DARK SHADOWS:- ALEXANDRA MOLTKE

[Andrew]

I have to admit i just bought all the way from the United States the first 35 Episodes from 1966 of Dark Shadows and we have seen about five know, we try to see one every night, the episodes are about twenty-minutes long, in black and white, but really entertaining.

You can see that they had a really short budget, but it was really well done, the acting is really good, and there is no ridicoulos love talk, as there are in every soap opera knowadays. But as you sit and watch these episodes, you began to wonder what happened to the actors, and i thought we could discuss the lead actress Alexandra Moltke, who i see know calls herself Alexandra Isles.

She was born in 1947, in Stockholm,Sweden (she comes from the town as me), and she was the daughter of a danish count and diplomat Greve Carl Adam Von Moltke and wife Mabel Wilson, wich makes Alexandras real name:- Grevinnan Alexandra Von Moltke.

But what happened with her, there seem to have been some such of an scandal involving her, being involved with Claus Von Bulow, was that a reason she has never returned to daytime television, she was rather good, and she still looks good for her age, naturally good, as she where interwieved on the dvd`s.

You know she could be fun to see in a new role on a soap nowadays, what do you all think about Alexandra Moltke Isles?

My Name is Victoria Winters...........

[heatherwebber]

I don't think she liked acting.

She was working at the Museum of Television & Radio doing some kind of restoring work, I think, and has also been involved in making documentaries. I think about the holocaust.

Rick

[Dale]

Hello, Andrew! I hope you enjoy the Dark Shadows experience! Personally the early episodes don't do much for me. But as soon as Barnabas Collins shows up, it's a thrill ride. If you get the sets that contain Barnabas, I promise you that you will be watching more than one episode per night!!!!

The nice thing about the box sets that came out earlier are the star interviews they contained. I recall that Alexandra Moltke was featured in several of them and she talked a bit about her life after dS, but I cannot remember what she said.

I know it's a BIG investment, but owing the entire Dark Shadows is well worth it!

[quartermainefan]

She was very pretty

[LoyaltoAMC]

I actually love the pre-Barnabas episodes. They were very gothic and New Englandy atmospheric without being campy. Also enjoyed the Barnabas episodes, but in a different way. It was just a hell of an entertaining show. I think the show in general lost some flavor when it switched from B&W to color, although for me the show peaked with those 1795 flashback episodes, which were in color. DS has to rank among my top 5 favorite soaps of all time.

As far as Moltke goes, she grew dissatisfied with Victoria being so stupid and clueless about what was going on around her. Every other line seemed to be "I don't understand!" The recasts didn't work, and the character was eventually written off. When they cast the similar-looking Donna McKechnie and later Kate Jackson in major roles as heroines, the produers were obviously trying to keep the memory of Moltke alive in viewers' minds.

[Dale]

The 1795 storyline was poetry in motion. Even though it went on for months, you could tell that they planned each and every story beat leading the the climax. Dang you for mentioning that story! I may have to go and watch me some classic Dark Shadows!!!

[LoyaltoAMC]

Yep, those 1795 episodes were beautifully orchestrated. They were total perfection. Dan Curtis, Gordon Russell, and Sam Hall were creative geniuses, spinning incredible tales on a threadbare budget that limited them to 5-6 actors per episode. I enjoyed much of the stuff afterward...Angelique appearing in the present as Cassandra, Adam/Eve, Chris Jennings, and a lot of Quentin stuff, though the 1897 episodes go on way too long and become really confusing. By this time, the novelty of time travel and actors playing different roles had really grown stale.

[Dale]

Maybe someone should make Ellen Wheeler watch 1795 and learn a few tricks!

[LoyaltoAMC]

Funny you mention Wheeler in association with Shadows, because she played Phyllis Wick, the governess who switched places with Vicki during the infamous seance that kicked off the 1795 episodes, in the 90s prime time revival of the series.