William Conrad (September 27, 1920 – February 11, 1994) was an American World War II fighter pilot, actor, producer, and director whose career spanned five decades in radio, film, and television, peaking in popularity when he starred in the detective series Cannon (1971–1976).

A radio writer and actor, he moved to Hollywood after his World War II service and played a series of character roles in films beginning with the film noirThe Killers (1946). He created the role of Marshal Matt Dillon for the radio series Gunsmoke (1952–1961) and narrated the television adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle (1959–1964) and The Fugitive (1963–1967).

Finding fewer onscreen roles in the 1950s, he changed from actor to producer-director with television work, narration, and a series of Warner Bros. films in the 1960s. Conrad found stardom as a detective in the TV series Cannon (1971–1976) and Nero Wolfe (1981), and as district attorney Jason Lochinvar 'J.L.' 'Fatman' McCabe in the legal drama Jake and the Fatman (1987–1992).

• 2Career
  • 2.3Television
• 6Filmography

Early life[edit]

William Conrad (also known as John William Conrad) was born John William Cann Jr., on September 27, 1920, in Louisville, Kentucky.^[1][2] His parents, John William Cann and Ida Mae Upchurch Cann, owned a movie theatre,^[3][2] and Conrad grew up watching movies. The family moved to Southern California when Conrad was in high school. He majored in drama and literature at Fullerton College, in Orange County, California, and began his career as an announcer, writer, and director for Los Angeles radio station KMPC.^[4]

Conrad served as a fighter pilot in World War II. On the day he was commissioned in 1943 at Luke Field, he married June Nelson (1920–1977) of Los Angeles.^[5] He left the United States Army Air Forces with the rank of captain and as a producer-director of the Armed Forces Radio Service.^[6]

Career[edit]

Radio[edit]

William Conrad estimated that he played more than 7,500 roles during his radio career.^[7] At KMPC, the 22-year-old Conrad produced and acted in The Hermit's Cave (circa 1940–44), the Los Angeles incarnation of a popular syndicated horror anthology series created at WJR Detroit.^[8]:319

He was among the supporting cast for the espionage drama The Man Called X (1944–48); the syndicated dramatic anthology Favorite Story (1946–49); the adventure dramas The Count of Monte Cristo (Mutual 1947–48), The Voyage of the Scarlet Queen (Mutual 1947–48), The Green Lama (CBS 1949), and Nightbeat (NBC 1950–52); Romance (1950); Hollywood Star Playhouse (1950–53); Errol Flynn's The Modern Adventures of Casanova (Mutual 1952); and Cathy and Elliott Lewis's On Stage (CBS 1953–54).^{[8]:431, 244, 181, 706, 299, 507, 584, 326, 467, 512}

Conrad was the voice of Escape (1947–1954), a high-adventure radio series.^[8]:232 He played Warchek, a menacing policeman, in Johnny Modero: Pier 23 (Mutual 1947), a detective series starring Jack Webb, and was in the cast of Webb's crime drama Pete Kelly's Blues (NBC 1951). He played newspaper editor Walter Burns opposite Dick Powell's reporter Hildy Johnson in the ABC radio drama The Front Page (1948). He was Dave the Dude in the syndicated drama anthology series The Damon Runyon Theater (1948); Lt. Dundy in the NBC radio series The Adventures of Sam Spade (1949–50); boss to government special agent Douglas Fairbanks Jr. in The Silent Men (NBC 1951); and a New Orleans bartender in the NBC adventure drama Jason and the Golden Fleece (1952–53).^{[8]:374, 541, 273, 189, 12, 615, 368}Most prominently, Conrad's deep, resonant voice was heard in the role of Marshal Matt Dillon on CBS Radio's gritty Western series Gunsmoke (April 26, 1952 – June 18, 1961). The producers originally rejected him for the part because of his ubiquitous presence on so many radio dramas and the familiarity of his voice, but his impressive audition could not be dismissed, and he became the obvious choice for the role. Conrad voiced Dillon for the show's nine-year run, and he wrote the June 1953 episode 'Sundown.'^[9] When Gunsmoke was adapted for television in 1955, executives at CBS did not cast Conrad or his radio costars despite a campaign to get them to change their minds.^[10]

His other credits include Suspense, Lux Radio Theater, and Fibber McGee and Molly. In 'The Wax Works', a 1956 episode of Suspense, Conrad performed every part.^[7] Because of his CBS Radio contract, he sometimes appeared on shows on other networks under the pseudonym 'Julius Krelboyne'.

In January 1956, Conrad was the announcer on the debut broadcast of The CBS Radio Workshop, a two-part adaptation of Aldous Huxley's Brave New World which Huxley himself narrated. 'On the air, The CBS Radio Workshop was a lightning rod for ideas,' wrote radio historian John Dunning, who cites Conrad's 'tour de force' performances in the subsequent broadcasts 'The Legend of Jimmy Blue Eyes' (March 23, 1956) and 'A Matter of Logic' (June 1, 1956).^{[8]:144–145} Conrad directed and narrated the 1957 episode 'Epitaphs', an adaptation of Edgar Lee Masters's poetry volume Spoon River Anthology.^[11]

'And '1489 Words' (Feb. 10, 1957) remains a favorite of many, a powerful Conrad performance proving that one picture is not necessarily worth a thousand words,' Dunning concluded. 'A lovely way to end a day, a decade, or an era.'^[8]:145

Film[edit]

As an actor in feature films, Conrad was often cast as a threatening figure. His most notable role may be the first for which he was credited, as one of the gunmen sent to eliminate Burt Lancaster in The Killers (1946). Conrad also appeared in Body and Soul (1947), Sorry, Wrong Number (1948), Joan of Arc (1948), and The Naked Jungle (1954).

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In 1961, Conrad moved to the production side of the film business, producing and directing for Warner Bros. film studio.^[12] His most notable film was Brainstorm (1965), a latter-day film noir that has come to be regarded as 'a minor masterpiece of the 1960s'^[13] and 'the final, essential entry in that long line of films noirs that begins at the end of the Second World War.'^[14] Conrad was the executive producer of Countdown (1968), a science-fiction thriller starring James Caan and Robert Duvall that was the major studio feature début of director Robert Altman.

Conrad narrated the documentary Design For Disaster, produced by the Los Angeles City Fire Department, about the November 1961 Bel Airwildfire that gutted several neighborhoods, at the time the worst conflagration in Los Angeles history.

As a token of appreciation from Jack L. Warner, head of Warner Bros., Conrad received one of the two original lead-metal falcon statues used in the classic film The Maltese Falcon (1941). The falcon sat on a bookshelf in Conrad's house from the 1960s. Standing 11.5 in (29.2 cm) high and weighing 45 lb (20.4 kg), the figurine had been slashed during the making of the film by Sydney Greenstreet's character Kasper Gutman, leaving deep cuts in its bronze patina. After Conrad's death, the statue was consigned by his widow Tippy Conrad to Christie's, which estimated it would bring $30,000 to $50,000 at auction. In December 1994, Christie's sold the falcon for $398,500.^[15] In 1996, the purchaser, Ronald Winston of Harry Winston, Inc., resold the prop to an unknown European collector 'at an enormous profit'—for as much as $1 million.^[16]

Late in life, Conrad narrated the opening and closing scenes of the 1991 Bruce Willis feature film Hudson Hawk.

Television[edit]

Voice[edit]

As 'Bill Conrad', he narrated the animated Rocky and Bullwinkle series from 1959 to 1964. He narrated This Man Dawson, a 33-episode syndicatedcrime drama starring Keith Andes in the 1959–1960 television season, and then became the familiar voice narrating The Fugitive, starring David Janssen, on ABC television from 1963 to 1967. He could also be heard introducing Count Basie's Orchestra and Frank Sinatra on Sinatra's 1966 Live at the Sands album.

9,” “Green Onions,” and “I Ain't Got You.” Unfortunately, while Made in America was undoubtedly released so quickly after The Blues Brothers hit theaters in hopes of reaping a financial benefit from the success of the film, it failed on that front: the album only hit #49 on the Billboard Top 200, and while the single, “Who's Making Love,” did hit the top 40, it only did so at #39, so that wasn't exactly a smash, either. It didn't, of course. Blues brothers discografia download torrent. Thankfully, it recovers relatively quickly, thanks to versions of “Riot in Cell Block No. By the following year, it seemed clear that Aykroyd and Belushi had more or less closed the door on the Blues Brothers, having released a best-of collection, and when Belushi overdosed in 1982, that seemed to have effectively ended the band.

Conrad intoned a rhyming narration heard over the credits of the 1970 John Wayne film Western Chisum. His voice is heard in the Clio Award-winning 1971 public-service announcement about pollution featuring Iron Eyes Cody, created for Earth Day by Keep America Beautiful and the Ad Council.^[17] From 1973 to 1978, Conrad narrated the TV nature program, Wild, Wild World of Animals. Also during the 1970s, he appeared in and narrated a number of episodes for ABC's American Sportsman, and in the CBS documentary The Lost Treasure of the Concepcion. He later narrated The Making of Star Wars (1977), the 1978 World Series U.S.-baseball highlight film, Buck Rogers in the 25th Century (1979), and The Rebels (1979). He performed the role of Denethor in the 1980 animated TV version of J. R. R. Tolkien's The Return of the King. His other voice work included narration for The Highwayman and the High Flight sign off featuring the F-15.^[18][19]

Directing[edit]

With Sam Peckinpah Conrad directed episodes of NBC's Klondike in the 1960–1961 season. Other credits as a director include episodes of The Rifleman, Bat Masterson, Route 66, Have Gun – Will Travel, 77 Sunset Strip, and Ripcord, as well as ABC's crime dramaTarget: The Corruptors!.

In 1963, Conrad directed Jeffrey Hunter in what became a 26-week Warner Bros. Western television series, Temple Houston. On orders from then-studio boss Jack Webb, Temple Houston episodes were put together in two or three days each, something previously thought impossible in television production. Work began on August 7, 1963, with the initial airing set for September 19. Jimmy Lydon, a former child actor, adult actor, and a producer with Warner Bros. at the time, recalled that Webb told the staff, 'Fellas, I just sold Temple Houston. We gotta be on the air in four weeks, we can't use the pilot, we have no scripts, no nothing — do it!'^[20] Lydon recalled the team having worked around the clock to get Temple Houston on the air. Co-producer William Conrad directed six episodes, two scripts simultaneously on two different soundstages at Warner Bros. 'We bicycled Jeff (Hunter) and (Jack) Elam between the two companies, and Bill shot 'em both in four-and-a-half days. Two complete one-hour shows!' said Lydon.^[20]

Acting[edit]

Conrad guest-starred in NBC's science-fiction series The Man and the Challenge and in the syndicated skydiving adventure series Ripcord, with Larry Pennell and Ken Curtis. In 1962, he starred in an episode of The Alfred Hitchcock Hour and guest-starred in episodes of ABC's crime dramaTarget: The Corruptors!.

From 1971 to 1976 he starred in television detective series Cannon, which was broadcast on CBS. While starring in the show, he weighed 230 pounds (104 kg), and ballooned to 260 pounds (118 kg) or more.

'I heard that Weight Watchers had banned its members from watching the show, but it turned out to be a gag,' Conrad said in 1973. 'The publicist for Weight Watchers did call and suggest that I have lunch with their president. I said sure – if I could pick the restaurant.'^[21]

From the early 1980s to the early 1990s he starred in two other TV series, each with a crime detection/courtroom drama theme - Nero Wolfe (1981), and Jake and the Fatman (1987–92) with Joe Penny.

Later life[edit]

In 1957, Conrad was married to former fashion model Susan Randall (1940–1979), and the couple had one son, Christopher.^[22] In 1980, Conrad married Tipton 'Tippy' Stringer (1930–2010), a TV pioneer and the widow of NBC newscaster Chet Huntley.^[23] She helped manage his career during their 14-year marriage.^[24]

Death[edit]

William Conrad died in Los Angeles on February 11, 1994, from congestive heart failure.^[25] He was buried in the Lincoln Terrace section of Forest Lawn, Hollywood Hills Cemetery, California.

Recognition[edit]

Conrad was posthumously elected to the National Radio Hall of Fame in 1997.^[26]

Filmography[edit]

Actor[edit]

Director[edit]

Producer[edit]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

1. ^Weil, Martin (February 12, 1994). 'Actor William Conrad Dies'. The Washington Post.
2. ^ ^abAncestry.com, 1930 Federal Census [database online]. Provo, Utah: Ancestry.com Operations Inc., 2002. Year: 1930; Census Place: Olustee, Jackson, Oklahoma; Roll: 1907; Page: 6B; Enumeration District: 0027; Image: 1132.0; FHL microfilm: 2341641. Retrieved 2015-07-21.
3. ^Ancestry.com. State of California. California Death Index, 1940–1997. Sacramento, CA, USA: State of California Department of Health Services, Center for Health Statistics
4. ^Kahana, Yoram, 'The Wolfe Man in His Lair.' The Australian Women's Weekly, January 29, 1982, pp. 95–96. Retrieved from the National Library of Australia, May 27, 2013
5. ^Cedar Rapids Tribune, January 13, 1955
6. ^Hayward, Anthony (February 14, 1994). 'Obituary: William Conrad'. The Independent. London.
7. ^ ^abWilliam Conrad at the National Radio Hall of Fame. Retrieved 2013-05-27.
8. ^ ^abcdefDunning, John, On the Air: The Encyclopedia of Old-Time Radio. New York: Oxford University Press, Inc., 1998 ISBN978-0-19-507678-3 hardcover; revised edition of Tune In Yesterday (1976)
9. ^'Gunsmoke Radio Episodes'. comp.uark.edu. Retrieved October 8, 2017.
10. ^'Gunsmoke - the radio cast'. www.otrsite.com. Retrieved October 8, 2017.
11. ^The CBS Radio Workshop. J. David Goldin, radioGOLDINdex database. Retrieved 2013-05-27.
12. ^'Warner Brothers Names Conrad to Head Feature Unit.' The New York Times, December 14. 1965. 'Mr. Conrad … has been under contract to the studio as a producer-director for the last four years.'
13. ^Silver, Alain, and Elizabeth Ward , eds., Film Noir: An Encyclopedic Reference to the American Style, Woodstock, New York: The Overlook Press, 1979, p. 41.
14. ^Christopher, Nicholas, Somewhere in the Night: Film Noir and the American City. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1997 (revised ed., Emeryville, California: Shoemaker & Hoard, 2006, p. 231).
15. ^Berry, Heidi L., 'Lights, Camera, Auction! Movie Memorabilia Is This Month's Star, From Mae West's Bed to a Maltese Falcon,' The Washington Post, December 1, 1994. 'Maltese Falcon, Other Movie Memorabilia, Sold at Auction,' Associated Press, December 6, 1994. The purchaser was Ronald Winston, president of Harry Winston, Inc. jewelers.
16. ^LeDuff, Charles, 'Bird Made Him a Sleuth'.The New York Times, June 29, 1997
17. ^'Pollution: Keep America Beautiful – Iron Eyes Cody'.Ad Council, The Classics. Retrieved 2013-05-23.
18. ^https://m.imdb.com/name/nm0002016/
19. ^https://m.youtube.com/watch%3Fv%3DDI6zXh_tSBw&ved=2ahUKEwjRmczn5ZXdAhXqnuAKHTLFBgEQjjgwAnoECAIQAQ
20. ^ ^abBilly Hathorn, 'Roy Bean, Temple Houston, Bill Longley, Ranald Mackenzie, Buffalo Bill, Jr., and the Texas Rangers: Depictions of West Texans in Series Television, 1955 to 1967', West Texas Historical Review, Vol. 89 (2013), p. 107
21. ^'Question: I tried to think of…'TV Guide, August 10, 2004. Retrieved 2013-05-27.
22. ^'Man of Substance; William Conrad's Gruff, Oversize Presence Was a Perfect Fit for Cannon and Jake and the Fatman'.People, February 28, 1994. Retrieved 2013-05-26.
23. ^'General Forum on Genealogy'. genforum.genealogy.com. Retrieved December 26, 2008.'Tippy Stringer Conrad, TV weather girl in 1950s', The Boston Globe, October 27, 2010. 'Tipton 'Tippy' Stringer Huntley Conrad', Lone Peak Lookout (Big Sky, Montana), October 14, 2010
24. ^Brown, Emma, 'Tippy Stringer Huntley Conrad, charming D.C. weather beauty, dies at 80'.The Washington Post, October 23, 2010
25. ^Bourdain, G. S., 'William Conrad, 73, TV Actor In 'Fatman' and 'Cannon' Series'.The New York Times, February 13, 1994
26. ^'William Conrad at the Radio Hall of Fame'.

External links[edit]

• William Conrad on IMDb
• William Conrad at the TCM Movie Database
• William Conrad at the National Radio Hall of Fame
• William Conrad at AllMovie
• William Conrad at Find a Grave