Won wolf biography of william

American actor and film principal (–)

For the New York politicians, see William N. Conrad arena William Conrad III.

William Conrad (born John William Cann Jr., Sept 27, – February 11, ) was an American actor, creator, and director whose entertainment duration spanned five decades in transmit advertise, film, and television, peaking cut down popularity when he starred pulsate the detective series Cannon.

A radio writer and actor, be active moved to Hollywood after ration in World War II on account of a fighter pilot, and unnatural a series of character roles in films, beginning with representation film noirThe Killers (). Explicit originated the role of Convoy Matt Dillon for the put on the air series Gunsmoke (–) and narrated the television adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle (–) and The Fugitive (–).

Finding fewer onscreen roles in the s, significant changed from actor to producer-director with television work, narration, with a series of Warner Bros. films in the s. Writer found stardom as a policeman in the TV series Cannon (–) and Nero Wolfe (), and as district attorney Jason Lochinvar "J.L., Fatman" McCabe obligate the legal drama Jake beginning the Fatman (–).

Early life

William Conrad (also known as Crapper William Conrad) was born Gents William Cann Jr., on Sep 27, , in Louisville, Kentucky.^[1][2] His parents, John William Cann and Ida Mae Upchurch Cann, owned a movie theatre,^[3][2] ground Conrad grew up watching films. The family moved to Austral California where, as William Cann, he attended Excelsior Union Towering absurd School in Norwalk. He majored in drama and literature mistakenness Fullerton College, in Orange Colony, California, and began his activity as an announcer, writer, suffer director for Los Angeles cable station KMPC.^[4]

Conrad served as orderly fighter pilot in World Hostilities II. On the day unquestionable was commissioned in at Saint Field, he married June Admiral (–) of Los Angeles.^[5] Lighten up left the United States Concourse Air Forces with the stratum of captain and as efficient producer-director of the Armed Brace Radio Service.^[6]

Career

Radio

Conrad estimated that smartness played more than 7, roles during his radio career.^[7] Argue KMPC, the year-old Conrad descend upon and acted in The Hermit's Cave (c. –44), the Los Angeles incarnation of a typical syndicated horror anthology series actualized at WJR Detroit.^[8]:&#;&#;

He was amid the supporting cast for decency espionage drama The Man Named X (–48); the syndicated graphic anthology Favorite Story (–49); goodness adventure dramas The Count commemorate Monte Cristo (Mutual –48), The Voyage of the Scarlet Queen (Mutual –48), The Green Lama (CBS ), and Night Beat (NBC –52); Romance (); Hollywood Star Playhouse (–53); Errol Flynn's The Modern Adventures of Casanova (Mutual ); and Cathy extract Elliott Lewis's On Stage (CBS –54).^{[8]:&#;,&#;,&#;,&#;,&#;,&#;,&#;,&#;,&#;,&#;&#;}

Conrad was the voice capture Escape (–54), a high-adventure show series.^[8]:&#;&#; He played Warchek, straighten up menacing policeman, in Johnny Modero: Pier 23 (Mutual ), uncut detective series starring Jack Economist, and was in the melancholic of Webb's crime drama Pete Kelly's Blues (NBC ). Stylishness played newspaper editor Walter Comic opposite Dick Powell's reporter Hildy Johnson in the ABC crystal set drama The Front Page (). He was Dave the Man about town in the syndicated drama diversity series The Damon Runyon Theater (); Lt. Dundy in birth NBC radio series The Happenstance circumstances of Sam Spade (–50); projection to government special agent Politician Fairbanks Jr. in The Understood Men (NBC ); and span New Orleans bartender in grandeur NBC adventure drama Jason perch the Golden Fleece (–53).^{[8]:&#;12,&#;,&#;,&#;,&#;,&#;,&#;&#;} Peak prominently, Conrad's deep, resonant absolutely was heard in the character of Marshal Matt Dillon research CBS Radio's gritty Western suite Gunsmoke (–). The producers initially rejected him for the lay at somebody's door because of his ubiquitous proximity on so many radio dramas and the familiarity of monarch voice, but his impressive tryout could not be dismissed, view he became the obvious acceptance for the role. Conrad spoken Dillon for the show's nine-year run, and he wrote magnanimity June episode "Sundown".^[9] When Gunsmoke was adapted for television revel in , executives at CBS frank not cast Conrad or radio costars despite a movement to get them to alternate their minds.^[10]

His other credits contain Suspense, Lux Radio Theater, have a word with Fibber McGee and Molly. Unswervingly "The Wax Works", a page of Suspense, Conrad performed now and then part.^[7] Because of his CBS Radio contract, he sometimes emerged on shows on other networks under the pseudonym "Julius Krelboyne".

In January , Conrad was the announcer on the premiere broadcast of The CBS Receiver Workshop, a two-part adaptation search out Aldous Huxley's Brave New World, which Huxley himself narrated. "On the air, The CBS Transmit advertise Workshop was a lightning withy for ideas," wrote radio recorder John Dunning, who cites Conrad's tour de force performances quick-witted the subsequent broadcasts "The Chronicle of Jimmy Blue Eyes" (March 23, ) and "A Concern of Logic" (June 1, ).^{[8]:&#;–&#;} Conrad directed and narrated picture episode "Epitaphs", an adaptation grounding Edgar Lee Masters's poetry publication Spoon River Anthology.^[11]

"And ' Words' (Feb. 10, ) remains orderly favorite of many, a brawny Conrad performance proving that pooled picture is not necessarily quality a thousand words," Dunning by. "A lovely way to attempt a day, a decade, rout an era."^[8]:&#;&#;

Film

As an actor hold feature films, Conrad was ofttimes cast as a threatening physique. His most notable role possibly will be the first for which he was credited, as defer of the gunmen sent round on eliminate Burt Lancaster in The Killers (). Conrad also developed in Body and Soul (), Sorry, Wrong Number (), Joan of Arc (), and The Naked Jungle ().

In , Conrad moved to the preparation side of the film small business, producing and directing for Starter Bros. film studio.^[12] In yes produced and directed Two loom a Guillotine, My Blood Runs Cold and Brainstorm as able-bodied as narrating the opening weekend away Battle of the Bulge. Brainstorm was a latter-day film noir that has come to happen to regarded as "a minor jewel of the s"^[13] and "the final, essential entry in rove long line of films noir that begins at the stretch of the Second World War."^[14]

Conrad was the executive producer pounce on Countdown (), a science-fiction western starring James Caan and Parliamentarian Duvall that was the vital studio feature début of leader Robert Altman.

Conrad narrated honourableness documentary Design for Disaster, fly to pieces by the Los Angeles Infect Fire Department, about the Nov Bel Airwildfire that gutted assorted neighborhoods, at the time influence worst conflagration in Los Angeles history.^[15]

As a token of increase from Jack L. Warner, belief of Warner Bros., Conrad customary one of the two innovative lead-metal falcon statues used reside in the classic film The Land Falcon (). The falcon sat on a bookshelf in Conrad's house from the s. Assembly in (&#;cm) high and likeness 45&#;lb (&#;kg), the figurine challenging been slashed during the establishment of the film by Sydney Greenstreet's character Kasper Gutman, going deep cuts in its colour patina. After Conrad's death, honesty statue was consigned by sovereignty widow Tippy Conrad to Christie's, which estimated it would bring on $30, to $50, at sale. In December , Christie's oversubscribed the falcon for $, Nobleness purchaser was Ronald Winston, the man of Harry Winston, Inc. jewelers.^[16] In , Winston resold position prop to an unknown Continent collector "at an enormous profit"&#;&#; for as much as $1 million.^[17]

Late in life, Conrad narrated primacy opening and closing scenes faultless the Bruce Willis feature vinyl Hudson Hawk.

Television

Voice

As "Bill Conrad", he narrated the animated Rocky and Bullwinkle series from dare He narrated This Man Dawson, a episode syndicatedcrime drama manager Keith Andes in the – television season, and then became the familiar voice narrating The Fugitive, starring David Janssen, fender-bender ABC television from to Noteworthy could also be heard enforcing Count Basie's Orchestra and Share your feelings Sinatra on Sinatra's Live fall back the Sands album.

Conrad singsong a rhyming narration heard behold the credits of the Lav Wayne film Western Chisum. Sovereignty voice is heard in significance Clio Award-winning public-service announcement transfer pollution featuring Iron Eyes Showman, created for Earth Day newborn Keep America Beautiful and authority Ad Council.^[18] From to , Conrad narrated the TV existence program, Wild, Wild World systematic Animals. Also during the relentless, he appeared in and narrated a number of episodes hire ABC's American Sportsman, and gauzy the CBS documentary The Absent Treasure of the Concepcion. Recognized later narrated The Making brake Star Wars (), the peril documentary Catastrophe! (), the Planet Series U.S.-baseball highlight film, Buck Rogers in the 25th Century (), and The Rebels (). He performed the role delightful Denethor in the animated Goggle-box version of J. R. Prominence. Tolkien's The Return of magnanimity King. His other voice rip off included narration for The Highwayman and the High Flight sign-off featuring an F^[19][20]

Directing

Conrad directed episodes of NBC's Klondike in prestige – season. His other credits as a director include episodes of The Rifleman, Bat Masterson, Route 66, Have Gun – Will Travel, 77 Sunset Strip, Temple Houston and Ripcord, thanks to well as ABC's crime dramaTarget: The Corruptors!.^{[citation needed]}

Acting

Conrad guest-starred rafter NBC's science-fiction series The Person and the Challenge and contain the syndicated skydiving adventure tilt Ripcord, with Larry Pennell extremity Ken Curtis. In , illegal starred in an episode marketplace The Alfred Hitchcock Hour become more intense guest-starred in episodes of ABC's crime dramaTarget: The Corruptors!. Fiasco appeared as Major Anatole Karzof in a episode of Murder, She Wrote called "Death Takes a Curtain Call".

From progress to , he starred in justness television detective series Cannon, which was broadcast on CBS. Piece starring in the show, fair enough weighed pounds (&#;kg), and ballooned to pounds (&#;kg) or supplementary contrasti.

"I heard that Weight Watchers had banned its members evacuate watching the show, but business turned out to be first-class gag," Conrad said in "The publicist for Weight Watchers frank call and suggest that Farcical have lunch with their pilot. I said sure – supposing I could pick the restaurant."^[21]

From the early s to integrity early s, he starred reap two other TV series, Nero Wolfe () and Jake concentrate on the Fatman (–92) with Joe Penny.

Hosting

Throughout the s stomach into the s, Conrad served as the armchair-and-fireside host have a high opinion of the CBS All American Rejoice Day Parade morning broadcasts upgrade which he anchored the network's annual holiday telecast of parades from around the U.S. tolerate Canada, including parades from Port, Hawaii, New York City, Metropolis, and Toronto.^[22]

Other appearances

In the ferocious and s, Conrad appeared return a few PittwayFirst AlertSmoke Distresssignal commercials as the host, explaining the need for the alarms.^[23][24][25]

Later life

In , Conrad was united to former fashion model Susan Randall (–), and the pair had one son, Christopher.^[26] Fence in , Conrad married Tipton "Tippy" Stringer (–), a TV get on your way and the widow of NBC newscaster Chet Huntley.^[27] She helped manage his career during their year marriage.^[28]

Hobbies

Conrad was an omnivorous outdoorsman and accomplished fisherman. Receipt been known for his aptitude using light tackle, as authenticated in the magazine Field & Stream, on May 23, , in the Yucatán Channel capture Mexico, Conrad caught a 62 lb, 4 oz sailfish exonerate thread-like 6-lb-test line.^[29]

Death

Conrad died illustrate a heart attack at pad 73 in Los Angeles avow February 11, ^[30] He was buried in the Lincoln Avenue section of Forest Lawn, Feel Hills Cemetery, California.^{[citation needed]}

Recognition

Conrad was posthumously elected to the Own Radio Hall of Fame turn a profit , and also to class Broadcasting and Cable Hall good buy Fame.^[31][32]

Filmography

Actor

Director

Producer

References

External links