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Conrad Nagel

July 05, 2023

John Conrad Nagel (March 16, 1897 – February 24, 1970) was an American film, stage, television and radio actor.[1] He was considered a famous matinée idol and leading man of the 1920s and 1930s. He was given an Academy Honorary Award in 1940 and three stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1960.

Conrad Nagel
Nagel in 1922
Born
John Conrad Nagel

(1897-03-16)March 16, 1897
Keokuk, Iowa, U.S.
DiedFebruary 24, 1970(1970-02-24) (aged 72)
New York City, New York, U.S.
Resting placeGarden State Crematory
EducationDes Moines College
Highland Park College
OccupationActor
Years active1918–1967
Spouses
Ruth Helms
​
​
(m. 1924; div. 1934)​
​
​
(m. 1945; div. 1948)​
Michael Coulson Smith
​
​
(m. 1955; div. 1956)​
Children2

Early life

Born in Keokuk, Iowa,[2] into an upper-middle-class family, he was the son of a musician father, Dr. Frank L. Nagel, who was of German descent, and a mother, Frances (née Murphy), who was a locally praised singer. Nagel's mother died early in his life, and he always attributed his artistic inclination to growing up in a family environment that encouraged self-expression. When Nagel was three, his father, Frank, became dean of the music conservatory at Highland Park College in Des Moines, and the family moved there.[citation needed]

After graduating from Highland Park College, Nagel left for California to pursue a career in the relatively new medium of motion pictures where he garnered instant attention from the Hollywood studio executives. With his 6-foot-tall (1.8 m) frame, blue eyes, and wavy blond hair; the young, Midwestern Nagel was seen by studio executives as a potentially wholesome matinee idol whose unpretentious all-American charm would appeal to the nation's nascent film-goers.[citation needed]

Film career

Nagel was immediately cast in film roles that cemented his unspoiled lover image. His first film was the 1918 retelling of Little Women, which quickly captured the public's attention and set Nagel on a path to silent film stardom. His breakout role came in the 1920 film, The Fighting Chance, opposite Swedish starlet Anna Q. Nilsson. In 1918, Nagel was elected to The Lambs, the theatrical club.[3]

In 1927, Nagel starred alongside Lon Chaney Sr., Marceline Day, Henry B. Walthall and Polly Moran in the now lost Tod Browning directed horror film, London After Midnight. Unlike many other silent films stars, Nagel had little difficulty transitioning to sound films. His baritone voice was judged to be perfect for sound, so he appeared in about thirty films in only two years. He described the time as a "great adventure." He was working so steadily that one night when he and his wife planned to go to the movies, he was in films playing at Grauman's, Loew's, and Paramount's theaters. "We couldn't find a theater where I wasn't playing. So we'd go back home. I was an epidemic."[4] He spent the next several decades being very well received in high-profile films as a character actor. He was also frequently heard on radio and made many notable appearances on television.[1]

The Academy and SAG

On May 11, 1927, Nagel was among 35 other film industry insiders to found the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS); a professional honorary organization dedicated to the advancement of the arts and sciences of motion pictures. Fellow actors involved in the founding included: Mary Pickford, Douglas Fairbanks, Richard Barthelmess, Jack Holt, Milton Sills, and Harold Lloyd. He served as president of the organization from 1932 to 1933.[1] He was also a founding member of the Screen Actors Guild (SAG).[citation needed]

Nagel was the host of the 3rd Academy Awards ceremony held on November 5, 1930, the 5th Academy Awards on November 18, 1932, and a co-host with Bob Hope at the 25th Academy Awards ceremony on March 19, 1953. The 21-year gap between his appearances in 1932 and 1953 is a record for an Oscar ceremonies host.[citation needed]

Radio and television

Nagel was the announcer for Alec Templeton Time, a musical variety program on NBC Radio in the summer of 1939.[5] He was the host on Silver Theatre, a summer replacement program that began June 8, 1937.[6]

From 1937 to 1947, he hosted and directed the radio program Silver Theater. He then hosted the TV game show Celebrity Time from 1948 to 1952 and the DuMont Television Network program Broadway to Hollywood from 1953 to 1954.

From September 14, 1955, to June 1, 1956, Nagel hosted Hollywood Preview, a 30-minute show on the DuMont Television Network which featured Hollywood stars with clips of upcoming films.

In 1961, again on television but in an acting role, he made a guest appearance on the popular courtroom drama Perry Mason, portraying the character Nathan Claver, an art collector and murderer, in the episode "The Case of the Torrid Tapestry".[7]

In 1962 he guest-starred on the TV Western Gunsmoke as the vengeful Major Emerson Owen in S7E33's “The Prisoner”.

Personal life

Nagel married and divorced three times.[2]

Nagel died in 1970 in New York City at the age of 72.[2] A spokesman for the office of the Chief Medical Examiner said that Nagel's death was "due to natural causes", more specifically, a heart attack and emphysema. He added that no autopsy was planned.[8]

Awards and honors

In 1940, Nagel was given an Honorary Academy Award for his work with the Motion Picture Relief Fund.[9]

For his contributions to film, radio, and television, Nagel was given three stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 1719 Vine Street (motion pictures), 1752 Vine Street (radio), and 1752 Vine Street (television).[10]

Filmography

Silent

Sound

In popular culture

In the M*A*S*H episode "Abyssinia, Henry" – which featured McLean Stevenson's final appearance on the show – Lt. Col. Blake finds out that his mother-in-law used his brown double-breasted suit to attend a costume party dressed as Conrad Nagel.[citation needed]

Radio appearances

Year Program Episode/source
1953 Theater of Life Three Miracles[11]

References

  1. ^ a b c Slide, Anthony (February 1, 2010). Silent Players: A Biographical and Autobiographical Study of 100 Silent Film Actors and Actresses. University Press of Kentucky. p. 263. ISBN 978-0813137452.
  2. ^ a b c "Old-Time Star Conrad Nagel Found Dead". The Dispatch. Lexington, North Carolina. February 25, 1970. p. 13. Retrieved April 23, 2014.
  3. ^ "History of The Lambs". The Lambs, Inc. 15 October 2015. Retrieved August 18, 2019.
  4. ^ Eyman, Scott (March 13, 1997). The Speed of Sound: Hollywood and the Talkie Revolution 1926-1930. New York: Simon and Schuster. ISBN 978-1439104286. Retrieved August 18, 2019. epidemic.
  5. ^ Dunning, John (May 7, 1998). On the Air: The Encyclopedia of Old-Time Radio (Revised ed.). New York, NY: Oxford University Press. pp. 22–23. ISBN 978-0-19-507678-3. Retrieved 2019-09-26.
  6. ^ "Radio Headliners In Star Roles on "Silver Theatre"". Harrisburg Telegraph. May 31, 1947. p. 17. Retrieved May 28, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.  
  7. ^ "The Case of the Torrid Tapestry", S04E23, Perry Mason series, originally broadcast in the United States on the CBS television network, April 22, 1961. IMDb. Retrieved September 5, 2018.
  8. ^ "Conrad Nagel, Actor, Dies at 72; Star of Stage and Silent Pictures". The New York Times. 25 February 1970.
  9. ^ . The Lambs, Inc. 2020. Archived from the original on September 24, 2020. Retrieved 13 March 2023.
  10. ^ "Conrad Nagel". Hollywood Walk of Fame. from the original on February 18, 2014. Retrieved March 13, 2023.
  11. ^ Kirby, Walter (July 5, 1953). "Better Radio Programs for the Week". The Decatur Daily Review. p. 40. Retrieved July 5, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.  

External links

 
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Conrad Nagel.
Non-profit organization positions
Preceded by President of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
1932–1933 		Succeeded by

July 05, 2023
conrad, nagel, this, article, needs, additional, citations, verification, please, help, improve, this, article, adding, citations, reliable, sources, unsourced, material, challenged, removed, find, sources, news, newspapers, books, scholar, jstor, november, 20. This article needs additional citations for verification Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed Find sources Conrad Nagel news newspapers books scholar JSTOR November 2007 Learn how and when to remove this template message John Conrad Nagel March 16 1897 February 24 1970 was an American film stage television and radio actor 1 He was considered a famous matinee idol and leading man of the 1920s and 1930s He was given an Academy Honorary Award in 1940 and three stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1960 Conrad NagelNagel in 1922BornJohn Conrad Nagel 1897 03 16 March 16 1897Keokuk Iowa U S DiedFebruary 24 1970 1970 02 24 aged 72 New York City New York U S Resting placeGarden State CrematoryEducationDes Moines College Highland Park CollegeOccupationActorYears active1918 1967SpousesRuth Helms m 1924 div 1934 wbr Lynn Merrick m 1945 div 1948 wbr Michael Coulson Smith m 1955 div 1956 wbr Children2 Contents 1 Early life 2 Film career 2 1 The Academy and SAG 3 Radio and television 4 Personal life 5 Awards and honors 6 Filmography 6 1 Silent 6 2 Sound 7 In popular culture 8 Radio appearances 9 References 10 External linksEarly life EditBorn in Keokuk Iowa 2 into an upper middle class family he was the son of a musician father Dr Frank L Nagel who was of German descent and a mother Frances nee Murphy who was a locally praised singer Nagel s mother died early in his life and he always attributed his artistic inclination to growing up in a family environment that encouraged self expression When Nagel was three his father Frank became dean of the music conservatory at Highland Park College in Des Moines and the family moved there citation needed After graduating from Highland Park College Nagel left for California to pursue a career in the relatively new medium of motion pictures where he garnered instant attention from the Hollywood studio executives With his 6 foot tall 1 8 m frame blue eyes and wavy blond hair the young Midwestern Nagel was seen by studio executives as a potentially wholesome matinee idol whose unpretentious all American charm would appeal to the nation s nascent film goers citation needed Film career EditThis section needs additional citations for verification Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources in this section Unsourced material may be challenged and removed Find sources Conrad Nagel news newspapers books scholar JSTOR March 2018 Learn how and when to remove this template message Nagel was immediately cast in film roles that cemented his unspoiled lover image His first film was the 1918 retelling of Little Women which quickly captured the public s attention and set Nagel on a path to silent film stardom His breakout role came in the 1920 film The Fighting Chance opposite Swedish starlet Anna Q Nilsson In 1918 Nagel was elected to The Lambs the theatrical club 3 In 1927 Nagel starred alongside Lon Chaney Sr Marceline Day Henry B Walthall and Polly Moran in the now lost Tod Browning directed horror film London After Midnight Unlike many other silent films stars Nagel had little difficulty transitioning to sound films His baritone voice was judged to be perfect for sound so he appeared in about thirty films in only two years He described the time as a great adventure He was working so steadily that one night when he and his wife planned to go to the movies he was in films playing at Grauman s Loew s and Paramount s theaters We couldn t find a theater where I wasn t playing So we d go back home I was an epidemic 4 He spent the next several decades being very well received in high profile films as a character actor He was also frequently heard on radio and made many notable appearances on television 1 The Academy and SAG Edit On May 11 1927 Nagel was among 35 other film industry insiders to found the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences AMPAS a professional honorary organization dedicated to the advancement of the arts and sciences of motion pictures Fellow actors involved in the founding included Mary Pickford Douglas Fairbanks Richard Barthelmess Jack Holt Milton Sills and Harold Lloyd He served as president of the organization from 1932 to 1933 1 He was also a founding member of the Screen Actors Guild SAG citation needed Nagel was the host of the 3rd Academy Awards ceremony held on November 5 1930 the 5th Academy Awards on November 18 1932 and a co host with Bob Hope at the 25th Academy Awards ceremony on March 19 1953 The 21 year gap between his appearances in 1932 and 1953 is a record for an Oscar ceremonies host citation needed Radio and television EditNagel was the announcer for Alec Templeton Time a musical variety program on NBC Radio in the summer of 1939 5 He was the host on Silver Theatre a summer replacement program that began June 8 1937 6 From 1937 to 1947 he hosted and directed the radio program Silver Theater He then hosted the TV game show Celebrity Time from 1948 to 1952 and the DuMont Television Network program Broadway to Hollywood from 1953 to 1954 From September 14 1955 to June 1 1956 Nagel hosted Hollywood Preview a 30 minute show on the DuMont Television Network which featured Hollywood stars with clips of upcoming films In 1961 again on television but in an acting role he made a guest appearance on the popular courtroom drama Perry Mason portraying the character Nathan Claver an art collector and murderer in the episode The Case of the Torrid Tapestry 7 In 1962 he guest starred on the TV Western Gunsmoke as the vengeful Major Emerson Owen in S7E33 s The Prisoner Personal life EditNagel married and divorced three times 2 Nagel died in 1970 in New York City at the age of 72 2 A spokesman for the office of the Chief Medical Examiner said that Nagel s death was due to natural causes more specifically a heart attack and emphysema He added that no autopsy was planned 8 Awards and honors EditIn 1940 Nagel was given an Honorary Academy Award for his work with the Motion Picture Relief Fund 9 For his contributions to film radio and television Nagel was given three stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 1719 Vine Street motion pictures 1752 Vine Street radio and 1752 Vine Street television 10 Filmography EditSilent Edit Little Women 1918 as Laurie Laurence The Lion and the Mouse 1919 as Jefferson Ryder Redhead 1919 as Matthew Thurlow Romeo s Dad 1919 Short The Fighting Chance 1920 as Stephen Siward Unseen Forces 1920 as Clyde Brunton Midsummer Madness 1921 as Julian Osborne Forbidden Fruit 1921 as Actor in play Forbidden Fruit uncredited What Every Woman Knows 1921 as John Shand The Lost Romance 1921 as Allen Erskine M D Sacred and Profane Love 1921 as Emilie Diaz a pianist Fool s Paradise 1921 as Arthur Phelps Saturday Night 1922 as Richard Prentiss Hate 1922 as Dick Talbot The Ordeal 1922 as Dr Robert Acton Nice People 1922 as Scotty White The Impossible Mrs Bellew 1922 as John Helstan Singed Wings 1922 as Peter Gordon Grumpy 1923 as Ernest Heron Bella Donna 1923 as Nigel Armine Lawful Larceny 1923 as Andrew Dorsey The Rendezvous 1923 as Walter Stanford Name the Man 1924 as Victor Stowell Three Weeks 1924 as Paul Verdayne The Rejected Woman 1924 as John Leslie Tess of the d Urbervilles 1924 as Angel Clare Sinners in Silk 1924 as Brock Farley Married Flirts 1924 as Perley Rex The Snob 1924 as Herrick Appleton So This Is Marriage 1924 as Peter Marsh Excuse Me 1925 as Harry Mallory Cheaper to Marry 1925 as Dick Tyler Pretty Ladies 1925 as Maggie s Dream Lover Sun Up 1925 as Rufe Lights of Old Broadway 1925 as Dirk de Rhonde The Only Thing 1925 as Harry Vane the Duke of Chevenix Dance Madness 1926 as Roger Halladay Memory Lane 1926 as Jimmy Holt The Exquisite Sinner 1926 as Dominique Prad The Waning Sex 1926 as Philip Barry There You Are 1926 as George Fenwick Tin Hats 1926 as Jack Benson Heaven on Earth 1927 as Edmond Durand Slightly Used 1927 as Major John Smith Quality Street 1927 as Dr Valentine Brown The Girl from Chicago 1927 as Handsome Joe London After Midnight 1927 as Arthur Hibbs If I Were Single 1927 as Ted Howard Tenderloin 1928 as Chuck White The Crimson City 1928 as Ralph Blake Glorious Betsy 1928 as Jerome Bonaparte Diamond Handcuffs 1928 as John The Michigan Kid 1928 as Michigan Kid Jim Rowen The Mysterious Lady 1928 as Karl von Raden The Kiss 1929 as Andre Sound Edit Caught in the Fog 1928 as Bob Vickers State Street Sadie 1928 as Ralph Blake The Terror 1928 as Narrator of Spoken Credit Titles uncredited Red Wine 1928 as Charles H Cook The Redeeming Sin 1929 as Dr Raoul de Boise Kid Gloves 1929 as Kid Gloves The Idle Rich 1929 as William van Luyn The Thirteenth Chair 1929 as Richard Crosby The Hollywood Revue of 1929 1929 as Himself Master of Ceremonies The Sacred Flame 1929 as Col Maurice Taylor Dynamite 1929 as Roger Towne The Ship from Shanghai 1930 as Howard Vazey Second Wife 1930 as Walter Fairchild Redemption 1930 as Victor Karenin The Divorcee 1930 as Paul One Romantic Night 1930 as Dr Nicholas Haller Numbered Men 1930 as 26521 A Lady Surrenders 1930 as Winthrop Beauvel Du Barry Woman of Passion 1930 as Cosse de Brissac Today 1930 as Fred Warner Free Love 1930 as Stephen Ferrier The Right of Way 1931 as Charley Beauty Steele East Lynne 1931 as Robert Carlyle Bad Sister 1931 as Dr Dick Lindley Three Who Loved 1931 as John Hanson Son of India 1931 as William Darsay The Reckless Hour 1931 as Edward Eddie Adams The Pagan Lady 1931 as Ernest Todd Hell Divers 1931 as Lieutenant D W Duke Johnson The Man Called Back 1932 as Dr David Yorke Divorce in the Family 1932 as Dr Shumaker Kongo 1932 as Kingsland Fast Life 1932 as Burton The Constant Woman 1933 as Walt Underwood Ann Vickers 1933 as Lindsey Atwell Dangerous Corner 1934 as Robert Chatfield The Marines Are Coming 1934 as Capt Edward Ned Benton One Hour Late 1934 as Stephen Barclay Death Flies East 1935 as John Robinson Gordon One New York Night 1935 as Kent Ball at Savoy 1936 as John Egan posing as Baron Dupont The Girl from Mandalay 1936 as John Foster Wedding Present 1936 as Roger Dodacker Yellow Cargo 1936 as Alan O Connor Navy Spy 1937 as Alan O Connor The Gold Racket 1937 as Alan O Connor Bank Alarm 1937 as Alan O Connor The Mad Empress 1939 as Maximilian One Million B C 1940 as Narrator I Want a Divorce 1940 as David Holland Sr Forever Yours 1945 as Dr Randall The Adventures of Rusty 1945 as Hugh Mitchell Stage Struck 1948 as Police Lt Williams The Vicious Circle 1948 as Karl Nemesch All That Heaven Allows 1955 as Harvey Hidden Fear 1957 as Arthur Miller A Stranger in My Arms 1959 as Harley Beasley The Man Who Understood Women 1959 as G K BrodyIn popular culture EditIn the M A S H episode Abyssinia Henry which featured McLean Stevenson s final appearance on the show Lt Col Blake finds out that his mother in law used his brown double breasted suit to attend a costume party dressed as Conrad Nagel citation needed Radio appearances EditYear Program Episode source1953 Theater of Life Three Miracles 11 References Edit a b c Slide Anthony February 1 2010 Silent Players A Biographical and Autobiographical Study of 100 Silent Film Actors and Actresses University Press of Kentucky p 263 ISBN 978 0813137452 a b c Old Time Star Conrad Nagel Found Dead The Dispatch Lexington North Carolina February 25 1970 p 13 Retrieved April 23 2014 History of The Lambs The Lambs Inc 15 October 2015 Retrieved August 18 2019 Eyman Scott March 13 1997 The Speed of Sound Hollywood and the Talkie Revolution 1926 1930 New York Simon and Schuster ISBN 978 1439104286 Retrieved August 18 2019 epidemic Dunning John May 7 1998 On the Air The Encyclopedia of Old Time Radio Revised ed New York NY Oxford University Press pp 22 23 ISBN 978 0 19 507678 3 Retrieved 2019 09 26 Radio Headliners In Star Roles on Silver Theatre Harrisburg Telegraph May 31 1947 p 17 Retrieved May 28 2016 via Newspapers com The Case of the Torrid Tapestry S04E23 Perry Mason series originally broadcast in the United States on the CBS television network April 22 1961 IMDb Retrieved September 5 2018 Conrad Nagel Actor Dies at 72 Star of Stage and Silent Pictures The New York Times 25 February 1970 Nagel Conrad The Lambs Inc 2020 Archived from the original on September 24 2020 Retrieved 13 March 2023 Conrad Nagel Hollywood Walk of Fame Archived from the original on February 18 2014 Retrieved March 13 2023 Kirby Walter July 5 1953 Better Radio Programs for the Week The Decatur Daily Review p 40 Retrieved July 5 2015 via Newspapers com External links Edit Wikimedia Commons has media related to Conrad Nagel Biography portalConrad Nagel at the Internet Broadway Database Conrad Nagel at IMDb Conrad Nagel at AllMovie Conrad Nagel at the TCM Movie Database Silent Ladies and Gents Conrad Nagel on Golden Silents Photographs of Conrad NagelNon profit organization positionsPreceded byM C Levee President of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences1932 1933 Succeeded byJ Theodore Reed Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Conrad Nagel amp oldid 1163054126, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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