William Conrad: A Life & Career

William Conrad (1920–1994) was one of the most prolific and recognizable voices of the golden age of radio drama on such programs as The Whistler, Escape, Suspense, Favorite Story, Lux Radio Theater, and many others, but it was his performance as Marshal Matt Dillon on the radio version of Gunsmoke that made him a radio institution. In addition to his radio work he often appeared in films and made his mark, often as a heavy, in such classic film noirs as The Killers, Body and Soul, Sorry, Wrong Number, One-Way Street, Tension, and Cry Danger. Not many people know that Conrad took a sabbatical from acting during much of the 1960’s and was a producer and director at Warner Brothers creating such films as Two on a Guillotine, My Blood Runs Cold, Brainstorm, An American Dream, The Cool Ones, and Countdown. Conrad is probably best remembered today for his iconic TV roles in Cannon and Jake and the Fatman.