CMG Worldwide Welcomes You to the Official Website of Bob Crane
Biography
Bob Crane was born Robert Edward Crane, in Waterbury, Connecticut, on July 13th 1928. In 1942, at the age of 14, Bob began drumming for the Connecticut Symphony Orchestra. He was dismissed a year later because he was not considered “serious enough.” Shortly thereafter, Bob began a radio career, which eventually took him west to Los Angeles, and landed him in the morning drive slot at CBS powerhouse KNX, where he became known as “The King of the Los Angeles Airwaves.” His show was wildly successful and revolutionary. Bob filled the broadcast booth with wry wit and charisma, not to mention drums, chimpanzees, and movie stars. His show was the number-one-rated morning show in Los Angeles, and Hollywood’s biggest stars were regular guests on his show: Marilyn Monroe, Ronald Reagan, Jayne Mansfield, Mary Tyler Moore, Bob Hope, Frank Sinatra, and more.
It was during his reign as “King of the L.A. Airwaves” that Crane captured the attention of CBS television executives. He began making guest appearances on The Dick Van Dyke Show, among others. Soon, he landed himself a regular role on The Donna Reed Show as Doctor David Kelsey. Then, in 1965, Crane was offered the starring role in a highly controversial television pilot about Allied prisoners in a German P.O.W. camp. The pilot made a splash and Hogan’s Heroes went on to become one of the most successful sitcoms of all time. In 1966 and 1967, Bob was nominated for two Emmy awards.
In the years following Hogan’s Heroes, Bob stayed busy with various film and television appearances, including two Disney films, Superdad, and Gus. Bob also remained a regular guest on the talk show circuit, as well as a guest host for Johnny Carson on The Tonight Show. In 1975, NBC launched The Bob Crane Show, and aired 13 episodes. For the next several years Bob acted and directed plays such as Beginner’s Luck, and other productions.
Quotes
ABOUT BOB CRANE
“He turned that character (Colonel Hogan) into an icon of American culture.”
— American National Biography
“Bob was a one man show—he asked anything that came to his mind or discussed things—and then in the middle of it—he would turn to his drums and start playing the drums on the side, cause he was a great drummer you know.”
— Monty Hall
“I must say that when Bob Crane puts his mind to something, we are certainly winding up with thrills aren’t we!?”
— Jerry Lewis
“You’re it Bob Crane…You’re our next leading man. You’ll be bigger than Peck, bigger than Spencer Tracy, bigger than anybody out here. I love you.”
— Jonathan Winters
“He hauled you right in with him, and you had fun with Bob Crane, and that’s what made him so successful on radio.”
— George Nicholaw, General Manager, KNX–CBS Radio
FROM BOB CRANE
“I wanted to be a musician, a drummer, and studied and practiced my head off for 20 years. And if you ask anyone today in show business they will tell you that I never made it.”
“I joke. It’s a comic’s defense. If they get you in a corner—throw a funny line and run!”
“I’m not well educated—I’m afraid of intellectual snobs. People bring up cultural subjects and I have to walk away like a dummy. Tony Randall scared me. He talked about opera—Puccini! All I know is Dave Brubeck. I didn’t open my mouth for fifteen minutes!”
“Mike Douglas’s producer said I was ‘pushy.’ I was pushy. I know it. I try not to be pushy, but I come on too strong. I exhaust people. I take over, I don’t really mean to, but I dominate. A tornado is let loose. It happens when I’m interviewed. On The Merv Griffin Show, Merv looked as if he’d been hit by a flounder.”
“One of the wonderful things about our relationship is that we didn’t start out as lovers. We started out being good friends and confidants. I got to know her [Patricia Crane] for all the other attributes she has, and she got to know me, she discovered, to her amazement that Hollywood actor or not, I was family oriented. I love kids. I love family living.”
“I don’t smoke, I don’t drink, two out of three ain’t bad.”
Licensing
As the exclusive licensing agent for Bob Crane, CMG Worldwide is dedicated to maintaining and developing a positive brand image for our client. CMG is a leader and pioneer in its field, with over 37 years of experience arranging licensing agreements for hundreds of personalities and brands in various industries, including sports, entertainment, music, and more. We actively seek out commercial opportunities that are consistent with our brand positioning goals, and we are committed to pursuing strategies that meet the goals of our clients, as well as our licensing partners.
Please contact us today if you are interested in licensing opportunities with Bob Crane. For a full list of CMG Clients, please visit our website here.