Conrad Janis (February 11, 1928 – March 1, 2022) was an American jazz trombonist and actor who starred in film and television during the Golden Age Era in the 1950s and 1960s, and continued acting right up until 2012. He played the role of Mindy McConnell's father Frederick in 53 episodes of Mork & Mindy, and appeared in many guest-starring roles on several notable television shows throughout the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s, such as the sitcoms Maude, The Golden Girls, and Frasier.
Conrad Janis | |
|---|---|
 In the trailer for The Brasher Doubloon (1947) | |
| Born | February 11, 1928 New York City, U.S. |
| Died | March 1, 2022 (aged 94) Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 1945–2012 |
| Spouses | Vicki Quarles
(m. 1948; div. 1957)Ronda Copland
(m. 1979; div. 1983)Maria Grimm
(m. 1987; died 2021) |
| Children | Two |
Early life
editJanis was born in Manhattan on February 11, 1928.[1] His father, Sidney, was an art dealer and writer; his mother, Harriet (Grossman), was also a writer.[2] He had one brother, Carroll.[3][4] Janis successfully auditioned as an actor for a road company at the age of 13 and consequently spent the next two years with them. He also began doing radio voice work during this time.[1]
Career
editFilm and television
editJanis secured a role in the play Dark of the Moon during its pre-Broadway run, in which he was spotted by a Hollywood talent scout. He stayed with the production when it ran in New York City, consequently making his Broadway debut in March 1945. He then made his film debut later that year as Ronald Stevens in the film Snafu.[1] Next Janis played Johnikins in Margie (1946) with Jeanne Crain. He starred in the film noir The Brasher Doubloon with George Montgomery the following year.[5]
Janis's work on television included starring in "Fit to Kill" on The Web on November 19, 1950.[6] He played the eldest son Edward on the sitcom Bonino in 1953. He subsequently appeared in an episode of Get Smart as a KAOS agent, guest-starred as a dance marathon emcee on The Golden Girls, and appeared in the sci-fi sitcoms Quark and Mork and Mindy. He was also featured in The Buddy Holly Story and the Goldie Hawn / George Segal comedy The Duchess and the Dirtwater Fox.[4] Janis made a brief appearance as himself in the jazz bar scene of Nothing in Common.[5]
Music
editJanis was a longtime advocate of traditional jazz. He assembled a band of jazz musicians in 1949 ("all of the guys that I idolized"), consisting of James P. Johnson (piano), Henry Goodwin (trumpet), Edmond Hall (clarinet), Pops Foster (bass), and Baby Dodds (drums), with himself on trombone.[4] During the late 1970s, he formed the Beverly Hills Unlisted Jazz Band, which appeared multiple times on the Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson and gave eight sold-out performances at Carnegie Hall.[4][7]
Personal life
editJanis's first marriage was to Vicki Quarles. Together, they had two children: Christopher and Carin. They later divorced. His second marriage to Ronda Copland also ended in divorce. Janis married his third wife, Maria Grimm, in 1987. They remained married until her death in September 2021.[1]
Janis died aged 94 on March 1, 2022, in Los Angeles. His death was announced by his business manager Dean A. Avedon, who was also the executor of his estate.[1]
Partial filmography
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1945 | Snafu[5][8] | Ronald Stevens | Alternative title: Welcome Home |
| 1946 | Margie[5][8] | Johnny 'Johnikins' Green | |
| 1947 | The Brasher Doubloon[5][8] | Leslie Murdock | Alternative title: The High Window |
| That Hagen Girl[5][8] | Dewey Koons | ||
| 1948 | Beyond Glory[8][9] | Raymond Denmore, Jr. | |
| 1958 | Let's Rock[5][8] | Charlie | Alternative title: Keep It Cool |
| 1965 | Get Smart[5][10] | Victor | (Season 1, Episode 12) |
| 1966 | My Favorite Martian[5][10] | Chad Foster | TV or Not TV (Season 3, Episode 19) |
| 1972 | Banacek[11] | Video Technician | Let's Hear it for a Living Legend (Season 1 Episode 1) |
| 1974 | Airport 1975[8][9] | Arnie | |
| Cannon[5] | Larry Warshaw | Daddy's Little Girl | |
| 1975 | The Happy Hooker[8][9] | Fred | |
| 1976 | Happy Days[5][10] | Mr. Kendall | (Season 4, Episode 7) |
| The Duchess and the Dirtwater Fox[5][8] | Gladstone | ||
| Maude[5][10] | Lyle Bellamy (Game Show Host) | (Season 5, Episode 8) | |
| 1977 | Roseland[5][8] | George | |
| 1977–1978 | Quark[5][9] | Otto Bob Palindrome | 8 episodes |
| 1978–1982 | Mork & Mindy[5][10] | Frederick Fred McConnell | 53 episodes |
| 1978 | The Buddy Holly Story | Ross Turner | |
| 1980 | Oh, God! Book II[5][8] | Charles Benson | |
| 1985 | V: The Series | Dr. David Atkins | Episode: "War of Illusions" |
| Brewster's Millions[5][8] | Businessman in Car | ||
| 1986 | Nothing in Common[10] | Conrad Janis and the Unlisted Jazz Band | |
| 1987 | The Golden Girls[5][10] | Dance Marathon Emcee | (Season 3, Episode 2) |
| 1988 | Murder She Wrote | A Little Night Work | (Season 5, Episode 2) |
| 1989 | Caddie Woodlawn[12] | Rev. Tanner | |
| Sonny Boy[5][8] | Doc Bender | ||
| 1992 | Mr. Saturday Night[8][9] | Director | |
| 1995 | The Feminine Touch[9] | Frank Donaldsonn | Also director; alternative title: The November Conspiracy |
| 1996 | The Cable Guy[5][9] | Father 'Double Trouble' | |
| 1997-2002 | Frasier[5][10] | Albert | 3 episodes |
| 2009 | Maneater[5][10] | Doc Gramm | |
| 2012 | Bad Blood[5] | Lawrence | Also director |
References
edit- ^ a b c d e Genzlinger, Neil (March 8, 2022). "Conrad Janis, Father on 'Mork & Mindy' and Much More, Dies at 94". The New York Times. Retrieved March 9, 2022.
- ^ "Sidney Janis; Innovative and Influential Art Dealer". Los Angeles Times. November 24, 1989. p. 28. Retrieved December 25, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Glueck, Grace (November 24, 1989). "Sidney Janis, Trend-Setting Art Dealer, Dies at 93". The New York Times. Retrieved November 14, 2017.
- ^ a b c d Uhl, Jin (September 2002). "For Conrad Janis, Acting and Jazz Share the Spotlight". The Mississippi Rag. pp. 1-9. Bloomington, Minn.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x "Conrad Janis". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved March 9, 2022.
- ^ "Television . . . . . . Highlights of the Week". Detroit Free Press. November 19, 1950. p. B6. Retrieved April 13, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Barnes, Mike (March 8, 2022). "Conrad Janis, Trombonist and 'Mork & Mindy' Actor, Dies at 94". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved August 31, 2024.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n "Conrad Janis". American Film Institute. Retrieved March 9, 2022.
- ^ a b c d e f g "Conrad Janis". British Film Institute. Archived from the original on May 27, 2020. Retrieved March 9, 2022.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i "Conrad Janis List of Movies and TV Shows". TV Guide. Retrieved March 9, 2022.
- ^ Finnigan, Joseph (September 1972). "TV Teletype: Hollywood". TV Guide. p. 88. Retrieved August 31, 2024.
- ^ Maltin, Leonard (1999). Leonard Maltin's Family Film Guide. Penguin Group. p. 91. ISBN 978-0-451-19714-6.
External links
edit- Official website
- Conrad Janis at IMDb
- Conrad Janis at the Internet Broadway Database
- Conrad Janis at the Internet Off-Broadway Database
- Conrad Janis discography at Discogs
- Interview with Conrad Janis – The Spectrum, November 2015.
- Conrad Janis Interview at NAMM Oral History Collection (2018)
