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William Conrad

Television Director / Actor / Film Director / Film Producer / Television Producer | * 09/27/1920 († 73, 02/11/1994) | Louisville, Kentucky
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William Conrad (born John William Cann Jr., September 27, 1920 – February 11, 1994) was an American actor, producer, and director whose entertainment career spanned five decades in radio, film, and television, peaking in popularity when he starred in the detective series Cannon. A radio writer and actor, he moved to Hollywood after serving in World War II as a fighter pilot, and played a series of character roles in films, beginning with the film noir The Killers (1946). He created the role of Marshal Matt Dillon for the radio series Gunsmoke (1952–1961) and narrated the television adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle (1959–1964) and The Fugitive (1963–1967). Finding fewer onscreen roles in the 1950s, he changed from actor to producer-director with television work, narration, and a series of Warner Bros. films in the 1960s. Conrad found stardom as a detective in the TV series Cannon (1971–1976) and <... ()
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William Conrad (September 27, 1920 - February 11, 1994) was an American actor, producer, and director. He was born William Cann in Louisville, Kentucky, the son of a theatre-owner who moved to southern California, where he excelled at drama and literature while at school. Starting work in radio in the late 1930s in California, Conrad went on to serve as a fighter pilot in World War II. He entered the army in 1942, and was commissioned at Luke Field, Arizona in 1943 (now Luke Air Force Base). On the day of his commission he married June Nelson. He returned to the airwaves after the war, going on to accumulate over 7,000 roles in radio by his own estimate.Among Conrad's 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).As a producer for Warner Brothers, he made a string of feature films, including An American Dream (1966, retitled See You in Hell, Darling for British release), A Covenant With Death (1966), First to Fight (1967) and The Cool Ones (1967), and also directed My Blood Runs Cold, Brainstorm and Two on a Guillotine (all 1965).

Most frequent genres for this person: Drama | Crime | Thriller

Known for these Movies & Shows

Two hit men walk into a diner asking for a man called "the Swede". When the killers find the Swede, he's expecting them and doesn't put up a fight. Since the Swede had a life insurance policy, an inve ...

The Killers

Certification unknown

1946 | 3.7/5 | 1h 45min
Crime, Mystery, Thriller
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Eddie Hawkins, called Hudson Hawk has just been released from ten years of prison and is planning to spend the rest of his life honestly. But then the crazy Mayflower couple blackmail him to steal som ...

Hudson Hawk

R

1991 | 2.9/5 | 1h 40min
Action, Adventure, Comedy
available on:
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The Leiningen South American cocoa plantation is threatened by a 2-mile-wide, 20-mile-long column of army ants. ...

The Naked Jungle

NR

1954 | 3.3/5 | 1h 35min
Action, Adventure, Drama, Romance / Love
available on:
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Cannon is a CBS detective television series produced by Quinn Martin which aired from March 26, 1971 to March 3, 1976. The primary protagonist is the title character, private detective Frank Cannon, p ...

Cannon

TV-PG

1971 | 3.2/5 | 1h per episode
Drama, Action & Adventure
Search on Amazon.com
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Movies with William Conrad as Actor(56)

as Self (voice) (uncredited)2009 The Box
as Narrator (voice)1991 Hudson Hawk
as Mr. Mahoney1986 Killing Cars
as Jim Dunn1986 Vengeance: The Story of Tony Cimo
as Sgt. Dominic1985 In Like Flynn
as The Mikado1983 The Mikado
as Dr. R. Adams Cowley1982 Shock-Trauma
as (in "The Killers") (archive footage)1982 Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid
as Ring Announcer (voice)1981 Side Show
as Lord Denethor (voice)1980 The Return of the King
as Thaddeus Smith1980 Turnover Smith
as William Battles1980 The Murder That Wouldn't Die
as Frank Cannon1980 The Return of Frank Cannon
as Opening Narrator / Draconian officer (uncredited) (voice)1979 Buck Rogers in the 25th Century
as Dr. Whelan1978 Night Cries
as Col. Keefer1978 Keefer
as Narrador (voz)1977 The Making of Star Wars
as Narrator (voice)1977 Catastrophe
as Jack Starkey1977 Moonshine County Express
as Narrator (voice)1977 The City
as Narrator (voice) (uncredited)1975 Attack on Terror: The FBI vs. the Ku Klux Klan
as Frank Cannon1971 Cannon
as Chief Vincent Kovac1971 The D.A.: Conspiracy to Kill
as Keegan1971 O'Hara, United States Treasury: Operation Cobra
as Bart Harris1970 The Brotherhood of the Bell
as TV Newscaster (voice) (uncredited)1967 Countdown
as Narrator1966 Chamber of Horrors
as Narrator (uncredited)1965 Battle of the Bulge
as Mental Patient (uncredited)1965 Brainstorm
as Jim Bathgate1959 -30-
as Narrator (voice) (uncredited)1957 Zero Hour!
as Sheriff Chris Hamish1957 The Ride Back
as Kasar1956 The Conqueror
as Tallman1956 Johnny Concho
as Eric Berg1955 5 Against the House
as Narrator1955 The Naked Sea
as Commissioner1954 The Naked Jungle
as Lachmed1953 The Desert Song
as Goodwin1953 Cry of the Hunted
as Mizette1952 Lone Star
as Det. Sgt. Turk1951 The Racket
as Louie Castro1951 Cry Danger
as Major Nicolet1951 The Sword of Monte Cristo
as Ollie1950 One Way Street
as Chuckles1950 Dial 1119
as Mike Morrel1950 The Milkman
as Lt. Jacobi1949 East Side, West Side
as Lt. Edgar Gonsales1949 Tension
as Frank Sistina1949 Any Number Can Play
as Guillaume Erard, a Prosecutor1948 Joan of Arc
as Farnsworth1948 To the Victor
as Morano1948 Sorry, Wrong Number
as Sheriff Egan1948 Four Faces West
as Quinn1947 Body and Soul
as Max1946 The Killers
as First Motorcycle Cop (uncredited)1945 Pillow to Post

TV Shows/Series with William Conrad as Actor(33)

as Narrator1987 The Highwayman
as Jason McCabe1987 Jake and the Fatman
1986 Matlock
as Anatole Karzof1984 Murder, She Wrote
1982 Hotel
as Stabbed Man1982 Police Squad!
as Nero Wolfe1981 Nero Wolfe
1979 Buck Rogers in the 25th Century
as Narrator1977 Quinn Martin's Tales of the Unexpected
1976 The Sonny & Cher Show
as Frank Cannon1973 Barnaby Jones
as Frank Cannon1971 Cannon
1971 The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour
as himself1971 The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour
as Arnold Wexler1968 The Name of the Game
as himself1967 Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In
as Self - Guest / Various Characters1967 The Carol Burnett Show
as himself1967 The Carol Burnett Show
as China Pierce1967 The High Chaparral
1965 The Dean Martin Show
1965 F Troop
as Narrator1963 The Fugitive
as Sergent Cresse1962 The Alfred Hitchcock Hour
1961 Target: The Corruptors!
as Corey1960 The Aquanauts
1959 The Man and the Challenge
as Narrator (voice)1959 The Bullwinkle Show
as Bystander (uncredited)1958 77 Sunset Strip
as Clark Benson1958 Bat Masterson
as Dick MacIntyre1958 Bat Masterson
1957 Have Gun, Will Travel
as Narrator (voice)1955 Gunsmoke
as himself1948 The Ed Sullivan Show

Movies with William Conrad as Crew(16)

Directing/Director1981 Side Show
Production/Executive Producer1980 Turnover Smith
Production/Executive Producer1968 Assignment to Kill
Production/Executive Producer1967 The Cool Ones
Production/Executive Producer1967 Countdown
Production/Producer1967 Chubasco
Production/Executive Producer1967 First to Fight
Production/Producer1966 An American Dream
Directing/Director1965 Two on a Guillotine
Production/Producer1965 Two on a Guillotine
Directing/Director1965 My Blood Runs Cold
Production/Producer1965 My Blood Runs Cold
Directing/Director1965 Brainstorm
Production/Producer1965 Brainstorm
Directing/Director1963 The Man from Galveston
Production/Producer1957 The Ride Back

TV Shows/Series with William Conrad as Crew(18)

Directing/Director1968 The Name of the Game
Directing/Director1962 Saints and Sinners
Directing/Director1961 Target: The Corruptors!
Directing/Director1960 Klondike
Directing/Director1960 Route 66
Directing/Director1959 Men into Space
Directing/Director1959 Bold Venture
Directing/Director1959 Lock Up
Directing/Director1958 Naked City
Directing/Director1958 The Rough Riders
Directing/Director1958 77 Sunset Strip
Directing/Director1958 Bat Masterson
Directing/Director1958 The Rifleman
Directing/Director1958 Mackenzie's Raiders
Directing/Director1957 Have Gun, Will Travel
Directing/Director1957 Tombstone Territory
Directing/Director1955 Gunsmoke
Directing/Director1955 Highway Patrol

Full Name: William Conrad
Born: Monday, 09/27 1920 (September) in Louisville, Kentucky
Died: Friday, 02/11 1994 (February) in Los Angeles (aged: 73)
Zodiac sign: Libra (Chinese zodiac sign: Monkey)
Languages: English (EN, native language)
Educated at: Excelsior High School
Other names for William Conrad (nicknames, foreign languages etc.):
"John William Cann Jr."
William Conrad frequently works together with these people:
Ed Nelson (28x, Actor)
Denver Pyle (24x, Actor)
Morgan Woodward (23x, Actor)
Gregg Palmer (23x, Actor)
John Anderson (23x, Actor)
Claude Akins (22x, Actor)
Victor French (21x, Actor)
John Dehner (20x, Actor)
Dennis Cross (19x, Cast)
Robert Karnes (19x, Actor)
Ken Mayer (19x, Actor)
Jean Burt Reilly (8x, Crew)
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WatchPlayStream ID: PEOPLE:5652, Added: 03/23/2018, Last updated: 04/21/2024