Conrad Janis

Conrad Janis (February 11, 1928 – March 1, 2022) was an American actor and jazz trombonist born in Manhattan, New York. His father, Sidney, worked as an art dealer and writer, and his mother, Harriet (Grossman), was also a writer. He had one brother, Carroll. Janis began performing at an early age, successfully auditioning for a road company at thirteen and spending two years with that company while also taking on radio voice work during the same period.

His path to Broadway began when he secured a part in the pre-Broadway run of Dark of the Moon, where a Hollywood talent scout noticed him. He remained with the production through its New York City engagement, making his Broadway debut in March 1945. Janis went on to appear in numerous Broadway productions between 1945 and 1975, including Sunday in New York, Marathon '33, No Hard Feelings, and the plays The Front Page and Same Time, Next Year. His stage work earned him a Theatre World Award in 1952.

Janis made his film debut in 1945 playing Ronald Stevens in Snafu, followed by the role of Johnikins opposite Jeanne Crain in Margie (1946). He subsequently appeared in the film noir The Brasher Doubloon alongside George Montgomery. Later film credits included The Buddy Holly Story and the comedy The Duchess and the Dirtwater Fox with Goldie Hawn and George Segal, as well as a brief appearance as himself in the jazz bar scene of Nothing in Common.

His television career spanned several decades, beginning with a starring role in the episode "Fit to Kill" on The Web on November 19, 1950. In 1953 he played the eldest son Edward on the sitcom Bonino. He went on to guest-star on programs including Maude, Get Smart, Quark, The Golden Girls, and Frasier, appearing as a dance marathon emcee in his Golden Girls episode and as a KAOS agent on Get Smart. His most sustained television role was that of Frederick McConnell, Mindy's father, in 53 episodes of the sci-fi sitcom Mork and Mindy during the late 1970s and early 1980s. Janis continued acting through 2012.

Alongside his acting work, Janis was a dedicated proponent of traditional jazz. In 1949 he assembled a band that included pianist James P. Johnson, trumpeter Henry Goodwin, clarinetist Edmond Hall, bassist Pops Foster, and drummer Baby Dodds, with Janis himself on trombone. In the late 1970s he formed the Beverly Hills Unlisted Jazz Band, which performed multiple times on the Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson and gave eight sold-out concerts at Carnegie Hall.

Janis was married three times. His first marriage, to Vicki Quarles, produced two children, Christopher and Carin, and ended in divorce. A second marriage to Ronda Copland also ended in divorce. He married his third wife, Maria Grimm, in 1987, and they remained together until her death in September 2021. Janis died on March 1, 2022, in Los Angeles at the age of 94. His death was announced by his business manager Dean A. Avedon, who also served as executor of his estate.