Robert Conrad (born Conrad Robert Norton Falk; March 1, 1935 – February 8, 2020) was an American film and television actor, singer, and stuntman. He is best known for his role in the 1965–1969 television series The Wild Wild West, playing the sophisticated Secret Service agent James T. West. He portrayed World War II ace Pappy Boyington in the television series Baa Baa Black Sheep (later syndicated as Black Sheep Squadron). In addition to acting, he was a singer and recorded several pop/rock songs in the late 1950s and early 1960s as Bob Conrad. He hosted a weekly two-hour national radio show (The PM Show with Robert Conrad) on CRN Digital Talk Radio beginning in 2008.
Conrad was born Conrad Robert Norton Falk in Chicago. His father, Leonard Henry Falk, was 17 years old at the time of Conrad's birth and was of German descent. His mother, Alice Jacqueline Hartman (daughter of Conrad and Hazel Hartman), was 15 years old when she gave birth, and named her son after her father. She became the first publicity director of Mercury Records, where she was known as Jackie Smith. She married twice, including once to Chicago radio personality Eddie Hubbard in 1948. Eddie Hubbard and Jackie Smith reportedly had a child together (born c. 1949) before splitting up in 1958.
Conrad attended Chicago schools including South Shore High School, Hyde Park High School, the YMCA Central School, and New Trier High School. He dropped out of school at age 15 to work full-time, including loading trucks for Consolidated Freightways and Eastern Freightways, and driving a milk truck for Chicago's Bowman Dairy.
After working in Chicago for several years and studying theater arts at Northwestern University, Conrad pursued an acting career. One of his first paying roles was a week-long job posing outside a Chicago theater where the film Giant (1956) was screened; Conrad bore a resemblance to the film's lead, actor James Dean, so his mother used her entertainment industry contacts to help him get the part intended as a publicity stunt to boost attendance at the theater. Conrad also studied singing; his vocal coach was Dick Marx, the father of singer Richard Marx.
Conrad was soon signed to an acting contract by Warner Bros. He also sang, and released several recordings with Warner Bros. Records on a variety of LPs, EPs, and SPs 33-1/3 and 45 rpm records during the late 1950s and early 1960s. In 1961, he had a minor Billboard hit song in "Bye Bye Baby" which reached No. 113.
At Warner, he appeared in the second season of the James Garner series Maverick (episode: "Yellow River", 1959). He was featured in other shows, either for Warner or Ziv Television, including Highway Patrol, Lawman, Colt .45 (playing Billy the Kid),] Sea Hunt, The Man and the Challenge, and Lock Up.
Warner Brothers had a big success with its detective show 77 Sunset Strip, then made Hawaiian Eye, a follow-up series. Conrad starred as detective Tom Lopaka. He was introduced on Strip, then spun off into a series that ran from 1959 to 1963, both in the U.S. and overseas. During the series' run, Conrad appeared on an episode of the Warner Brothers series The Gallant Men. After Hawaiian Eye was over, Conrad starred in Palm Springs Weekend (1963), Warners' attempt to repeat the success of Where the Boys Are (1960) with its young contract players.
Conrad appeared in episodes of Mannix and Mission: Impossible. In 1969, he signed a three-picture deal with Bob Hope's Doan Productions. The first two films were slated to be Keene then No Beer in Heaven, but only the first movie was ever produced.
Conrad appeared in the music video for Richard Marx's "Hazard", which was a No. 1 hit in 13 countries including the United States. He had a supporting role in Jingle All the Way (1996) with Arnold Schwarzenegger. Conrad's later credits include an episode of Nash Bridges and the film Dead Above Ground (2002).
Conrad appeared in the movie Samurai Cowboy in 1994. The following year, he essentially rebooted High Mountain Rangers, reteaming with his sons Shane and Christian, and his second wife LaVelda Fann, in the TV movie pilot High Sierra Search and Rescue, which led to a short-lived TV series that was cancelled after only eight episodes.
Conrad and his first wife Joan were married for 25 years and had five children. They divorced amicably in 1977. That same year he met his second wife LaVelda Ione Fann. He was 43 when he emceed the Miss National Teenager Pageant, which she won. Their marriage produced three children before their divorce in 2010. His two families were said to "get along famously". Conrad was joined on some television shows by his sons, Shane and Christian, and his daughter, Nancy. Another daughter, Joan, became a television producer.
In a 2008 interview, Conrad described Chicago Outfit associate and burglar Michael Spilotro as his "best friend". Spilotro's murder was featured in the movie Casino. In 1984, Conrad was awarded a star on the Walk of Western Stars in Newhall, California (now a part of Santa Clarita).
Conrad was involved with a volunteer organization in Bear Valley, California, known as Bear Valley Search and Rescue, which later formed the basis for High Mountain Rangers.
On March 31, 2003, while on Highway 4 in California's Sierra Nevada foothills near his Alpine County home, Conrad drove his Jaguar over the center median and slammed head-on into a Subaru driven by 26-year-old Kevin Burnett. Both men suffered serious injuries. As a result, Conrad faced felony charges to which he pleaded no contest. His plea was accepted, and he was convicted of drunk driving.
He was sentenced to six months of house confinement, alcohol counseling, and five years' probation. 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; his family attributed them to his difficult recovery from the crash. Conrad suffered severe nerve injuries from the crash, leaving his right side partially paralyzed.
Conrad died of heart failure in Malibu, California, on February 8, 2020, at age 84.
If you want to read more, go here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Conrad#Early_life
- SERVES
- 6
- COOK TIME
- 25 Min
This super Baked Reuben Dip recipe has all the great taste of a deli favorite: the Reuben sandwich! This dip cooks up nice 'n' toasty in the oven, to get all those flavors melding together just right!
- 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1 (8-ounce) can sauerkraut, drained and chopped
- 1/2 pound deli sliced corned beef, finely chopped
- 1 cup (4-ounces) shredded Swiss cheese
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped onion
- 1 tablespoon ketchup
- 1 tablespoon spicy brown mustard
- Preheat oven to 375º. Coat a 2-quart casserole dish with cooking spray.
- In large bowl, combine all ingredients; mix well, and spoon into casserole dish.
- Bake 25 to 30 minutes, or until bubbly and golden. Serve warm.
1929 – Vera Miles, American actress
1933 – Pete Wilson, American politician and former California Governor
1934 – Barbara Eden, American actress and singer
1949 – Rick Springfield, Australian singer and actor
1976 – Scott Caan, American actor
On August 23rd, celebrate a sandwich that originated in Cuba, but grew up in Florida. National Cuban Sandwich Day is a tribute to flavor found in a toasted pressed sandwich.
While the Cubano traditionally consists of ham, roast pork, swiss cheese, pickles and mustard on Cuban bread, restaurants and home cooks serve up different versions. While the sandwich alone may serve as a satisfying meal, some very flavorful sides complement this globe-trotting sandwich.
The sandwich brings together flavor and history, too. By combining traditions from Cuban, German, and Italian immigrants, the sandwich offers a world tour of simple ingredients. If you’ve never had one, this is the day to try it.
HOW TO OBSERVE NATIONAL CUBAN SANDWICH DAY
Many restaurants offer specials on their Cuban Sandwich to celebrate the day. You’ll want to give the place that makes your favorite Cubano a shout-out, too! You can also make your own. Try a traditional recipe or change it up with your own distinctive style. You can also share the day with others while exploring new side dishes and recipes.
NATIONAL CUBAN SANDWICH DAY HISTORY
Journalist Christopher Spata of the Tampa Bay Times set out to test the National Day food celebration waters in 2016. In his mission to make up a new food holiday, he managed to create a celebration that has gone around the world. According to his article, he chose August 23rd because the only other food holiday was National Sponge Cake Day, “and who cares about that?” (He’s obviously never had sponge cake or tried making one.” And while some articles call it a hoax, those who celebrate food days take them seriously.
