Conrad Janis Movies
A New York-based radio actor from childhood,
Conrad Janis was 16 when he made his first Broadway appearance in
Junior Miss. Janis went on to star in the 1945 film comedy
Snafu then played supporting roles in such 20th Century-Fox productions as
Margie (1946) and
The Brasher Doubloon (1947, as a teenaged murderer). His subsequent Broadway credits include The Brass Ring (for which he won a Theatre World Award), Time Out for Ginger and
Visit to a Small Planet. Premature baldness compelled him to switch from leading-man assignments to character roles. A veteran of some 350 TV appearances, Janis was seen on a regular weekly basis as Otto Palindrome on the 1978 sci-fi spoof
Quark, and as Mindy McConnell's dad Fred on the
Robin Williams sitcom
Mork and Mindy. Dropped from M & M after the 1978-79 season when the producers decided to retool the program, Janis was rehired in 1980, this time at a much heftier salary. Though justifiably proud of his acting accomplishments, Janis reportedly is prouder still of his activities as a jazz musician, fronting such prestigious musical aggregations as The Tailgaters and the Beverly Hills Unlisted Jazz Band (this latter group served as the subject of a lively PBS documentary). In addition, Janis is the owner operator of a prominent avant-garde art gallery, and is in charge of his own production company, MiraCom. In 1994, Conrad Janis made his film directorial bow with
The Feminine Touch. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide