William Conrad

Biography for William Conrad

William Conrad (September 27, 1920 - February 11, 1994), born William Cann, was an American actor and narrator in radio, film and television noted for his gifted use of a marvelous baritone voice, as well as for his sizable girth. He was born in Louisville, Kentucky.

Starting work in radio in the late 1930s in California, Conrad went on to serve as a fighter pilot in World War II. He returned to the airwaves after the war, going on to accumulate over 7,000 roles in radio by his own estimate.

Conrad's deep, resonant voice led to a number of noteworthy roles in radio drama, most prominently his originating the role of Matt Dillon on the old-time radio program Gunsmoke from 1952-61. He was considered for the role when the series was brought to television in 1955, but his increasing obesity led to the casting of James Arness. Other series to which Conrad contributed his talents included Escape, Suspense and The Damon Runyon Theater.

Among his various film roles, where he was usually cast as threatening figures, perhaps his most notable role was his first credited one, as one of the gunmen sent to eliminate Burt Lancaster in the 1946 film The Killers. He also appeared in Body and Soul (1947), Sorry, Wrong Number, Joan of Arc (both 1948), and The Naked Jungle (1954).

Moving to television in the 1960s, his first decade in the medium was largely marked by a return to voice work and the direction of Brainstorm in 1965; he narrated the Bullwinkle cartoons from 1961-73, and later performed the role of Denethor in the 1980 animated TV version of J. R. R. Tolkien's The Return of the King. But the 1970s saw him starring in the first of three detective series which would bring him an added measure of renown, Cannon, which ran from 1971-76. He later starred in both Nero Wolfe (1981) and Jake and the Fatman (1987-92).

Conrad died at age 73 in Los Angeles, California and is interred at Forest Lawn, Hollywood Hills Cemetery. He was elected to the Radio Hall of Fame in 1997.

Born September 27, 1920 in Louisville, Kentucky, Conrad began at the cinema in The Killers, the classic of Robert Siodmak, in 1946, and interpreted roles of police, sheriff or even journalist in several films before regularly collaborating in the radio series Escape, in 1950, and to appear in several TV series including Bat Masterson, Have Gun Will Travel, High Chaparral and later Operation Vol, the man who falls out of time (in his own role) and Arabesque. But he is also a producer and director, working in particular with the success of Gunsmoke, the man at the rifle or Naked City in the 1950s. Died in 1994, the actor was also the protagonist of two more known series, one Canceled after a few episodes, Nero Wolfe, the other more popular, the law is the law (Jake and the Fatman - Guess who is the Fatman ...), with Joe Penny de Riptide. Undoubtedly, Cannon's popularity is based on him and he remained associated with the role after the stop of the series in 1976. His character earned him two nominations at the Golden Globes as the best television actor in 1972 and 1973.

William Conrad was an American actor born September 27, 1920 in Louisville, Kentucky. He started his career as a narrator for documentaries, before becoming a dubbing player for films and television series in the 1950s. He was also a director and producer.

Conrad was one of the most recognized voices in the dubbing industry, especially as a narrator for the television series "Rocky and his friends" and "The Jungle Book". He also doubled many characters for the animated films of Walt Disney, including "101 Dalmatians" and "The Jungle Book".

As an actor, Conrad has played in many popular television series from the 1950s and 1960s, notably "Cannon" and "Le Fugitive". He also played in films such as "Le Faucon Maltais" and "Star Wars".

Conrad won a Primetime Emmy Award in 1971 for his role in the television series "Le Fugitive". He was also nominated for a Primetime Emmy in 1966 for his role in the series "Cannon".

Conrad died on February 11, 1994 in Los Angeles, California, at the age of 73. His acting career and producer made him famous around the world and he remains one of the most recognized actors in the dubbing industry.

Photos

Filmography

Trivia

• Was the original Marshall Matt Dillon on the "Gunsmoke" radio show.
• Inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame in 1997.
• Portrayed Marshall Matt Dillon on CBS Radio's "Gunsmoke" (1952-1961).

Author of the card

• Creation date: 01/07/2003 by stals
• Last update: 01/05/2007 by Michel_13