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| Wilbur Strake | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Wilbur Strake | |
| Continuity: | Dark Shadows |
| Notability: | Minor character |
| Type: | Private investigator |
| Gender: | Male |
| Location: | New York; Collinsport, Maine |
| Status: | Alive |
| Introduction: | Episode 1 |
| Actor: | Joseph Julian |
Wilbur Strake was a minor character featured in the 1960s Gothic soap opera Dark Shadows. He was played by actor Joseph Julian and appeared in episode 1 as well as episode 2.
Biography[]
Wilbur Strake was a private investigator hired by Burke Devlin to investigate the Collins family. To conduct his work surreptitiously, Strake began posing as a real estate agent. In 1966, Burke met up with Strake at the Blue Whale to find out what the P.I. had discovered. He provided him with an update on Elizabeth Collins Stoddard, informing him of how she still ran the family fishing fleet, but has remained a recluse at the family's estate of Collinwood, having never left the property in over eighteen years. Strake had several theories as to why this was, but admitted that none of them made a lot of sense. [1] In another meeting, Strake gave Devlin all of the information he had gained about Elizabeth's daughter, Carolyn. [2]
Burke then had Strake look into Elizabeth's new hired hand, Victoria Winters. Aware that Victoria recently came to Collinsport from New York, he sent Strake to the Hammond Family Home where Vicki was raised. Under the guise of a magazine writer, Strake probed the foundling home's administrator Mrs. Hopewell, asking about Victoria's past and how Elizabeth's brother, Roger Collins, came to learn of her. Soon after, Burke ceased his investigation of the Collins family and Strake was let go. [3]
The Collins Family eventually found out about Strake and Burke lied to them, insisting that he had hired him to investigate the financial opportunities in town. [4]
Notes & Trivia[]
- The character of Wilbur Strake was created by director Lela Swift and writer/story developer Art Wallace based on concepts originally developed by Dan Curtis.
- Wilbur Strake only appeared in the first two episodes of the series, but reference was made to him in episodes 8 and 21.