Alex Jenkins

Alex Jenkins is a fictional writer and a supporting character featured in the 1971 film Night of Dark Shadows. He was played by actor John Karlen.

Biography
Alex Jenkins was a mystery writer and art enthusiast who was married to a fellow writer named Claire. The Jenkins became close friends with Quentin Collins, the new owner of the stately mansion known as Collinwood. Quentin and his new bride, Tracy, would often invite Alex and Claire over to Collinwood for dinner. They always enjoyed visiting Quentin, but were often put off by his strange housekeeper, Carlotta Drake.

In the summer of 1971, bizarre occurrences began to take place at Collinwood. Quentin began behaving very strangely, and he became prone to psychotic fits of violence. Alex and Claire grew very concerned for his well-being and feared that Tracy might be in danger so long as she was around him.

On July 1st, the Jenkins took a trip to the Burton Art Gallery in New York City. They found a painting of a man who was the spitting image of Quentin. This was in fact his ancestor, Charles Collins, and was painted some time in the 19th century. Alex began to suspect that some sort of supernatural phenomenon was taking place at Collinwood.

He soon learned that the ghost of a 19th century witch named Angelique Collins had been haunting Quentin in an effort to revitalize the spirit of her old lover, Charles Collins. Angelique's ghost tried to kill the Jenkins on several occasions.

One evening, Alex ventured over to Collinwood and saw a strange shadow skulking about near the greenhouse. As he stepped into the greenhouse, the glass ceiling shattered sending thousands of shards of glass down on top of him. Alex was able to escape from the building without suffering any injury.

Soon after, the ghost of Angelique attacked Alex directly. Taking the form of a strange, white mist, she attempted to strangle Alex in his sleep. Claire wakened him and was able to save his life.

The following day, Alex saved Tracy Collins' life, after Quentin attempted to drown her inside the old swimming pool at the Old House.

Later that same day, a demented stable-hand named Gerard Stiles attempted to kill Alex by forcing his car off the side of the road. Alex, again, managed to survive his near-brush with death.

Before long, Alex and Claire came to believe that Quentin was successful in exorcising the harmful spirits from his home and person. Despite that however, they decided to leave Collinsport and take a well-earned vacation at the Cape. As they drove away, their car skidded off the road into a ditch and both Alex and Claire were killed in the crash. Witnesses reported seeing a ghostly white smoke filling the vehicle as it veered off of the highway.

Notes & Trivia



 * Alex Jenkins is a character unique to the continuity of Night of Dark Shadows and does not have a counterpart in the original Dark Shadows series.


 * Alex and Claire wrote a novel entitled The Ghost at Corinth Bend. It was published posthumously in 1972, a year after the Jenkins' untimely demise.


 * Actor John Karlen also played the role of Willie Loomis in the 1970 film, House of Dark Shadows.