William Conrad
27th September 1920 - 11th February 1994
Born William Cann, in Louisville Kentucky on September 27th, 1920, William Conrad was a great American actor and narrator for radio, television and film who was best known for his exceptional use of an astounding and clear baritone voice.
RADIO
Conrad began his career working in the radio industry in California during the late 1930’s. After serving as a fighter pilot in World War II, he resumed his passion for radio and credits himself for playing an estimated 7,500 roles.
Conrad's profoundly rich voice led to significant roles in radio drama. During his peak, he often appeared three to four times a week on the radio airwaves. Of course, Conrad’s most notable role was that of Marshal Matt Dillon on the Western series Gunsmoke, airing on CBS radio from 1952 to 1961. However, because of his large size, he was not hired to play the television role as Marshall Matt Dillon though he did produce and direct the first twenty-six episodes of the TV show.
Conrad showcased his talents and adaptability on such radio shows as Suspense, Escape, The Whistler, Crime Classics, Nightbeat and Lux Radio Theater. In fact you may be as surprised as I was to discover just how often Conrad featured across the golden age of radio. If you enter his name in the Power Search in RUSC you will be directed to the wonderful episodes of Escape, Jeff Regan and Philip Marlowe, to name but a few series featuring Conrad and we will be adding a selection of the stories he starred in to RUSC over the coming week beginning with the Suspense episode from 1955 entitled A Study In Wax.
FILM
Among Conrad’s assortment of film roles, he was usually cast as intimidating characters. His most memorable roles are seen in The Killers (1946), Body and Soul (1947), Sorry, Wrong Number (1948), Joan of Arc (1948), and The Naked Jungle (1954). He also directed and produced over 22 films.
TELEVISION
In the 1960s, Conrad made the transition to television. During the first ten years in the industry, his unmistakable distinct tone of speech led to a number of voice roles. He was the narrator of The Fugitive from 1963 to 1967. As well, he was widely known for Brainstorm in 1965, narrating the Rocky and Bullwinkle cartoons, and playing the role of Denethor in the 1980 animated television version of J. R. R. Tolkien's, The Return of the King.
Conrad eventually landed roles in front of the camera, which included Cannon, (1971- 1976), Nero Wolfe (1981) and Jake and the Fatman. (1987-92).
AN UNFORGETTABLE LEGEND
In 1994, at the age of seventy-three, William Conrad passed away in Los Angeles, California. He will always be remembered for his strong baritone voice, and superb versatility when playing a wide range of characters in film, television, and radio. Conrad was inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame in 1997.
Happy Listening,
Ned & Joy