“He was reported to be the original choice to play Matt Dillon but turned it down.”
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On radio, William Conrad was Dillon. He didn’t carry over to TV version for some reason - but I’m sure it was a well-rounded decision to go with someone else.
:) I loved Cannon!
I have an old Ipod with old radio shows and a portable speaker for camping.
Listened to a lot of Gunsmoke, CBS radio mystery theater, X-1, etc
William Conrad did well on his own TV show “Cannon”. He had a ball with that one.
He was the narrator for the Rocky & Bullwinkle Show too, my favorite cartoon when I was a kid; Wassamatta U., Frostbite Falls, MN, lol.
I learned years later he was fighter pilot in WW II also.
Each member of the radio cast received an audition for the TV series and all were quickly rejected. James Arness received a big boost for the starring role from his friend John Wayne; Arness was under contract with Wayne production company at the time. The Duke thought highly of him and even introduced the series on CBS.
Ironically, Howard McNear (Doc in the radio series) made guest appearances in several episodes of the TV version, and William Conrad directed three episodes of the TV series.