The Edge of Night Moments In History: The Death of Eliot Dorn

In the annals of soap opera history, there exist moments that are, to borrow from an old Nat King Cole standard, unforgettable… in every way. Eliot Dorn’s dispatching at the hands of some fiendish felt on The Edge of Night stands as a perfect example.

The Edge of Night – Eliot Is Permanently Silenced

As far as Raven Alexander was concerned, her dalliance with Eliot Dorn had come to its natural conclusion. Their sexual congress had been most satisfying, but there was very little that the glorified gigolo and puffed-up gin joint owner could offer her in way of monetary riches or social standing.

But what Eliot could offer Raven was a much sought-after piece of parchment… one that featured a hastily scrawled note and her very own Jane Hancock.

Were that piece of property to be discovered, it would prove, conclusively, that Raven had indeed signed away her custodial rights to the son she had birthed one year previous.

And if that proof should find its way to the judge deliberating over who should be awarded permanent guardianship of the boy – his mother or his biological father, Logan Swift – then the die would surely be cast against Raven.

But Eliot was willing to cede his bounty — on the condition that Raven remains his lover and forsake all her other paramours. When she refused and continued to charm the city’s Chief of Police Derek Mallory, Eliot readied himself to post the incriminating letter.

Raven begged and pleaded for him to reconsider. Then, she threatened him. And a threat from Raven was not to be taken lightly. Lest Eliot forgets, Raven was quick to remind him that she was already a person of interest in the suspicious death of her mother, Nadine Scott.

But Eliot persisted. And Raven fumed. If she lost her bid for little Jamey, she would have to kiss goodbye any chance she had of controlling the multi-million dollar fortune that he had inherited from his grandmother. And Raven wanted that money. Even if she had to hurt Eliot to get it.

Unluckily for Eliot, Raven wasn’t the only one out for his blood. He had propositioned and harassed Jody Travis, a waitress in his employ, one too many times and his actions had earned him the wrath of Kelly McGrath – the sound engineer and puppeteer who toiled nightly at Eliot’s discotheque, The Unicorn.

For Eliot, it seemed that the whole world had suddenly turned against him… and after he had worked so hard to reinvent himself from smooth-talking shyster to prominent businessman.

He spent the evening of October 7, 1980, at his establishment, alone and in an ever-increasing depressive state. Despite his best attempts, the copious amounts of liquor he consumed did little to elevate his spirits.

After finally succumbing to the seductive offerings of sleep, Eliot was shocked awake by rumblings from outside his office door. A forage through the main hall revealed no obvious intruder, and Eliot, still feeling the effects of his earlier binging, found himself beguiled by the prospect of another drink and one of the decorative roses adorning a nearby table.

While he sipped and admired, a figure emerged from the shadow box behind him. Not the figure of any discernable human being, but of a small hand puppet donning the façade of a clown.

The object observed its surroundings…making pointed note of the man before him. Then it briefly vanished. Seconds later, it reemerged clutching a dagger betwixt its tiny gloved hands.

Eliot, meanwhile, continued his appreciation of the flower, unaware of the imminent danger. Having mused that, “The rose is beautiful,” Eliot suddenly doubled over in agony and then sunk to the floor… the clown puppet’s weapon firmly lodged into his back!

Though Eliot’s violent death seemingly insured Raven’s victory in the courtroom, that all-important letter made its appearance and she was denied even supervised visitation.

And the wielder of the deadly harlequin puppet continued their murderous endeavors. Lawyer Cliff Nelson narrowly survived his stabbing and he was able to provide authorities with a clue to his assailant’s identity: it was clearly a woman.

Suspicion was cast upon Raven, but she attempted to lay all the blame at Kelly McGrath’s masculine feet. Then, she narrowly avoided becoming a victim of the crazed knife-wielder herself.

Ultimately, the assassin was unmasked – it was Draper and April Scott’s housekeeper, Molly — and her motives made clear. In an attempt to murder April — thus clearing the way for her charge to claim Draper as her own – Molly had inadvertently killed Nadine Scott. Then she had to silence Eliot, whom she feared had uncovered her dastardly scheme.

But unbeknownst to Molly, the actions she took that October night had been for naught. Eliot had only ever suspected Raven of taking Nadine’s life. Molly was in the clear and her foul deed would have gone on unpunished had she not initiated her terror campaign.