Richard Donald Crenna (November 30, 1926 – January 17, 2003) was an American actor and television director.[3]
Richard Crenna | |
|---|---|
 Crenna in a 1961 publicity photo | |
| Born | Richard Donald Crenna November 30, 1926 Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Died | January 17, 2003 (aged 76) Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Education | Belmont Senior High School |
| Alma mater | University of Southern California (BA)[1] |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 1937–2003 |
| Spouses | Joan Grisham
(m. 1950; div. 1955)Penni Sweeney (m. 1959) |
| Children | 3 |
| Military career | |
| Allegiance |  United States |
| Service |  United States Army |
| Years of service | 1945–1946[2] |
| Battles / wars | World War II |
Crenna starred in such motion pictures as Made in Paris (1966), The Sand Pebbles (1966), Marooned (1969), Breakheart Pass (1975), The Evil (1978), The Flamingo Kid (1984), Summer Rental (1985) and Sabrina (1995). His first success came on radio in 1948 as high school student Walter Denton co-starring with Eve Arden and Gale Gordon in the series Our Miss Brooks. Crenna continued with the comedy in its 1952 move into television. He also starred as Luke McCoy in the television series The Real McCoys (1957–1963). In 1985, he won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie for his portrayal of the title role in The Rape of Richard Beck (1985).
Early life
editCrenna was born November 30, 1926, in Los Angeles, the only child of Edith Josephine (née Pollette), who was a hotel manager in Los Angeles, and Domenick Anthony Crenna, a pharmacist. His parents were both of Italian descent.[4] Crenna attended Virgil Junior High School, followed by Belmont Senior High School in Los Angeles, from which he graduated in 1944. He served in the U.S. Army during World War II, entering the Army in February 1945 and serving until August 1946.[5][2]
After his Army service, Crenna attended the University of Southern California (USC), where he earned a Bachelor of Arts in English literature, and he was a member of the Kappa Sigma fraternity.[5][6]
Acting career
edit
Radio years
editCrenna got his acting start on radio. In 1937, he had gained his first role, that of "the kid who did everything wrong" on Boy Scout Jamboree, a show on which he continued to appear occasionally in numerous roles until 1948. In the following year, he started playing Walter "Bronco" Thompson on The Great Gildersleeve, a role he played until 1954. He also originated the role of geeky Walter Denton on the radio comedy Our Miss Brooks alongside Eve Arden and Gale Gordon in 1948, and followed that role when the series moved to television in 1952.[5] He remained in that role until 1957. He appeared as a delivery boy in My Favorite Husband (episode "Liz Cooks Dinner for 12"), was Oogie Pringle on A Date With Judy (episode "The Competitive Diet", among several other episodes of the show) and as a teenager on The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show (episode "Watching the Neighbor's Daughter").
Early television years
editCrenna played Walter Denton on radio's Our Miss Brooks, remaining with the cast when it moved into television in 1952.[5] He remained with the show until it was canceled in 1957. He guest-starred on the I Love Lucy episode "The Young Fans", with Janet Waldo and on the 1955–56 anthology series Frontier,[7] in the lead role of the episode titled "The Ten Days of John Leslie". In 1955, he was the guest star on The Millionaire in the episode "The Ralph McKnight Story".
Crenna appeared in 1956 on the television series Father Knows Best in the episode "The Promising Young Man" as a young man named Woody. In 1957, he played a bank robber on Cheyenne (season 2, episode 19).[7]
After Our Miss Brooks was canceled in 1957, Crenna joined the cast of the comedy series The Real McCoys as Luke McCoy; his co-star was Walter Brennan, who played Grandpa Amos McCoy. Crenna ultimately became one of the series's four directors during its six-year run (1957–1963).[8]
1960s–1970s
editCredited as Dick Crenna, he directed eight episodes of The Andy Griffith Show during its 1963-1964 season, including "Opie the Birdman," "The Sermon for Today," and the Gomer Pyle-instigated "Citizen's Arrest." Crenna also directed "Henhouse," a 1977 episode of Lou Grant.[5]
Crenna portrayed California state senator James Slattery in the series Slattery's People (1964–1965). For his acting in this series, he was twice nominated for an Emmy Award with slightly different names: for Outstanding Individual Achievements in Entertainment and for Outstanding Continued Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Dramatic Series, both in 1965.[9] Crenna was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best TV Star – Male for this same role in 1965. In 1966, Crenna played beside Steve McQueen as an ill-fated captain of an American gunboat in 1920s China in The Sand Pebbles.[8]
During the 1970s, Crenna continued acting in Western dramas such as The Deserter, Catlow,[10] The Man Called Noon,[11] and Breakheart Pass. He made a notable performance in Jean-Pierre Melville's final film Un Flic in 1972. In 1976, Crenna returned to weekly network television in the sitcom All's Fair, a political satire co-starring Bernadette Peters. Despite high expectations and good critical reviews, it lasted just a single season. The 1978 miniseries Centennial, based on James A. Michener's historical novel of the same name saw Crenna in the role of deranged religious fanatic Colonel Frank Skimmerhorn, who ordered the 1864 massacre of Colorado American Indians.[7]
1980s–early 2000s
editCrenna won an Emmy Award[5] and a Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television nomination for his performance in the title role of the 1985 film The Rape of Richard Beck.[12]
Crenna then played John Rambo's ex-commanding officer Colonel Sam Trautman,[13] in the first three Rambo films, a role for which he was hired after Kirk Douglas left the production a day into filming. Trautman became the veteran actor's most famous role; his performance received wide critical praise.[14] He also spoofed the character in Hot Shots! Part Deux in 1993.[15][16]
Crenna starred as NYPD lieutenant of detectives Frank Janek in a series of seven popular made-for-television films, beginning in 1988 and ending in 1994. The character of Janek had originally appeared in a series of novels by William Bayer.[17][18]
In 2001, Crenna played US President Ronald Reagan in the Showtime film The Day Reagan Was Shot, a fictionalised account of the attempted assassination attempt of Reagan in 1981.
Legacy
editCrenna was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6714 Hollywood Boulevard.[19]
Illness and death
editCrenna died of pancreatic cancer at age 76 on January 17, 2003, in Los Angeles.[20]
Filmography
editFilm
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1950 | Let's Dance | Bit Part | Uncredited |
| 1951 | Starlift | Movie Theater Usher | |
| 1952 | Red Skies of Montana | Noxon | |
| The Pride of St. Louis | Paul Dean | ||
| It Grows on Trees | Ralph Bowen | ||
| 1956 | Over-Exposed | Russell Bassett | |
| Our Miss Brooks | Walter Denton | ||
| 1965 | John Goldfarb, Please Come Home! | John Goldfarb | |
| 1966 | Made in Paris | Herb Stone | |
| The Sand Pebbles | Captain Collins | ||
| 1967 | Wait Until Dark | Mike Talman | |
| 1968 | Star! | Richard Aldrich | |
| 1969 | Midas Run | Mike Warden | |
| Marooned | Jim Pruett | ||
| 1971 | Doctors' Wives | Dr. Peter Brennan | |
| The Deserter | Major Wade Brown | ||
| Red Sky at Morning | Frank Arnold | ||
| Catlow | Marshal Ben Cowan | ||
| 1972 | Un flic | Simon | |
| 1973 | The Man Called Noon | Noon | |
| Jonathan Livingston Seagull | Father (voice) | ||
| 1975 | Breakheart Pass | Governor Richard Fairchild | |
| 1978 | Devil Dog: The Hound of Hell | Mike Barry | |
| The Evil | C.J. Arnold | ||
| 1979 | Stone Cold Dead | Sergeant Boyd | |
| Wild Horse Hank | Pace Bradford | ||
| 1980 | Death Ship | Trevor Marshall | |
| Joshua's World | Dr. Joshua Torrance | ||
| 1981 | Body Heat | Edmund Walker | |
| 1982 | First Blood | Colonel Samuel R. "Sam" Trautman | |
| 1983 | Table for Five | Mitchell | |
| 1984 | The Flamingo Kid | Phil Brody | Nominated—Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture |
| 1985 | Rambo: First Blood Part II | Colonel Samuel R. "Sam" Trautman | |
| Summer Rental | Al Pellet | ||
| 1988 | Rambo III | Colonel Samuel R. "Sam" Trautman | |
| 1989 | Leviathan | Dr. Glen "Doc" Thompson | |
| 1993 | Hot Shots! Part Deux | Colonel Denton Walters | |
| 1995 | A Pyromaniac's Love Story | Tom Lumpke | Uncredited |
| Jade | Governor Lew Edwards | ||
| Sabrina | Patrick Tyson | ||
| 1998 | Wrongfully Accused | Lieutenant Fergus Falls | |
| 2008 | Rambo | Colonel Samuel R. "Sam" Trautman | Archival footage; uncredited |
| 2019 | Rambo: Last Blood |
Television
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1952 | I Love Lucy | Arthur Morton | episode: "The Young Fans" |
| 1952–1955 | Our Miss Brooks | Walter Denton | 94 episodes |
| 1955 | The Millionaire | Ralph McKnight | episode: "The Ralph McKnight Story" |
| 1956 | Frontier | John Leslie | episode: "The 10 Days of John Leslie" |
| Medic | Donny | episode: "Don't Count the Stars" | |
| Father Knows Best | Elwood Seastrom | episode: "The Promising Young Man" | |
| 1956–1958 | Matinee Theatre | Sergeant James | 3 episodes |
| 1957 | The Silent Service | Lieutenant Commander L. L. "Jeff" Davis | episode: "The U.S.S. Pampanito Story" |
| 1957 | Cheyenne | "Curley" Galway | episode: "Hard Bargain" |
| 1957–1963 | The Real McCoys | Luke McCoy | 225 episodes nominated—Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series (1959) |
| 1960 | The Deputy | Andy Willis | episode: "A Time to Sow" |
| 1963 | Kraft Suspense Theatre | Edward Smalley | episode: "The Long, Lost Life of Edward Smalley" |
| 1964–1965 | Slattery's People | James Slattery | 36 episodes nominated—Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Television Series Drama (1965) nominated—Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Individual Achievements in Entertainment (1965) nominated—Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series (1966) |
| 1971 | Thief | Neal Wilkinson | television film |
| 1971–1972 | Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In | Guest Performer | 3 episodes |
| 1972 | Footsteps | Paddy O'Connor | television film |
| 1973 | Double Indemnity | Walter Neff | |
| 1974 | Nightmare | Howard Faloon | |
| Shootout in a One-Dog Town | Zack Wells | ||
| Double Solitaire | |||
| Honky Tonk | "Candy" Johnson | ||
| 1975 | A Girl Named Sooner | R.J. "Mac" McHenry | |
| 1976–1977 | All's Fair | Richard C. Barrington | 24 episodes |
| 1977 | The War Between the Tates | Professor Brian Tate | television film |
| 1978 | Devil Dog: The Hound of Hell | Mike Barry | |
| First, You Cry | David Towers | ||
| A Fire in the Sky | Jason Voight | ||
| 1978–1979 | Centennial | Colonel Frank Skimmerhorn | television miniseries |
| 1979 | Mayflower: The Pilgrims' Adventure | William Brewster | television film |
| Better Late Than Never | The Director | ||
| 1980 | Fugitive Family | Brian Roberts / Matthews | |
| 1981 | The Ordeal of Bill Carney | Mason Rose | |
| Daniel Boone | voice | ||
| Look at Us | Host | ||
| 1982 | The Day the Bubble Burst | Jesse Livermore | television film |
| 1982–1983 | It Takes Two | Dr. Sam Quinn | 22 episodes |
| 1984 | Squaring the Circle | The Narrator | television film |
| London and Davis in New York | John Greyson | ||
| Passions | Richard Kennerly | ||
| 1985 | The Rape of Richard Beck | Richard Beck | television film Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series or Movie nominated—Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Miniseries or Television Film |
| Doubletake | Frank Janek | television miniseries | |
| 1986 | A Case of Deadly Force | Lawrence O'Donnell Sr. | television film |
| On Wings of Eagles | H. Ross Perot | television miniseries | |
| The High Price of Passion | Bill Douglas | television film | |
| 1987 | Police Story: The Freeway Killings | Deputy Chief Bob Devers | |
| Kids Like These | Bob Goodman | ||
| Plaza Suite | Roy Hubley | ||
| 1988 | Internal Affairs | Frank Janek | |
| 1989 | The Case of the Hillside Stranglers | Sergeant Bob Grogan | |
| Stuck with Each Other | Bert Medwick | ||
| 1990 | Murder in Black and White | Frank Janek | |
| Montana | Hoyce Guthrie | ||
| Last Flight Out | Dan Hood | ||
| Murder Times Seven | Frank Janek | ||
| 1991 | And the Sea Will Tell | Vincent Bugliosi | |
| 1991–1992 | Pros and Cons | Mitch O'Hannon | 12 episodes |
| 1992 | Intruders | Dr. Neil Chase | television miniseries |
| Terror on Track 9 | Detective Frank Janek | television film | |
| 1993 | A Place to Be Loved | George Russ | |
| 1994 | The Forget-Me-Not Murders | Frank Janek | |
| Jonathan Stone: Threat of Innocence | Jonathan Stone | ||
| Janek: The Silent Betrayal | Lieutenant Frank Janek | ||
| 1995 | In the Name of Love: A Texas Tragedy | Lucas Constable Sr. | |
| 1995–1998 | JAG | Lieutenant Harmon Rabb Sr. | 4 episodes |
| 1996 | Race Against Time: The Search for Sarah | John Porter | television film |
| Nova | Narrator | Episode: B-29: Frozen in Time | |
| Texas Graces | Virgil Grace | television film | |
| 1997 | 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea | Professor Aronnax | |
| Deep Family Secrets | Clay Chadway | ||
| Heart Full of Rain | Arliss Dockett | ||
| Cold Case | Host | ||
| 1999 | To Serve and Protect | Howard Carr | |
| The Man Who Makes Things Happen: David L. Wolper | Narrator | ||
| Chicago Hope | Dr. Martin Rockwell | episode: "Teacher's Pet" | |
| 2000 | Murder, She Wrote: A Story to Die For | Warren Pierce | television film |
| By Dawn's Early Light | Ben Maxwell | ||
| 2000–2003 | Judging Amy | Jared Duff | 13 episodes |
| 2001 | The Day Reagan Was Shot | Ronald Reagan | television film |
| 2003 | Out of the Ashes | Jake Smith |
Video games
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | Rambo: The Video Game | Colonel Samuel "Sam" Trautman | character likeness / uncredited |
Awards and nominations
edit| Year | Association | Category | Nominated work | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1959 | Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series | The Real McCoys | Nominated |
| 1965 | Golden Globe Awards | Best Actor – Television Series Drama | Slattery's People | Nominated |
| Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Individual Achievements in Entertainment | Nominated | ||
| 1966 | Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series | Nominated | ||
| 1984 | Golden Globe Awards | Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture | The Flamingo Kid | Nominated |
| 1985 | Best Actor – Miniseries or Television Film | The Rape of Richard Beck | Nominated | |
| Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series or Movie | Won |
See also
edit
References
edit- ^ "The Real McCoys". The Gettysburg Times. February 24, 1962. Retrieved October 8, 2019.
- ^ a b Richard Donald Crenna in the U.S., Department of Veterans Affairs BIRLS Death File, 1850-2010, Ancestry.com
- ^ "Richard Crenna". Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times. 2015. Archived from the original on July 31, 2015. Retrieved April 20, 2015.
- ^ Martone, Eric (2016). Italian Americans: The History and Culture of a People. Santa Barbara, California: ABC-CLIO. p. 277. ISBN 978-1-61069-994-5.
- ^ a b c d e f Kilgannon, Corey (January 19, 2003). "Richard Crenna, Veteran Actor, Is Dead at 76". The New York Times. Retrieved April 17, 2011.
- ^ "Prominent Alumni". Kappa Sigma Fraternity. Retrieved March 2, 2018.
- ^ a b c Lentz III, Harris M. (2004). Obituaries in the Performing Arts, 2003. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland & Company. p. 92. ISBN 0-7864-1756-0.
- ^ a b McLellan, Dennis (January 19, 2003). "Richard Crenna, 75; Actor Made Transition From Comedy to Drama". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved March 2, 2018.
- ^ "Slattery's People". Television Academy. Retrieved March 2, 2018.
- ^ Greenspun, Roger (October 21, 1971). "Catlow' Pits Crenna Against Brynner". The New York Times. Retrieved March 2, 2018.
- ^ Weiler, A. H. (September 25, 1973). "The Screen: Double Bill:' The Man Called Noon' and 'Triple Irons' The Casts". The New York Times. Retrieved March 2, 2018.
- ^ Hal Erickson (2015). "The Rape of Richard Beck". Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times. Archived from the original on April 27, 2015. Retrieved April 20, 2015.
- ^ Maslin, Janet (October 22, 1982). "FIRST BLOOD". The New York Times. Retrieved March 2, 2018.
- ^ Drawing First Blood. First Blood DVD: Artisan. 2002.
- ^ McKerrow, Steve (May 21, 1993). "'Hot Shots! Part Deux': Laughter's better the second time around". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved March 2, 2018.
- ^ Johnson, Malcolm (May 21, 1993). "Sheen Turns Rambo in 'Hot Shots!'". Hartford Courant. Retrieved March 2, 2018.
- ^ Clark, Kenneth R. (November 6, 1988). "Crenna's Janek Is Back, But Not In A Series – Yet". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved March 2, 2018.
- ^ Sandler, Adam (March 28, 1994). "The Forget Me Not Murders". Variety. Retrieved March 2, 2018.
- ^ McLellan, Dennis (January 19, 2003). "Richard Crenna – Hollywood Star Walk". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved March 2, 2018.
- ^ "Crenna dies at 76". Variety. January 19, 2003. Archived from the original on April 14, 2018. Retrieved March 2, 2018.
External links
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