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Bob Crane

Acting Born Jul 13, 1928 Waterbury, Connecticut, USA 24 credits

Biography

Bob Crane (July 13, 1928 – June 29, 1978) as an American actor, drummer, radio personality, and disc jockey best known for starring as Colonel Robert Hogan in the CBS sitcom Hogan's Heroes from 1965 to 1971. Born Robert Edward Crane in Waterbury, Connecticut, he began drumming at age 11 and started his career in radio in Hornell, New York, before hosting a top-rated morning show in Los Angeles. Crane transitioned to acting in the early 1960s with guest roles on shows like The Twilight Zone, The Dick Van Dyke Show, and The Donna Reed Show, where he played Dr. Dave Kelsey for 62 episodes. His big break came with Hogan's Heroes, earning two Emmy nominations for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series in 1966 and 1967. Post-Hogan's Heroes, Crane appeared in films like Superdad (1973) and Gus (1976), guest-starred on shows such as Police Woman and The Love Boat, and briefly led The Bob Crane Show in 1975. He was found murdered on June 29, 1978, in Scottsdale, Arizona, in an unsolved case involving blunt force trauma.

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Known for

The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson

as Self

The Donna Reed Show

1958

The Donna Reed Show

as Dr. Dave Kelsey

The Mike Douglas Show

as Self

The Twilight Zone

as Disc Jockey (uncredited)

Full filmography

  • The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson (1962) as Self
  • The Love Boat (1977) as Edward Anderson
  • The Donna Reed Show (1958)
  • The Donna Reed Show (1958) as Dr. Dave Kelsey
  • The Mike Douglas Show (1961) as Self
  • The Lucy Show (1962) as Bob Crane
  • The Dick Van Dyke Show (1961) as Harry Rogers
  • Hogan's Heroes (1965) as Robert Hogan
  • The Twilight Zone (1959) as Disc Jockey (uncredited)
  • Love, American Style (1969) as Howard
  • Love, American Style (1969)
  • The Alfred Hitchcock Hour (1962) as Charlie Lessing
  • Quincy, M.E. (1976) as Dr. Jamison
  • The Merv Griffin Show (1962) as Self
  • Night Gallery (1970) as Ellis Travers
  • The Red Skelton Show (1951) as Col. Hogan
  • Police Woman (1974) as Larry Brooks
  • The Hardy Boys / Nancy Drew Mysteries (1977)
  • Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In (1968) as Self
  • Ellery Queen (1975) as Jerry Crabtree
  • The Doris Day Show (1968) as Bob Carter
  • The Danny Kaye Show (1963) as Self
  • Hollywood Squares (1966) as Self
  • General Electric Theater (1953)