Robert Conrad (born Conrad Robert 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.[1]

Early life
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.[2] 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.[3] Eddie Hubbard and Jackie Smith reportedly had a child together (born c. 1949)[4] before splitting up in 1958.[5][6][7]

Conrad attended Chicago schools including South Shore High School, Hyde Park High School, the YMCA Central School, and New Trier High School.[8] 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.[8]

After working in Chicago for several years and studying theater arts at Northwestern University, Conrad pursued an acting career.[8] One of his first paying roles was a week-long job posing outside a Chicago theater where the film Giant (1956) was screened;[9] 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.[10] Conrad also studied singing; his vocal coach was Dick Marx, the father of singer Richard Marx.[11]

Career
Early performances
In 1957, Conrad met actor Nick Adams while visiting James Dean's gravesite in Fairmount, Indiana.[12] They became friends and Adams suggested that Conrad move to California to pursue acting.[12][13]

Adams got a bit part for Conrad in the film Juvenile Jungle (1958).[12] Adams was supposed to appear in it, but withdrew so he could take a part in a different movie.[12] Conrad's brief non-speaking role in Juvenile Jungle enabled him to join the Screen Actors Guild.[12] He had a small role in the film Thundering Jets, also in 1958.

Warner Bros.
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.[14] In 1961, he had a minor Billboard hit song in "Bye Bye Baby" which reached No. 113.[15]

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),[citation needed] Sea Hunt, The Man and the Challenge, and Lock Up.[citation needed]

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