Conrad Bain Contents Early life Career Personal life Death Filmography References External...
1923 births2013 deathsCanadian Army personnelCanadian emigrants to the United StatesCanadian military personnel of World War IICanadian male film actorsCanadian male television actorsIdentical twin male actors20th-century Canadian male actorsPeople from LethbridgePeople from Livermore, CaliforniaMale actors from AlbertaTwin people from the United StatesTwin people from Canada20th-century American male actorsPeople educated at Western Canada High SchoolPeople with acquired American citizenship
Phillip DrummondLethbridgeBanff School of Fine ArtsCanadian ArmyWorld War IIAmerican Academy of Dramatic ArtsDon RicklesnaturalizedStratford FestivalBroadwayEugene O'NeillBroadway theatreOff BroadwayDon BriscoeActors Federal Credit UnionActors' EquityWoody AllenBea ArthurPhillip DrummondHarlemGary ColemanBonar BainstrokeLivermore, California
Conrad Bain | |
---|---|
Bain as Arthur Harmon in Maude, 1975. | |
Born | Conrad Stafford Bain (1923-02-04)February 4, 1923 Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada |
Died | January 14, 2013(2013-01-14) (aged 89) Livermore, California, U.S. |
Education | Banff School of Fine Arts |
Alma mater | American Academy of Dramatic Arts |
Occupation | Actor |
Years active | 1952–1996 |
Known for | Dr. Arthur Harmon on Maude, Phillip Drummond on Diff'rent Strokes |
Television | Diff'rent Strokes, Maude |
Spouse(s) | Monica Sloan (m. 1945; died 2009) |
Children | 3 |
Relatives | Bonar Bain (brother, deceased) |
Conrad Stafford Bain (February 4, 1923 – January 14, 2013) was a Canadian/American actor and comedian and character actor. His television credits include a leading role as Phillip Drummond in the sitcom Diff'rent Strokes and as Dr. Arthur Harmon on Maude.
Contents
1 Early life
2 Career
3 Personal life
4 Death
5 Filmography
5.1 Film
5.2 Television
6 References
7 External links
Early life
Conrad Bain was born in Lethbridge, Alberta, the son of Jean Agnes (née Young) and Stafford Harrison Bain,
who was a wholesaler.[1] He studied at the Banff School of Fine Arts before serving in the Canadian Army during World War II.[2] He later studied in New York at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, graduating in 1948; one of his classmates was comedian Don Rickles. Bain became a naturalized citizen of the United States in 1946.[3]
Career
After a stint at the Stratford Festival in Canada, Bain had further success as a stage actor in the 1956 Broadway revival of Eugene O'Neill's The Iceman Cometh.[4]The New York Times reviewer noted that his role was "especially well acted."[5] Bain's other Broadway theatre credits include Candide, Advise and Consent, An Enemy of the People, Uncle Vanya, and On Borrowed Time.[6]Off Broadway, he appeared in the original run of Steambath. While doing stage work in New York City, Bain also found work on television, appearing in the cult supernatural soap opera Dark Shadows as the town innkeeper, Mr. Wells, during seasons 1 and 2. His character was killed off by werewolf Chris Jennings (Don Briscoe).
In the early 1960s, Bain was one of the principal organizers of the Actors Federal Credit Union. In an article in the Credit Union Times, he recalled that "the effort grew out of the fact that, at least in the world of financial services, actors and other performers got no respect and, more importantly, no access to credit."[7]
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It was at a meeting of the Actors' Equity [Union] where a member stood up and asked why we didn't do something about actors not being able to get any credit, much less a mortgage or anything like that. Someone else stood up and echoed what the first member said, pointing out that the issue really was one of equity and actors didn't have any when it came to the banks.[7]
He wrote:
Remember this: no share payment is too small. The main objective should be to establish a consistent habit of saving. In return, you can have the security of knowing that there is a place to turn to when you need a loan, a place where you will be met with dignity and respect, rather than suspicion and prejudice.[7]
Bain served as the credit union's first president.[8]
In the early 1970s, Bain appeared in New York–based films like Lovers and Other Strangers and Woody Allen's Bananas before achieving national recognition for his work in television.[4] He is best known for his roles as Dr. Arthur Harmon, Bea Arthur's title character's conservative nemesis, who married her best friend, Vivian, in Maude (1972–78) and as Park Avenue millionaire Phillip Drummond in Diff'rent Strokes (1978–86), in which he adopted two African-American orphaned boys from Harlem, Willis and Arnold, to live with him and his daughter, Kimberly, and housekeeper, Mrs. Garrett. In 1979, he played Phillip Drummond in an episode of The Facts of Life. In 1996, Bain reprised his role of Phillip Drummond along with Gary Coleman as Arnold Jackson on the series finale of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.
Personal life
Bain had two sons and a daughter with Monica Sloan (1923-2009), to whom he was married in 1945 until her death in 2009. His identical twin brother was actor Bonar Bain (1923-2005),[6] who once played Arnold Harmon, the twin brother of Conrad's Maude character, Dr. Arthur Harmon.
Death
Bain died from complications following a stroke on January 14, 2013, in Livermore, California, three weeks before his 90th birthday.[9] His body was cremated.
Filmography
Film
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1967 | The Borgia Stick | Lawyer | TV Movie, Uncredited |
1968 | Madigan | Hotel Clerk | |
1968 | A Lovely Way to Die | James Lawrence | |
1968 | Star! | Salesman at Cartier's | Uncredited |
1968 | Coogan's Bluff | Madison Avenue Man | |
1969 | Last Summer | Sidney | Uncredited |
1970 | Lovers and Other Strangers | Priest in Confessional | Uncredited |
1970 | I Never Sang for My Father | Rev. Sam Pell | |
1971 | Fury on Wheels | Lester Jump | Alternate title: Jump |
1971 | A New Leaf | Professor Heinrich | Uncredited |
1971 | Bananas | Semple | |
1971 | The Anderson Tapes | Dr. Rubicoff | |
1971 | Who Killed Mary What's 'Er Name? | Val Rooney | |
1971 | Men of Crisis: The Harvey Wallinger Story | President Richard M. Nixon | Short film |
1972 | A Fan's Notes | Poppy | |
1972 | Up the Sandbox | Dr. Gordon | |
1975 | Twigs | Swede | TV movie |
1979 | C.H.O.M.P.S. | Ralph Norton | |
1979 | A Pleasure Doing Business | Herb | |
1981 | Child Bride of Short Creek | Frank King | TV movie |
1990 | Postcards from the Edge | Grandpa |
Television
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1952 | Studio One in Hollywood | Dr. Caldwell | Episode: "The Hospital" |
1956 | Studio One in Hollywood | Evans | Episode: "Family Protection" |
1961 | Naked City | Miller | Episode: "The Day the Island Almost Sank" |
1961 | The Defenders | D.A. Fred Monahan | Episode: "Gideon's Follies" |
1965 | The Trials of O'Brien | District Attorney | Episode: "Dead End on Flugel Street" |
1966 | Dark Shadows | Hotel Clerk | Episodes #1.1, #1.11, #1.61 |
1967 | N.Y.P.D. | Manager | Episode: "Shakedown" |
1968 | Dark Shadows | Mr. Wells | Episode #1.632 |
1970 | The Edge of Night | Dr. Charles Weldon #1 | Unknown episodes |
1972–1978 | Maude | Dr. Arthur Harmon | Main cast (121 episodes) |
1978 | The Waverly Wonders | Tate Sr. | Episode: "Tate vs. Tate" |
1978 | Grandpa Goes to Washington | Robert Green | Episode: "Kelley at the Bat" |
1978 | The Love Boat | Les | Episode: "Till Death Do Us Part-Maybe/Locked Away/Chubs" |
1978–1986 | Diff'rent Strokes | Philip Drummond | Main cast (189 episodes) |
1979 | Hello, Larry | Philip Drummond | Episode: "The Trip: Part 2" |
1979 | The Facts of Life | Philip Drummond | Episode: "Rough Housing" |
1979 | Hello, Larry | Philip Drummond | Episode: "Feudin' and Fussin': Part 2" |
1979 | Hello, Larry | Philip Drummond | Episode: "Thanksgiving Crossover: Part 2" |
1980 | The Beatrice Arthur Special | Himself | TV special, Uncredited |
1980 | CHiPs | Himself | Episode: "The Great 5K Star Race and Boulder Wrap Party: Part 2" |
1985 | The Love Boat | Leslie Campbell | Episode: "Instinct/Unmade for Each Other/BOS" |
1985 | The Love Boat | Charles Custers | Episode: "A Day in Port" |
1987–1988 | Mr. President | Charlie Ross | Main cast (24 episodes) |
1993 | The Adventures of the Black Stallion | Tobias Doyle | Episode: "Legends Never Die" |
1996 | The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air | Philip Drummond | Episode: "I, Done: Part 2", (final appearance) |
References
^ Conrad Bain profile at FilmReference.com
^ Conrad Bain Archived 2007-02-02 at the Wayback Machine at northernstars.ca.
^ Americada The place the great Philip Drummond who married Maggie McKinney Dixie carter Newsletter of the American Academy of Dramatic Arts Archived 2007-03-29 at the Wayback Machine, Spring 2003.
^ ab Conrad Bain at starpulse.com
^ Brooks Atkinson, “O'Neill Tragedy Revived,” The New York Times, May 9, 1956.
^ ab Conrad Bain at the Internet Broadway Database
^ abc Morrison, David (February 7, 2007). "Actors FCU's ATM Policy is Just One Effort to Serve Unique Acting Population". Credit Union Times. Retrieved 2014-11-12..mw-parser-output cite.citation{font-style:inherit}.mw-parser-output .citation q{quotes:"""""""'""'"}.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-free a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/65/Lock-green.svg/9px-Lock-green.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-limited a,.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-registration a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d6/Lock-gray-alt-2.svg/9px-Lock-gray-alt-2.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-subscription a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/aa/Lock-red-alt-2.svg/9px-Lock-red-alt-2.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration{color:#555}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription span,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration span{border-bottom:1px dotted;cursor:help}.mw-parser-output .cs1-ws-icon a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/4c/Wikisource-logo.svg/12px-Wikisource-logo.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output code.cs1-code{color:inherit;background:inherit;border:inherit;padding:inherit}.mw-parser-output .cs1-hidden-error{display:none;font-size:100%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-visible-error{font-size:100%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{display:none;color:#33aa33;margin-left:0.3em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration,.mw-parser-output .cs1-format{font-size:95%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-left,.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-wl-left{padding-left:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-right,.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-wl-right{padding-right:0.2em}
^ "Actors Federal Credit Union Celebrates Its 40th Anniversary". Local 802afm. July 2002. Archived from the original on 2012-04-28. Retrieved 2014-11-12.
^ "'Diff'rent Strokes' dad Conrad Bain dies at age 89; co-star Todd Bridges calls him 'father figure'". Fox News. Retrieved 16 January 2013.
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Conrad Bain. |
Conrad Bain on IMDb
Conrad Bain at the TCM Movie Database
Conrad Bain at the Internet Broadway Database
Conrad Bain at the Internet Off-Broadway Database
Conrad Bain at AllMovie
Conrad Bain at Find a Grave