How Robert Conrad met Nick Adams

Conrad married at age 15 for knocking up his 14 year old girlfriend. What's the big deal, bubz OP? He liked men, too? **big shruggz**

Who knew James Dean's grave was a gay pickup spot? Though it makes sense...

Bump

"He was looking at me and I was looking at him."

What a cute "How we met" story!

r1, no he was 18 or so. He lied about his age for years

It's long been rumored that Nick got Bob into the 'rough trade' hustling. Also, that Bob liked to get roughed up and faux-raped. The frequent bondage scenes in the later "Wild Wild West" series was an inside joke. In his older years, he had a few hot young blond "proteges,'" including the guy with whom he was in the car that crashed (in the '90s?).

Link is not proof, just a bunch of hot pics of Conrad.

Nick the "hustler"

Later published speculation Adams' sexuality

Decades later, Adams' highly publicized life and death at a young age, his friendships with cultural icons such as James Dean and Elvis Presley, and his reported drug consumption made his private life the subject of many reports and assertions by some writers who have claimed Adams may have been gay or bisexual. One of the earliest published mentions on this overall topic was made by gossip columnist Rona Barrett in her 1974 autobiography, in which she made no assertion Adams was homosexual or bisexual, but claimed Adams had told her, along with a "whole roomful of people — that he wasn't making it, because no one in Hollywood's upper stratosphere would accept his wife." Barrett wrote, "This was untrue. She was one of the most refreshing wives in the entire community", and went on to say Adams "had become the companion to a group of salacious homosexuals" who flattered the actor, which affected his judgment and caused him to blame Carol.[33] Hollywood biographer Lawrence J. Quirk claimed Mike Connolly (a gay gossip columnist for The Hollywood Reporter from 1951 to 1966) "would put the make on the most prominent young actors, including Robert Francis, Guy Madison, Anthony Perkins, Nick Adams, and James Dean."[34] According to American Film (1986), "Nick Adams, who was ...gay, was the butt of anti-gay humor in Pillow Talk".[35]

Some writers later called Adams a "Hollywood hustler" or a "street hustler".[36] One journalist also refers to Adams as a "pool hustler" who made money in pool halls when he was a teenager in New Jersey and later while struggling to make ends meet during his early years in Hollywood.[37]

Rona really didn't like the gays. I remember her saying that the Rock Hudson-Jim Nabors wedding rumor was being spread by a group of "vicious homosexuals". And that was years before DL.

I remember him being a total hothead and sore loser on Battle of the Network Stars.

As team captain of NBC he demanded a literal run-off with ABC captain Gabe Kaplan to settle what he thought was a bad call by a referee, I think.

I laughed my ass off as a kid when nebbishy Kaplan left Conrad in the dust.

R7, I don't think it was just pool that he was hustling

Hard to read; sorry, can't find a better quality version. From Rona Barret's Hollywood, Oct. 1973:

"Beat me!"

I think he’s a truly horrible human being but I’m sure watching him in in Wild Wild West when I was young turned me gay. Absolutely fucking edible gorgeous even if he’s only 5’2, I don’t care. One of my all time fantasy men, shame he’s a nasty piece of work.

[quote] shame he’s a nasty piece of work.

Was.

Didn’t realise he’d died. Thought there might be more gay stories about him surfacing now he’s gone.

[quote]She was one of the most refreshing wives in the entire community

What was she, a glass of Tab?

^^^ No, Fresca!

Wow, he even used the term "hooked up"? Bold.