Would always crack up when that fat man would pull out that little .38...
Posted on 07/20/2018 6:27:06 PM PDT by eastforker
Born in Kentucky in 1920, Conrad was the son of a theatre-owner who moved to southern California, where he excelled at drama and literature while at school.
He began his career as an announcer, writer and director for the Los Angeles radio station KMPC, before becoming a Second World War fighter-pilot in 1943. Two years later, he left the US Air Force with the rank of captain, having finished his time in it as producer-director of the Armed Forces Radio Service.
Back in civvy street, Conrad acted in radio dramas and was the original Marshal Matt Dillon in the so-called adult western Gunsmoke, which ran for 11 years on CBS, before it switched to television, with James Arness taking over the lead role.
(Excerpt) Read more at airforce.togetherweserved.com ...
'For 15 years before Cannon,' said Conrad in the middle of the programme's run, 'I couldn't get much work as an actor because I was too fat and unattractive. I'm 53 years old, 5ft 9in tall, look like an overfed walrus, and I'm bald to boot.'
He produced and directed some of the later 77 Sunset Strips too, they were much more hard boiled.
Freegards
Would always crack up when that fat man would pull out that little .38...
Bullwinkle. I always associate him with Bullwinkle. Bullwinkle, for good or ill, permanently affected the trajectory of my life.
He definitely had a large screen presence.
He showed up as a LOT of people on the radio - his distinctive voice gave him away.
...with the delicious Erin Gray and the delectable Pamela Hensley ...
LOL!
I wonder at what point in his life that he realized he could no longer fit in the cockpit of one?
Probably got him a lot of jobs too.
OTOH, as an OTR fan, distinctive voices make it easier to follow characters too.
I've read that he was in well over a thousand radio epis.
As luck would have it, I was able to find exactly what you are talking about on Youtube. What a world we live in! LOL. Yep. That's Bill Conrad all right.
The greatest and most prolific radio actor of all time. In addition to Gunsmoke he would appear on numerous other shows such as Suspense, Escape, Yours Truly Johnny Dollar, Lux Radio Theatre, The Whistler, Sam Spade, Damon Runyon Theatre, Pat Novak for Hire, Richard Diamond Private Detective, Night Beat, Tales of the Texas Rangers, Dragnet.
He could play anything and play it well: hero, coward, gangster, lawman, comedian, straight man, cold blooded killer, compassionate bystander, frightened victim, warrior. His voice was always distinct, always powerful, always believable.
...I've always wondered: who is the girl with the glasses in the opening sequence. She's well within the "wow" range of Erin Gray or Pamela Hensley ...
Conrad sure kept busy in the radio world, that’s for sure. There were really only just a handful of actors that did the lion’s share of radio roles. Howard Mcnear, Parley Baer, Harry Bartell, John Dehner and just a few others that are in just about everything, everytime.
My vote for the most iconic radio voice is Gerald Mohr “Phillip Marlowe”, who also played roles on numerous radio shows. Even though his stature matched his voice (unlike portly Bill Conrad), Mohr made the big breakthrough in movies.
Mitzi Gaynor
Born Francesca Marlene de Czanyi von Gerber
September 4, 1931 (age 86)
Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Occupation Actress, dancer, entertainer
Years active 1949–present
Spouse(s) Jack Bean (married 1954–2006, his death)
Website www.missmitzigaynor.com
Holy cow. She’s still alive.
Before James Earl Jones, there was William Conrad:
Gunsmoke. Rocky and Bullwinkle. The Fugitive.
Agreed!
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