Richard Ollie Crane (June 6, 1918 – March 9, 1969) was a character actor whose career spanned three decades of movies and television. His early career included many uncredited performances in feature movies made during the 1940s.
Crane was born in New Castle, Indiana. Crane may be remembered best for his portrayal of the title role of the television science fiction series Rocky Jones, Space Ranger, which ran for two seasons starting in 1954. In 1952, he signed a seven-year contract that specified he was to make annual tours of the United States, appearing as Jones in presentations to school groups.
In 1949âÂÂ1950, he played Lieutenant Cummings in Mysteries of Chinatown a crime drama television series broadcast by ABC. Crane also appeared in the outer-space adventure movie serial ' in 1953, as Dick Preston, Cody's semi-comical sidekick, and was the hero of movie serial Mysterious Island (1951), adapted from Jules Verne's novel Mysterious Island.
Crane played Gene Plehan in the crime drama television series Surfside 6 broadcast by ABC (1960âÂÂ1962). 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 movie Guns Don't Argue.)
Crane acted on stage with the Las Palmas Theater, performing in Command Decision in 1949 and Light Up The Sky in 1950.
Crane died of heart failure at the age of 50. He is buried in Valhalla Memorial Park Cemetery.