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 Starsky and Hutch: Starsky and Hutch Are Guilty (1977)

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Soundtracks

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

User Reviews

The Edge of Night

I was fortunate enough to get a double serving of EON during summer break. When EON moved to ABC, the Baltimore affiliate aired the show at 4:00p.m. directly following GH. However, my hometown of Washington, DC would broadcast the same episode the next morning at 10:30 a.m. The quality of the Baltimore channel was clear when it was cloudy but otherwise snowy at best.

Murder mysteries were EON's forte and the one effect they did better than any other daytime drama was the quick fade to black. There was no slow resolve to black. The music would swell, then suddenly the screen goes black. I loved it!!!!!!

The character names were straight out of period pieces

Just to name a few: Adam Drake, Nicole Travis (Drake), April Cavanaugh, Preacher Emerson, Miles Cavanaugh, Margo Huntington Dorn, Elliot Dorn, and two of my favorites villains Molly Sherwood and Winter Austin.

My favorite Friday cliffhanger occurred at the WMON studios. Winter had reached wits end and decided to confront Nicole in the news studio. The mad chase lead to the catwalk and the overhead in the studio. They both wore a white button-up blouse and blue jeans. There hair were a similar honey hue. When the railing broke, one of the two flipped over the railing and fell face first onto the floor below.

It was awesome, but the kicker was, they waited until Tuesday to pick up the story. They sure don't make'em like they used to.