ADAM DRAKE
FIRST APPEARANCE: June 1967
LAST APPEARANCE: June 17, 1977
PERFORMER: Donald May
EXIT: Shot to death in his office.
SPOUSE: Nicole Travis (August 1973-June 1977).
RELATIVES: Adam Drake, Jr. (son). Senator Ben Travis (corrupt father-in-law).
OCCUPATION: Private practice attorney; Senatorial candidate (1974).
DEFENSE TRIALS: Julie Jamison (1968), Nicole Travis (1970), Martha Marceau (1974/75), Serena Faraday (1976).
LEGAL HISTORY: Tried for the murder of Jake Berman (Fall 1973).
MEDICAL HISTORY: Car crash (March 1973). Stabbed (April 1974). Injured in a yacht explosion (May 1974). Poisoned with arsenic (November 1974). Shot (August 1976). Shot to death (June 1977).
RESIDENCE: The Barn, a country home in Graham County.
USELESS TRIVIA: Actor Donald May was the first actor to receive a "special billing" in the program's closing credits
LOVE INTERESTS:
Nicole Travis
Adam met Nicole Travis shortly after her arrival in Monticello. He was not impressed by her spoiled, manipulative nature. The two often fought, particularly over Nicole's unhealthy interest in married Mike Karr, Adam's law partner. However, his feelings began to change when Nicole was terrorized by a mysterious stalker. Adam worked overtime to unmask the stalker's identity (it was Stephanie Martin), then defended Nicole as she stood trial for Stephanie's murder. By the end of the trial, Adam and Nicole were deeply in love. However, Adam was a confirmed bachelor and avoided Nicole's persistent hints at marriage. Eventually, she gave him an ultimatum: propose by midnight December 31, 1972 or lose her forever. On New Year's Eve 1972, Adam braved the darkened streets to New York to find his true love. He did, proposing marriage as the clock chimed twelve. Adam and Nicole married on August 31, 1973. The following May, Nicole was presumed dead in explosion at sea. When she returned in December 1975, Adam had fallen in love with Brandy Henderson.
Brandy Henderson
Assistant DA Brandy Henderson appeared in August 1974 and initially assisted Adam with his investigation of mob activity in Monticello. Once Adam accepted the loss of Nicole, he and Brandy fell in love. Good humored verbal sparring characterized their relationship, and they often found themselves in opposite courtroom camps. Brandy and Adam's engagement in the Fall of 1975 was complicated by Nicole's surprise return.
Cookie Thomas
Adam casually dated Nancy Karr's younger sister Cookie in late 1967. Although Cookie found Adam extremely attractive, the relationship was never reciprocated.
Roxanne Carey
The sister of Lt. Paul Carey, Roxanne was Adam's girlfriend for most of 1968. After Adam proved that Ernie Tuttle was guilty of Harry Constable's murder, Roxanne faded from the Edge canvas.
FLIRTATIONS:
Nancy Karr
As part of a plan to uncover corruption in the CEA, Adam and Nancy pretended to have an affair in the summer of 1967. Although it wasn't reciprocated, Adam's attraction to Mrs. Karr was more than just acting.
PERILS:
Jake Berman
In late 1972, Adam unwittingly became the victim of Jake Berman's murderous obsession for Nicole. At first, Jake attempted to kill his rival. When that didn't work, he plotted his own shooting, thus framing Adam for the crime. Unfortunately, Jake actually died, and Adam found himself on trial for murder.
Walter LePage
Adam's senatorial campaign was derailed in 1974 when crime lord Walter LePage ordered Adam's death. There were several attempts on Adam's life, including a stabbing, arsenic poisoning, and a time bomb which destroyed Adam and Nicole's honeymoon yacht The Sprite.
Van Rydell
One of Claude Revenant's assassins after Nicole, Rydell shot Adam in August 1976, severing an artery in his leg.
FIRST APPEARANCE: June 1967
LAST APPEARANCE: June 17, 1977
PERFORMER: Donald May
EXIT: Shot to death in his office.
SPOUSE: Nicole Travis (August 1973-June 1977).
RELATIVES: Adam Drake, Jr. (son). Senator Ben Travis (corrupt father-in-law).
OCCUPATION: Private practice attorney; Senatorial candidate (1974).
DEFENSE TRIALS: Julie Jamison (1968), Nicole Travis (1970), Martha Marceau (1974/75), Serena Faraday (1976).
LEGAL HISTORY: Tried for the murder of Jake Berman (Fall 1973).
MEDICAL HISTORY: Car crash (March 1973). Stabbed (April 1974). Injured in a yacht explosion (May 1974). Poisoned with arsenic (November 1974). Shot (August 1976). Shot to death (June 1977).
RESIDENCE: The Barn, a country home in Graham County.
USELESS TRIVIA: Actor Donald May was the first actor to receive a "special billing" in the program's closing credits
LOVE INTERESTS:
Nicole Travis
Adam met Nicole Travis shortly after her arrival in Monticello. He was not impressed by her spoiled, manipulative nature. The two often fought, particularly over Nicole's unhealthy interest in married Mike Karr, Adam's law partner. However, his feelings began to change when Nicole was terrorized by a mysterious stalker. Adam worked overtime to unmask the stalker's identity (it was Stephanie Martin), then defended Nicole as she stood trial for Stephanie's murder. By the end of the trial, Adam and Nicole were deeply in love. However, Adam was a confirmed bachelor and avoided Nicole's persistent hints at marriage. Eventually, she gave him an ultimatum: propose by midnight December 31, 1972 or lose her forever. On New Year's Eve 1972, Adam braved the darkened streets to New York to find his true love. He did, proposing marriage as the clock chimed twelve. Adam and Nicole married on August 31, 1973. The following May, Nicole was presumed dead in explosion at sea. When she returned in December 1975, Adam had fallen in love with Brandy Henderson.
Brandy Henderson
Assistant DA Brandy Henderson appeared in August 1974 and initially assisted Adam with his investigation of mob activity in Monticello. Once Adam accepted the loss of Nicole, he and Brandy fell in love. Good humored verbal sparring characterized their relationship, and they often found themselves in opposite courtroom camps. Brandy and Adam's engagement in the Fall of 1975 was complicated by Nicole's surprise return.
Cookie Thomas
Adam casually dated Nancy Karr's younger sister Cookie in late 1967. Although Cookie found Adam extremely attractive, the relationship was never reciprocated.
Roxanne Carey
The sister of Lt. Paul Carey, Roxanne was Adam's girlfriend for most of 1968. After Adam proved that Ernie Tuttle was guilty of Harry Constable's murder, Roxanne faded from the Edge canvas.
FLIRTATIONS:
Nancy Karr
As part of a plan to uncover corruption in the CEA, Adam and Nancy pretended to have an affair in the summer of 1967. Although it wasn't reciprocated, Adam's attraction to Mrs. Karr was more than just acting.
PERILS:
Jake Berman
In late 1972, Adam unwittingly became the victim of Jake Berman's murderous obsession for Nicole. At first, Jake attempted to kill his rival. When that didn't work, he plotted his own shooting, thus framing Adam for the crime. Unfortunately, Jake actually died, and Adam found himself on trial for murder.
Walter LePage
Adam's senatorial campaign was derailed in 1974 when crime lord Walter LePage ordered Adam's death. There were several attempts on Adam's life, including a stabbing, arsenic poisoning, and a time bomb which destroyed Adam and Nicole's honeymoon yacht The Sprite.
Van Rydell
One of Claude Revenant's assassins after Nicole, Rydell shot Adam in August 1976, severing an artery in his leg.
DEATH:
With Nicole recuperating at the Clairmont Clinic during a difficult pregnancy, Adam turned his attention to Mike Karr, his best friend who had just been indicted for the murder of Beau Richardson. Adam bailed Mike out of jail and then began investigating Richardson's death. In May 1977, he told Nicole that he would be going away for a few weeks to follow a lead in the case. He returned onscreen on Friday, June 17, 1977, informing Mike by phone that he was going to their office to do some work and would call him the next day. Mike hoped that Adam had discovered evidence that would clear him in the Richardson murder. In the last scene, Adam was in his office typing, presumably the identity of killer, when a shadowy gunman shot him three times. Two of the bullets struck him directly in the heart, killing him instantly. He was discovered by a patrol officer after the building's security man reported hearing gunshots in the attorneys' suite. Chief Marceau and Lt. Chandler arrived on the scene, with Bill breaking the devastating news of Adam's death to Mike by telephone. Although Lt. Chandler remained objective, Marceau and Mike were certain that Adam was murdered by the same killer of Beau Richardson. Later in the year, after Laurie admitted that she shot Beau, family and friends began to fear that she also murdered Adam. However, Laurie was actually innocent of both crimes. The real killer of Richardson had been Raymond Harper, who was secretly a vicious criminal known as "Colonel Blood." Harper had also shot Adam when he uncovered proof of Harper as Richardson's killer.
FRIDAY, JUNE 17, 1977
ACT V
INT. ADAM AND MIKE'S OFFICE SUITE. NIGHT.
THE OMINOUS SOUNDS OF THUNDER CAN
BE HEARD RUMBLING AND OCCASIONAL
FLASHES OF LIGHTNING ILLUMINATE THE
ROOM. ADAM GOES INTO HIS OFFICE. HE
OPENS A BRIEFCASE STUFFED WITH
PAPERS AND DOCUMENTS AND LOOKS
THROUGH THE CONTENTS. HE WALKS
TO HIS DESK AND UNCOVERS HIS
TYPEWRITER. HE TAKES A SHEATH OF
PAPER AND LOADS THE MACHINE. HE
BEGINS TO PECK AT THE KEYS, AND A
SHADOW PASSES OVER THE OUTER
WALL OF HIS OFFICE. HE ISN'T ALONE.
ADAM CONTINUES TYPING THEN LOOKS
UP SUDDENLY. WITH THE ROAR OF
THUNDER AND FLASH OF LIGHTNING,
THE BARREL OF A GUN PROTRUDES
THROUGH THE PARTIALLY OPENED
DOOR. A SHOT IS FIRED. THEN TWO
MORE! ADAM SLUMPS FACE DOWN ON
HIS DESK, A LARGE CIRCLE OF BLOOD
STAINING THE FRONT OF HIS SHIRT.
FADEOUT: