Robert Conrad | |
|---|---|
 Conrad in 1965 as James West inThe Wild Wild West | |
| Born | Conrad Robert Falk (1935-03-01)March 1, 1935 Chicago, Illinois, U.S. |
| Died | February 8, 2020(2020-02-08) (aged 84) Malibu, California, U.S. |
| Alma mater | Northwestern University |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 1953–2019 |
| Spouses | |
| Children | 8 |
Robert Conrad (bornConrad Robert Falk; March 1, 1935 – February 8, 2020) was an American actor, singer, and stuntman. He is best known for his role in the 1965–1969 television seriesThe Wild Wild West, playing the sophisticatedSecret Service agent James T. West. He also portrayed private investigator Tom Lopaka inHawaiian Eye (1959–1963) and World War II acePappy Boyington inBaa Baa Black Sheep (1976–1978; later syndicated asBlack Sheep Squadron).
In addition to acting, he was a singer and recorded several pop/rock songs in the late 1950s and early 1960s asBob Conrad. He hosted a weekly two-hour national radio show (The PM Show with Robert Conrad) onCRN Digital Talk Radio beginning in 2008.[1]
Conrad was born Conrad Robert Falk in Chicago. His father, Leonard Henry Falk, was 17 years old at the time of Conrad's birth and was of Polish descent, the original family name having been Falkowski. His mother, Alice Jacqueline Hartman (daughter of Conrad and Hazel Hartman), was 15 years old when she gave birth, and named her son after her father.[2] She became the first publicity director ofMercury Records, where she was known as Jackie Smith. She married twice, including once to Chicago radio personalityEddie Hubbard in 1948.[3] Eddie Hubbard and Jackie Smith reportedly had a child together (bornc. 1949)[4] before splitting up in 1958.[5][6][7]
Conrad attended Chicago schools includingSouth Shore High School,Hyde Park High School, the YMCA Central School, andNew Trier High School.[8] He dropped out of school at age 15 to work full-time, including loading trucks forConsolidated Freightways and Eastern Freightways, and driving a milk truck for Chicago's Bowman Dairy.[8]
After working in Chicago for several years and studying theater arts atNorthwestern University, Conrad pursued an acting career.[8] One of his first paying roles was a week-long job posing outside a Chicago theater where the filmGiant (1956) was screened;[9] Conrad bore a resemblance to the film's lead, actorJames Dean, so his mother used her entertainment industry contacts to help him get the part intended as apublicity stunt to boost attendance at the theater.[10] Conrad also studied singing; his vocal coach wasDick Marx, the father of singerRichard Marx.[11]
In 1957, Conrad met actorNick Adams while visitingJames Dean's gravesite inFairmount, Indiana.[12] They became friends and Adams suggested that Conrad move to California to pursue acting.[12][13]
Adams got a bit part for Conrad in the filmJuvenile Jungle (1958).[12] Adams was supposed to appear in it, but withdrew so he could take a part in a different movie.[12] Conrad's brief non-speaking role inJuvenile Jungle enabled him to join theScreen Actors Guild.[12] He had a small role in the filmThundering Jets, also in 1958.
Conrad was soon signed to an acting contract byWarner Bros. He also sang, and released several recordings withWarner Bros. Records on a variety of LPs, EPs, and SPs 33-1/3 and 45 rpm records during the late 1950s and early 1960s.[14] In 1961, he had a minorBillboard hit song in "Bye Bye Baby" which reached No. 113.[15]
At Warner, he appeared in the second season of theJames Garner seriesMaverick (episode: "Yellow River", 1959). He was featured in other shows, either for Warner orZiv Television, includingHighway Patrol,Lawman,Colt .45 (playingBilly the Kid),Sea Hunt,The Man and the Challenge, andLock Up.
Warner Brothers had a big success with its detective show77 Sunset Strip, then madeHawaiian Eye, a follow-up series. Conrad starred as detective Tom Lopaka. He was introduced onStrip, then spun off into a series that ran from 1959 to 1963, both in the U.S. and overseas. During the series' run, Conrad appeared on an episode of the Warner Brothers seriesThe Gallant Men. AfterHawaiian Eye was over, Conrad starred inPalm Springs Weekend (1963).
In Mexico, Conrad signed a recording contract with the Orfeon label. He released two albums with a few singles sung in Spanish. In 1964, he guest-starred on an episode ofTemple Houston, then performed in the comedic filmLa Nueva Cenicienta (also known asThe New Cinderella). The next year, he was in the episode "Four into Zero" ofKraft Suspense Theatre, and portrayedPretty Boy Floyd inYoung Dillinger alongside his old friend Nick Adams.[16]
In 1965, Conrad began his starring role as government agent James West on the weekly seriesThe Wild Wild West, which aired onCBS until its cancellation in 1969. He made $5,000 a week.[17] He did most of his own stunts and fight scenes during the series, and while filming the season four episode "The Night of the Fugitives", he was injured and rushed to the hospital after he dove from the top of a saloon staircase, lost his grip on a chandelier, fell 12 feet, and landed on his head.[18]
In addition to starring inThe Wild Wild West, Conrad found time to work on other projects. He went to Mexico in 1967 to appear inVen a cantar conmigo (Come, sing with me), a musical. He also formed his own company, Robert Conrad Productions, and under its auspices he wrote, starred in, and directed theWestern filmThe Bandits (also 1967).[19]
Conrad appeared in episodes ofMannix andMission: Impossible. In 1969, he signed a three-picture deal withBob Hope's Doan Productions. The first two films were slated to beKeene thenNo Beer in Heaven, but only the first movie was ever produced.[20]
In 1969, he debuted as prosecutor Paul Ryan in the TV movieD.A.: Murder One (1969). He reprised the role inD.A.: Conspiracy to Kill (1971) and the short-lived 1971 seriesThe D.A..[21] In 1971, he also played Deputy D.A. Paul Ryan onAdam-12 (Episode: "The Radical"), and in a compilation of several of the 1/2 hour "The D.A" episodes into a TV movie syndicated asConfessions of a D.A. Man. He was also in such made-for-television movies asWeekend of Terror (1970) andFive Desperate Women (1971). He tried another TV series as American spy Jake Webster inAssignment Vienna (1972), which lasted only eight episodes.[22] He was a murderous fitness franchise promoter in afourth season episode ofColumbo ("An Exercise in Fatality", 1974). Conrad starred in the feature filmsMurph the Surf (1975) andSudden Death (1977).
Conrad briefly returned to series TV from 1976 to 1978 as legendary tough-guy World War II fighter acePappy Boyington inBaa Baa Black Sheep, retitled for its second season and in later syndication asBlack Sheep Squadron in a re-tooling that failed to keep the series on the air. He directed three episodes.[23]
Despite the show's struggles in the ratings, Conrad went on to win aPeople's Choice Award for Favorite Male Actor and a Golden Globe nomination for his performance.[24] He followed it with a lead part in the television miniseriesCentennial (1978).[25]
In 1978, Conrad starred in the short-lived TV seriesThe Duke as Duke Ramsey, a boxer turned private eye. Conrad directed some episodes. In the late 1970s, he served as the captain of the NBC team for six editions ofBattle of the Network Stars. Around this time he reprised the role of West in a pair of made-for-TV films which reunited him with hisWest co-star,Ross Martin,The Wild Wild West Revisited (1979) andMore Wild Wild West (1980).[18]
Conrad was identified in the late 1970s with his television commercials forEveready batteries, particularly his placing of the battery on his shoulder and prompting the viewer to challenge its long-lasting power: "Come on, I dare ya".[26] The commercial was parodied frequently on American television comedies such asJohnny Carson'sThe Tonight Show andThe Carol Burnett Show.
Conrad made the occasional feature such asThe Lady in Red (1979) forRoger Corman'sNew World Pictures, where he playedJohn Dillinger from a script byJohn Sayles. Conrad later played a modern-day variation of James West in the short-lived seriesA Man Called Sloane in 1979.[27][28] Conrad directed some episodes.
Conrad spent most of the 1980s starring in television movies. He played a paraplegic coach inCoach of the Year (1980), and the title role inWill: G. Gordon Liddy (1982). Both were for his own company, A Shane Productions.[29] In 1982, he also was in theRichard Brooks filmWrong is Right withSean Connery as the main character and Conrad as General Wombat. The film had been described as aDr. Strangelove for the 1980s.[30]
In 1984, Conrad and his production company produced the film,Hard Knox, an unsold pilot for a proposed TV series. He played the lead role of retired U.S. Marine Colonel Joseph Knox, who returns to his childhood home ofMount Carroll, Illinois, to teach at his alma mater, a local military prep academy. The film was shot in Mount Carroll at the former Shimer College.
Conrad played a Police Chief in the theatrically released comedy filmMoving Violations (1985), and appeared in the TV moviesThe Fifth Missile (1986),Assassin (1986) andCharley Hannah's War (1986).[31]
In 1986, Conrad served as special guest referee for the main event ofWrestleMania 2 betweenHulk Hogan andKing Kong Bundy in aSteel Cage Match for theWWF Championship.
In 1987, he starred as Jesse Hawkes in the short-lived TV seriesHigh Mountain Rangers with his sons Shane Conrad and Christian Conrad, about a family of wilderness rescue and law enforcement officers in Lake Tahoe. The series was canceled after 13 episodes, but was reworked for the 1989 seriesJesse Hawkes, which saw Hawkes and his sons becoming bounty hunters in San Francisco. The series was canceled after 6 episodes.
Conrad appeared in the music video forRichard Marx's "Hazard", which was a No. 1 hit in 13 countries including the United States. He had a supporting role inJingle All the Way (1996) withArnold Schwarzenegger. Conrad's later credits include an episode ofNash Bridges and the filmDead Above Ground (2002).
Conrad appeared in the movieSamurai Cowboy in 1994. The following year, he essentially rebootedHigh Mountain Rangers, reteaming with his sons Shane and Christian, and his second wife LaVelda Fann, in the TV movie pilotHigh Sierra Search and Rescue, which led to a short-lived TV series that was canceled after only eight episodes.[32]
In 2005, he ran for President of theScreen Actors Guild.[33] In 2006, Conrad recorded audio introductions for every episode of the first season ofThe Wild Wild West for its North American DVD release on June 6. The DVD set also included one of Conrad'sEveready battery commercials; in his introduction, Conrad stated he was flattered to be parodied byCarson. He was inducted into the Hollywood Stuntmen's Hall of Fame[34] for his work onThe Wild Wild West series.[35]
Beginning in 2008, he hosted a weekly two-hour national radio show (The PM Show with Robert Conrad) onCRN Digital Talk Radio.[1] He appeared in the documentary filmPappy Boyington Field (released in July 2010 on DVD) where he recounted his personal insights about the legendary Marine Corps aviator he portrayed in the television series.[36][37] His last appearance on the radio show was July 18, 2019, and Mike Garey was his co-host.
Conrad and his first wife Joan were married for 25 years and had five children. They divorced amicably in 1977.[38] That same year he met his second wife LaVelda Ione Fann. He was 43 when he emceed the Miss National Teenager Pageant, which she won. Their marriage produced three children before their divorce in 2010. His two families were said to "get along famously."[39][40] Conrad was joined on some television shows by his sons, Shane and Christian, and his daughter, Nancy. Another daughter, Joan, became a television producer.[40]
In a 2008 interview, Conrad describedChicago Outfit associate and burglarMichael Spilotro as his "best friend". Spilotro's murder was featured in the movieCasino.[41] In 1984, Conrad was awarded a star on the Walk of Western Stars inNewhall, California (now a part ofSanta Clarita).[42]
Conrad was involved with a volunteer organization inBear Valley, California, known as Bear Valley Search and Rescue, which later formed the basis forHigh Mountain Rangers.[43]
On March 31, 2003, while onHighway 4 in California'sSierra Nevada foothills near hisAlpine County home, Conrad drove his Jaguar over the center median and slammed head-on into a Subaru driven by 26-year-old Kevin Burnett. Both men suffered serious injuries.[44] As a result, Conrad faced felony charges to which he pleaded no contest. His plea was accepted,[45] and he was convicted of drunk driving.[46]
He was sentenced to six months of house confinement, alcohol counseling, and five years' probation.[45] A civil suit filed by Burnett against Conrad was settled the following year for an undisclosed amount. In 2005, Burnett died at age 28 fromperforated ulcers; his family attributed them to his difficult recovery from the crash.[47][48] Conrad suffered severe nerve injuries from the crash, leaving his right side partially paralyzed.[49]
Conrad died of heart failure inMalibu, California, on February 8, 2020, at age 84.[50]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1958 | Juvenile Jungle | Minor Role | Uncredited |
| Thundering Jets | Lt. Robert 'Tiger Bob' Kiley | ||
| 1959 | Paratroop Command | Art | Uncredited |
| 1962 | Red Nightmare | Pete | Short film shot in 1957 |
| 1963 | Palm Springs Weekend | Eric Dean | |
| 1964 | La nueva Cenicienta | Bob Conrad | |
| 1965 | Young Dillinger | 'Pretty Boy' Floyd | |
| 1967 | Ven a cantar conmigo | Roberto | |
| The Bandits | Chris Barrett | Also director and writer | |
| 1969 | Keene | Credited asBob Conrad | |
| 1975 | Murph the Surf | Allan Kuhn | |
| 1977 | Sudden Death | Duke Smith | |
| 1979 | The Lady in Red | John Dillinger | |
| 1982 | Wrong Is Right | Gen. Wombat | |
| 1985 | Moving Violations | Chief Rowe | Uncredited |
| 1994 | Samurai Cowboy | Gabe McBride | |
| 1996 | Jingle All the Way | Officer Hummell | |
| 1999 | New Jersey Turnpikes | ||
| Garbage Day | Garbage Thrower | Short | |
| 2002 | Dead Above Ground | Reed Wilson | Final film role |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1959 | Bat Masterson | Juanito | Episode: "One Bullet from Broken Bow" |
| Maverick | Davie Barrows | Episode: "Yellow River" | |
| Sea Hunt | Hal Peters / The Boat Captain | 2 episodes | |
| Highway Patrol | Tommy Chugg | Episode: "Revenge" | |
| Lawman | Davey Catterton | Episode: "Battle Scar" | |
| Colt .45 | Billy the Kid | Episode: "Amnesty" | |
| The Man and the Challenge | Bill Howard | Episode: "Maximum Capacity" | |
| Lock-Up | Harry Connors | Episode: "The Harry Connors Story" | |
| 1959–1962 | 77 Sunset Strip | Tom Lopaka | 4 episodes |
| 1959–1963 | Hawaiian Eye | 104 episodes | |
| 1962 | The Gallant Men | Sgt. Griff Benedict | Episode: "And Cain Cried Out" |
| 1964 | Temple Houston | Martin Purcell | Episode: "The Town That Trespassed" |
| 1965 | Kraft Suspense Theatre | Gary Kemp | Episode: "Four into Zero" |
| 1965–1969 | The Wild Wild West | James T. West (Jim West) | 104 episodes |
| 1968–1972 | Mission: Impossible | Bobby / Press Allen / Eddie Lorca | 4 episodes |
| 1969 | Mannix | Mitch Cantrell | Episode: "The Playground" |
| The D.A.: Murder One | Paul Ryan | Television film | |
| 1970 | Weekend of Terror | Eddie | |
| 1971 | The D.A.: Conspiracy to Kill | Deputy D.A. Paul Ryan | |
| Five Desperate Women | Michael Wylie | ||
| Adam-12 | Deputy D.A. Paul Ryan | Episode: "The Radical" | |
| 1971–1972 | The D.A. | 15 episodes | |
| 1972 | Adventures of Nick Carter | Nick Carter | Television film |
| 1972–1973 | Assignment Vienna | Jake Webster | 8 episodes |
| 1974 | Columbo | Milo Janus | Episode: "An Exercise in Fatality" |
| 1975 | The Last Day | Bob Dalton | Television film |
| 1976 | Smash-Up on Interstate 5 | Sergeant Sam Marcum | |
| 1976–1978 | Baa Baa Black Sheep | Maj. Greg 'Pappy' Boyington | 36 episodes |
| 1977 | Laugh-In | Guest Performer | Episode: #1.4 |
| 1978 | Confessions of the D.A. Man | Paul Ryan | Television film |
| 1978–1979 | Centennial | Pasquinel | Television miniseries |
| 1979 | The Duke | Oscar 'Duke' Ramsey | |
| The Wild Wild West Revisited | Jim West | Television film | |
| Breaking Up Is Hard to Do | Frank Scapa | ||
| A Man Called Sloane | Thomas R. Sloane | 12 episodes | |
| 1980 | More Wild Wild West | Jim West | Television film |
| Coach of the Year | Jim Brandon | ||
| 1982 | Will: G. Gordon Liddy | G. Gordon Liddy | |
| 1983 | Confessions of a Married Man | ||
| 1984 | Hard Knox | Col. Joe Knox | |
| 1985 | Two Fathers' Justice | Bill Stackhouse | |
| 1986 | The Fifth Missile | Cmdr. Mark Van Meer | |
| Assassin | Henry Stanton | ||
| Charley Hannah | Capt. Charley Hannah | ||
| One Police Plaza | Lt. Daniel B. Malone | ||
| 1987 | J.J. Starbuck | Corbett Cook | Episode: "A Killing in the Market" |
| 1987–1988 | High Mountain Rangers | Jesse Hawkes | 13 episodes |
| 1988 | Police Story: Gladiator School | Officer Charles 'Chick' Stacy | Television film |
| Glory Days | Mike Moran | ||
| 1989 | Jesse Hawkes | Jesse Hawkes | 6 episodes |
| 1990 | Anything to Survive | Eddie Barton | Television film |
| 1992 | Mario and the Mob | Mario Dante | |
| 1993 | Sworn to Vengeance | Sergeant Stewart | |
| 1994 | Two Fathers: Justice for the Innocent | Stackhouse | |
| Search and Rescue | Tooter | ||
| 1995 | High Sierra Search and Rescue | Griffin 'Tooter' Campbell | 6 episodes |
| 1999 | Just Shoot Me! | Himself | Episode: "Jack Gets Tough" |
| 2000 | Nash Bridges | CalTrans Guy | Episode: "Heist" |
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