Well, I had to call the gentleman to speak with him about the AG, and so out of the goodness of both his and Jenny's hearts, they let me "finish" the interview. [Thanks!!] I did get to ask him the "tough" question about William Witney....lucky me.
All in all, M. Robert Conrad is a very nice and extremely funny guy! [note: as Jenny mentioned, he has a very laid back way of speaking, and this sometimes appears odd when written out.]
Interview with Robert Conrad on 8/30/95 (7:30 pm)
KS: In "Centennial" you played M. Pasquinel, and your accent was wonderful for French-Canadian. How did you study for that role? (prepare for it?)
RC: Robert Easton- probably the best ever was the coach. He was- 'cause the accent was so unique, people who aren't sophisticated couldn't understand it- which I though was kind of amusing. They don't know what they're talking about, is what I'm saying. Of course that was the best reviews I've ever had, I think...yeah, probably the best reviews I've ever had. Anyway, I knew I was correct, and that's all that counted.... The French don't even understand the French- Canadian.
<cuts in> The original hat I wore in Wild West was purchased...and you know who bought it? The singer, Richard Marks. I knew the person who owned this hat was going to give it up, so Richard made a purchase of it- he owns it now. It's kind of funny, I've know Richard for many many years, I was a friend of his dad's. He now owns the hat. I think it's wonderful that he got it.
KS: And it's right in time for the anniversary, isn't it?
RC: Something like that.
KS: And the film.
RC: Yeah- the movie's definitely gonna get made. I'm gonna call Jon (Peters) tomorrow In case there's any information I can impart before the 16th (of Sept..) If I did get any information, I was going to give it to Jenny. It's my fault- I've been remiss-- I haven't returned Peters' call. As you know, he's the one producing the movie. Don't ask me why, sort of lackadaisical...
KS: That's okay...if they haven't offered you a role or anything, it can't be a priority.
RC: Oh, I'm not concerned about that- I already had the role. I've done it- I'm not lookin' for them to offer me the role. Not my style.
KS: Do you have any concerns about them doing something silly with it?
RC: No- I don't have any concerns...I mean , it'll be their version of whatever the concept is...the shows are already done, they're in the can, they've been around for thirty years...
KS: And hold up rather well.
RC: And I rest, so whatever they do, I hope they do whatever they do for the fans of the show.
KS: I'm afraid the fans are gonna go up in arms if they do a farce...
RC: Well, who knows? Let's wait and see- it might be very well done with a wonderful actor. It might be very entertaining 'cause the concept will certainly hold up with the right people in those roles...it could be very interesting. And I'm not judgmental about it, because it isn't my show- it isn't me. I've done it.
KS: And very well, I might add.
RC: Well, it's like copying a record, you know what I mean? I've done it...and it speaks for itself. I don't...I don't feel I have anything to protect. Does that make any sense?
KS: Of course.
RC: I don't think there's anything there that I need to be concerned with an infringement of what has already been done.
KS: I hope not.
RC: It's only a copy of something. I know with Jon Peters it'll be big, and it'll be expensive.
KS: <chuckle> As we've recently seen, that doesn't necessarily make it good.
RC: Yeah, well I know...let's say that Jon's done a lot of quality things....done a lot of commercial things. I think....the fact that he got it from Kim LeMasters means he wants to do it, 'cause there's a lot of things he could have done *other* than this. So those things are indicators to me that he wants to do it.
KS: (re: LeMasters) Was that back when Richard Donner had something to do with this?
RC: No- I don't think Richard Donner ever had it. Kim LeMasters had it- he couldn't get it movin' the way he wanted it, it was on the slate, and Jon Peters went to Bob Haley (sp) and said 'hey- I'll take it.'
KS: Okay.
RC: You know, you ought to send a copy of this interview to Jon Peters. [done- ed.] It'll tell him a lot about you people...you know where he is, right?
KS: Warner.
RC: Yeah- he's at Warner Bros...just put it to the attention of "Kim". You know, you guys-- with your invitation, and the fact that you're hard- core supporters of the show carry a lot of weight. A lot more with him than you would with me, even....'cause he's about to do it, and I've already done it. Know what I mean?
KS: But of course most of the people on WILDWEST are also fans of *you*, specifically.
RC: And they have my respect 'cause they've been there for me for a long time...I mean-- I'm not running for office -- I'm stepping down, so to speak. <chuckle>
KS: Yes, as much as we hate it.
RC: Well, it's the new guys who always need the cheer leading. <laughs>
KS: I'll certainly do that then.
RC: I think you should-- that'll make him sensitive to the fact that you're out there, and *any* producer wants to know about that. And I want him to know -- I'll tell him when I talk to him -- I want him relax and know that I won't be out there goin': "oooh boy- that guy didn't do ONE single stunt!"
KS: <laughing> You're not?
RC: <continuing> "Hey- that's no Ross Martin..." <laughing>
KS: That's probably what we'll all be saying.
RC: You know, that's up to you guys.
KS: But that's part of the appeal of the show. Those stunts were pretty darned impressive.
RC: They were pretty impressive- I know...every time I get out of a chair I'm reminded of how impressive they were. <chuckling>
<lots of laughter...>
KS: Do you want to go back to talking about Centennial?
RC: Yeah, sure. It was drama, it was Michner(sp), it was one of the first long-forms {mini-series} and it was tremendously successful. Great cast- and I was lucky to have been in it. It was "the" role, probably, of the '70s, and...yeah, it might be one of THE long form roles, because I don't see any of the long-forms with the repetition that this has had. Turner [actually, FAM- ed.] plays it every so often, and I can't think-- yeah, Rich Man Poor Man isn't on as often...Roots isn't even, you know what I'm saying? Centennial keeps coming back. I think I probably owe a bow to Ted Turner for keeping decades of my career alive. <chuckle>
KS: We just have to get him to show Black Sheep Squadron, now.
RC: Well, he might.
KS: WILDWEST members keep sending requests for Black Sheep to TNT- they're on-line of course- and we hear back from them every so often....but I think it only has 32-
RC: 39
KS: -39 episodes to air...
RC: It won't make any difference. That's 39 weeks to Turner. <pause> You'll see John Larroquette briefly in that.
KS: What makes M. Pasquinel you favourite role, more so than Greg Boyington?
RC: Well, because it was a drama-- it was a character I got to create, Boyington I got to play-- he created the character. It had dramatic depth as opposed to the style of The Wild Wild West. Wild West was a "high- style" show...James West wasn't supposed to show a lot of dimension, that's okay -- that's tough, probably tougher sometimes to do that than to 'get into' a role. Pasquinel went from 35 to 60, he was charismatic-- he had so many different lives. He loved the Indians, yet fought with them...he had women, he was an interesting human being, I thought.
KS: What motivated this character?
RC: Michner(sp)'s writing motivated the character, you know- the play's the thing. I think Shakespeare was 42 when he wrote Hamlet, I think I read that somewhere... and Michner(sp) was considerably older-- and what motivates the play is the writing. It's really cliche, but it's true. It's tough to ruin a good script. And then there was Wilder- John Wilder adapted it. We can't give *all* the credit to Michner(sp).
KS: And where was Centennial filmed?
RC: Greely, Colorado...Estes Park Colorado...
KS: Looks like you spent a bit of time in the water.
RC: The Platte River.....
KS: Beautiful scenery...that must have been fantastic.
RC: <laughs> It was the turning point in my life, too.
KS: How so?
RC: Well, I think there was a lot of that character in my persona off camera, and I think -- in fact I *know* it was a turning point -- I started to mature right after I finished that role.
KS: So it struck a chord with you personally.
RC: No, no...it was just coincidence. It just seemed to be at that time that the character and the actor were synonymous in their lifestyles. And I think that was a turning point in my life. I don't think I could have ever reached back and did as flamboyant as Pasquinel was, because I was at that time off camera relatively flamboyant. <long laugh>
KS: Oh no, I wouldn't say that... <laugh>
RC: <still laughing> *I* would. I think I grew up as Pasquinel died. And then it became another phase of my life.
KS: So, back to Black Sheep Squadron. You actually knew Greg Boyington.
RC: Oh yeah...we were friends. A good man, good man- Boyington. He had a full run, though. I think he was 78 or 9 when he died. He had a full run *believe me* when I tell you. Still movin' and groovin' in his 70s.
KS: After reading his book, I would have though he would have settled down a bit.
RC: Ne-ver. He never settled down. Robert Conrad has...he hasn't. He never did, rather. He died with the same energy he had when he was alive.
KS: So did you prepare for that role by interviewing him, or did you just read the book and go for it?
RC: Oh, no no...Boyington and I had a lot in common. And he was there- when they're there, I mean by "there", physically there like G. Gordon Liddy, they're easy 'cause they're there. You look at them and you go and play 'em. You don't have to guess, you don't have to create, you just play 'em. And Boyington was so flamboyant, it was easy to play him. And we liked each other a lot and there was a lot of camaraderie- it was fun, easy.
KS: So you never have any hesitation to play someone who's right in front of your face?
RC: No, nah... not if he likes what you're doin'. You only have to please one person- an audience of one. If he's happy with what I'm doing, then I'm happy. And if the rest of the people who don't know him aren't, let them sort it out 'cause they don't know that the man I'm portraying is pleased.
KS: I remember reading that some ex-pilots that worked with him felt it {BSS} was too sensationalized.
RC: I don't think it was Black Sheep pilots.
KS: Flying Tiger pilots?
RC: I don't remember any flack from *any* of his pilots. I do remember some combat pilots who had some critical-- well, critique of not only Boyington, but of Black Sheep VMF 214 who were flamboyant- the headline grabbers- so there was some animosity toward them...then there's also the Marine Corps. I don't think he exemplifies the tradition of the corps. So there was some criticism from the corps. Boyington lived and did it- it's a matter of record.
KS: Putting it mildly.
RC: Well- he did it. And he's in the record book-- he's the guy who had five kills before the war broke out-- he's the guy who went to (the Japanese) Prison, that was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor, he's the guy who wrote a best-selling book and had a television series depicting his life...so to hell with them, let them sort it out whoever they are.
KS: Of course it's too bad one receives all that negative crap.
RC: You always get that. Listen, there were people who were skeptical of Jesus Christ, so you know what I'm saying? Some people don't believe God works...I can't sort that stuff out.
KS: There were a lot of people in Black Sheep Squadron who had been in The Wild Wild West...folks like Simon Oakland, Edward R. Plante, and Red West.
RC: There were? I didn't notice. <some sarcasm there>
KS: Simon Oakland was in an episode...and then of course there's Red West.
RC: Si-- Simon Oakland was in the episode I got hurt. Red West, he kind of ...what's the word.. "gravitated" from losing his employment with Presley to coming on to Black Sheep. It was good timing 'cause it was a good role for him.
KS: You guys looked like you had far too much fun in some of those fight scenes.
RC: Yeah- we had some really good times.
KS: So you didn't have any influence on this? It was just serendipity that these folks ended up on the same show with you?
RC: In some cases I recommended them, and it in some way influenced the casting people. I would say that Red West was in the show because I asked for him, and Si Oakland was in the show 'cause he was just in the show by coincidence.
KS: Just out of curiosity, do you know why they chose not to use General Moore's actual nickname [Gen. "Nuts" Moore - ed.] from the book?
RC: I don't know, but I suspect it was for legal reasons...that's usually the reason they make those changes.
KS: Have you ever flown a Corsair?
RC: No, I never have. Bit it's really not that big a deal...I've flown many airplanes for a long long period of time. An airplane is an airplane.
KS: That one's sort of a "romantic" plane....
RC: Well, it's very heavy- 12500 lbs- it's difficult to land because you can't see the runway under you, so it's not really a piece of cake. It's a great airplane, that's my understanding from pilots who've flown it, once it's off the ground. It's a big, big "slug" - 2000 HP.
KS: There was some point where CBS started making noises about Black Sheep being inappropriate for its time slot- it was supposed to be a "family" timeslot. What came of that?
RC: Yeah, CBS did that....
KS: Did it have any effect upon the show?
RC: No...no, it didn't have any effect upon the show. It didn't have any effect upon the poor guy who was opposite us- his partner's name was Dawn.
KS: Tony Orlando and Dawn was opposite Black Sheep Squadron??
RC: Yeah...and it didn't have any effect. It was just someone's opinion of what television viewing was supposed to be. You know how tame that show was compared to what's available today.
KS: it's sort of interesting in retrospect with this whole thing about television violence coming on again, putting controls on people's sets....
RC: Oh, the 'V' chip isn't going to happen.
KS: Didn't this have a familiar ring?
RC: Oh yeah, I've heard about it [violence on tv] for 30 years. <laughs>
KS: So why exactly was Black Sheep canceled?
RC: The network didn't understand it. They hadn't been in the military, they didn't identify with it.
KS: Don't ratings ultimately govern these things?
RC: No, if they did a show like Picket Fences wouldn't still be on the air. St. Elsewhere never had good ratings, as a matter of fact. The Wild Wild West was canceled with a 33 share...and I think it was canceled at the appropriate time, but in any event no- ratings don't always govern it. Let's take the lowest rated show I've seen in years- and that's an NBC show called Seaquest. it's gonna be on Wednesday night opposite a very powerful line-up where it will not do well. So- no. The answer is that they used to, but they don't any more. There's demographics...a bunch of variables. Having done my last TV series, I look back on it and it's like going to Vegas.
KS: A crap shoot....
RC: A serious crap shoot.
KS: So what was the final explanation for removing your most recent series?
RC: Well, they never "removed" it, they put it on in the summer...so we knew that when it went out in the summer, it was in tough. I was happy to have done the show, I liked it a lot for what it was, and I'm glad I got it made. It was a two-hour movie and seven episodes, and in today's climate that in itself is an accomplishment. I knew that they didn't have a lot of confidence in the show when it didn't make it in the spring schedule. I have no ill will toward that decision, I mean, I'm a pro- been around a long, long time. Before that, I had the highest rated movie on Tuesday night, called Sworn to Vengeance. So you never know....you want to talk about irony, the irony was High Mountain Rangers, which was canceled with a 20 share and debuted with a two-hour pilot to a 33 share.
KS: It was canceled with a *20* share?
RC: Yeah, 'cause Steve Tish wanted the time slot for Dirty Dancing, and Larry Tish- his uncle- gave it to him. A young man who had a very difficult time, but who's now a superstar, or becoming one- Matt Leblanc, on Friends played my son on one of the highest rated show of the year in '91 called Anything to Survive...I really wanted to use him on several occasions but he was turned down by the networks. Of course now he's at a network and in demand, but that's the nature of the beast. That's, quote "the business". Look at Tom Cruise... he was turned down by NBC for episodic television. He's probably lucky.
KS: Yeah, he's probably having a laugh at their expense.
RC: He probably wouldn't have made it to superstardom, and I hear he may be considered for The Wild Wild West.
KS: Oh, please *no*.
RC: Well...
KS: Tell us 'no', please.
RC: <laughing> Well, I pretty much have to agree with you on that one. I mean, I *really* have to agree with you on that one. I saw him ride a horse, and I was happy that they'd filmed the movie in Ireland because when he was riding there was so much air between his butt and the saddle I could see the whole scenery.
KS: That's where they got the name for the movie- Far and Away.
RC: <still laughing> A terrible, terrible rider....not good.
KS: Do you remember a director from The Wild Wild West called William Witney?
RC: <pause> Uh huh....what's he done?
KS: Well, Mr. Witney recently gave an interview to Comic Scene magazine in which he had some fairly ugly things to say about the show, and about you and Ross Martin in particular. I guess you haven't heard this, then.
RC: No...do you have a copy?
KS: I have the text, but in the interest of good taste perhaps I shouldn't read it.
RC: No- go ahead.
KS: Okay.... <reads the comments in question verbatim, and very carefully> What members of WILDWEST wanted to hear was your take on this.
RC: <another pause> Well, his account of what happened isn't quite right, Collier Young was fired...but 90% of the events he said were true- I remember being blown off my lifts! I can respect his opinion, but this was a bad situation. The show just wasn't his "thing", he's used to old traditional western serials....no-nonsense. Ross Martin was a serious actor- the more serious an actor is, the more they are concerned with how things look- this totally clashed with Bill's style. Bill didn't really belong doing The Wild Wild West. He was out of his element, which is why he didn't stay with it....but I can respect his opinion.
KS: Somehow I'm pretty sure I know the answer to this, but one member wanted to know if you could remember your favourite episode of The Wild Wild West.
RC: Are you kidding? <laughs> I remember a few scenes, stunts, but no way...
KS: One more question about Black Sheep Squadron- why were the nurses added?
RC: Why not? I enjoyed them. <laughs> And on The Wild Wild West as well.
KS: I can imagine, what with your well-cultivated reputation.
RC: <laughing> What was it that Will Rogers said? He never met a man he didn't like? Robert Conrad's version of that is 'I never met a woman I didn't like'. In any case, in the whole four years on the show and all those beautiful women, there was only one.
KS: One?? And you're not going to tell me who it was. That's gonna drive everyone crazy wanting to know who it was.
RC: Yeah. Only one. The relationship really had no foundation. Just an attraction, I guess, on both our parts. It never had any place to go. But it was....yeah, as Cole Porter said "it was just one of those things." <laughing hard now> Those poor women who did the show. They were always being accused of "oh, yeeeaah, welll" and "tell me what he's *really* like". Most of them would say, I *hope*- well, when I was on the show I tried to be polite and charming. That was about all they could say. Or, "he was a horse's ass", or whatever they thought. But none of them were seduced...... by me. I'm not talking for Ross Martin, now... <laughs> I didn't pay attention to what Ross was up to.
KS: Not at all? There wasn't the slightest bit of rivalry between the two of you?
RC: Nah...there was no rivalry between us. We had totally different tastes. You know, he liked the violinists, I liked the waitresses... totally different deal. <laughs>
KS: Well, since we're on the subject..sort of... I did a bit of research before calling, and I spotted something in an article about Ross Martin that mentioned a show that you were going to produce that he was going to be in if he hadn't passed away. I'll just read the quote: "Ross was to play a corporate chairman in a series to be produced by Robert Conrad in 1982". Is this totally gossip, or true?
RC: Well, in part true. The concept didn't quite have the corporate chairman...not exactly right. But I wanted to work with Ross again. When I started my own company I said that I would definitely work with him... to take advantage of what I considered to be great acting ability. <pause> Talking about good looks, the beautiful Mrs. Conrad just walked in....looking rather frazzled.
KS: Out in the heat?
RC: No- she was at work.
KS: So, what was the name of this series?
RC: We actually hadn't put a name to it yet...it was strictly in the formative stages. I'd said "Ross, I wanna work with ya and let's develop something."
KS: And so some newspaper person picked up on this?
RC: Well, Ross probably had a conversation with someone about something he had in mind for the future. I definitely wanted to work with Ross.
At this point the conversation came to an abrupt end when it was determined that Bob and LaVelda had crossed signals about who was going to pick up their daughters...