A Remarkable Life
RIP Robert Conrad, 84, an actor whose life was extraordinary on and off the screen. I just had the privilege of reading his bio at IMDb. His mom was 15 when she gave birth to him. Born Conrad Robert Norton Falk in Chicago of Polish/German/English ancestry, he eloped at 17, was a dad as a teenager. Somehow he found the time and energy to graduate from Northwestern with a degree in Theater Arts. He worked on docks and as a milkman. He sang in clubs. He played guitar and drums. He was 4–0–1 as a pro boxer. Friendship with Nick Adams led him to Hollywood, where he flourished on the small screen. There are 80 titles listed under his name, but that doesn’t even begin to tell the story. He was the star of 104 episodes each of Hawaiian Eye and The Wild Wild West, and 36 of Black Sheep Squadron, for which he was nominated for an Emmy. He also starred in several other series that lasted less than a season. During the Battle of the Network Stars in 1976, he had a showdown with Gabe Kaplan, star of Welcome Back, Kotter. Conrad was the NBC Team Captain, Kaplan ABC Team Captain. A dispute arose over the winner. Conrad insisted on a race between the captains to determine the winner of the event. Kaplan won easily, which proves even the successful can’t win them all. He was prolific in the bedroom as well, fathering eight kids during two long term marriages. He served as a Deputy Sheriff in California for eight years. He is a member of the Stuntman Hall of Fame, honored for his work on The Wild Wild West. In 1976 he won a People’s Choice Award for Favorite Male Performer in a New TV Program (Black Sheep Squadron), tying with Dick Van Dyke. Here’s a quote attributed to him: “Sometimes I’m so preoccupied you have to drop a bomb to communicate with me and most of the time I only average four hours sleep. I don’t mind. I wanted to work this hard.” Awesome, sir. Thank you. Here he is in the role for which he will be most remembered:
The Burj Khalifa in Dubai is the tallest building in the world. Last night a photographer was Johnny-on-the-spot:
Headline from foxnews.com: “Trump budget would cut $4.4T in spending…” That would be an unbelievable accomplishment. It’s probably a pipe dream, but if any president could ever get that done, it’s him. And here’s the most amusing headline of the day, also from FN: “Pizza-craving Kentucky fugitive arrested when he picks up order the same time as sheriff.”
I’m lovin’ this mild winter. My thanks to the gentleman who bought Cooking With Master Chefs by Julia Child, and to the other, who selected a thriller, First Daughter by Eric Van Lustbader, which had been waiting for at least two years to be taken, surprising considering the author’s solid sales track record; and to the woman who did her customary weekend swap of Russian books; and to Mr. Conspiracy, aka Steve, who donated five marketable works of non-fiction, at least four of which he’d purchased from me.
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