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William Conrad

Actor

William Conrad

Born September 27, 1920 in Louisville, Kentucky, USADied February 11, 199460 films

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.

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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).

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The best way into William Conrad's work
The Killers posterFirst watchThe Killers19467.4as MaxTwo 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.View film

Essential films

Ranked by acclaim and reach
Hudson Hawk poster5.7Hudson Hawk1991Battle of the Bulge poster6.9Battle of the Bulge1965Sorry, Wrong Number poster6.8Sorry, Wrong Number1948Chisum poster6.6Chisum1970The Return of the King poster6.4The Return of the King1980Body and Soul poster6.7Body and Soul1947The Naked Jungle poster6.6The Naked Jungle1954Buck Rogers in the 25th Century poster6.2Buck Rogers in the 25th Century1979

Filmography

60 films as actor
  1. 1991Hudson HawkNarrator (voice)
  2. 1986Vengeance: The Story of Tony CimoJim Dunn
  3. 1986Killing CarsMr. Mahoney
  4. 1985In Like FlynnSgt. Dominic
  5. 1985BlitzMr. Mahoney
  6. 1983The MikadoThe Mikado
  7. 1982Shock-TraumaDr. R. Adams Cowley
  8. 1982The Cremation of Sam McGee: A Poem by Robert W. ServiceNarrator
  9. 1981Side ShowRing Announcer (voice)
  10. 1980The Return of Frank CannonFrank Cannon
  11. 1980Turnover SmithThaddeus Smith
  12. 1980The Return of the KingLord Denethor (voice)
  13. 1980The Murder That Wouldn't DieWilliam Battles
  14. 1979Buck Rogers in the 25th CenturyOpening Narrator / Draconian officer (uncredited) (voice)
  15. 1978KeeferCol. Keefer
  16. 1978Night CriesDr. Whelan
  17. 1977Moonshine County ExpressJack Starkey
  18. 1977The Force of EvilNarrator (voice)
  19. 1977The CityNarrator (voice)
  20. 1976The MacahansNarrator (voice) (uncredited)
  21. 1974The F.B.I. Story: The FBI Versus Alvin Karpis, Public Enemy Number OneNarrator (voice)
  22. 1974VoicesNarrator (voice)
  23. 1971O'Hara, United States Treasury: Operation CobraKeegan
  24. 1971CannonFrank Cannon
  25. 1971The D.A.: Conspiracy to KillChief Vincent Kovac
  26. 1970The Brotherhood of the BellBart Harris
  27. 1970ChisumNarrator - Opening Credits (voice) (uncredited)
  28. 1967CountdownTV Newscaster (voice) (uncredited)
  29. 1966Chamber of HorrorsNarrator (voice) (uncredited)
  30. 1965Battle of the BulgeNarrator (uncredited)
  31. 1965BrainstormMental Patient (uncredited)
  32. 1965Two on a GuillotineFat Man in Hall of Mirrors (uncredited)
  33. 1965Eggs BenedictNarrator
  34. 1959-30-Jim Bathgate
  35. 1957Zero Hour!Narrator (voice) (uncredited)
  36. 1957The Ride BackSheriff Chris Hamish
  37. 1956Johnny ConchoTallman
  38. 1956The ConquerorKasar
  39. 19555 Against the HouseEric Berg
  40. 1954The Naked JungleCommissioner
  41. 1953The Desert SongLachmed
  42. 1953Cry of the HuntedGoodwin
  43. 1952Lone StarMizette
  44. 1951The RacketTurk
  45. 1951The Sword of Monte CristoMajor Nicolet
  46. 1951Cry DangerLouie Castro
  47. 1950Dial 1119Chuckles
  48. 1950The MilkmanMike Morrel
  49. 1950One Way StreetOllie
  50. 1949East Side, West SideLt. Jacobi
  51. 1949TensionLt. Edgar Gonsales
  52. 1949Any Number Can PlayFrank Sistina
  53. 1948Joan of ArcGuillaume Erard, a Prosecutor
  54. 1948To the VictorFarnsworth
  55. 1948Sorry, Wrong NumberMorano
  56. 1948Four Faces WestSheriff Egan
  57. 1948Arch of TriumphPoliceman at Accident (uncredited)
  58. 1947Body and SoulQuinn
  59. 1946The KillersMax
  60. 1945Pillow to PostFirst Motorcycle Cop (uncredited)