Hans Conried

Hans Conried was once described by the well-known Hollywood gossip columnist Hedda Hopper as “a high-strung, droll fellow, plagued by a multitude of talents.” Conried was indeed a talented and versatile actor, but his versatility often worked against him. A complex individual who yearned to perform Shakespeare on the stage, he achieved success playing low comedy in films and on television.
Conried performed in nearly 10,000 radio shows and hundreds of television programs and stage plays, as well as more than 80 films. Over the years, Conried also lent his distinctive voice to numerous animated shorts, phonograph records, commercials, and other projects. Some of his most memorable roles are Dr. Terwilliker in The 5000 Fingers of Dr. T; the voice of Captain Hook from Disney’s Peter Pan; eccentric Uncle Tonoose on The Danny Thomas Show; the fussy elocutionist Percy Livermore on I Love Lucy; and the voice of comical villain Snidely Whiplash from Jay Ward’s Dudley Do-Right series.
This book chronicles Conried’s life and career from his birth in 1917 through his death in 1982. Enlivened by many photographs as well as personal reminiscences from family, friends, and colleagues, the book also contains comprehensive information on Conried’s radio, television, film, stage and voice work.

Writer and researcher Suzanne Gargiulo lives in Casper, Wyoming.

Suzanne Gargiulo
Foreword by Leonard Maltin
Format: softcover (7 x 10)
Pages: 238
Bibliographic Info: 76 photos, appendices, notes, bibliography, index
Copyright Date: 2002
pISBN: 978-0-7864-1338-6
Imprint: McFarland

Acknowledgments     v

Foreword     1

Introduction     3

RADIO AND MOTION PICTURES

1 The Early Years     9

2 A New Life as a Radio Actor Begins     17

3 Motion Pictures, Marriage, and More Radio     24

4 The Army Years     44

THE DEATH OF RADIO

5 Sergeant Conried Returns     55

6 Peter Pan, The Twonky, and Dr. T     78

7 Can-Can and the Brink of Oblivion     92

JACK PAAR AND THE CALL OF THE ROAD

8 A “TV Personality” Is Born     105

9 The Road Show Begins     124

10 The Business of TV Guest Spots and Jay Ward     138

THE FINAL YEARS

11 “One with the Gypsies, the Charlatans, the Rogues, the Vagabonds”     153

12 Winding Down: The End     165

APPENDICES

A. Radio Log     183

B. Filmography     197

C. Television Log     206

D. Stage Work     211

E. Voice Work     215

Bibliography     221

Index     225

“a welcome change of pace from all the repetitious subjects out there…a wonderfully in-depth biography”—Classic Images; “comprehensive…Leonard Maltin has supplied a fine introduction”—SPERDVAC Radiogram; “well-written…amazingly complete”—Old-Time Radio; “absorbing book…an exceptional job in researching…profusely illustrated…highly recommended”—The Illustrated Press; “comprehensive…all will thoroughly enjoy reading the book”—Book Flash.