Bob Crane and Rod Serling's 'Zero Hour' / Hollywood Radio Theater

In 1973 and 1974, Rod Serling produced a radio program entitled Zero Hour. A mystery, suspense, adventure series in the same vein as the old-time radio broadcasts of the 1940s and 1950s, the basic plot typically featured a murder mystery, and often, a "Sam Spade" or other private-eye-type character who becomes involved in the drama and sets off to solve the puzzling crime. The radio episodes were similar to mystery television series, such as Columbo; Murder, She Wrote; and Ellery Queen. They were a mix of mystery, a little action, and some dry humor, and celebrity guest stars were cast in the leading roles. Rod Serling's Zero Hour was also known as Hollywood Radio Theater, and the Mutual Broadcasting System ran the series in syndication. The series was directed by Elliot Lewis, a voice actor and veteran of the Golden Age of Radio.

In July of 1974, Bob Crane starred in five episodes of Zero Hour. They are:

July 1, 1974 - Bend Spindle and Mutilate

July 2, 1974 - Murder Is a Work of Art

July 3, 1974 - Edwards Tug and Salvage

July 4, 1974 - Larceny on the Lake

July 5, 1974 - On the Lam

Because Bob was such a gifted entertainer and voice impersonator, he was easily able to disguise his voice - as he had frequently done during his years at WLEA, WICC, and KNX - and played the parts of several radio characters. Listen closely - in this clip from Bend Spindle and Mutilate, Bob lends his voice to all of the characters in the scene

Vote For Bob Crane 2 · Bob Crane - Zero Hour Bend Spindle and Mutilate / Hollywood Radio Theater 1974

Bob Crane's work on Zero Hour is just another example of his broadcasting capabilities, which extend far beyond disc jockey and morning radio personality, to include voice acting in radio theater as well.

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Note: The complete collection of Rod Serling's Zero Hour can be purchased online through various sources, including eBay, Barnes and Noble, and others.

Bob Crane Appears on 'Gibbsville' - December 9, 1976

Bob Crane appears as a news reporter
in the series Gibbsville.
"Trapped" - December 9, 1976

Throughout his career, Bob Crane enjoyed making people laugh. His radio shows were packed to the brim with his humor, and while spontaneous, were something for which he prepared extensively. As he transitioned from radio personality to actor, whether it be on television, film, or stage, Bob preferred comedic roles. However, Bob was also a serious actor, and he worked very hard at learning the profession by studying with Stella Adler and also by accepting roles that would help him expand upon his acting skills.

In the entertainment industry, an actor accepts a role not only for the art but because it is work, and work equals a paycheck. And quite often, unless he or she has made it to the "A List" in the entertainment world, one does not have the luxury of being very selective. Yet, Bob was extremely selective from the outset, turning down numerous offers over the course of his career and often at the expense of a greater salary. Some of the offers he rejected include replacing Jack Paar on The Tonight Show (Johnny Carson accepted the offer), Who Do You Trust? (after Carson vacated the role of host and moved to The Tonight Show), a pilot for a series where he was to play a radio personality (he turned down $300,000 a year), a permanent guest spot on The Ed Sullivan Show, countless Cold War-era film roles (in the same style as The Wicked Dreams of Paula Schultz), and co-host of Good Morning America (he was offered the position in 1974; Good Morning America debuted on November 3, 1975), to name only a few. Bob stuck to his mantra of considering and accepting roles that he believed were good for him, that helped him grow as an actor, or that he thoroughly enjoyed doing.

"I had a choice," said Bob in a 1972 interview with Copley News Service reporter Don Freeman. "When Johnny Carson took over The Tonight Show, I had an offer, $3,000 a week, to replace him on his old show, Who Do You Trust? But I picked The Donna Reed Show instead, for a lot less. I wouldn't have had to learn how to emcee a game show, but I did want to learn to act."

Bob Crane appears as a news reporter
in the series Gibbsville.
"Trapped" - December 9, 1976

In the series Gibbsville, starring Gig Young and set in a mining town in rural Pennsylvania during the 1940s, Bob plays a very unlikeable character: a big city news reporter who exploits the grief of the town after a mining accident to get the story. In one scene, Bob's character orchestrates the delivery of unpleasant news to the young wife of a miner who is still trapped below ground. Her reaction is caught on camera, and later, Bob's character catches a sharp punch in the jaw for his indifference toward the town's grief. 

It's not what we're used to seeing from Bob Crane, and his performance here is under-rated. We're so used to the likable Colonel Hogan, the quick-witted radioman, or the over-protective and slightly silly father (in Disney's Superdad). But in this episode, Bob takes on a role that is way out of his comfort zone - one where he does not make the audience laugh, but instead, makes them dislike his character immensely. To Bob, who chose his roles very carefully regardless of his financial situation, this was possibly more than just a role he took because it was a job. It was a chance for him to grow as an actor in his profession.

This is not to say Bob turned down every single job offer to come his way. He still needed to work, earn a living, and support himself and his family. Bob appears in dozens of guest-starring episodic work during the mid-to-late 1970s, a period of time where he was breaking free of the Colonel Hogan typecast and reinventing himself. However, Bob typically accepted offers that would allow him to learn, and that Bob was choosy in his roles is well-documented.

Bob's work on Gibbsville is significant and an all-too-brief look at the serious actor he was becoming. Had Bob lived, there is little doubt he would have continued to expand and excel at his talent, ultimately rediscovering his niche at the start of the 1980s, a decade full of exciting new career opportunities for the acting profession.

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Reference

Freeman, D. (1972, April 20), Bob Crane ducks TV show. Cape Girardeau Bulletin, p. 5. 

Bob Crane Interviews Phyllis Diller Over KNX (circa 1960)

Today marks the passing of yet another Hollywood legend - a fabulous comedienne with "that crazy laugh" - Phyllis Diller, who died today at the age of 95. Born in Lima, Ohio, on July 17, 1917, as Phyllis Ada Driver, this eccentric and contagiously happy entertainer began her career in radio at KROW radio in Oakland, California, in 1952. The public took notice when she teamed with Bob Hope on television and on screen, and later when the pair toured with the USO during the Vietnam War. Her credits are extensive and noteworthy, and we won't pretend to do them justice here. Suffice it to say, her stand-up comedy routines and countless television and movie appearances have kept people laughing for decades.

Bob Crane interviewed thousands of celebrities at KNX-CBS Radio from 1956 to 1965, and Phyllis Diller was no exception. Between his wild on-air radio antics and her wild and crazy personality, this interview must have been off the charts! We present a portion of it here as a tribute to Ms. Diller, and it's certainly no surprise that she and Bob laugh their way through this clip from beginning to end.

Bob Crane interviews Phyllis Diller (circa 1960)

The Bob Crane Show / KNX-CBS Radio

Bob Crane and the WICC-TV Family - See Us on Channel 43 (Bridgeport, CT)

Although we have already posted about WICC-TV (Channel 43) in the past, when new, remarkable pieces of WICC history are discovered, we naturally love to talk about it. And so is the case with the The Sunday Herald, a weekly newspaper that featured local stories about Connecticut, including Bridgeport, Stamford, and the surrounding towns.

The WICC-TV Family. Bob Crane is in the center back row, standing.
Morgan Kaolian is standing, third from left. Wallie Dunlap is
seated, third from left. Next to him, seated in the center, is
WICC General Manager Philip Merryman.

In the March 1, 1953, edition (beginning on page 90), the new UHF station WICC-TV Channel 43 was featured in a lengthy, sixteen-page supplement. It is packed to the brim with WICC history - from the birth of the radio station on August 2, 1926; to its on-air personalities and behind-the-scenes staff; to its takeover in January 1952 by WLIZ (the dominant WICC call letters remained, but WLIZ staff took control); to March 15, 1953, when WICC launched Channel 43 as Connecticut's third television station and the first in Fairfield County.

Page 1 of the supplement to the March 1, 1953,
edition of The Sunday Herald.
Design by Morgan Kaolian.

WICC was way ahead of its time. In fact, ti was so far ahead of its time that it left John Q. Public in the dust. Despite its noble efforts of trying to get the fledging station off the ground, it failed miserably - not for lack of talent, but rather, because the average person in 1953 just did not have the means or the desire to purchase the extra equipment necessary to receive the UHF programming. As the story goes, Bob Crane once told viewers he would give away $100 to the first person who called - and because nobody was watching, nobody did. 

Yet, the radio-turned-television entertainers that included Bob Crane, Morgan Kaolian, and many others reveled in the new medium, enjoying the novelty of it as well as the ability to utilize it as a learning platform for grander venues down the road. 

Whether your interest is in Bob Crane, WICC, radio, or Connecticut - or all of the above! - we think you'll enjoy perusing the pages of this historic document, rich with information and overflowing with photographs from the Golden Age of Radio and Television. It is a treasure not to be missed.

(Connecticut residents - Do you have a copy of this supplement? Let us know! We'd love to add it to our WICC/Bob Crane archives!)

New Zealand's 'Radio Kidnappers' Pays Tribute to Bob Crane and KNX

Bob Crane and Pat Boone entertain Alan Hall
(standing), who was visiting from Napier, New Zealand.

Photo taken June 7, 1961 / KNX-CBS Radio.

Photo courtesy of Alan Hall. Used with permission.

In the spring/summer of 1961, a young man from New Zealand, Alan Hall, journeyed to America for a vacation abroad. All of 20 years old, he had never been out of New Zealand before. Having listened to KNX broadcasts out of Los Angeles regularly in his hometown of Napier, Alan wrote to the station, telling them about his ensuing trip and asking if KNX could recommend a family in the Southern California area that might be willing to host him during his stay. KNX did more than offer help Alan find local room and board. They took the adventurous fellow under their massive CBS wing and planned out a full Hollywood itinerary for him, which included his coming into the station and being interviewed by Bob Crane, Pat Buttram, and Ralph Story. KNX also arranged, through the president of Radio Recorders, for Alan to watch a recording session.

On June 6, 1961, Alan Hall was Bob's in-person guest on "The Bob Crane Show" over KNX, and Bob asked Alan why he chose to venture so far away from home and visit America. Alan answered, "To have a good look around and listen to as much American radio as I can." American radio, including KNX, had really influenced him, and he had wanted to experience it for himself. When Bob asked if he had gotten to listen to his show back home in New Zealand, Alan admitted, "No, unfortunately, but I listened to it yesterday morning and really enjoyed it." To that, Bob replied with his usual dry wit and a wry smile, "I've noticed your whole attitude has changed."

Dean Mardon, program producer and presenter for Radio Kidnappers, an Access Radio station broadcasting in the Hawke's Bay, New Zealand, listening area had received a recording of Bob Crane's KNX show when Alan had been the in-person guest. As a radio personality and musician who appreciated Bob's work in broadcasting, Dean decided to produce a tribute program about Bob Crane, featuring Alan Hall's 1961 KNX interview. After several months of hard work, the program was completed. It aired on Saturday, July 7, 2012, in Napier, New Zealand (Friday, July 6, 2012, in the U.S. and Canada). The program is simply terrific, and we can't thank Dean and Radio Kidnappers enough - not only for all their hard work in making this program available, but also for their strong and ongoing support of Bob Crane's induction into the National Radio Hall of Fame.

(Click on the image once and then again 
in the new window to magnify for easier reading.)

Congratulations to the National Radio Hall of Fame Class of 2012 / Vote For Bob Crane: A New Direction

We just want to take this moment to congratulate all those who were selected for induction into the National Radio Hall of Fame Class of 2012. It is a great honor and career milestone to be recognized, and we extend our warmest congratulations to all who will be honored this year. 

It has come to our attention that public voting will no longer be a component of the selection process for induction into the National Radio Hall of Fame. Therefore, an actual campaign is not longer necessary in that regard.

But we're not going anywhere! We're simply going to shift gears a bit. "Vote For Bob Crane" will become a general public awareness campaign - not only for the National Radio Hall of Fame, which we will continue to petition, but for many other similar causes (for example, a certain Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame is long overdue) and for continuing to highlight Bob Crane's life and work. We have a few other ideas as well, and a few media projects are in the works, too.

Thank you to each and every one of you for your strong and ongoing support. You help make all the difference! Stay tuned...we're nowhere near close to being done yet!

Bob Crane Overlooked for Induction into the National Radio Hall of Fame Class of 2012

Here we are again...

One year later, and those selected for induction into the 2012 Class of the National Radio Hall of Fame have been announced. Bob Crane is not among them. Instead, the nod goes to Howard Stern, who for several years has been by-passed by the National Radio Hall of Fame selection process, and as a result, has openly attacked their process.

Click here to read the official statement from the Museum of Broadcast Communications.

As was the case in 2011, public voting has been suspended in lieu of the Steering Committee hand-selecting key individuals they believe have been overlooked in the past. In June 2011, the Steering Committee had made it very clear that Bob Crane's nomination would be retained on file, and that he would be considered for future classes.

While we do not deny Mr. Stern and the other members of the Class of 2012 their rightful place for their work in the broadcasting industry, we do wish those in charge of the selection process would recognize Bob Crane's extensive and unprecedented work in radio/broadcasting. We also wish they would let his colleagues, friends, family, and fans be heard through a public voting process, which for two years now, has been denied them.

Today, June 29, 2012, marks the 34th anniversary of Bob Crane's death. On this day in 1978, in Scottsdale, Arizona, Bob was murdered at 49 years of age. Although many suspect Bob's murderer to be John Henry Carpenter, who stood trial in 1994 and was acquitted, the crime remains officially unsolved to this day. Since his death, however, Bob has become one of the most misunderstood and ridiculed public figures in the world. 

Some Key Facts about Bob Crane

• He was a pioneer in radio and broadcasting, inventing styles and techniques still used today by countless radio personalities, including Mr. Stern and many others who have been inducted into the National Radio Hall of Fame.
• He has been called a "genius" in the radio industry by those who worked with him.
• He spent nearly 15 consecutive years in the radio industry, and he never fully abandoned it after he left KNX in 1965 to accept the role on Hogan's Heroes.
• He was driven toward success and had a rich career that included music, radio, television, theatre, and film; in addition to acting, he was also a writer, a director, and a producer.
• He donated much of his time to countless charities, including the U.S. Armed Forces Radio Network, Operation Entertainment, Cerebral Palsy Foundation, the Arthritis Foundation, and many more. He also was a frequent guest speaker at conferences and events, and in one year alone made more than 300 personal appearances for different charities, fundraisers, and community service events.
• Just before his death, Bob recognized that his addiction - which he himself called an addiction - had become a destructive force in his life. He sought professional help to overcome it, and he did so for his children, all of whom he loved dearly.
• People who knew Bob and loved him have called him a ray of light with a sunny personality. He could brighten any room just by walking into it. They are saddened and angered at how he has been remembered. Had he lived, he would have gone on to do many more great things in the entertainment industry.

Looking Toward the Future - 2013 and Beyond
We will not be deterred! We will now set our sights on 2013 and beyond. Whether there will be a public voting in 2013 or if the National Radio Hall of Fame Steering Committee will suspended public voting indefinitely remains to be seen. Regardless, your vote truly does count with us. And these things do take time. So please keep checking back for updates and continue to spread the word about Bob Crane. Write letters to the National Radio Hall of Fame Steering Committee on Bob's behalf. He deserves proper recognition, and we will see that he receives it!

Update - June 30, 2012: It has come to our attention that public voting for the National Radio Hall of Fame has been suspended indefinitely, and individuals for future Classes will be chosen by the National Radio Hall of Fame Steering Committee. We will, however, continue to petition the Steering Committee for Bob Crane's inclusion in the National Radio Hall of Fame. Our campaign will now also become a general awareness campaign, not only for the National Radio Hall of Fame, but for other similar causes. Stay tuned! We're not done yet!