Conrad Janis


Conrad Janis is an American jazz trombonist and actor. Janis is best known for playing Mindy McConnell's father Frederick on Mork & Mindy.

Early life

A native of New York City, Janis is the son of Harriet, a writer, and Sidney Janis, an art dealer and writer, and he has one brother, Carroll Janis.

Career

In 1946, he portrayed "Johnniekins" in Margie with Jeanne Crain. The following year, he starred in the film noir The Brasher Doubloon, with George Montgomery.
In 1953, he played eldest son Edward on the sitcom Bonino. He later appeared in an episode of Get Smart playing a KAOS agent, guest starred as a dance marathon emcee on The Golden Girls, and appeared in the sci-fi sitcoms Quark and Mork and Mindy. He was featured in The Buddy Holly Story and in the Goldie Hawn and George Segal comedy The Duchess and the Dirtwater Fox. He also made a brief appearance as himself in the jazz bar scene from Nothing in Common.
Throughout his life, Janis has strived to keep traditional jazz alive. In 1949, Janis put together a band of aging jazz greats, consisting of James P. Johnson, Henry Goodwin, Edmond Hall, Pops Foster, and Baby Dodds, with Janis on trombone. In the late 1970s, Janis formed the Beverly Hills Unlisted Jazz Band, which appeared multiple times on the Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson and made eight sold-out performances at Carnegie Hall.

Filmography