Happy Birthday, Bob Crane!

Many consider the number 13 to be unlucky, and those with triskaidekaphobia will do anything and everything to avoid this number at all costs. But for Bob Crane, who was born on Friday, July 13, 1928, it became what he called his lucky number.

Today, Bob would have been 88 years old, and in his short life of just shy of fifty years, he accomplished so much, and in fact, much more than most people do in an entire lifetime if they lived to be a hundred. Of his impressive career climb, Bob once stated: "As far as I know, nobody has followed the line of succession from radio-to-television-to-movies as I have in the past ten years or so. It's a long process, but I knew what I wanted and where I hoped to go."

And he was right. Bob always set goals for himself, and putting his mind to it, he achieved them. How many entertainers do you know worked in every medium of the entertainment profession? Bob was successful, and in some cases, a dynamic success in music, radio, television, stage, and film.

Bob Crane was:

• An adept drummer and musician since his childhood, and he produced one record album.
• A pioneer in the radio and broadcasting industry, and often referred to as a radio genius by his colleagues.
• A successful television and film actor who took his acting seriously—more seriously than most people realize or given credit for. He performed his roles so well that he made it look easy, when in fact, he worked very hard at perfecting every role.
• A talented theatre actor and director, who used his time on stage to further enhance his acting and directing skills.
• A versed writer, who authored several news columns, a television pilot, and a variety show stage production based on what he envisioned was the Hogan's Heroes finale, entitled Hogan's Heroes Revue. He also rewrote sections of Beginner's Luck, and shortly before he died, he hinted at wanting to write his autobiography.
• An avid reader who kept himself informed of every aspect of the entertainment and music industries. As the Nashua Telegraph published in 1966, "Bob Crane is one of the best informed persons on the world of entertainment, subscribing to and reading all trade publications and reading every book on the market concerned with the entertainment industry."
• Self-taught and a self-starter, if he didn't know how to do something, he would take the time to learn how on his own.
• Extremely devoted to his family. He loved them very much, and what he wanted most was for them to be happy and safe, and for there to peace and harmony.
• A philanthropist and a natural helper. If someone needed advice or assistance, he was there. In addition to donating much of his time and talents to many charities and organizations regularly, he also helped out his family, friends, and colleagues whenever he could, even if just by imparting his words of wisdom to them.

In Bob Crane: The Definitive Biography, as well as on this blog and elsewhere on our social media sites, I quote a passage from an audio recording Bob sent to his cousin, Jim Senich, who at the time was building his own radio career in Connecticut. Bob advised: "Eventually, what you're looking for is gonna happen, and by the time it does happen, you'll be that much better along the way to what you should be. Don't get discouraged, and just keep on plugging along, and what you want will eventually be yours. You know, there's nothing to stop it if you just keep on working hard. And by working hard, I mean doing the best job you possibly can. Everything happens for the best, and I believe it completely."

These are powerful words, and words that can be applied even today and in any situation. As for Jim, he took his cousin's advice seriously. He went on to achieve his own successful radio career, including working for  WICC in Bridgeport, Connecticut, as Bob did before him. As Jim talked with Linda and me for Bob's biography, he described his cousin, whom he still calls Bobby, to us this way: "The family really appreciates what you're doing for Bobby. We sure do. Bobby was just a big teddy bear. He was; he was a big teddy bear, and everybody loved him, and they didn't want to hear any bad things. Strange, people probably think he walked around with horns sticking out of his head, but he was a good guy."

This is a pure example of the real Bob Crane. Today, on his birthday, Bob's family, friends, and colleagues, as well as his fans, continue to miss him very much. We will never know what treasures he would have given us had he lived on past his fiftieth birthday. But what we do know is what he gave to us during his fifty years of life: talent, joy, kindness, compassion, and generosity. And it was extraordinary.

Bob Crane in the News: WICC Articles from 1955

Bob Crane loved being in the limelight, and throughout most of his life, he was a friend to the press, enjoying being interviewed and talking with reporters. Ever since his growing-up years in Stamford, Connecticut, Bob kept meticulous records of everything he did. As a kid, he organized parades with his music pals, and played football, baseball, and basketball games with his sports buddies. When they marched or played a scrimmage game, he made sure to notify the local press (in this case, The Stamford Advocate). When his articles showed up in print, Bob would be elated.

He would also become quite miffed if a reporter got something wrong, often pointing out the error in future articles. I can understand this completely. The last thing anybody wants is to be misrepresented. In 1965, a TV Guide reporter mistakenly wrote that he quit The Donna Reed Show over money and that Donna Reed's husband and producer Tony Owen was furious over it and glad he was gone, stating they wouldn't even miss him. Bob was hurt by the article. In fact, he was so upset that in another TV Guide article published shortly after Hogan's Heroes premiered, Bob made sure to correct the information, claiming it was completely inaccurate, and that he and Donna Reed and Tony Owen had remained friends since his departure (which, incidentally, was not over money, but rather, Bob's boredom with the role). And this is proven to be true. Donna Reed and Tony Own sent Bob a Western Union Telegram right after the premiere of Hogan's Heroes congratulating him, signing it "Love, Donna and Tony." And throughout at least the first year of Hogan's Heroes, Donna talked with Bob immediately following the airing of each episode to discuss his acting technique. (For more about this, read Bob Crane: The Definitive Biography).

After becoming a popular disc jockey/radio personality (and Bob preferred the term radio personality), newspaper articles and advertisements started appearing in news outlets locally and across the country praising Bob for his broadcasting accomplishments. Here are a few from 1955, concerning his work at WICC in Bridgeport, Connecticut. Note that in the first article from The Bridgeport Post, the the mistake in the TV Radio Mirror article is mentioned. (Double click on each for easier reading.)