danko on bass, Richard Manuel on piano, and Garth Hudson on organ--essentially what would become The Band. It was in 1964 that The Hawks and Ronnie Hawkins parted over personal differences. In 1965 the band would record two singles, both under different names. "Uh-Uh-Uh"/"Leave Me Alone" was released under the name of The Canadian Squires, while "The Stones I Throw"/"He Don't Love You (and He'll Break Your Heart)" was released under the name Levon and The Hawks. It was late in 1965 that Bob Dylan hired The Hawks as his backing band on his next tour--the first on which he would utilise electric instruments. Unfortunately, folk music fans were none too happy with Bob Dylan's transition from folk musician to rock star, so that his concerts were often met with a somewhat negative reception. Three months into the tour Levon Helm left. While Levon Helm worked on an oil rig, the rest of The Hawks continued to tour with Bob Dylan. When Mr. Dylan was injured in a motorcycle accident and retired to Woodstock, New York to recover, The Hawks joined him there. In Woodstock The Hawks were more often than not called simply "the band." The name stuck.

Eventually Levon Helm returned to The Hawks. The group rented a big, pink house in Woodstock, New York where they set to work on writing original material. What had been The Hawks were signed to Capitol Records under the name "The Band." Their first album, Music From Big Pink (the name taken from the big pink house in Woodstock), was released 1 July 1968. The album received largely positive reviews and would eventually peak on the Billboard album charts at #18. While the single "The Weight" only peaked at #63 on the Billboard Hot 100, it would go onto become one of their most recognisable songs.

Their eponymous second album was released over a year later, on 22 September 1969. The Band contained what may well be the group's best known song, "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down." The single from the album, Up on Cripple Creek, went to #25 on the Billboard Hot 100. The album The Band itself went to #9 on the Billboard albums chart. The Band would have continued success with their next album, Stage Fright, released on 17 August 1970. The album went to #5 on the Billboard album chart. In the Seventies The Band's albums would continue to do moderately well on the charts. They released four more studio albums (Cahoots, Moondog Matinee, Northern Lights--Southern Cross, and Islands), as well as a live album (Rock of Ages). Their single, "Baby, Don't Do It," a  cover of the Marvin Gaye song from Rock of Ages, went to #34 on the Billboard Hot 100. By 1976 Robbie Robertson had grown weary of touring, so that The Band decided to retire from touring. They held a farewell concert on Thanksgiving in 1976 in San Francisco, California. The concert was filmed by Martin Scorsese and released as the movie The Last Waltz.  A soundtrack album was also released.

After The Band's retirement Levon Helm continued to perform as a solo artist. From the late Seventies into the early Eighties, Mr. Helm recorded the solo albums Levon Helm & The RCO All Stars, Levon Helm, American Son, and Levon Helm. In 1983 The Band reunited without Robbie Robertson and Levon Helm was part of the reunion. Sadly, Richard Manuel committed suicide in 1986. Messrs. Helm, Danko and Hudson would continue to perform as The Band. In 1989 Levon Helm and Rick Danko performed as part of Ringo Starr's All-Star Band. In 1990 Levon Helm, Rick Danko, and Garth Hudson performed as The Band at Roger Water's "The Wall-Live in Berlin in Germany. In 1993 The Band released their first new studio album in years, Jericho, without Robbie Robertson as part of the group. The Band released two more studio albums, High on the Hog in 1996 and Jubilation in 1998.

It was in 1998 that Levon Helm was diagnosed with throat cancer. It would be some time before he could sing again. He would return to singing in 2004 with the launch of his Midnight Ramble Sessions. The Midnight Ramble Sessions were a series of live concerts performed at his studio, "The Barn," at his home in Woodstock, New York. Levon Helm also returned to touring. In 2005 two albums collecting The Midnight Ramble Sessions were released (Midnight Ramble Sessions Volume I and Midnight Ramble Sessions Volume II).  In 2007 Levon Helm released his first solo album since 1982, Dirt Farmer. On 17 September 2009 Levon Helm performed at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, Tennessee. The performance was recorded and released as the album Ramble at the Ryman in 2011. In 2009 he released his final studio album, Electric Dirt.

Levon Helm also had an acting career. He made his film debut in 1980 playing Loretta Lynn's father in Coal Miner's Daughter. He would go onto appear in such films as The Right Stuff (1983), Best Revenge (1984), Man Outside (1989), Feeling Minnesota (1996), The Adventures of Sebastian Cole (1998), Shooter (2007), and In the Electric Mist (2009).

It is probably impossible to adequately assess the importance of Levon Helm to the history of rock, folk, and Americana music. Indeed, it must be said that without Levon Helm, The Band would never have come into being. Aside from being the founder of one of the most influential bands in the last half of the 20th Century, he was also an extremely talented multi-instrumentalist. Although best known as The Band's drummer, Mr. Helm could play guitar, harmonica, mandolin, bass, and banjo, and he was good at all of them. What is more, he was one of rock music's most distinctive vocalist. He had a strong tenor voice with a touch of roughness about it and his Arkansas accent could often clearly be heard. Levon Helm's band would have an influence on several bands over the years, as diverse as Crosby, Stills, Nash, & Young; Led Zeppelin; Elvis Costello, The Black Crowes; and The Hold Steady. Multi-instrumentalist and vocalist, Levon Helm would have a lasting impact on rock, folk, and Americana music.

Actor William Finley Passes On

Character actor William Finley, perhaps best known for the lead role in Brian De Palma's cult classic Phantom of the Paradise, passed on 14 April 2012 at the age of 69.

William Finley was born on 20 September 1942 in New York City. At the Collegiate School in New York City he worked as a theatrical set designer on school productions. He graduated from Columbia University. It was while he was doing graduate work at Sarah Lawrence College that he met director Brian De Palma. William Finley made his film debut in Mr. De Palma's short Woton's Wake, on which he also worked as a set designer.

Mr. Finley would also make his feature film debut in a movie directed by Brian De Palma, 1968's Murder à la Mod. Over the next few years he would appear in Mr. De Palma's films The Wedding Party (1969), Dionysus (1970), and Sisters (1973).  It was in 1974 that the film for which he was best known was released, Phantom of the Paradise. Phantom of the Paradise was a modernised, rock version of Phantom of the Opera, with elements of Faust and The Picture of Dorian Gray thrown in for good measure. In the film William Finley played singer and composer Winslow Leach, who after his face is damaged by a record press, takes revenge on the music mogul (Swan, played by Paul Williams) who wronged him. The movie received mixed reviews and bombed at the box office upon its initial release, but go onto develop a cult following and also grow in reputation as well.

Following Phantom of the Paradise, Mr. Finley would appear in such films as Eaten Alive (1977), The Fury (1978), Wise Blood (1979), Simon (1980), Dressed to Kill (1980), The Funhouse (1981), Silent Rage (1982), Double Negative (1985), Night Terrors (1985), and The Black Dahlia (2006). On television he appeared in the TV movie Last Hours Before Morning as well as the shows Tales From the Crypt, Sabrina the Teenage Witch, and Masters of Horror.

William Finley also wrote the screenplay for the film The First Time (1985). With Marion Weinstein he co-wrote the book Racewalking, essentially a guide to the sport of racewalking.

William Finley was an actor who had a talent for playing roles that were somewhat left of centre. In this respect his role as Winslow Leach in Phantom of the Paradise was the rule, not the exception, to the sort of parts he played throughout his career. In Silent Rage he played the eccentric scientist Dr. Paul Vaughn. In Tobe Hooper's Eaten Alive he played the somewhat disturbed Roy. Mr. Finley was quite good at playing characters whose sanity was at times lacking, taking characters who could have been mere stereotypes and making them three dimensional. In this respect he was perfectly cast in Phantom of the Paradise. While it is the movie for which he was remembered, William Finley played many great roles throughout his career.

Godspeed Jonathan Frid, Barnabas Collins on Dark Shadows

Jonathan Frid, the Canadian actor who gained lasting fame as Barnabas Collins on the Gothic horror soap opera Dark Shadows, passed on 13 February 2012 at the age of 87.

Jonathan Frid was born John Herbert Frid on 2 December 1924 in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. During World War II he served in the Royal Canadian Navy. He attended McMaster University in Hamilton in 1948. Afterwards he attended the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London. In 1954 he moved to the United States, where he received a Master of Fine Arts degree in Directing at the Yale School of Drama.

Jonathan Frid established a thriving career on stage in the Fifties and Sixties. He appeared alongside Katharine Hepburn in a production of Much Ado About Nothing. He also appeared in productions of Murder in the Cathedral and Dial M for Murder. In 1964 he appeared on Broadway in the play Roar Like a Dove. In 1966 he appeared in a production of Two Gentlemen of Verona.

It was in 1967 that he would assume the role for which he was best known, that of Barnabas Collins on Dark  Shadows. Dark Shadows was originally a soap opera based on the Gothic style romance novels popular in the mid-Sixties. Debuting in 1966, the show had only been on for around six months when it took a turn towards Gothic horror in a story line involving an immortal, humanoid creature termed a phoenix. Having taken a turn towards the supernatural, it was perhaps inevitable that a vampire character would join the cast. Barnabas Collins first appeared on the 18 April 1967 episode. As portrayed by Jonathan Frid, Barnabas Collins was a vampire who deplored his immortal life and was disgusted by his blood lust. Quite simply, it was one of the earliest portrayals of a sympathetic vampire, pre-dating similar portrayals on Forever Knight and Buffy the Vampire Slayer by decades.

Barnabas Collins would transform Dark Shadows into an outright phenomenon. Unlike many soap operas at the time, there would be a good deal of Dark Shadows merchandise, from games to comic books. The show was successful enough to inspire two films while it was still on the air. In the first, House of Dark Shadows (1970), Jonathan Frid reprised his role as Barnabas Collins. Barnabas would not be the only character that Jonathan Frid played on Dark Shadows. He also played Bramwell Collins, the son of Barnabas Collins in a parallel timeline in the last few months of the show's existence.

Sadly, ratings for Dark Shadows would drop dramatically in its last two years on the air. Despite protests from the show's fans, ABC then cancelled Dark Shadows in 1971. Following its cancellation Dark Shadows would do something no other soap opera had done before or since--its reruns would see success in syndication. It would even air on the Sci-Fi Channel for years. The series would see a new, primetime version on NBC in 1991 and an attempted revival on the WB in 2004. It is currently the basis for Tim Burton's latest film, Dark Shadows, to be released in a few weeks.

Following Dark Shadows Jonathan Frid appeared in the television movie The Devils Daughter (which aired in 1974) and Oliver Stone's directorial debut Seizure (1974). He has a cameo in the upcoming feature film Dark Shadows (2012). As an outgrowth of his appearances at Dark Shadows fan conventions, in the Eighties Mr. Frid created a number of one man shows under the heading Reader's Theatre and toured the United States. In 1986 and 1987 Jonathan Frid appeared as Jonathan Brewster in a revival of Arsenic and Old Lace. The production was successful enough that after it's Broadway run, Jonathan Frid toured with it for ten months afterwards.  In 1993 he directed a production of The Lion in Winter, which starred fellow Dark Shadows cast member Marie Wallace. Later in the Nineties he formed Charity Associates, an organisation through which he could raise money for charities using his Reader's Theatre performances. In 2000 he appeared in a production of Mass Appeal in his hometown of Hamilton, Ontario.

It is quite possible that Barnabas Collins is the most famous character to ever emerge from a television soap opera. He also remains one of the most famous vampires to appear either on television or in motion pictures. While much of this is no doubt due to the decision of the production staff of Dark Shadows to make the initially monstrous Barnabas into a sympathetic, tragic protagonist. Indeed, Barnabas Collins was one of the first truly sympathetic vampires in any medium and the first to receive mass exposure five days a week. While the production staff of Dark Shadows was then largely responsible for the impact Barnabas Collins would have on pop culture in the late Sixties, it was mostly the considerable talent of Jonathan Frid that would make the vampire an outright phenomenon.

A skilled stage actor, Jonathan Frid was able to bring out the vulnerable side of Barnabas Collins and explore the tragic nature of the character's existence. He made Barnabas Collins three dimensional not only in a way few vampires on film ever had been, but three dimensional in a way few characters on soap opera ever had been. If Dark Shadows became a phenomenon with Barnabas Collins at its centre, then Jonathan Frid deserved much of the credit.

Of course, it must be kept in mind that Jonathan Frid played many more characters than Barnabas Collins. On Dark Shadows he also played the tragic, romantic hero Bramwell Collins in the parallel timeline story arc. Over the years he played characters ranging from the Duke of Milan in Two Gentlemen of Verona to Father Tim Farley in Mass Appeal. He did all of these parts well. While his fame may largely due to one character on one television show, Jonathan Frid did so much more in his career.