Cramer family (One Life to Live)
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- For related performers, see List of One Life to Live characters
The Cramers are a fictional family on the American soap opera One Life to Live. The popularity and longevity of the character Dorian Cramer Lord (and her longtime rivalry with Victoria Lord Davidson) brought other Cramer relatives onto the canvas, and raised the Cramer family to the prominence it holds in current storylines.
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[edit] Enter Dorian
Dr. Dorian Cramer arrived in Llanview in 1973 with unstable younger sister Melinda. Their parents had died in a plane crash en route to visit an injured Melinda, whose promising career as a pianist was ended by a fall that had paralyzed her arm. Having lost a third sister to pneumonia, Dorian and Melinda were each other's only family.
Dorian treated Eileen Riley Siegel for her addiction to painkillers, and soon became romantically involved with Dr. Mark Toland, the husband of Eileen's daughter Julie. A furious Melinda, who had also developed a crush on Mark, became further unhinged. When her plan to stab Dorian and Mark in bed failed in 1974, Melinda was institutionalized.
[edit] The fued begins
Dorian was suspended from Llanview hospital in 1974 for her involvement in the death of a patient, and she blamed hospital board member Viki (who had actually voted in Dorian's favor) for the decision. She and Viki sparred further when Dorian became Victor's private physician, but their rivalry was cemented when Victor announced that he had married Dorian. Victor's long-lost son Tony Harris came to town and Dorian, hoping to maintain her hold on Victor's fortune, soon manipulated events to make father and son bitter enemies. After Victor's mysterious death in 1976, the shadow of suspicion surrounded Dorian for decades.
[edit] Melinda returns
A recoverd Melinda returned in 1978, but soon sabotaged Dorian's new relationship with Dr. Peter Janssen, wanting him for herself. Melinda seemed to win when she and Peter eloped, but her compulsive behavior returned. Resuming her career as a concert pianist, Melinda practiced day and night, putting a strain on her marriage to Peter. She became more unbalanced when a failed audition put a close to her musical ambitions, and in 1979 checked herself into the Compton Clinic. Dorian had Melinda declared mentally incompetent; by 1980, Peter hoped to marry Jenny Wolek Vernon, but couldn't divorce Melinda until she was mentally stable. After threatening Jenny with a letter opener and sinking further into psychosis, Melinda returned to the clinic in 1981.
[edit] Cassie
In 1981, a young girl names Cassie appeared and soon revealed herself as Dorian's daughter. Dorian had been in medical school when she'd had Cassie, whose father David Renaldi had run off with her. Mother and daughter reunited, and Dorian's husband Herb Callison adopted Cassie. In 1985, Cassie became engaged to Rob Coronal, but by 1986 their marriage had ended in divorce. Evil Mitch Laurence was killed while trying to rape Cassie; at first she was implicated, but Dorian confessed to the crime and was convicted herself. Eventually Dorian was exonerated when a videotape surfaced that proved the killing was in self-defense.
Dorian left Llanview in 1987 (and became the US Ambassador to Mendorra) after discovering that Cassie was having an affair with Dorian's boyfriend, private detective Jon Russell. Cassie and Jon's relationship later fizzled as she reunited with ex-husband Rob.
Melinda returned for a third time, and moved in with Cassie, who later left Llanview in 1988. Melinda had a relationship with Jon, but left town herself in 1989. Dorian returned that same year, followed by Cassie in 1991. Much to Dorian's chagrin, Cassie became involved with Bo Buchanan; but Dorian's machinations (and a failed attempt to kill Cassie by Bo's insane ex, Alex Olanov) didn't stop the couple from marrying. Immediately after the wedding, however, Bo's presumed-dead wife Sarah Gordon appeared, very much alive. An anguished Bo chose to stay with Cassie.
[edit] Blair's revenge
In 1991, Blair Daimler came to Llanview with a secret — she was the daughter of Dorian's older sister Agatha "Addie" Cramer, who had not died after all. Blair had Addie, mentally ill and institutionalized for years, hidden in her loft, and blamed her Aunt Dorian for her mother's illness. Seeking revenge, Blair tried to ruin Dorian by getting her aunt's signature on a document confessing to the murder of Victor Lord in 1976.
Blair sought to marry Asa Buchanan to gain the financial security and power she needed to care for her mother and destroy Dorian. As it turned out, Dorian had been told Addie had died by their parents, who had institutionalized her. Blair married Asa despite the fact that she was in love with Max Holden; by the time her marriage fell apart and Asa had thrown her out on the street, Max had moved on to the love of his life, Luna Moody.
In 1993, Cassie married the Reverend Andrew Carpenter; she later miscarried their son, William. She later found an abandoned baby in the manger outside St. James Church. In 1994, Blair became romantically involved with Cord Roberts. The mother of Cassie's foundling appeared, but soon died, her last wish being for Cassie and Andrew to adopt baby River.
