Robert Conrad, 星／主役にする of TV's 'The Wild Wild West,' Dies at 84
By Carmel Dagan
LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) - Actor Robert Conrad, the 星／主役にする of television series 含むing "Hawaiian 注目する，もくろむ," "The Wild Wild West" and "Baa Baa 黒人／ボイコット Sheep" during an almost five-１０年間 career that also 含むd the 時折の feature film, has died in Malibu, Calif. He was 84.
Conrad toplined at least one series in the 1950s, '60s, '70s, '80s and '90s, a rare feat of longevity for a TV 星／主役にする.
He made his debut playing a 操縦する in the 1958 film "雷鳴ing Jets" and would go on to make credited 外見s in some 15 features, making the biggest impression in 1975 heist pic "Murph the Surf" and playing John Dillinger in 1979's "The Lady in Red." But Conrad was a far bigger presence in television.
In 1959 Conrad 調印するd a 契約 with Warner Bros., and the studio cast the young actor, with Anthony Eisley, in the Honolulu-始める，決める 探偵，刑事 show "Hawaiian 注目する，もくろむ," which ran from 1959-63. Conrad played the half-Hawaiian P.I. Tom Lopaka and guested as that character on three episodes of "77 Sunset （土地などの）細長い一片."
The actor did not have long to wait before he 設立する himself the 星／主役にする of another successful series, Michael 守備隊's "The Wild Wild West," which ran for four seasons on CBS starting in 1965. In this innovative blend of the Western and sci-fi genres -- what would be called steampunk now -- Conrad starred as charming Secret Service スパイ／執行官 James T. West, who, with partner Artemus Gordon (Ross ツバメ), 棒 a gadget-ridden personal train around the Old West, fighting supervillains in 19th century James 社債 style. The show was also known for its 井戸／弁護士席-choreographed fight sequences in which Conrad's West almost always outlasted a large number of 敵s.
In 1969, the same year "Wild Wild West" （機の）カム to an end -- 取り消すd because it was too violent -- Conrad starred in the telepic "D.A.: 殺人 One," which led to a follow-up film and a 簡潔な／要約する 1971-72 series called "The D.A." The actor played a 秘かに調査する in another short-lived series, ABC 's "Assignment Vienna," during the 1972-73 season.
Conrad had more success with NBC's "Baa Baa 黒人／ボイコット Sheep" (later known as "黒人／ボイコット Sheep 騎兵大隊"), which fictionalized the experiences of WWII エース Major Gregory "Pappy" Boyington (whom Conrad played) and the 闘士，戦闘機 騎兵大隊 he led in the South 太平洋の. The entertaining show created by Stephen J. Cannell took さまざまな liberties with the realities of war in the 太平洋の Theater: After 圧力 from the 網状組織 to 改善する in the ratings, 生産者s introduced a group of alluring but fictional nurses の上に the island where the 黒人／ボイコット Sheep 騎兵大隊 was based.
The series ran for two season from 1976-78 but has 空気／公表するd 繰り返して in syndication and on 出口s such as the History Channel.
Conrad played a French-Canadian fur 仲買人 in NBC's epic 1978 miniseries "Centennial" and starred in the short-lived, 秘かに調査する-主題d series "A Man Called Sloane" for the 網状組織 in 1979. The actor returned to the 役割 of James West for two telepics, "The Wild Wild West Revisited" and "More Wild Wild West," in 1979 and 1980, それぞれ.
Conrad formed his own 生産／産物 company in the 早期に 1980s, and most of his smallscreen work from this point on was in series or other 成果／努力s produced by A. Shane Co. First up was the 調書をとる／予約する adaptation "Will: The Autobiography of G. Gordon Liddy."
The 1982 NBC telepic, exec produced by Conrad's daughter, Joan Conrad, drew 論争 just as Liddy's 調書をとる／予約する had. "Robert Conrad's 業績／成果 in the 肩書を与える 役割 is impressive and uncompromising" said the New York Times, but the reviewer 設立する fault with the fact that "a good 取引，協定 of the television portrait could be 解釈する／通訳するd as admiring. Mr. Liddy is 描写するd as an outspoken 愛国者, a 信頼できる defender of 法律 and order. He 辞退するs to 妥協 his 原則s."
Some saw an uncomfortable similarity between the Watergate felon and the actor portraying him. The Rovi review of the film 宣言するs, "Robert Conrad fills the 役割 of G. Gordon Liddy like the proverbial glove in this ma cho-driven biopic"; 支援する in 1982, People magazine said, "Robert Conrad, in a bit of 奮起させるd typecasting, portrays to steely-注目する，もくろむd perfection the arrogant Watergate hard guy G. Gordon Liddy."
Conrad often seemed to be on a lifelong 使節団 to 証明する that he was 堅い, and he was 堅い. He did a 簡潔な／要約する, undefeated stint as a professional boxer in the 早期に 1960s concurrent with his 事実上の／代理 career. On "The Wild Wild West," Conrad did all but the most dangerous stunts himself until a serious 事故 during the filming of an episode 近づく the end of the third season put him in the hospital.
For his work on "The Wild Wild West," Conrad was made an 名誉として与えられる inductee in the Hollywood Stuntmen's Hall of Fame, one of only six actors to earn that 栄誉（を受ける）.
During the 1970s he was arguably most 井戸／弁護士席 known famous for a 一連の 商業のs for Eveready 殴打／砲列s in which he appeared: In the first 広告, which began 公表／放送 in 1977, Conrad was shown in ボクシング gloves hitting a punch 捕らえる、獲得する; he then 提起する／ポーズをとるd with a 殴打／砲列 on his shoulder and said, "I dare ya to knock this off! I dare ya to compare anybody's 殴打／砲列 -- anybody's -- with Alkaline 力／強力にする 独房s." Though the 広告s were mocked on "Saturday Night Live" and どこかよそで, the twinkle in his 注目する，もくろむ at the end of the 商業の 示唆するd Conrad was having fun with his image.
Pride in his 運動競技の ability was a （疑いを）晴らす 構成要素 in Conrad's 確信して and charismatic 業績／成果s, and he also turned up to 参加する in such shows of prowess as "戦う／戦い of the 網状組織 星／主役にするs" (he was the NBC team captain), "Superstunt," "Celebrity Challenge of the Sexes" and "Circus of the 星／主役にするs #2."
His 対決 with Gabe Kaplan, 星／主役にする of "Welcome 支援する, Kotter" and the ABC team captain, on the 1976 版 of "戦う／戦い of the 網状組織 星／主役にするs" led to a famous moment of humiliation for Conrad: The latter 主張するd on a one-on-one 100 yard dash with Kaplan after a call that went against the NBC team, but Kaplan blew past Conrad during the improvised race to 勝利，勝つ handily.
Describi ng a 会合 with Jimmy Hoffa over a 提案するd film in which he would portray the labor leader, Conrad 解任するd to the Chicago Tribune that Hoffa "was not unlike me and had an 積極的な, cocky 態度."
Konrad Robert Falkowski was born in Chicago. His mother was Jackie Smith, the first publicity director for 水銀柱，温度計 記録，記録的な／記録するs.
He never 卒業生（する）d from high school, going to work 早期に as a Teamster and 簡潔に singing at a nightclub, but spent a year at Northwestern U., where he became 利益／興味ing in 事実上の／代理. Conrad spent a year in New York and 結局 設立する his way to Los Angeles in 1957.
Conrad's later series 成果／努力s were 1987's "High Mountain 特別奇襲隊員s," 簡潔に resurrected in 1989 as "足緒 強硬派s," and 1995's "High Sierra Search and 救助（する）," all from his 生産／産物 company, which also produced telepics 含むing "Two Fathers' 司法（官）," "Charley Hannah," "Glory Days," "Mario and the 暴徒" and "Sworn to Vengeance."
Conrad had a supporting 役割 as Officer Hummell in the 1996 Arnold Schwarzenegger feature "Jingle All the Way."
He was also an 時折の director and writer, 舵輪／支配ing three episodes of "黒人／ボイコット Sheep 騎兵大隊," の中で other series 成果／努力s; 収入 story credits on an episode of "Hawaiian 注目する，もくろむ" and the 1984 telepic "Hard Knox"; and co-directing and co-scripting 1967 Western feature "The 強盗団の一味."
In 2003 Conrad was 罪人／有罪を宣告するd of DUI after a car 事故 that left him 部分的に／不公平に 麻ひさせるd and 本気で 負傷させるd the other driver. He was 宣告，判決d to six months of 自宅監禁 in a 嘆願 協定.
Conrad ran unsuccessfully for the 大統領／総裁などの地位 of the 審査する Actors Guild in 2005.
He began hosting a show on CRN 数字表示式の Talk 無線で通信する in 2007.
Conrad was married and 離婚d twice, the second time to LaVelda Fann, who appeared in a number of Conrad 生産／産物s. He is 生き残るd by eight children, 含むing 生産者 daughter Joan, sons Christian and Shane and daughter Nancy, all actors, and at least 19 grandchildren.
