312

Sheriff Patterson and Joe search the Old House for David, keeping Barnabas from being able to go to his coffin.
== Synopsis ==
Teaser
: A pale, peaceful moon illuminates the walls of Collinwood. But the great house knows no peace on this night, for a small boy has disappeared, and a terrified girl seeks comfort from one whose comforting touch could bring her death and destruction.
Victoria Winters, distraught over David Collins' disappearance, breaks down in tears and is comforted by Barnabas Collins. The vampire is overcome with bloodlust and, baring his fangs, starts to bite Victoria...
Act I
...but Carolyn Stoddard and Joe Haskell's arrival prevents him from doing so. Barnabas regains his composure as Joe decides to call Sheriff Patterson about the missing David. Barnabas is disturbed to learn that David probably went looking for Sarah Collins in the hope of helping Joe discover the identity of Maggie Evans' abductor. He also finds out that it was Sarah who informed Sam Evans where to find Maggie when she escaped from her kidnapper. Joe leaves to phone the Sheriff and, while Carolyn and Victoria debate telling Elizabeth Collins Stoddard and Roger Collins, who are in Boston, Barnabas slips away.
Barnabas returns to the Old House where he anxiously calls for Willie Loomis.
Act II
When questioned, Willie explains that he has not seen David "for days". Barnabas, unwilling to risk exposure, is determined to find David before anyone else does. If David knows too much, then he will have to take action.
Back at Collinwood, Sheriff Patterson arrives. David has been missing for "six hours", and the Sheriff wonders if the boy might have been kidnapped. Carolyn dreads to think of the possibilities, especially with a maniac still loose. Having searched all over the estate, Joe believes David is at the Old House, the one place he and Carolyn did not look. Victoria remembers seeing Sarah during the costume party Barnabas held for the family. Hearing this, Joe is more determined than ever to search the Old House, and Sheriff Patterson agrees.
Act III
As Barnabas and Willie prepare to go out and search for David, Joe and the Sheriff come to the Old House. Both Barnabas and Willie dismiss the suggestion that Sarah and David have been sneaking inside to play. Indeed, Willie fairly explodes at Joe when the other man wants to look around. Barnabas, however, defuses the situation and allows Sheriff Patterson and Joe to search. Alone with Barnabas, Willie is in a state of panic at the idea of the basement being explored and what will be found there. Barnabas orders him to be silent, but Willie knows his vampire master is as scared and nervous as he is.
Act IV
Morning arrives, and Willie anxiously reminds Barnabas he must return to his coffin. At that moment, the Sheriff and Joe return with nothing having been found. They have searched everywhere... except the locked cellar. Barnabas assures him they will find nothing there. He claims the door has been firmly locked ever since he took up residence in the Old House. When Sheriff Patterson insists on searching there, Barnabas lies about misplacing the key. Joe wants to break the door down, but Barnabas protests. Just then, Carolyn rushes into the room. One of the deputies has had a report of a little boy matching David's description seen walking along the beach road two miles outside of Collinsport. The trio depart, but not before Joe and the Sheriff cast suspicious glances in Barnabas' direction. Before going to his coffin, Barnabas orders Willie to search for David and to bring the boy to the Old House.
== Memorable quotes ==
: Barnabas: Children are the heart and soul of innocence.
== Dramatis personae ==
* Jonathan Frid as Barnabas Collins
* Nancy Barrett as Carolyn Stoddard
* Joel Crothers as Joe Haskell
* John Karlen as Willie Loomis
* Dana Elcar as George Patterson
* Alexandra Moltke as Victoria Winters
== Background information and notes ==
=== Production ===
* Dana Elcar returns to the cast after an absence of 38 episodes.
=== Story ===
* Roger and Elizabeth are in Boston.
* In Act I, when Carolyn and Joe show up on the terrace and interrupt Barnabas's attempt to bite Victoria, Jonathan Frid scoots to the end of the terrace and faces the wall, obviously to remove the fangs from his mouth.
* TIMELINE: It's been six hours since David disappeared. 6am at the end of the episode.
== Bloopers and continuity errors ==
*A boom microphone shadow appears on the wall of the Old House parlor.
* When Sheriff Patterson and Joe go to the Old House to look for the missing David, Jonathan Frid messes up his lines. After greeting the sheriff and Joe at the door, there's a long pause. Then Dana Elcar says, "We'd like to take a look around your house if you don't mind." Frid responds, "Not at all," and then after another pause immediately follows up with "My house? Here? Why?" Then when they suggest that David might have come looking for Sarah, Frid says, "Besides, why would he come finding her here?" When the sheriff and Joe go to look around the house, Willie asks Barnabas why he let them search the house, and Barnabas says he had no choice because Willie was "making them suspicion as it was." And then when Barnabas claims he lost the key to the basement, he says, "So you possibly...can’t get down through that door."
*At one point in Act IV, Jonathan Frid refers to David as "Willie" but quickly corrects himself.
== End credits announcements ==
* Dark Shadows is a Dan Curtis Production.
==External links ==
Dark Shadows - Episode 312 on the IMDb
Dark Shadows Every Day - Episode 312 - Search Party
The Dark Shadows Daybook - Episode 312
Dark Shadows Commentary- Episode 312: Find the boy
Dark Shadows Before I Die- Episode 312: 9/5/67
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