The Edge of Night (1956–1984)

In the fictional city of Monticello, attorney Mike Karr and his colleagues are involved in solving crimes and intrigue which touch the lives of many citizens. Some such citizens include ... See full summary »

Creator:

Irving Vendig

Stars:

Tony Craig, Terry Davis, Frances Fisher

Won 1 Primetime Emmy. Another 6 wins & 28 nominations.

Cast

Series cast summary:
Tony Craig	...	Asst. Dist. Atty. Draper Scott (28 episodes, 1979-1980)
Terry Davis	...	April Cavanaugh Scott (27 episodes, 1978-1980)
Frances Fisher	...	Detective Deborah 'Red' Saxon (23 episodes, 1978-1980)
Margaret Colin	...	Paige Madison (21 episodes, 1979)
Kim Hunter	...	Nola Madison (aka Martha Cory) (20 episodes, 1979-1980)
Denny Albee	...	Detective Steve Guthrie (20 episodes, 1978-1980)
Jayne Bentzen	...	Nicole Travis Stewart Drake Cavanaugh #2 (19 episodes, 1979-1980)
Forrest Compton	...	Dist. Atty. Mike Karr #3 (18 episodes, 1979-1983)
Joe Lambie	...	Assistant District Attorney Logan 'Swifty' Swift (18 episodes, 1978-1981)
Joel Crothers	...	Dr. Miles Cavanaugh (18 episodes, 1978-1983)
Sharon Gabet	...	Charlotte 'Raven' Alexander Jameson Swift Whitney (17 episodes, 1978-1984)
Ann Flood	...	Nancy Pollock Karr (16 episodes, 1966-1983)
Lois Kibbee	...	Geraldine Weldon Whitney Saxon (14 episodes, 1978-1984)
Lee Godart	...	Eliot Dorn (14 episodes, 1979-1980)
Ann Williams	...	Margo Huntington Dorn (14 episodes, 1979-1980)
Wade Nichols	...	Police Chief Derek A. Mallory (14 episodes, 1979-1983)
Lew Resseguie	...	Sgt. Sam Dwyer (12 episodes, 1980)

Storyline

In the fictional city of Monticello, attorney Mike Karr and his colleagues are involved in solving crimes and intrigue which touch the lives of many citizens. Some such citizens include dowager Geraldine Whitney, the frequently-married Raven Alexander, attorney Adam Drake and his wife, Nicole, attorney Draper Scott and his wife, April, Police Chief Bill Marceau, night club owner Johnny Dallas, physician Dr. Miles Cavanaugh, young Jody Travis and her many boyfriends, and Mike Karr himself, his wife, Nancy, and their daughter, Lorrie. All the usual soap opera devices, including prolonged amnesia, a woman with a split personality, murderous mobsters, usurped identities, and murders with many suspects, are used quite effectively in this long running serial.

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Plot Keywords:

attorney | murder | soap opera | 1960s | 1970s | 

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Mystery

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

2 April 1956 (USA)

Also Known As:

Edge of Night

Filming Locations:

Cincinnati, Ohio, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Procter & Gamble Productions (PGP)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

30 min 30 min (7420 episodes)

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White (1956-1967) Color (1967-1984)

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

When Teal Ames's character was killed in a 1961 episode, CBS received so many calls after the episode's broadcast that Ames and John Larkin had to appear at the end of the next day's program to reassure viewers that only Ames' character, not the actress herself had died.

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Connections

Referenced in All in the Family: The Man in the Street (1971)

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Soundtracks

"The Edge Of Night"
Main Title Theme (1956-1975)
Music by Paul Taubman (organist)

User Reviews

More than likely the only soap opera that men would admit watching.

It is more than likely that most soap operas are watched by housewives, even after all these years and changes in the medium. But for most of it's existence, "The Edge of Night" was an exception to that rule. It was always near the top of the ratings for afternoon shows, from 1956 to 1970, when CBS showed it at 4:30 pm. Sadly, when CBS shuffled their daytime lineup, in the 1970 - 71 season, "The Edge of Night" was shown earlier and lost ground. The show was a murder mystery serial and was great at showing the inner workings of both crime organizations as well as showing the inner workings of both the police and the courtroom. It had some really great names going through it's door, as alumni, including Dixie Carter, Larry Hagman and even John Travolta as a delivery man. The show was edgy, just as the name applied, and had a great ability to show whodunits. Actress Talluhah Bankhead was an early fan of the show and not even a call from President Harry Truman could get her away from the show. It even had the balls to kill off a really popular character, Sara Karr very early on.