The casting had been more difficult. Macdonnell and Meston both wanted William Conrad for the lead, but CBS objected. Conrad was known as a heavy from his movie roles {Body and Soul; Sorry, Wrong Number; The Killers}. He was also a busy radio actor {Escape, Suspense, The Adventures of Sam Spade, many others} with a distinctive air presence. As Conrad told Hickman: "I think when they started casting for it, somebody said, 'Good Christ, let's not get Bill Conrad, we're up to you-know-where with Bill Conrad.' So they auditioned everybody, and as a last resort they called me. And I went in and read about two lines … and the next day they called me and said, 'Okay, you have the job.
( John Dunning )
[ On the Air: The Encyclopedia ]
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