Remembering William Conrad

It starred veteran actor William Conrad as an overweight, very unglamorous private detective and ran from 1971 to 1976. 

Conrad was a versatile actor who performed in media ranging from cartoons to the silver screen. He had a deep, impressive voice and as a result, had a busy career in radio. He estimated that he played more than 7500 roles during his radio career. In cartoons, he was the narrator on the “Rocky and Bullwinkle” program. 

The two roles for which Conrad may be most famous were on opposite sides of the law. He played Marshall Matt Dillon on the radio version of the “Gunsmoke” show from 1952 to 1961. Incidentally, that show also featured Howard McNear as Doc Adams. McNear went on to fame as Floyd the Barber on the Andy Griffith television show. 

Conrad’s first credited movie role was probably his most notable. He appeared as one of the gunmen sent to eliminate Burt Lancaster in the 1946 film noir classic, “The Killers.” 

One of the more remarkable aspects of William Conrad’s career is how he did not make the transition from the radio “Gunsmoke” to the television version of the program. Despite the overwhelming success of the radio show, when it crossed over onto TV in 1955, Conrad was not retained in the role of Marshall Dillon. He had a magnificent, resonant bass voice, but he carried 230 pounds on his 5-9 frame, which weight ballooned up to 260 pounds during the run of “Cannon.” Unfortunately, his pear-shaped tones were matched by a pear-shaped shape, and the producers of the TV “Gunsmoke” gave the role to James Arness, who was much more impressive visually. 

For five seasons from 1987 to 1992, Conrad also starred in the television program “Jake and the Fatman.” 

Conrad was an avid fisherman who specialized in using light tackle. “Field and Stream” magazine documented in 1972 that he caught a 62-pound sailfish on a 6-pound test line.