Conrad Janis

Conrad Janis (born February 11, 1928) is an American jazz trombonist and actor. Janis is best known for playing Mindy McConnell's father Frederick on Mork & Mindy.

Conrad Janis
Conrad Janis in trailer for The Brasher Doubloon (1947)
Born (1928-02-11) February 11, 1928
New York City, New York, U.S.
OccupationActor, musician
Years active1945–2012
Spouse(s)
Vicki Quarles
(m. 1948; div. 1957)

Ronda Copland
(m. 1979; div. 1983)

Maria Grimm
(m. 1987)
Children2

Early life

A native of New York City, Janis is the son of Harriet, a writer, and Sidney Janis, an art dealer and writer,[1] and he has one brother, Carroll Janis.[2][3]

Career

In 1946, he portrayed "Johnniekins" in Margie with Jeanne Crain. The following year, he starred in the film noir The Brasher Doubloon, with George Montgomery.

In 1953, he played eldest son Edward on the sitcom Bonino . He later appeared in an episode of Get Smart playing 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 featured in The Buddy Holly Story and in the Goldie Hawn and George Segal comedy The Duchess and the Dirtwater Fox.[3] He also made a brief appearance as himself in the jazz bar scene from Nothing in Common.[4]

Throughout his life, Janis has strived to keep traditional jazz alive. In 1949, Janis put together a band of aging jazz greats ("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 Janis on trombone.[3] In the late 1970s, Janis formed the Beverly Hills Unlisted Jazz Band, which appeared multiple times on the Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson and made eight sold-out performances at Carnegie Hall.[3][5]

Filmography
Year Title Role Notes
1945 Snafu Ronald Stevens Alternative title: Welcome Home
1946 Margie Johnny 'Johnikins' Green
1947 The Brasher Doubloon Leslie Murdock Alternative title: The High Window
That Hagen Girl Dewey Koons
1948 Beyond Glory Raymond Denmore, Jr.
1958 Let's Rock Charlie Alternative title: Keep It Cool
1965 Get Smart Victor (Season 1, Episode 12)
1966 My Favorite Martian Chad Foster (Season 3, Episode 19) TV or Not TV
1974 Airport 1975 Arnie
1975 The Happy Hooker Fred
1976 The Duchess and the Dirtwater Fox Gladstone
1977 Roseland George
1978 The Buddy Holly Story Ross Turner
1980 Oh, God! Book II Charles Benson
1985 Brewster's Millions Businessman in Car
1986 Nothing in Common Conrad Janis and the Unlisted Jazz Band
1989 Caddie Woodlawn Rev. Tanner
Sonny Boy Doc Bender
1992 Mr. Saturday Night Director
1995 The Feminine Touch Frank Donaldsonn Also director; alternative title: The November Conspiracy
1996 The Cable Guy Father 'Double Trouble'
2009 Maneater Doc Gramm

References
  1. "Conrad Janis Biography". Filmreference.com. Retrieved 2015-10-09.
  2. Glueck, Grace (November 24, 1989). "Sidney Janis, Trend-Setting Art Dealer, Dies at 93". The New York Times. Retrieved 2017-11-14.
  3. Uhl, Jin. "For Conrad Janis, Acting and Jazz Share the Spotlight", The Mississippi Rag, pp. 1-9, September 2002, Bloomington, MN.
  4. "Conrad Janis ... Himself (as Conrad Janis and the Unlisted Jazz Band)". imdb.com.
  5. "The Scene", L.A. Jazz Scene, p. 14, Sunland, CA (November 2001).


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