William Conrad interview on Spotlight On A Star aired December 15, 1969. William Conrad (September 27, 1920 – February 11, 1994), born William Cann, was an American actor and narrator in radio, film and television noted for his baritone voice, as well as for his sizable girth. He was born in Louisville, Kentucky. Starting work in radio in the late 1930s in California, Conrad went on to serve as a fighter pilot in World War II. He returned to the airwaves after the war, going on to accumulate over 7,000 roles in radio by his own estimate. Conrad's deep, resonant voice led to a number of noteworthy roles in radio drama, most prominently his originating the role of Marshal Matt Dillon on the Western program Gunsmoke from 1952-61. He was considered for the role when the series was brought to television in 1955, but his increasing obesity led to the casting of James Arness. Other series to which Conrad contributed his talents included Escape, Suspense and The Damon Runyon Theater. One particularly memorable radio piece was the 1957 CBS Radio Workshop broadcast "Epitaphs," an adaptation of the Edgar Lee Masters poetry volume Spoon River Anthology; Conrad both directed and narrated the production. On February 11, 1994, Conrad died from congestive heart failure at age 73 in Los Angeles, California and is interred at Forest Lawn, Hollywood Hills Cemetery in the Lincoln Terrace, Plot Number 4448. He was elected to the Radio Hall of Fame in 1997.
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