About

Known credits:
70
Birthday:
1927-08-12
Place of birth:
Bridgeport, Connecticut, USA
Website:
N/A

Dan Curtis

Overview

​From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Dan Curtis  (August 12, 1927 – March 27, 2006) was an American director and producer of television and film, probably best known for his miniseries The Winds of War and War and Remembrance and for his afternoon TV series Dark Shadows. Dark Shadows originally aired from 1966 to 1971 and has aired in syndication for nearly 40 years. Curtis was responsible for the 1991 remake of Dark Shadows, which was canceled due to low ratings. He was the executive producer for Dark Shadows for The WB Television Network; however, it was canceled before the pilot episode aired.

His series of macabre films include The Night Stalker (which inspired the series Kolchak: The Night Stalker), Intruders, The Night Strangler, House of Dark Shadows, Night of Dark Shadows, Burnt Offerings, Trilogy of Terror, The Norliss Tapes (a 1973 pilot for an unproduced series starring Roy Thinnes), Curse of the Black Widow, Dead Of Night, Scream of the Wolf and others. He worked frequently with sci-fi/horror writer Richard Matheson. Curtis was producer and/or director of a number of television adaptations of horror-related productions including Dracula, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, The Picture of Dorian Gray, and Turn of the Screw, all made between 1968 and 1975.

In 1978, Curtis made a departure from his usual macabre offerings, when he wrote, produced, and directed the sentimental NBC television film When Every Day Was the Fourth of July. Although fictionalized, the film was semi-autobiographical, based on his childhood growing up in Bridgeport, Connecticut in the 1930s. The film was originally intended to be a pilot for a potential series, but when the series was not picked up by the NBC network, Curtis produced and directed the 1980 television movie sequel The Long Days of Summer, this time airing on the ABC network.

His miniseries The Winds of War was nominated for four Emmy Awards.

He also directed the War and Remembrance mini-series which was the continuation of The Winds of War. This mini-series was 30 hours in length and was split into two segments, Chapters I-Vll and Vll, the final chapter. This series received 15 Emmy Award nominations and won for best miniseries, special effects and single-camera production editing. The miniseries was nominated for Emmy Awards for best actor (John Gielgud), actress (Jane Seymour) and supporting actress (Polly Bergen).

Curtis died of a brain tumor in his home on March 27, 2006, two weeks after the death of his wife Norma.

Curtis' rights to Dark Shadows remain with his estate, who have signed a deal with Warner Bros. for a new Dark Shadows movie. The film will star Johnny Depp as Barnabas Collins and is set for release in 2012.

Description above from the Wikipedia article Dan Curtis, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia

Known for

Acting
2004 Imaginary Witness: Hollywood and the Holocaust Actor Self 59
Average

Directing
2005 Our Fathers Directing Director 59
Average
2005 Saving Milly Directing Director 58
Average
1998 The Love Letter Directing Director 59
Average
1996 Trilogy of Terror II Directing Director 58
Average
1993 Me and the Kid Directing Director 58
Average
1992 Intruders Directing Director 59
Average
1992 Intruders Directing Director 69
Fair
1986 St. John in Exile Directing Director 59
Average
1980 The Long Days of Summer Directing Director N/A
N/A
1979 The Last Ride of the Dalton Gang Directing Director 58
Average
1979 Mrs. R's Daughter Directing Director 59
Average
1979 Express to Terror Directing Director N/A
N/A
1978 When Every Day Was the Fourth of July Directing Director 58
Average
1977 Curse of the Black Widow Directing Director 58
Average
1977 Dead of Night Directing Director 59
Average
1976 Burnt Offerings Directing Director 60
Fair
1975 The Kansas City Massacre Directing Director 58
Average
1975 Trilogy of Terror Directing Director 59
Average
1975 Melvin Purvis G-Man Directing Director 59
Average
1974 The Great Ice Rip-Off Directing Director 58
Average
1974 Dracula Directing Director 59
Average
1974 The Turn of the Screw Directing Director 59
Average
1974 Scream of the Wolf Directing Director 59
Average
1973 The Invasion of Carol Enders Directing Director 58
Average
1973 The Norliss Tapes Directing Director 59
Average
1973 The Night Strangler Directing Director 59
Average
1971 Night of Dark Shadows Directing Director 59
Average
1970 House of Dark Shadows Directing Director 59
Average

Writing
1996 Trilogy of Terror II Writing Writer 58
Average
1988 War and Remembrance Writing Writer 72
Good
1978 When Every Day Was the Fourth of July Writing Story 58
Average
1976 Burnt Offerings Writing Screenplay 60
Fair
1973 Frankenstein Writing Screenplay 59
Average
1971 Night of Dark Shadows Writing Story 59
Average
1969 Dead of Night: A Darkness at Blaisedon Writing Writer 59
Average

Production
2009 Dark Shadows: The Vampire Curse Production Executive Producer 59
Average
2005 Saving Milly Production Executive Producer 58
Average
1998 The Love Letter Production Producer 59
Average
1992 Intruders Production Executive Producer 69
Fair
1990 Johnny Ryan Production Executive Producer N/A
N/A
1988 War and Remembrance Production Executive Producer 72
Good
1983 The Winds of War Production Producer 70
Good
1980 The Long Days of Summer Production Executive Producer N/A
N/A
1979 Mrs. R's Daughter Production Executive Producer 59
Average
1979 Express to Terror Production Executive Producer N/A
N/A
1979 Supertrain Production Producer 68
Fair
1978 When Every Day Was the Fourth of July Production Producer 58
Average
1977 Curse of the Black Widow Production Executive Producer 58
Average
1977 Dead of Night Production Producer 59
Average
1976 Burnt Offerings Production Producer 60
Fair
1975 The Kansas City Massacre Production Producer 58
Average
1975 Trilogy of Terror Production Producer 59
Average
1975 Melvin Purvis G-Man Production Producer 59
Average
1974 The Great Ice Rip-Off Production Producer 58
Average
1974 Dracula Production Producer 59
Average
1974 The Turn of the Screw Production Producer 59
Average
1974 Shadow of Fear Production Executive Producer 59
Average
1974 Scream of the Wolf Production Producer 59
Average
1973 The Invasion of Carol Enders Production Producer 58
Average
1973 The Picture of Dorian Gray Production Producer 58
Average
1973 The Norliss Tapes Production Producer 59
Average
1973 Frankenstein Production Producer 59
Average
1973 The Night Strangler Production Producer 59
Average
1972 The Night Stalker Production Producer 60
Fair
1971 Night of Dark Shadows Production Producer 59
Average
1970 House of Dark Shadows Production Producer 59
Average
1968 The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde Production Producer 58
Average
1967 The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde Production Producer N/A
N/A

Crew
2009 Dark Shadows: The Vampire Curse Crew Creator 59
Average