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Today, comfortable with his wife LaVelda and their children, Conrad is settled in his custom built home in Bear Valley, California and able to rest on the rewards of his accomplishments and dictate his own future.
FILMOGRAPHY - Acting Credits Directorial
Credits |
Robert
Conrad was born Conrad Robert Falk on the south side of Chicago
Illinois, on March 1, 1934. At the invitation of Nick Adams, veteran
actor and star of the TV series THE REBEL, Conrad surrendered his
milkman job and arrived in the Los Angeles area in 1957. Within
a short period of time Conrad landed his first appearance on TV
and a one line bit part on Lloyd Bridges' SEAHUNT. He became a contract
player at Warner Brothers for the legendary Jack Warner where, in
1959, he got his first starring role as Tom Lapaca in the successful
TV series HAWAIIAN EYE.
When
HAWAIIAN EYE was canceled five years later, it was not long before
Conrad had the opportunity to test for and get the nod over 400
other hopefuls who tested for the part to star in the TV series
THE WILD WILD WEST. The show was shot at CBS Studio Center in Studio
City and ran from 1965 to 1969.
THE
WILD WILD WEST was a western that was not a western. The show was
based on the James Bond 007 theme. Despite its nonwestern theme,
Conrad's portrayal of James West (President Ulysses S. Grant's undercover
agent) was enshrined in the Western Hall of Fame.
Conrad,
a very agile athlete, saved the overly expensive show after near
cancellation following the first season. Conrad suggested he do
his own stunts. This would save a big portion of the budget. The
network agreed and Conrad did his part; that is, until a near fatal
fall (The Night of the Fugitives) from a twelve foot high chandelier
to a concrete floor nearly killed him. After a three month break,
the show went into a fourth season with Jimmy George, the show's
Wardrobe Man doubling Conrad. Well, at least that is what the Producers,
Len Katzman and Bruce Lansbury believed. All too often, when Conrad's
character James West fell behind a desk or huge boulder, 
Jimmy
George was hiding and ready to continue with the dangerous part
of the stunt. Conrad would smile at Jimmy and the gesture was accepted
as Conrad's intention to complete the more difficult part of the
stunt. This sort of antics served to drive the Directors and Producers
crazy.
THE
WILD WILD WEST had a successful four year run and was eventually
canceled, not because of ratings which placed the show in a very
comfortable spot, but because of politics which claimed the show
was too violent. Apparently, the violence did not apply to the reruns
which, instead of being shown just once a week, is now being shown
as often as two and three times a day as it has over the past twenty-five
years. The series is still riding high in the ratings game.
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