Custom Node Template not inheriting page.tpl.php

Question

In my theme, I have page.tpl.php and page--node--1.tpl.php.

When page--node--1.tpl.php is rendered, everything in page.tpl.php is lost. I only want page--code--1.tpl.php to replace the $content line in page.tpl.php and inherit everything else in page.tpl.php.

How can I do this? Do I need to first create a template for the content type?

Below is what I have in my template.php

if (strtolower($vars['template_files'][0]) == "page-search") {
    $vars["template_files"] = array();
    $vars["template_files"][] = 'page-search';
} else {
    if ($vars["template_files"][2] != 'page-node-edit') {
        if (isset($vars['node']) && ($vars['node']->type == "mytheme_page" || $vars['node']->type == "person" || $vars['node']->type == "blank_page")) {
            if ($vars["template_files"][2] == "page-front") {
                $vars["template_files"] = array();
                $vars["template_files"][] = 'page-home-mytheme';
            } else {
                $vars["template_files"] = array();
                if ($vars['node']->type == "blank_page") {
                    $vars["template_files"][] = 'page-blank';
                } else {
                    //print "made it here";exit;                
                    $vars["template_files"][] = 'page-mytheme';
                }
            }
        } elseif ($alias == "sitemap") {
            $vars["template_files"] = array();
            $vars["template_files"][] = 'page-blank';
        }
    }
}

Answer 1

You cannot do this with those templates.

Only one "page" template will be used. You could try using one "page" template, and one "node" template: https://api.drupal.org/api/drupal/modules!node!node.tpl.php/7

but the node template won't allow you to modify the page template.