Shady Facts About Bob Crane, The TV Star With A Camera
Bob Crane was handsome, he was a famous TV star, and he was the perfect father. Of course, this is Hollywood, and that couldn’t be the whole story.
The truth was that Crane had a secret life that involved random women, illicit films, and a shady co-conspirator named John Henry Carpenter. Sadly, he was doomed to a brutal end.
1. He Was Perfectly Normal
Bob Crane was just an average kid growing up in a small town in Connecticut. He was born in July of 1928 and had one older brother. At the age of 11, he picked up an interesting hobby: playing the drums. After a stint with the Connecticut Army National Guard, Crane married his high school sweetheart, Anne Terzian.
He seemed to have a typical American life—but little did he know, fate had a chilling plan in store for him.
2. He Became The King
Besides drumming, Crane also wanted to be a radio host. Well, he did so well at it—working for small stations in Connecticut—that LA came calling. He was soon hosting a morning show on KNX in Los Angeles and talking it up with guests like Bob Hope, Frank Sinatra, and even Marilyn Monroe.
His show was soon number one, and he received a hefty moniker: “King of the Los Angeles airwaves”. If Crane had been content to stay on the radio, he may have avoided the gut-wrenching tragedy that his life became.
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3. He Was Recognizable
Crane became very popular in LA, and it seemed inevitable that he would soon break into television. His first stint was stepping in for Johnny Carson on his game show Who Do You Trust? There were, however, actual acting gigs that followed soon after. He appeared on The Twilight Zone, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, and even The Dick Van Dyke Show.
However, it wasn't long after landing a part in The Donna Reed Show thatCrane's life changed forever.
4. It Was Unusual
CBS decided to lure Crane away from The Donna Reed Show with an unusual idea for a sitcom. This was 1965’s Hogan's Heroes. I mean, what could be funnier than Allied prisoners stuck in a German WWII POW camp? Well, when Crane got the script in the mail, he thought the show was a drama.
Nope, it was a comedy and when it premiered, America thought it was hilarious. The show reached the top 10 in its first year, and Crane was an instant star. And as we know too well, with stardom comes temptation.
