Born - July 13, 1928
Died - June 29, 1978
Bob Crane was born in Waterbury, CT, the youngest of two sons. In school,
he was known for being a class clown, and an intense music lover. His favorites
were jazz and big band. Bob's specialty was the drums. After dropping out
of high school, he turned his attention to his love for music. He became a
drummer with the Connecticut Symphony Orchestra for about a year. He was later
dismissed for not being "serious enough." In 1949, Bob married Ann
Terzian, his high school sweetheart. They had three children- Bob Jr, Debbie,
and Karen. (click here and here
for family photos) In 1956, Bob and his family left the east, and moved out
west to California. There he began a lengthy, successful career in radio.
He worked at KNX radio, and became "king of the airwaves" in Los
Angeles. His radio program became a huge success, the most listened to on
the air. This was due to Crane's personality and humor. Hollywood's biggest
and brightest were frequently interviewed by Bob on his show, including Frank
Sinatra, Marilyn Monroe, Marvin Gaye, Mary Tyler Moore, and Bob Hope. In the
midst of his success, Bob's true goal was to make it big as an actor. He began
to make guest appearances on such shows as "The Dick Van Dyke Show",
and "The Twilight Zone." He also appeared in the 1961 films "Return
to Peyton Place" and "Man-Trap." In 1963, Bob got a role on
the popular "Donna Reed Show," as Dr. Dave Kelsey. After two years,
the producers let him go, saying his character was "too suggestive."
This was no problem for Crane. In 1965, he received the starring role in a
new sitcom for CBS called "Hogan's Heroes." It was a comedy about
a group of POWs in a Nazi concentration camp. He played the smooth-talking,
crafty Colonel Robert Hogan. "Hogan's Heroes" became a hit show,
finishing in the top 10 at the end of the 1965-66 season. Crane was nominated
for an Emmy twice, in 1966 and 1967. He had reached the peak of his success.
It was during this time Crane met Patti Olsen, known as Sigrid Valdis. She
played Hilda on "Hogan's Heroes." Bob divorced his wife, Ann, after
20 years of marriage, and married Patti in 1970. They married on the set of
"Hogan's Heroes." They had a son, Scotty, in 1971. Also in 1971,
the new president of CBS abruptly cancelled "Hogan's Heroes," after
a 6 year run. Following the end of "Hogan's Heroes," Bob continued
to act. However, the roles were few, and not very fulfilling. He starred in
"Superdad" and "Gus," two Disney films, and had guest
spots on shows, including "Policewoman," "Ellery Queen,"
and "Love Boat." Bob briefly had his own show, "The Bob Crane
Show," in 1975. Unfortunately, NBC cancelled the show after 3 months.
In 1973, Bob bought the rights to the play "Beginner's Luck." He
both directed the play, and starred in it. The play went around the country,
including California, Texas, Hawaii, and Arizona. In June, 1978, Bob took
"Beginner's Luck" to Scottsdale, Arizona. It was in Scottsdale that
the unthinkable happened. In the early morning hours of June 29, 1978, Bob
Crane was brutally murdered in his rented apartment/hotel room. He was beaten
to death while he slept, and strangled with an electrical cord. He was 49
years old. At the time of his death, the future looked bright for Bob Crane.
Although he was in the midst of divorcing second wife, Patti, he was set to
star in "Crash", a TV movie for ABC, and was preparing to share
a new house with his son, Bob Jr. His murder remains unsolved. It is one of
the most compelling mysteries of all time.
From the Internet Movie Database - mini-biography by Kelli Nunez, snoops71@yahoo.com
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