He was born Robert Edward Crane in 1928. He started out as an announcer on 1480 WLEA-AM. It was his first radio gig, but it was in Hornell, New York over 230 air miles form his new wife Ann Terzian, in Stamford, CT. Bob toughed it out, living at the YMCA until he could score a better gig at 1120 WBIS-AM (now WPRX-AM) in Bristol, Connecticut. He bailed on then quickly for a better gig as the morning man at 600 WICC-AM in Bridgeport. He stayed there over six years. leaving for a gig in Boston at WEEI-AM. He left in 1956 only at the beckoning of the CBS radio network.CBS gave him the morning show at 1070 KNX-AM in Hollywood. Soon it was the number one rated morning show in Los Angeles. He was known locally as "the king of the airwaves" His guests included Marilyn Monroe, Marvin Gaye, Bob Hope, Jayne Mansfield, and Frank Sinatra. But while number one in his slot, he still was really number two overall behind Dick Whittinghill at 710 KMPC-AM. The two arch rivals were actually friendly and Crane filled in for Dick for a few weeks two decades later in July of 1972. It's interesting that Whittinghill's 1976 autobiography Did You Whittinghill This Morning? makes no reference to Crane at all.
It was only in 1965 that be was offered the starring role in "Hogan's Heroes" and became a television star. In 1974 after years of TV he actually snubbed an offer for a new radio gig. He had his own eponymous show for 14 whole episodes in 1975. After that his status as a regular at strip joints and discos got him blackballed from Disney, and probably other quarters. The poor performance of the movie Superdad in 1973 kept him out of yet more lead rolls. He spent the rest of his career doing dinner theater and making guest appearances. In 1978 he was found bludgeoned to death in an Arizona hotel room; he was fifty years old. His friend John Henry Carpenter was tried for the murder but was acquitted.
Your claim of Bob being a "bad, bad man" is a rather sweeping statement to make. Truth is, while Bob wasn't perfect, he certainly wasn't all bad, either. He had an addiction, one he recognized, and he was seeking help to overcome it at the time of his death. He also had a television show in the works at that time, having filmed the pilot just before he died. Those who knew him best will tell you he was kind, generous, caring, happy-go-lucky, and friendly - the exact opposite of a "bad, bad man." It's always better to get your facts straight before spreading half-truths and misinformation. Articles such as this continually add fuel to the fire and are why Bob remains a media target. People don't really know him at all.
ReplyDeleteBob crane was a deviant sick pervert womanizing amateur pornographer who once told his own wife Sigrid he wished he could push button to make his sexual partners disappear after he was done with them. He was persona non grata in Hollywood..showed his homemade porn to everyone including Richard Dawson's Son and his own Son, both underage!
DeleteI am amazed when people feel the need to defend perversion like it's some kind of horrible wrong. he's not an embezzler, or a serial killer. I just stated that he's a perv. Which he was.
ReplyDeleteHaving known Bob, his family, and some of his closest friends, I am confident in my assertions. I do not defend his actions, but I do defend him in that he recognized his sickness, wanted to change, and was actively seeking help. Do you not understand the weight of your words? Your post sends the message that any addict seeking help and recovery does not deserve the support needed to even try, and instead, we should all just make fun of them.
ReplyDeleteOh not the sex addict argument.. that's so pathetic.
ReplyDeleteWow. Well, I guess you told me. You are entitled to your opinion, skewed though it is. Perhaps one day you will realize that not all media report fact, and that which you do not understand is not simply "pathetic."
ReplyDeleteSeriously... you're being ridiculous. It's not even in the DSM. (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders) It's just not real.
ReplyDeleteI am a professional in the health care industry. There are literally thousands of peer-reviewed clinical articles on sex addiction published in professional medical, psychiatric, psychological, and nursing journals and indexed in PubMed, CINAHL, Ebsco, and other document delivery sources. Just because sex addiction is not officially recognized in the DSM does not mean it is not real or that it will not be recognized in the future, as was the case with most mental illnesses in the history of mental health care. If agreeing with other professionals who want people who suffer from this form of addiction to get well makes me pathetic and ridiculous, then oh well.
ReplyDeleteSure you are. In reality you are an anonymous commenter on a blog defending a perv. the existence of article is not compelling, there are also articles on unicorns and compassionate conservatism. Articles do not make things real. However, it's exclusion from the DSM is quite compelling...
ReplyDeleteYour friend was a perv. A very talented perv, but a perv none the less.
PS He was great in Hogans' Heroes.
A perv is a perv is a perv. And perhaps an actor and a family man and a son. Nevertheless a pervert. A person who deviates from the norm hence taking pornographic videos of him having sex with mini mini mini women. Yes that is a problem and he should have searched for help. But he should not have put his sexual endeavors on videos perhaps he really made some husband really really mad .
ReplyDeleteHe’s a perv.
ReplyDeleteBob Crane was a disgusting pervert who showed dirty photos and talked about his penis and sexual exploits to kids on the set of Disney movies. He treated his wife like garbage and scarred her and his children for life. Crane would show unsuspecting visitors his home made porno films and masturbate while watching them. Sorry,but the man was a sicko who ultimately brought about his own demise. He allowed his perversion to take control of his life and destroy it and his family.
ReplyDelete