Daniel Keyes Movies

The first independent production of former studio mogul Jack Warner, 1776 was adapted from the hit 1969 Broadway musical by Peter Stone and Sherman Edwards. William Daniels, Ken Howard, and Howard Da Silva are among the many actors who recreate their Broadway roles. The story is set during the first Continental Congress, when the Declaration of Independence was drafted by such founding fathers as John Adams (Daniels) and Benjamin Franklin (Da Silva). The script attempts to "humanize" these remote historical figures by contemporizing them -- particularly the character of Ben Franklin. Blythe Danner's character of Martha Jefferson is expanded for the film version to allow for an elaborate outdoor production number. After 1776, Warner made only one more film, the 1972 "grunge Western" Dirty Little Billy. On an added note: the picture was originally rated G with its theatrical running time of 141 minutes. It was later expanded to 166 minutes; the added scenes caused the MPAA to re-rate it PG (for language) in 1992. Both versions are available on video. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Since she was a child, Natalie Miller (Patty Duke) has always thought she was an ugly ducking. When a boy called her "clown face", the six-year-old knocked out his front teeth with a shovel. Despite her mother's encouragement that she will grow up to be pretty, Natalie has never believed it will happen. When her parents bribe a young medical student to date her, Natalie discovers the ruse and moves out of her parent's house. She rents a Greenwich Village apartment from an eccentric landlady (Elsa Lanchester) and gets a job at the Topless Bottom Club. She rides a motorcycle to work, decorates her loft with a moose head, and rides up and down a dumbwaiter to get to her apartment. There Natalie meets David (James Farentino) an artist, and the two have a love affair before she discovers he is married. She considers returning home after finding him in bed with his wife. Al Pacino makes his first screen appearance in a minor role in this engaging drama. ~ Dan Pavlides, Rovi

Sarah (Sharon Smyth) materializes in front of the imprisoned David (David Henesy). She helps him find his way out of the secret room -- but Barnabas (Jonathan Frid) is waiting for him. This episode originally aired on September 8, 1967. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Temporarily shaken by the fact that Laura Murdock Stockbridge's coffin is empty, Joe (Joel Crothers) and Dr. Guthrie (John Lasell) pry open the coffin of Laura Murdock Radcliffe, only to find it empty as well. Still, sufficient evidence exists to connect the two missing corpses with the present Laura Murdock, the estranged wife of Roger Collins. This episode first aired on March 3, 1967. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

A stranger arrives at the doorstep of Collinwood, claiming to be a distant cousin from England. In a manner of speaking, he is telling the truth; the stranger is Barnabas Collins, a centuries-old vampire released from the family crypt by the greedy Willie Loomis. Jonathan Frid makes his first Dark Shadows appearance in this episode, which originally aired on April 18, 1967. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Drawn to a cemetery in the dead of night, Victoria (Alexandra Moltke) and lawyer Frank Garner (Conrad Fowkes) come across the grave of one L. Murdock Stockbridge, who died in a fire back in 1767. Later, Roger (Louis Edmonds) tells Frank that a body identified as that of Laura Collins was found in the ruins of a fire in Phoenix. It turns out that Laura's maiden name was Murdock. This episode originally aired on January 26, 1967. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi