Conrad Nagel

Conrad Nagel, (March 16, 1897 - February 24, 1970) was a noted successful screen actor and matinee idol of the silent film era and beyond.

Related Topics:
March 16 - 1897 - February 24 - 1970 - Actor

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Born in Keokuk, Lee County, Iowa, USA, into an upper middle-class family, he was the son of musician father and a mother 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.

Related Topics:
Keokuk - Lee County - Iowa - USA

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After graduating from Highland Park College at Des Moines, Iowa, 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 six foot tall 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 surely appeal to the nation's nascent film-goers.

Related Topics:
Highland Park College - Des Moines, Iowa - California - Hollywood - Midwestern

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Conrad Nagel was immediately cast in film roles that cemented his unspoiled lover image. His first film was the 1918 retelling of the Louisa May Alcott classic 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.

Related Topics:
1918 - Louisa May Alcott - Little Women - 1920 - The Fighting Chance - Swedish - Anna Q. Nilsson

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On May 11, 1927 Conrad 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 the founding included: Mary Pickford, Douglas Fairbanks, Sr., Richard Barthelmess,Jack Holt, Milton Sills, and Harold Lloyd. He was also a founding member of the Screen Actors Guild (SAG).

Related Topics:
May 11 - 1927 - Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences - Mary Pickford - Douglas Fairbanks, Sr. - Richard Barthelmess - Jack Holt - Milton Sills - Harold Lloyd - Screen Actors Guild

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Unlike so many silent films stars of the Roaring Twenties, Conrad Nagel had little difficulty transitioning to talkies and 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. From 1949 to 1952 he hosted the popular TV game show Celebrity Time.

Related Topics:
Roaring Twenties - Talkies - 1949 - 1952

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Conrad Nagel married and divorced three times. His first wife Ruth Helms gave birth to a daughter, Ruth Margaret in 1920. His second wife was Lynn Merrick. His third wife was Michael Coulson Smith, who gave birth to a son Michael in the late 1950's.

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In 1970, Conrad Nagel died in New York City and was cremated at Garden State Crematory in North Bergen, New Jersey.

Related Topics:
New York City - North Bergen, New Jersey

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For his substantial contribution to in film, radio, and television, Conrad Nagel was given three stars on the legendary Hollywood Walk of Fame at the following locations:

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1719 Vine Street (Motion Pictures)

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1752 Vine Street (Radio)

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1752 Vine Street (Television)

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