July 10, 1931 – February 7, 1968
He was born Nicholas Adamchock, in Nanticoke, PA. He was in “Rebel Without a Cause,” and numerous other films, but he’s probably best known for his role in the television show, “The Rebel” 1959 – 1961. He had a troubled life, which included separating from his wife (but retaining custody of his 2 children), and a seriously stalled career by the time 1968 came around.
On the night of Feb 7, 1968, Nick was supposed to have dinner with Erwin Roeder, his lawyer and friend. Nick never showed up. Adams was known for his punctuality, so Roeder decided to check the actor’s home himself. He drove to El Roble Lane,
and went to Nick’s house, at number 2126.
When he arrived at Nick’s house, he found Nick’s car in the garage, but no sign of life in the house. Roeder broke a window and discovered Nick dead in his bedroom (one of these rooms, probably),
propped against a wall, his eyes open in a blank stare. He was wearing blue jeans, a shirt, and boots. A working telephone was less than two feet away.
Findadeath.com friend Lisa Burks sends us this picture of Nick being removed from his house. Thank you, Lisa.
Dr. Thomas Noguchi
performed the autopsy and found paraldehyde “in the organs, mixed with sedatives and other drugs – enough to cause instant unconsciousness.” This is a drug to battle alcoholism, but Nick was not a known drinker. No prescription bottle was found, and no needle mark could be found on him. It’s still considered a mystery, and officially it was listed as “accidental suicide.”
Findadeath.com friend HBobbie sends us this: Hey Scott. Regarding the paraldehyde found in Nick Adams’ system: This is not the drug used to combat alcoholism, it’s a nervous system depressant similar to alcohol in it’s effects, and used as a sedative. A colorless flammable liquid with a disagreeable odor, paraldehyde produces sleep for up to 12 hrs. with little or no muscle, heart, or respiratory depression. It is often given to alcoholics having delirium tremens to induce sleep, and is also used to calm psychiatric patients. Paraldehyde is also used in the manufacturing of synthetic resins as a preservative, and in preparing leather. Yummy, huh? Most likely he took it for the high.
Nick Adams’ body was taken back to his birth state of Pennsylvania, and is buried in SS. Cyril and Methodius Cemetery, in the city of Berwick. Thanks, Lare.
Trivia: Nick was good pals with James Dean, and once had an affair with Natalie Wood. This guy kept good company.
More: In 1963, he spent over $8000 dollars to advertise in hopes of winning an Academy Award nomination for his role in Twilight of Honor. He succeeded in receiving the nomination, but lost the Oscar to Melvyn Douglas.
Findadeath.com friend Patty sends this in: “Did you know that he dubbed the lines in Giant for James Dean? Dean played the part in the hotel too drunk and they couldn’t use it, and since he was already dead, Nick Adams was used to dub in his lines.” Thanks for the info Patty, and send my love to all the folks at work!
Pescis character was based on Tommy DiSimone.
Without going into sources, I have read that Nick Adams was BISEXUAL and had sex affairs with James Dean and Elvis Presley, his two main “crushes”. He also attended nudie gayboy pool parties with the likes of Dean and Presley as well as John Wayne and Errol Flynn at 1950’s California crime syndicate boss Mickey Cohen’s mansion. He wrote a recently discovered manuscript about his relationships with Dean and Elvis in 1956 called “Nick Adams: The Rebel and the King”. It was not salacious according to reviews of the recent publication of it but it MIGHT have been what sparked the rumours back in the late 1960’s that he was INTENDING on writing or publishing something that was. This is WHAT led to his death in suspicious circumstances very similar to those of the death of Dorothy Kilgallen in New York City two years earlier. I have read that the time of his demise Adams was linked in a sexcapade with TV star Robert Conrad of “The Wild Wild West”. I have also read that Conrad, who was also friends with Elvis Presley, was a friend of Chicago-LA Mafioli Mickey Spilotro, the “crazy man” gangster portrayed by Joe Pesci in “Goodfellas”. Adams MIGHT have told Conrad about the 1956 manuscript and that he was intending to publish it because he badly needed money. Conrad MIGHT have MISinterpreted this that he had written a tell-all “EXPOSE”, and casually mentioned it to his friend Spilotro. Realizing what it meant, Spilotro MIGHT have mentioned it to his crime syndicate “colleague” Mickey Cohen, who realized that Adams had to be PERMANENLY “shut up”. Two men in the white coverall “uniforms” of LA garbage disposers were seen at Adams’ house the day of his death. They were also seen to have gone INSIDE and come out about a half hour later. WHATEVER they DID caused Adams death, and as a crime syndicate boss Cohen would have had the access to th drugs AND the garbage department resources!!
Laer Barrett took orig pics used by Scott. I drove…