Conrad Janis
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Conrad Janis (born February 11, 1928 in New York, New York, USA) Father, Art Dealer and author Sidney Janis,(the Sidney Janis Gallery, NY), Mother author, artist Harriet Janis (nee Grossman), Conrad has been a Jazz musician and also a theatre, film, and television actor. He made his Broadway debut in 1942, cast by Moss Hart in the play "Junior Miss". Some other Broadway hits include leading roles in "Dark of the Moon" 1944-45, "The Brass Ring" 1952 for which he won the Theater World Award, "Time Out For Ginger' 1952-53, with Melvin Douglas, "Visit to a Small Planet", written by Gore Vidal, 1957, "Marathon 33" 1962-63, the Actor's Studio Production, Starring Julie Harris in which Janis not only played a lead role but played trombone and led his group "The Tailgate Jazz Band" on stage throughout the production, "The Front Page" 1969-71, Starring with Robert Ryan, Helen Hayes, "Same Time Next Year" 1976-77, in which he replaced Charles Grodin on Broadway, followed by a National Tour. Although he appeared in several hundred live television dramas, going back to the Golden Age of TV in the 50's and 60's, many TV Movies of the Week and series, he is most noted for playing Mindy's father on the sitcom Mork and Mindy. He also appeared in the sci-fi sitcom Quark written by Buck Henry and was featured in The Buddy Holly Story movie. Janis made his movie debut in 1945, starring in "Snafu" for Columbia Pictures, based on George Abbott's Broadway play, it dealt with the difficulty of an underage (15 year old) precocious teen who enlisted in the army, became a tough combat veteran, and then was made to leave the war in the Pacific and return to High School by his mother and father (Vera Vague and Robert Benchley). Janis then appeared opposite Jeanne Crain in "Margie", 1946, directed by Henry King, at 20th Century Fox. Upon the release of "Margie" he was signed to a 7 year contract by Darrel F Zanuck for 20th, and promptly played a teen age killer from a wealthy Pasadena family in Fox's "The Brasher Doubloon" based on the Raymond Chandler book, "The High Window". He also appeared opposite Shirley Temple in the Warner Brother's film "That Hagen Girl" 1947, which also starred Ronald Reagan (who in those days was a Democrat). "That Hagen Girl" also had the distinction of making the list in the book "The Fifty Worst Films of All Time", 1978, by Harry Medved, with Randy Dreyfuss and Michael Medved. Other films include "Airport 1975" Universal Pictures, with an all star cast including Charlton Heston, Gloria Swanson, Myrna Loy, etc. , "The Cable Guy" Jim Carrey, "Mr Saturday Night" Billy Crystal and others. Janis directed his first film "The November Conspiracy" 1996 Starring George Segal, Elliott Gould, Dirk Benedict, and a strong supporting cast and most recently finished helming "Bad Blood" 2007, starring Piper Laurie (3 time Academy Award Nominee) as well as Janis and written by Maria Janis.
Janis' career as a jazz musician includes 8 sold out performances at Carnegie Hall, (1980, NY), as well as some dozen appearances with his Beverly Hill Unlisted Jazz Band (the actor George Segal on banjo) on the "Tonight Show" with Johnny Carson, the "Mike Douglas Show", David Letterman and others. He has led jazz bands coast to coast in jazz clubs from Jimmy Ryan's on 52nd street in NY to jazz festivals throughout the country. Janis and the band played themselves in the 1986 movie "Nothing in Common" directed by Garry Marshall, starring Tom Hanks and Jackie Gleason. Janis and his Beverly Hills Unlisted Jazz Band are active today having just finished a 9 year stint at a Beverly Hills Jazz Club.
