For the U.S. judge, see Robert J. Conrad

Robert Conrad
Conrad in 1972
Born	Conrad Robert Falk (1935-03-01) March 1, 1935 (age 78) Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Years active	1957–2002
Spouse(s)	Joan Kenlay (February 23, 1952–1977; divorced); 5 children LaVelda Ione Fann (March 28, 1983–2010; divorced); 3 children

Robert Conrad (born March 1, 1935) is an American film and television actor, best known for his role in the 1965–69 CBS television series The Wild Wild West, playing the sophisticated Secret Service agent James T. West. He also portrayed World War II ace Pappy Boyington in the television series Baa Baa Black Sheep. He was a recording artist of pop/rock songs in the early 1960s as Bob Conrad before he began his acting career. He has hosted a weekly two hour national radio show (The PM Show with Robert Conrad) on CRN Digital Talk Radio.^[1]

Early years/age discrepancy [edit]

Conrad was born Conrad Robert Falk in Chicago, Illinois. His father, born Leonard Henry Falkowski (born November 3, 1918), was then 16 years old.^[2] His mother, Alice Jacqueline Hartman (born May 15, 1919, daughter of Conrad and Hazel Hartman), was 15 years old when she gave birth, and named her son after her own father.^[3] She would go on to become first publicity director of Mercury Records, known as Jackie Smith. She would marry several times, including once to Chicago radio personality Eddie Hubbard in 1948.^[4][5] Eddie Hubbard and Jackie Smith reportedly had a child together (born circa 1949)^[6] before splitting up in 1958.^[7][8][9] Conrad's year of birth has been cited as 1929, however there is no evidence to support this. 1935 appears to be the correct year as per his 1940 census profile (see bottom of page); this indicates that he was a week shy of his 17th birthday when he eloped with his first wife, Joan.

Career [edit]

Signed to Warner Bros. as an actor, Conrad took advantage of Warner's recording division. He eventually released several recordings issued on a variety of LPs, EPs, and SPs 33 and a third and 45 rpm records during the late 1950s and early 1960s.^[10] He had a minor Billboard hit song in "Bye Bye Baby" which reached #113.^[11] In 1959, he played Billy the Kid in the episode "Amnesty" of the ABC/Warner Brothers western series, Colt .45, starring Wayde Preston. Willis Bouchey appears in this episode as Governor Lew Wallace of the New Mexico Territory, who offers The Kid amnesty.^[12]

Before The Wild Wild West, Conrad played Tom Lopaka on the ABC/WB series, Hawaiian Eye, opposite Anthony Eisley and Connie Stevens. The show was a hit and lasted from 1959 to 1963. He played "Eric Dean" in the 1963 spring break film Palm Springs Weekend. In the 1970s, he played such roles as prosecuting attorney Paul Ryan in a short-lived 1971 CBS series, The D.A., and American spy Jake Webster in the series Assignment Vienna. He also starred in a third season episode of Mannix called "The Playground". With his muscular build and cigarette-induced gravelly voice, Conrad found ratings success from 1976 to 1978 playing legendary tough-guy World War II fighter ace Pappy Boyington in Baa Baa Black Sheep on NBC, retitled for its second season and in later syndication as Black Sheep Squadron. In 1980, he played a paraplegic coach in the film Coach of the Year.^[13] In the late 1970s, he served as the captain of the NBC team for six editions of Battle of the Network Stars. He played a modern-day variation of James West in the short-lived series A Man Called Sloane in 1979, which was around the same time that he reprised the role of West in a pair of made-for-TV films. He also starred in the 1978 TV miniseries Centennial on NBC.^{[citation needed]}

Conrad was widely identified in the late 1970s for his television commercials for Eveready 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". The commercial was frequently parodied on Johnny Carson's The Tonight Show and The Carol Burnett Show. In 1988, Conrad starred in a short-lived television series, High Mountain Rangers, with two of his sons. High Mountain Rangers, known for its spectacular scenery and stunts, had a one season spin-off, Jesse Hawkes. In 1990, Conrad starred in the made for television adventure film Anything to Survive alongside Matt LeBlanc and Emily Perkins. In 1992, Conrad played the role of the sheriff in Richard Marx's "Hazard" music video.In 1996 he played the part of a Police Officer in the Christmas Film "Jingle all the Way".

He took over hosting The History Channel's Weapons At War (later Tech Force) in 2000, succeeding George C. Scott (who died in 1999). In 2006, Conrad recorded audio introductions for every episode of the first season of The Wild Wild West for its North American DVD release on June 6. The DVD set also included one of Conrad's Eveready battery commercials; in his introduction, Conrad stated that he was flattered to be parodied by Carson. He was inducted into the Stuntman's Hall of Fame^[14] for his work on The Wild, Wild West series. He appeared in the documentary film, Pappy Boyington Field, where he recounted his personal insights about the legendary Marine Corps Aviator that he portrayed in the television series.^[15] Conrad hosts a weekly radio talk show on CRN Digital Talk Radio.^[1]

Personal life [edit]

Conrad was married to Joan Kenlay from February 23, 1952 until their divorce in 1977; the couple had five children. His second marriage, to LaVelda Ione Fann, produced three children. After living in Bear Valley in the High Sierra, Conrad and Fann relocated to Thousand Oaks, California in 2006. Conrad and Fann divorced in 2010.^[16]

Conrad would be joined on a few of his TV shows by his sons, Shane and Christian, and his daughter Nancy. Another daughter, Joan, is a television producer. In a 2008 interview, Conrad described the late Chicago "made man" and burglar Michael Spilotro as his "best friend".^[17] Spilotro's slaying was featured in the movie Casino. He was involved with a volunteer organization in Bear Valley known as Bear Valley Search and Rescue, which later formed the basis for High Mountain Rangers.^[18]

On March 31, 2003, while on Highway 4 in the California Sierra foothills near his Alpine County home, Conrad drove his Jaguar over the center median and slammed head-on into a Subaru being driven by 26 year-old Kevin Burnett. Both men suffered serious injuries.^[19] He pleaded no contest,^[20] and he was convicted of drunk driving (his blood-alcohol level was 0.22 percent, nearly three times the legal limit). He was ordered to six months' house arrest, alcohol counseling, and five years probation.^[20]

A civil suit filed by Kevin Burnett against Conrad was settled the following year for an undisclosed amount. In 2005, Burnett died at age 28 from perforated ulcers, which his family attributes to his difficult recovery from the crash.^[21][22] Conrad suffered severe nerve damage from the crash, which left his right side partially paralyzed.^[23]

In February 2013, Conrad gave $500 to a British couple holidaying in Los Angeles after they were interviewed on KFI Radio, recounting that their hotel was closed after a corpse was found in the hotel's water cistern.^[24]

References [edit]

External links [edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Robert Conrad

• Robert Conrad at the Internet Movie Database