This page is dedicated to Willie Loomis, one of the most inspiring and interesting characters on the 1960's gothic soap opera, Dark Shadows. On this page you will find facts (well, opinions at least), fiction, and photos. If you have any of these that you'd like to see posted on the Willie World Website (try saying THAT 10 times fast!), please feel free to e-mail it to me. I will be happy to consider it for inclusion in this unlikely shrine.
WILLIE: FOOL OR FIEND
Willie was an "everyman" of a type. He was cunning, yet predictable; unruly, yet easily manipulated; cowering, yet brave when he felt he had to be. He was loyal to a fault, and wore his heart on his sleeve. Anyone who watches the earliest episodes of Willie's appearance at Collinwood cannot help but notice a disturbing undercurrent of mania beneath his well-worn armor of common "hood". When his mind finally snaps from the unrelenting stress of conflicting loyalties, and six bullets in his back, there is an eerie similarity to the earliest actions of the character.
One wonders if Wyndcliffe Sanatorium was doing routine lobotomies at the time of Willie's stay, because he never regains his "edge". He never again has that deep-rooted, self-preservation that made him strive to overcome situations beyond his control with his wits, rather than a swift and cowering retreat. Childlike, he is more or less at the mercy of Barnabas and Julia, who ensure his continued safety, usually with long-suffering derision.
But there is a sweetness to this simpler Willie, a tragic gullibility. His very inability to cope with the most minor upset always recalls to us the strife he has overcome in the past. Let's face it. Willie single-handedly saved Maggie Evans from becoming Barnabas' Josette doll for life. And he achieved it while keeping Barnabas' secret all along.
This unworthy website was updated on 2/18/99, by S. F. McCall....
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