Richard Crane (actor)

Richard Crane
Born Richard Ollie Crane
(1918-06-06)June 6, 1918
New Castle, Indiana, U.S.
Died March 9, 1969(1969-03-09) (aged 50)
Hollywood, California, U.S.
Cause of death Heart attack
Resting place Pierce Brothers Valhalla Memorial Park
Years active 1940-1968
Spouse(s) Merna Ellen Pardee
Charlotte June Becker (1942-?) (1 child)

Richard Ollie Crane (June 6, 1918–March 9, 1969) was a veteran character actor whose career spanned three decades in films and television. His early career included many uncredited performances in feature films made in the 1940s.

He may be best-remembered for his portrayal of the title role in the TV science fiction series Rocky Jones, Space Ranger, which ran for two seasons starting in 1954. Of notable athletic ability, he appeared in the outer-space adventure serial Commando Cody: Sky Marshal of the Universe in 1953, as Cody's semi-comical sidekick, and was the hero of the 1951 serial based loosely on Jules Verne's Mysterious Island. He later made numerous appearances in many popular TV shows. In 1958-1959 he made two guest appearances on Perry Mason: as George Moore in "The Case of the Lonely Heiress," and Dr. Douglas Keene in "The Case of the Caretaker's Cat." Other television appearances included The Lone Ranger, Death Valley Days, Dragnet, Lassie, The Rifleman, and Gang Busters, in which he played gangster John Dillinger's associate Homer Van Meter. (Footage from Gang Busters, including Crane's part as Homer Van Meter, was edited into the low-budget theatrical film Guns Don't Argue.) Crane died of a heart attack at the age of 50. He is buried in Valhalla Memorial Park Cemetery.

Selected filmography

References

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