It’s the birthday of
… Arthur Penn, 85. The director was nominated for three best direction Oscars, but never won. The three were The Miracle Worker, Bonnie and Clyde, and Alice’s Restaurant.
… Wilford Brimley. He’s 73 today. Wilford, you’ve got to cut out the old man commercials. I thought you were at least 10 years older. (Brimley was 53-54 when he played the old guy in Cocoon.)
… Baseball Hall-of-Famer Mike Schmidt. He’s 58. NewMexiKen had to admire Schmidt when, during an interview, he said he “would have” used steroids if they were around when he played — whatever it took. Wrong, but refreshing candor. NewMexiKen was actually at a Phillies game circa 1982 or 1983 where Schmidt struck out four times on 12 pitches. Then, after we left, he hit the game winning home run in the ninth.
… Gwyneth Paltrow. She’s 35.
… Avril Lavigne, 23.
William Conrad, one of the great voices of radio, was born on this date in 1920.
Conrad estimated that he appeared in over 7,500 roles on radio. He was regularly heard inviting listeners to “get away from it all” on CBS’ Escape. Conrad’s other radio credits include appearances on The Damon Runyon Theater, The Lux Radio Theater, Nightbeat, Fibber McGee and Molly and Suspense. For “The Wax Works,” a 1956 episode of Suspense, Conrad demonstrated his versatility by performing all the roles.
Conrad’s longest-running role was that of U.S. marshal Matt Dillon on the groundbreaking radio western Gunsmoke, which aired on CBS radio from 1952 to 1961.
When the golden age of radio was over, Conrad could be heard delivering the urgent narration for Jay Ward’s classic Bullwinkle Show. He later starred on the television series Cannon and Jake and the Fatman.
Samuel Adams Beers are named for Sam Adams the brewer of beer and revolution, who was born on this date in 1722.
[Adams] was a failed businessman and a not-very-effective tax collector when the British passed the Sugar Act of 1764, and Adams finally found his purpose in life. He was one of the first members of the colonies to speak out against taxation without representation and one of the first people to argue for the colonies’ independence from Great Britain. He had a genius for agitating people. He organized riots and wrote propaganda, describing the British as murderers and slave drivers. He went on to become one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence and participated in the Continental Congress. It was Samuel Adams, who said, “It does not require a majority to prevail, but rather an irate, tireless minority keen to set brush fires in people’s minds.”
I love William Conrad’s radio acting, whether it be on Gunsmoke, Suspense, or Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar.
Having chosen to be born when the 20th century was more than half over, I missed radio drama (and comedy) the first time around. In 1973, I discovered the delights of radio drama when CBS Radio Mystery Theater came along.
And now, thanks to http://www.archive.org/details/radioprograms there is an incomprehensibly large collection of old time radio shows to download, as well as other fine radio programs of recent vintage.
William Conrad’s distinctive voice is a part of a show I like, more often than not. I think of Matt Dillon as sounding the most like Conrad’s real voice. but when he appeared as other characters in other shows, I often don’t recognize him, until the credits play. Then I have to go back and figure out which character he was. The same holds true for Parley Baer when he was playing a character other than Chester.
He was pretty good as the narrator on Bullwinkle too.