William Conrad was a great and one of the finest actors, producers, and directors. His five-decade career in radio, film, and television peaked when he starred in Cannon’s detective series. He moved to Hollywood after serving as a fighter pilot in World War II and played various character roles in films, beginning with the 1946 film noir The Killers. From 1952 to 1961, he played Marshal Matt Dillon on the radio series Gunsmoke, and from 1959 to 1964, he narrated Rocky and Bullwinkle and The Fugitive on television.
With fewer onscreen roles in the 1950s, he transitioned from actor to producer-director in the 1960s, with television work, some narration, and a series of Warner Bros. films. Conrad rose to prominence as a detective in the television series Cannon from 1971 to 1976, Nero Wolfe in 1981, and district attorney Jason Lochinvar “J.L., Fatman” McCabe in the legal drama Jake and the Fatman from 1987 to 1992.
William was born on September 27, 1920, in Louisville, Kentucky, as John William Cann Jr. Conrad grew up watching movies because his parents, John William Cann and Ida Mae Upchurch Cann, owned a movie theater. Conrad was in high school when his family relocated to Southern California. He studied drama and literature at Fullerton College in Orange County, California, and began his career as a radio announcer, writer, and director for KMPC in Los Angeles. Conrad was a fighter pilot during WWII, and he married June Nelson of Los Angeles on the day he was commissioned at Luke Field. He retired from the United States Army Air Forces as a captain and producer-director of the Armed Forces Radio Service. (1)
William Conrad's Net Worth
Because of his acting talent and sense of humor, William Conrad has appeared in a number of films, product collaboration partnerships, and media advertisements. He received $950,000 for his prominent media presence. William Conrad is a very wealthy man (2)
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William Conrad's Early Life
William Conrad, best known as John William Conrad, was born on September 27, 1920, in Louisville, Kentucky, to John William Cann Jr. and Ida Mae Upchurch Cann, who owned a movie theater, and Conrad grew up watching movies. Conrad was in high school when his family relocated to Southern California.
William Conrad's Education
Conrad served as a fighter pilot during WWII, and on the day William was commissioned in 1943 at Luke Field, William Conrad married June Nelson, who lived in Los Angeles from 1920 to 1977. He retired from the United States Army Air Forces as a captain and producer-director of the Armed Forces Radio Service.
William Conrad's Wife/Girlfriend and Family Life
William Conrad had three marriages in his life. On April 12, 1943, the day he received his military commission, he married his first wife, June Nelson, at Luke Field. In 1957, they divorced. Susan Randall Conrad, his second wife, whom he married in 1957, was his third wife. They were married until she died on April 13, 1979. Conrad’s only child is Christopher, their son. On May 1, 1980, he married Lewis Tipton Stringer, the widow of newscaster Chet Huntley. Conrad died of congestive heart failure in Los Angeles on February 11, 1994. He was laid to rest in the Hollywood Hills Cemetery in California. (3)
William Conrad's Career
William Conrad estimated that he played over 7,500 roles during his radio career. Conrad, 22, produced and acted in The Hermit is Cave at KMPC, the Los Angeles version of a popular syndicated horror series created at WJR Detroit. Conrad provided the voice for Escape, a high-adventure radio series. He also appeared as Warchek, a menacing police officer, in Johnny Modero: Pier 23, a detective series starring Jack Webb, and in Webb’s crime drama Pete Kelly’s Blues. In the ABC radio drama The Front Page, Conrad played newspaper editor Walter Burns opposite Dick Powell’s reporter Hildy Johnson. In the syndicated drama anthology series The Damon Runyon Theater, Conrad played Dave the Dude; Lt. Dundy in the NBC radio series The Adventures of Sam Spade; the boss to government special agent Douglas Fairbanks Jr. in The Silent Men; and a New Orleans bartender in the NBC adventure drama Jason and the Golden Fleece.
Conrad’s deep, resonant voice was most prominently heard in the role of Marshal Matt Dillon on CBS Radio’s gritty Western series Gunsmoke. Because of his ubiquitous presence on so many radio dramas and the familiarity of his voice, the producers initially rejected him for the part. Still, his impressive audition could not be dismissed, and he became the obvious choice for the role. Conrad played Dillon for the entire nine-year run of the show, and he also wrote the June 1953 episode “Sundown.” When Gunsmoke was on television in 1955, CBS executives refused to cast Conrad or his radio co-stars, despite a public campaign to persuade them otherwise.
Conrad was frequently cast as an actor and a menacing figure in feature films. His most notable role, as one of the shooters sent to eliminate Burt Lancaster in The Killers, maybe the first for which he was credited. Conrad appeared in Body and Soul, Sorry, Wrong Number, Joan of Arc, and The Naked Jungle, among other films. Conrad was an executive producer on Countdown, a science-fiction thriller starring James Caan and Robert Duvall that marked director Robert Altman’s major studio feature debut. Conrad narrated Design For Disaster, a documentary by the Los Angeles City Fire Department about the November 1961 Bel Air wildfire, which destroyed several neighborhoods and was the worst conflagration in Los Angeles history. (4)
Quick and Fun Facts William Conrad
William Conrad was an American actor, producer, and director whose five-decade career in radio, film, and television peaked when he starred in the detective series Cannon.
William Conrad moved to Hollywood after serving as a fighter pilot in World War II. He played various character roles in different films, beginning with the 1946 film noir The Killers.
From 1952 to 1961, William Conrad played Marshal Matt Dillon on the radio series Gunsmoke, and from 1959 to 1964, he narrated Rocky and Bullwinkle and The Fugitive on television.
With fewer onscreen roles in the 1950s, William Conrad transitioned from actor to producer-director in the 1960s, with television work, narration, and a series of Warner Bros. films.
William Conrad rose to prominence as a detective in the television series Cannon from 1971 to 1976, Nero Wolfe in 1981, and district attorney Jason Lochinvar “J.L., Fatman” McCabe in the legal drama Jake and the Fatman from 1987 to 1992.
William was born on September 27, 1920, in Louisville, Kentucky, as John William Cann Jr.
William Conrad grew up watching movies because his parents, John William Cann and Ida Mae Upchurch Cann, owned a movie theater.
William Conrad was in high school when his family relocated to Southern California.
William Conrad studied drama and literature at Fullerton College in Orange County, California, and began his career as a radio announcer, writer, and director for KMPC in Los Angeles.
William Conrad was a fighter pilot during WWII, and he married June Nelson of Los Angeles on the day he was commissioned at Luke Field.
William Conrad retired from the United States Army Air Forces as a captain and producer-director of the Armed Forces Radio Service.
William Conrad's Appearance (Height, Hair, Eyes & More)
| Height | NA |
|---|---|
| Weight | NA |
| Hair Color | NA |
| Eye Color | NA |
| Body Type | Fit |
| Sexual Orientation | Straight |
Facts About William Conrad
| Nationality | American |
|---|---|
| Estimate Net Worth | $950,000 |
| Religion | NA |
| Zodiac Sign | Libra |
| Birthplace | Louisville, Kentucky |
| Birthday | September 27, 1920 |
References
- William Conrad, retrieved from https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0002016/
- William Conrad Net Worth, Age, Height, Weight, Wife, Wiki, Family 2022, retrieved from https://www.wikilogy.com/biography/william-conrad/#net-worth
- William Conrad retrieved from https://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/william-conrad-44454.php
William Conrad, retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Conrad