(Robert Conrad (R) with Ross Martin in "The Wild, Wild West".
BY LEE PFEIFFER
Actor Robert Conrad has died at age 84. Conrad's got his first big break with a key role in the 1950s hit TV series "Hawaiian Eye". But it was in the 1960s that he soared to fame in "The Wild, Wild West", one of the more enduring TV series inspired by the James Bond phenomenon. Set in the late 1800s, Conrad and co-star Ross Martin played government agents James West and Artemus Gordon, who employed Victorian-age super gadgets to thwart nefarious megalomaniacs. The show's tongue-in-cheek approach to plots relied heavily on the comedic byplay between Conrad and Martin. The series lasted four seasons and the actors returned in TV movies based on the show many years later. In 1999, the series inspired the poorly-received big screen adaptation starring Will Smith and Kevin Kline. Conrad excelled at stunt work and one of the show's trademarks was his ability to do many of the more dangerous action scenes without a stuntman. He was ultimately afforded the honor of being inducted into the Stuntmen's Hall of Fame. After the series left the air, Conrad remained a regular presence on television, often guest-starring on popular series. In 1976, he scored another hit by starring in the WWII series "Black Sheep Squadron". In 1978, he won praise for his performance in the epic TV mini-series "Centennial". Although Conrad was primarily associated with television, he occasionally appeared in feature films such as "Young Dillinger", "Palm Springs Weekend", "Murf the Surf", "Jingle All the Way" and "Wrong is Right".
The great Kirk Douglas has died at age 103. Not only did
Douglas have a stellar Hollywood career as an actor, receiving three Oscar
nominations, he also produced some important films. During a period in
Hollywood when studios were still afraid to use blacklisted writers,
Douglas defied the ban and put Dalton Trumbo's name at the top of the credits
for Spartacus, along with his own and director Stanley Kubrick.
That took guts.
Douglas and Stanley Kubrick also made the very
fine anti-war film Paths of Glory (1957. Here is a clip from that
film: Douglas's character, Colonel Dax, commanding officer, 701st Infantry
Regiment (WW1), an attorney by profession, is desperately trying to save
the lives of three of his men who have been unjustly accused of
cowardice and will face a firing squad if convicted.
Kirk Douglas was much more than just a tough guy; he was
a fine actor, a talented producer, and a man of principle. We'll not see
his likes again.