Will 2013 Be Lucky 13 for Bob Crane?

Beginning in 2011, we have been raising awareness about Bob Crane's extensive work in radio and broadcasting. Much of what he did in radio from 1950 to 1965 was unprecedented for its day, and Bob can, without a doubt, be credited with paving the way for radio personalities for generations to come. Over time, many have officially endorsed Bob's nomination, including WLEA in Hornell, NY; WICC in Bridgeport, CT; the Connecticut Broadcasting History organization; members of the Columbia Square (KNX) Alumni Group; and several of his radio colleagues. These outstanding professionals in radio and broadcasting strongly support Bob Crane's induction into the National Radio Hall of Fame. That he has not yet been recognized, considering his rich career in the industry and his dedication to it, is a travesty.

Simply put, Bob's work in radio included many elements:

• The ability and allowance to play his own records, a ground-breaking move by the Engineers' Union in the mid-1950s.
• His talents in music and drumming, which he incorporated into his radio show by playing along with songs.
• Making fun with sponsors' commercials, and by doing so, including them as part of his show rather than a break from his show.
• Bob was a gifted voice impersonator, having been labeled the "Man of 1000 Voices."
• Thousands of sound effects.
• The capability to locate a record, and then the exact groove in that particular record, within seconds to produce the exact sound effect or voice he wanted for that moment in his show.
• The interviewing of approximately 3,000 individuals over KNX, most of them being celebrities.
• For a sponsor to buy air time over KNX during Bob's morning program, the sponsor had to buy air time elsewhere during the day. There was a premium to be aired during Bob's show, and you couldn't just be aired over Bob's show. As a result, Bob Crane made KNX a lot of money from 1956-1965.
• "Arguably the most listenable DJ in LA history, Crane helped uncover and establish several entertainment icons." (Harvey Geller, former Vice President and Editor, Cash Box Magazine (West Coast); Columnist, Feature Writer, Editor, and Sales Executive, Variety Magazine and Billboard Magazine; friend and neighbor of Bob Crane)

Bob Crane interviewed thousands over KNX-CBS Radio / 1956-1965
Click to enlarge the image.

So how is it that Bob Crane has not yet been recognized in the National Radio Hall of Fame? Keep in mind that his lifestyle was shocking only in that it was not what the public had imagined "Colonel Hogan" to be. Further, it did not define who he was. And finally, and perhaps most importantly, this was part of his private life, not anybody else's business except his own, and it was a side of his life that he was not at all proud of. According to Rev. Edward Beck, Bob had recognized his behavior as a powerful and destructive force in his life (he himself called it an addiction), and he was seeking professional help to overcome it shortly before his murder. In what way should any of this deny him of an honor that is so rightfully his? 

Bob's lucky number has always been 13. We are hopeful that 2013 will prove just as lucky, and we will see his induction into the National Radio Hall of Fame this year.

Stay tuned...

Bob Crane: 'The Story of My Life'

By Carol Ford

While listening to some of Bob Crane's KNX airchecks recently, I revisited one from February 24, 1960. This particular recording was from a new evening KNX radio show featuring Bob Crane. It was produced in the same format as his morning program, with Bob interviewing celebrity guests, playing music, drumming along with that music, and incorporating his humor into commercials with wild antics, voices, and sound effects. With the success and popularity of Bob Crane's morning show, KNX had decided to try its luck at an evening program as well. 

In 1960, Bob was performing his daily program over KNX from 6:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. Monday through Friday, and on Saturday from 8:00 a.m. until 12:00 noon. The evening program added one more piece to his already hectic schedule, which included his breaking into acting. He had already added appearances in movies and on television to his growing resume, and The Dick Van Dyke Show and The Donna Reed Show were on the horizon.

Right at the beginning of this recording. Bob starts off by introducing the new evening version of the program and then explains a bit about relocating to California from the East Coast and settling in Tarzana, California, with his first wife and son Bobby. Then, a few seconds later, he says, "I'm going to tell you the story of my life."

As I have been writing Bob's biography and researching for longer than I can recall, when I first heard those words emanating from my computer speakers, naturally, I was a bit excited. Was Bob going to start talking about some of his life history? Would I have quotes right from the horse's mouth, so to speak, that I could include in his biography to help tell his life story?

The answer was, unfortunately, no. No sooner does he make that comment, and Bob begins to joke around. In traditional Bob Crane style, before you even realize what is happening, he had suddenly moved on to something else.

The other day, as I was writing and digging back into my files, checking and rechecking facts and quotes, trying my very best to make this as completely accurate as humanly possible, I remembered Bob saying how he was going to tell his life story in this aircheck. I thought of how wonderful it could have been to have even just a few hours to talk with Bob one-to-one, giving him a chance to say as much as he could say during the time allotted. It was at that point when I realized, no matter how accurate I am, no matter how perfect my research or how skilled my writing, despite that my colleagues and I will publish this book to the best of our ability, it will never, ever be as good as if Bob himself had written it. It is a subtle realization often overlooked during the course of researching and writing a biographical, and thus, historical work. It is a powerful realization none-the-less.

June 29, 2013, will mark the 35th anniversary of Bob's death. Perhaps this will be the year he receives proper recognition into the National Radio Hall of Fame. Hopefully, the same will soon be true of the Hollywood Walk of Fame. And with luck and a lot of hard work, next year at this time, we will be holding Bob's new, published biography in our hands. 

But that Bob is not here to write his own autobiography, to tell us his life story in his own words and as he remembered it, is yet another loss for us. He would have had so much to say.

Refocusing on Bob Crane: A Friend Shares His Opinion of 'Auto Focus'

By Carol Ford

I know I have not posted in quite awhile - I wish there were more hours in the day! However, it has not been without good reason. I have been concentrating all of my writing efforts on Bob Crane's biography, and I'm happy to report that it is moving along well. I absolutely cannot wait for it to be written and published so that Bob's full and complete story can finally, after all these decades, be known. 

One individual whom Linda Groundwater and I interviewed for Bob Crane's biography was Bob's good friend and neighbor, Harvey Geller, who had been Vice President and Editor of Cash Box Magazine (West Coast), as well as a feature writer, columnist, reviewer, and sales executive for Billboard and Variety magazines. Mr. Geller had known Bob in Bridgeport, Connecticut, at WICC, and later, after both men had relocated on the West Coast, they reconnected while Bob was at KNX in Hollywood. He provided Linda and me with an interview rich with anecdotes and insights and fascinating history about Bob, information that has never before been shared and will be included in the book. Sadly, Mr. Geller passed away in March 2009.

In October 2002, Harvey Geller wrote a Letter to the Editor that was published in the Los Angeles Times. He had a very strong opinion about the film Auto Focus, which had just been released in theaters. We agree whole-heartedly with his opinion on the film, and although we have shared the link to the article many times, I am also sharing it again here. Mr. Geller sums up in a succinct letter exactly how damaging Auto Focus is and the reason why a new, serious biography about Bob Crane is so desperately necessary.

Source: Los Angeles Times / October 13, 2002
Refocusing on Crane - Harvey Geller discusses his friend Bob Crane
of Hogan's Heroes and his dissatisfaction with the film Auto Focus.

Now...Back to writing.

Jonathan Winters on The Bob Crane Show / KNX-CBS Radio (c. 1960)

We've included this clip before as part of another post, but we wanted to highlight it today in memory of Jonathan Winters, who passed away on Thursday, April 11, 2013, of natural causes at his home in Montecito, California. During his 87 years of life, the great comedian and entertainer had inspired countless individuals, many of them young, aspiring actors and comedians. One such peron was Bob Crane.

Jonathan Winters was a regular guest on The Bob Crane Show over KNX-CBS Radio in Hollywood (1956-1965). "Another great one was Jonathan Winters," Bob explained in a 1964 interview with Associated Press reporter Bob Thomas. "He held back the first time he was on because he didn't realize how far I went. Then he asked to come back again, and he was out of this world."

In fact, Jonathan Winters was so out of this world that he managed to do something that the majority of guests on Bob Crane's show were unable to do: get one up on the fast-talking radio personality. Most guests came on Bob's show fully aware that he would roast them a bit. In fact, although there were a few exceptions, the great majority of them enjoyed it and had just as much fun as Bob did on the air. But in an ad-libbed skit between Jonathan and Bob during one interview, Jonathan takes the upper hand and catches Bob off-guard, eventually rendering him speechless - a rare feat for any guest on Bob's show.

That clip is presented here in memory of both Bob Crane and Jonathan Winters, two of the best comedians this world has ever known.

  
The Bob Crane Show / KNX-CBS Radio

Bob Crane interviews Jonathan Winters / Ad-libbed routine

Circa 1960

The Bob Crane Show - The Wildest, Funniest Morning Program in Radio

Sometimes, it is best to let something speak for itself…

Flyer from KNX-CBS Radio (circa 1960) promoting Bob Crane
and his morning radio show.

Happy Easter, Happy Passover, and Do Unto Others...

By Carol Ford

Bob Crane as Colonel Robert Hogan
in Hogan's Heroes.

I have been extremely busy lately, diligently writing Bob Crane's biography. So deeply involved am I in telling his life story that every so often, I have to go put on the TV or drop onto Facebook to bring myself out of the past and into the present. The telling of Bob's life story, as well as overseeing the cause for his induction into the National Radio Hall of Fame and Hollywood Walk of Fame, is fascinating and rewarding. It is also challenging. 

Thanks to Paul Schrader's "biopic" film AutoFocus, a lot of people who watched the film pride themselves on believing they know Bob Crane. They make grand, sweeping statements about him that they believe to be true. For every positive comment and supportive email I receive, I also get some rather heated notes from people who did not know Bob Crane but who have seen the film and/or read the book, and thus, felt compelled to write. "Haven't you seen AutoFocus?" they ask, wondering why I'm wasting my time and devoting such energy on a story that has already been told, and according to them, about a man who is not worth talking about except to ridicule.

I don't blame anyone for voicing his or her opinion. After all, if it's in the film and the earlier published book, it must be all-inclusive and accurate. Right?

Wrong. From the nearly 200 people Linda Groundwater and I interviewed, from close family to dear friends as far back as grade school to colleagues in radio, television, theatre, and film to the man who was helping Bob Crane overcome his addiction, the overflowing of sentiment and positive remarks was phenomenal. Most people used the phrase "balance the scales" as they shared their recollections of the man who they say was much different than the one depicted in AutoFocus.

As I write Bob Crane's biography, I will be accurate. I will be thorough. I will share his entire life without forgetting that yes, he was human, and no, he was not perfect. Not one person on this earth is. The book will be vetted as well as reviewed by original sources for accuracy prior to publication. Those who have been interviewed are not just contributors, they are active participants in the accurate telling of Bob Crane's life.

I will cover the parts of Bob's life that have been grossly overlooked. How, while working in radio, he became one of the most important figures in radio history, developing a technique that opened up radio like never before and interviewing close to 3,000 people - most of them Hollywood's most glamorous and important celebrities of the day. How, as a husband and a father, he was devoted and loving. How, as someone battling an addiction, was courageous enough to admit it as such and sought professional help. How, as an actor, he took his acting seriously and turned down offers to host television talk shows in favor of acting jobs so he could hone his craft. How, as a philanthropist, he gave back to the community and to charity, and usually for either nothing or for a nominal fee to cover transportation costs (if traveling out of town). How, as a victim of a brutal murder, his memory has received little or no respect in the decades that followed.

Recently, I discovered a similar situation regarding legendary actor and comedian John Belushi. Published two years after Belushi's death, Wired: The Short Life and Fast Times of John Belushi was authored by acclaimed journalist Bob Woodward. With Woodward's impressive resume and credentials, one would think Wired would be the Holy Grail about John Belushi. 

However, Wired missed its mark. Although interviewed at length by Woodward, Belushi's family and friends were terribly disappointed with the book after its publication, and they denounced it, claiming it did not do any justice to the man they knew. In 2004, John Belushi's widow, Judy, hired writer Tanner Colby to co-author a new book with her, this one entitled Belushi: A Biography, which was published in November 2005.

* * *

You be the judge. Here is an excerpt from Colby's article, "The Troubling Things I Learned When I Re-Reported Bob Woodward's Book on John Belushi," published on March 12, 2013. (Click here to read the entire article.)

One of the things that was so spectacular to watch during the filming was the incredible connection that [Belushi] and Landis had. During the scene on the cafeteria line, Landis was talking to Belushi all the way through it, and Belushi was just taking it one step further. What started out as Landis saying, “Okay, now grab the sandwich,” became, in John’s hands, taking the sandwich, squeezing and bending it until it popped out of the cellophane, sucking it into his mouth, and then putting half the sandwich back. He would just go a little further each time.

Co-star Tim Matheson remembered that John "did the entire cafeteria line scene in one take. I just stood by the camera, mesmerized." Other witnesses agree. Every person who recounted that incident to me [Colby] used it as an example of Belushi's virtuoso talent and his great relationship with his director. Landis could whisper suggestions to Belushi on the fly, and he'd spin it into comedy gold. 

Now here it is as Woodward presents it:

Landis quickly discovered that John could be lazy and undisciplined. They were rehearsing a cafeteria scene, a perfect vehicle to set up Bluto's insatiable cravings. Landis wanted John to walk down the cafeteria line and load his tray until it was a physical burden. As the camera started, Landis stood to one side shouting: "Take that! Put that in your pocket! Pile that on the tray! Eat that now, right there!"

John followed each order, loading his pockets and tray, stuffing his mouth with a plate of Jello in one motion. 

* * *

It should make one pause and reconsider. This is why, from the outset, that the research on Bob Crane's life and times for his new biography is an open book to all who participated. This telling will be accurate and not gloss over his life or minimize anything in it.

To apply this same exercise with Bob Crane's biography (as done with Belushi above), here is what Robert Graysmith says about Bob's school days in The Murder of Bob Crane (later retitled AutoFocus). It is the entire extent to which he covers Bob's school days:

Bob attended high school in Stamford, another manufacturing town. He was a good Catholic boy, but his grades were mediocre. The New York State line is only eleven miles from Stamford, and it was in New York City that the boy felt his future lay.

When Bob was fifteen he determined to become a musician; it was the swing era, and percussion was his passion. His favorite drummer was Gene Krupa. Bob loved his ear, his control, his sensitivity and intensity. Krupa, it was said, "did everything but skate on the ceiling," and Crane, as part of his rocking, foot-stomping audience, heard him whenever he could.

A favorite and recurrent dream of Crane's was instant success. "I wanted to be a drummer," he said, "like Gene Krupa..." His eyes would grow wistful as he continued, "I would have this fantasy. I would be at the Paramount Theatre in New York in Times Square, and Louis Prima's drummer would fall sick.

"The theater managers asked, 'Is there a drummer in the house?' I would run up on the stage and play--instant fame!" He sighed. "I never made it, though I never stopped practicing on the skins."

Bob dropped out of high school; he would feel insecure about it for the rest of his life.

Now, here's what Bob's school friends and classmates have told me about Bob for his new biography (and this is just a handful):

Bob had a way about him that could brighten the darkest day. He made others feel good about themselves with a generosity of spirit rare in a teenager or anyone. And we, the remainder of the Class of ’46, have remembered our Drummer Boy fondly throughout the years. We could use some of his sunshine now!

Bob was always in the limelight. Everyone knew who he was, even though we didn’t know him personally. He always had a smile. He most always had drumsticks in his hands. He would tap on lockers, bannisters, or whatever was around as he passed from class to class. Most students knew his name. We were proud to say he made it.

I remember Bob Crane sitting in back of me in school with his "sticks" (fifth grade). He became the "leader of the band" throughout our Stamford High School years. The best are never forgotten.

The school newspaper featured Bob in the April 1946 issue, stating, “His twinkling brown eyes and boyish smile have won him many friends among his classmates. His 5-foot, 11-inch frame is a familiar sight around SHS.” 

Notes: Bob Crane graduated from Stamford High School in 1946. Click here for program listing Bob's name.

Bob also sat in and drummed with many of the classic Big Bands later in life, including the Stan Kenton Orchestra, the Harry James Orchestra, and Rob Morris and the Band, among others. He also interviewed Gene Krupa over KNX, at which time, the two drummers challenged each other in one of Krupa's infamous drum battles.

* * *

As I have sat and talked at length with Bob Crane's family, his dearest friends, and his most trusted colleagues, and they so vehemently denounce AutoFocus, to the point of tears in some cases, how can that be ignored? They say to me, "I watched AutoFocus through parted fingers, as if watching a train wreck," or they just shake their heads and say, "No, no, no! This was not Bob Crane!" Instead, they say repeatedly he was kind, driven, compassionate, and talented beyond measure, and use words like "genius," "sunny personality," "joy," "funny," "smart," and "ray of sunshine" when describing him. This cannot be ignored.

Today is Easter Sunday, and Passover is drawing to a close. It is, for many, the most religious and spiritual time of year. Whatever your spiritual beliefs, however, I ask you to look at others with a bit more kindness. It's a pretty safe bet that you do not know their whole story.

"The best are never forgotten."

Bob Crane on 'The Donna Reed Show' - 1963-1965

Today marks the 50th anniversary of Bob Crane's acting debut on The Donna Reed Show. After seven tremendous years on the air over KNX-CBS Radio in Los Angeles, a hilarious guest appearance on The Dick Van Dyke Show on December 26, 1962, and several other small acting roles, Bob was eager for more. Donna Reed had been a guest on Bob's KNX radio show, and she was enamored with the bright radio star and his on-screen potential. She offered him a guest role in the episode "The Two Doctors Stone," which originally aired over ABC on March 14, 1963. Having successfully won over Donna Reed, her husband and series producer Tony Owen, and audiences, Bob Crane was offered a permanent role on The Donna Reed Show, as next-door neighbor and friend of the Stones, Dr. Dave Kelsey.

Donna Reed, Carl Betz, and Bob Crane (as Dr. Dave Blevins)
in the episode, "The Two Doctors Stone."

It is often misreported that Bob Crane portrayed Dr. Kelsey right from the beginning of his work on The Donna Reed Show; however, he did not. In his first episode, "The Two Doctors Stone," he is credited as Dr. Dave Blevins, a friend and medical colleague of Alex Stone. In this episode, the pair of doctors spend most of the time convincing Donna that she cannot possibly be able to predict Trisha's (Patty Petersen, younger sister of Paul Petersen) cold by the inordinate amount of bananas she is consuming and trying to convince her to take a vacation with Alex. "I could always tell when Jeff was getting sick. He'd eat lots of bananas," she insists as Trisha gobbles up banana after banana. Donna is insulted when Alex pokes fun at her theory, and he tries to make amends. The episode concludes with neither Donna nor Alex being correct; Trisha does not get sick, but Jeff does, canceling any hope for their vacation.

Bob's work on this episode was impressive, and it led to Donna Reed and Tony Owen offering him the regular role of Dr. Dave Kelsey opposite Ann McCrea as his wife Midge. His first episode as Dr. Kelsey, "Friends and Neighbors," originally aired on April 4, 1963. The plot introduces the young Kelseys as they move in next door to the Stones. 

For the next two years, Bob Crane would add an unprecedented amount of spice to the usually sweet family television show. While working on The Donna Reed Show, Bob also held down his regular morning radio show aired over KNX Monday through Friday. He had also been performing a Saturday radio program over KNX, which he stopped doing in 1964. In addition to working on The Donna Reed Show and at KNX, Bob also continued to make public appearances and host celebrity events. It was a grueling schedule, to say the least.

Bob Crane and Ann McCrea as Dave and Midge Kelsey

on "The Donna Reed Show"

"I did The Donna Reed Show for two years," said Bob in a 1976 interview. "I did radio at the same time, and at 10:00 in the morning, I used to finish the radio show, run across the street, and do The Donna Reed Show...I used to get my make-up on during the 9:00 CBS News at Columbia Studios, across the street from CBS Radio. Then I'd run across the street and do the last hour of my radio show, which I had guests on."

In December 1964, a new situation comedy set in an Allied prisoner of war camp in World War II Germany was under development. Bob was cast as the lead in the pilot episode of Hogan's Heroes, and after CBS picked up the series for its Fall 1965 lineup, Bob was offered the role. 

Of course, Bob Crane accepted the part of Colonel Hogan, and the rest is history. Wanting to devote his full attention to Hogan's Heroes, and because of his already-intense schedule juggling both radio and television, he decided to leave his long-time job in radio at KNX. His final appearance as Dr. Kelsey on The Donna Reed Show was on April 8, 1965, in the episode, "Indoor Outing." 

The Donna Reed Show was one of the most successful television programs ever produced, and it continues to entertain audiences 50 to 60 years after its debut. Bob Crane had been seeking such an opportunity ever since coming to Los Angeles from the East Coast in August 1956. His work on The Donna Reed Show as Dr. Dave Kelsey made it possible for him to transition completely from radio into acting, and from there, he would go on to excel in the role many believe he was born to play, that of Colonel Robert Hogan on Hogan's Heroes.