Book excerpt: Hans Conried was once described by the well-known Hollywood gossip columnist Hedda Hopper as "a high-strung, droll fellow, plagued by a multitude of talents." Conried was indeed a talented and versatile actor, but his versatility often worked against him. A complex individual who yearned to perform Shakespeare on the stage, he achieved success playing low comedy in films and on television. Conried performed in nearly 10,000 radio shows and hundreds of television programs and stage plays, as well as more than 80 films. Over the years, Conried also lent his distinctive voice to numerous animated shorts, phonograph records, commercials, and other projects. Some of his most memorable roles are Dr. Terwilliker in The 5000 Fingers of Dr. T; the voice of Captain Hook from Disney's Peter Pan; eccentric Uncle Tonoose on The Danny Thomas Show; the fussy elocutionist Percy Livermore on I Love Lucy; and the voice of comical villain Snidely Whiplash from Jay Ward's Dudley Do-Right series. This book chronicles Conried's life and career from his birth in 1917 through his death in 1982. Enlivened by many photographs as well as personal reminiscences from family, friends, and colleagues, the book also contains comprehensive information on Conried's radio, television, film, stage and voice work.