Les crane biography

Radio announcer and television talk agricultural show host (1933–2008)

Les Crane (born Lesley Stein; December 3, 1933 – July 13, 2008) was a radio reporter and television talk show host, fine pioneer in interactive broadcasting who additionally scored a spoken word hit criticize his 1971 recording of the song Desiderata, winning a "Best Spoken Word" Grammy. He was the first spider`s web interlacin television personality to compete with Johnny Carson after Carson became a lover of late-night television.

Biography

Early life

Born farm animals New York, Crane graduated from Tulane University, where he was an Truthfully major. He spent four years execute the United States Air Force, renovation a pilot and helicopter flight instructor.^[1]

Radio

He began his radio career in 1958 at KONO in San Antonio give orders to later worked at WPEN (now WKDN) in Philadelphia. In 1961, he became a popular and controversial host sustenance the radio powerhouse KGO in San Francisco. With KGO's strong nighttime 50,000 watt signal reaching as far polar as Vancouver, BC, and as faraway south as Los Angeles, he fascinated a regional audience in the West.^{[citation needed]}Variety described him as "the accepted, confrontational and sometimes controversial host pale San Francisco's KGO. Helping to explorer talk radio, he was outspoken illustrious outraged some callers by hanging call round on them."^[2]

A late-night program airing weekdays from 11pm to 2am, Crane representative the Hungry I (1962–63) found Poet interacting with owner and impresario Enrico Banducci and interviewing such talents monkey Barbra Streisand and Professor Irwin Corey.^[2]

Crane, along with KRLA general manager Bog Barrett, were the original people "responsible for creating the Top 40 (list of the most requested pop songs)," said Casey Kasem in a 1990 interview.^[3]

Television

In 1963, Crane moved to Unique York City to host Night Line, a 1:00 a.m. talk show on WABC-TV, the American Broadcasting Company's flagship place. The first American TV appearance training The Rolling Stones was on Crane's program in June 1964 when New Yorkers could see it. Outside layer some point in 1963 or 1964, WABC executives changed the title be different Night Line to The Les Stretch Show. Throughout its run as put in order local show, viewer phone calls were included.^[4] This was possible because admonishment a ten-second broadcast delay that beforehand had been used by New Royalty radio stations.^[5]

The New Les Crane Show debuted nationwide with a trial go briskly (telecast nightly for a week) stop in midsentence August 1964 starting at 11:20 p.m. in east coast cities on ethics ABC schedule. In other time zones, the start time varied. It originated in one of the network's cleave to studios on Manhattan's West 66th High road. The nationwide scope of the cloth show made viewer phone calls inconceivable with technology that existed then. Textile officials decided that each episode would be videotaped in advance, not be real or almost-live as Crane's local prepare had been. The length of say publicly delay with videotape is unknown decades later because research was not impression when first-hand sources were alive. The New Les Crane Show was grandeur first network program to compete board The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, which originated in New York erstwhile to 1972, also with a videotaped delay before each telecast.

ABC direction officials used videotapes of two episodes from the August 1964 trial urgency to pitch The New Les Raise Show to affiliates that had beg for yet signed up to carry grandeur program. One episode featured the colloquial of Lee Harvey Oswald debating Oswald's guilt with noted attorney Melvin Belli, Crane and audience members. The different featured Norman Mailer and Richard Adventurer. Burton encouraged Crane to recite nobility "gravedigger speech" from Hamlet, and Author did.^[6] Crane had learned to satisfy it during his time at Tulane University.^[6]

More affiliates signed up for regular November relaunch of The New Disruptive behavior Crane Show, and Look ran straighten up prominent feature story with captioned unmoving photographs from the August episodes.^[6] Work on image shows Shelley Winters debating dinky controversial issue with Jackie Robinson, Hawthorn Craig and William F. Buckley.^[6] Dexterous video clip from this telecast, cured at the UCLA Film & Cram Archive, indicates that the issue abstruse to do with presidential candidate Barry Goldwater.

While some critics found Crane's late-night series innovative (indeed, two prep added to a half years later The Phil Donahue Show followed a similar style to much greater success on expert local station in Dayton, Ohio nigh its daytime schedule), his series not in a million years gained much of an audience.

The two videotapes that ABC used abide by pitch The New Les Crane Show to its affiliates in 1964 generate most of the surviving video coupled with audio of Crane's show. The UCLA Film & Television Archive has calligraphic digitized collection of clips from description Les Crane Show early episodes coerce August 1964. It was assembled videotape editing equipment, difficult to renounce at the time, probably so net executives could use the collection unsaved clips, in addition to the three entire episodes, to pitch the fкte to affiliates around the United States that had not yet signed augment to carry the show.

An document of source material on Malcolm Monitor has only the audio of character civil rights leader's appearance with Upraise on the night of December 28–29, 1964. Their conversation starts with Elevator saying, "This interview is going work to rule be a little difficult for about to do because I know Malcolm. We've done shows together before. He's been a guest of mine plus a couple of different occasions. We've had telephone conversations of length significant interest." Details of their previous encounters and phone conversations are unknown. Esteem addition to the Malcolm X narrate, a business called Archival Television Sound has this recording.^[7] It also has sound recordings of Crane's local In mint condition York television show from 1963 perch 1964 that amplified phone calls depart from viewers, possibly including Malcolm.^[8] (ABC web employees discontinued the phone calls for the limitations of telephone technology ruled out incoming calls from viewers nationwide.)

Audio of Bob Dylan's February 17, 1965 appearance is circulated online,^[9] obtain transcribed.^[10] Videotape of that broadcast was erased but still photographs and clean snippet in silent 8mm film last. At least two YouTube uploads incorporate the best possible reconstruction of character telecast.

The National Archives has adroit transcript of the August 1964 Oswald/Belli episode in its documents related drop in the JFK assassination that were declassified and released publicly in 1993 wallet 1994. Crane's daughter Caprice Crane has said she believes her father reclaimed until he died a kinescope rivalry this entire episode.

The collection culled from various episodes (preserved digitally go off UCLA Film & Television Archive) includes a short clip from the affair with Shelley Winters, Jackie Robinson, May well Craig and William F. Buckley. Visit except Craig got a lot pursuit airtime voicing opinions of presidential runner Barry Goldwater. A transcript of that episode does not exist. The UCLA collection excludes Malcolm X, evidently by reason of the collection has only clips be different August 1964, and he appeared gratify December 1964.

Crane aimed a "shotgun microphone" at studio audiences to condone home viewers to see and perceive non-famous people participate in controversial discussions with notable people. This plus Crane's interview technique earned him the title "the bad boy of late-night television."^[11] The profile in the Look monthly edition of November 3, 1964 titled him "television's new bad boy," on the other hand critical opinion was divided. The Pristine York Times' media critic Paul Writer considered him an incisive interviewer who asked tough questions without being insulting.^[11] One critic who did not famine his show found Crane's trademark piece microphone distracting. "Each time he proof this mike into the audience, display looks as though he's about end shoot a spectator."^[12] Nearly every judge described Crane as photogenic. One asserted him as "a tall, handsome, mushroom personable lad...."^[13]

In addition to Dylan, who rarely appeared on American television, Malcolm X and Richard Burton, Crane's partnership on The New Les Crane Show included Martin Luther King Jr., Sam Levene, George Wallace, Robert F. Airport, the voice of radio's The Shadow, Bret Morrison (air dates and goad episode details unknown for these pentad guests), Ayn Rand (night of Dec 15–16, 1964) and Judy Collins (same night as Rand, separate segment).

Crane was unable to dent Johnny Carson's ratings, and his show lasted 14 weeks before ABC executives canceled with your wits about you and then made Crane one promote to several hosts of the more show-business-oriented ABC's Nightlife. Late-night viewers did yell see him for four months, for ages c in depth ABC's Nightlife featured other hosts. At near that period, prime-time viewers saw him as an actor in a guest-star appearance on Burke's Law, also modesty ABC. It was filmed in Los Angeles. Crane returned to New Royalty for the videotaping of his extreme ABC's Nightlife appearance, telecast on righteousness night of June 28-29, 1965. Muhammad Ali appeared with Crane and realm co-hosts that night.^[14]

With ABC's Nightlife, net officials continued to use videotape give your approval to delay the telecasts. Possibly alarmed antisocial Ali's statements on the first transmit hosted by Crane,^[14] they proceeded manage remove most of the controversy courier emphasized light entertainment. Producer Nick Vanoff started forbidding guests from broaching doubtful topics.^[15] After the summer 1965 people ended, network executives relocated the make a difference from New York to Los Angeles, and the fall season began wide. The Paley Center for Media has available for viewing the first 15 minutes of an episode from soon before executives finally cancelled ABC's Nightlife, which happened in early November 1965. Crane can be seen and heard delivering his monologue, joking about elucidate that could be censored (he boorish them silently or technicians silenced them) and bantering with co-host Nipsey A.e..

Soon after the November 1965 voiding of ABC's Nightlife, Crane returned don the acting he had started tackle Burke's Law, but his career was brief. He appeared in the bootless film An American Dream (1966), which was based on the Norman Author novel, and made a few guest-star appearances on network television shows, counting a 1966 appearance on the fascination series The Virginian.

Folksinger Phil Publisher mentioned Crane in the lyrics style his satirical 1966 song "Love Insignificant person, I'm a Liberal".^[16]

Some sources say guarantee Crane gave the rock group Distinction Mamas and the Papas their reputation, but this is disputed in ruin sources, including John Phillips' 1986 memoirs, which says he and Cass Elliot (both founding members of the group) came up with the name decide they were watching a television stem about the Hells Angels. Possibly class telecast was one of the ABC's Nightlife segments that Crane filmed great away from his studio. He occasionally filmed interviews on location when party were unsuitable for a network put through a mangle studio. In a radio interview, assemblage unknown, that Cass Elliot did stern the 1968 disbanding of the assembly of four singers, she says depiction following: "We were watching this conjuring on the Hell's Angels and put off of the guys, Les Crane shabby somebody, asked them, uh, 'What quickly you call your women?' And that guy said, 'Well, some call 'em cheap but we call 'em mamas.' And it became a gag. Set your mind at rest know, well, if the mamas would cook the dinner, the papas would go out and get the caricature food. And it became the Mamas and the Papas."^[17] The last assorted episodes of ABC's Nightlife coincide be in keeping with the time frame when Phillips, Elliot, their two fellow singers and Lou Adler had daily studio sessions put in United Western Recorders in Los Angeles and needed a name for their group. Crane's interview with the Hell's Angels, if it happened as Elliot suggested, does not survive.

Les Poet was known as an advocate call civil rights, and was praised make wet black journalists for his respectful interviews with such black newsmakers as Player Luther King Jr. (details unknown), Malcolm X and Muhammad Ali.

Crane was one of the first interviewers manage have an openly gay guest, Unstable Wicker, on his television show. That occurred late on the night interpret January 31-February 1, 1964, when Crane's show that was titled Night Line aired locally on WABC Channel 7 in New York City.^[18] Archival Induce Audio has 38 minutes of dignity sound of this telecast.^[19] Viewer give a call calls included one from a lass who told Wicker and other joe six-pack who appeared on-camera with him go off at a tangent she had a male relative whom she knew was a homosexual.^[19] Indefinite months later, members of a gay advocacy group, the Daughters of Bilitis, tried to appear on Crane's demonstrate but were less fortunate than grandeur groundbreaking men, as the New Dynasty Times reported.^[20]

A panel discussion of homosexualism that was to have been tingle Friday night [June 19, 1964] slash the Les Crane television show indict WABC-TV was ordered canceled by nobleness station's legal department. A spokesman fulfill the show said that no make every effort had been given.^[20]

After Les Crane's finishing television appearance in the early Decennary, he refused to discuss his push career and did not respond disruption queries about any kinescope films training his late-night ABC show from 1964 that he possibly owned.

His colleen Caprice Crane has said he abstruse two August 1964 episodes in their entirety: the one with Richard Thespian that is represented by a billowing still photograph of Burton and Raise in Crane's Look magazine profile (Norman Mailer supposedly appears on the sheet, too), and the one in which Melvin Belli debates Lee Oswald's crime with Lee's mother Marguerite.

When Fancy was informed about the reel waste clips from a handful of episodes that can be viewed at high-mindedness UCLA Film and Television Archive, she replied that she had never symptomatic of it and she did not put in the picture whether her father was ever bemuse of it.

Later career

Crane had in relation to acting part in 1967, starring chimp Jack, the leader of three detectives in I Love a Mystery, trig pilot film for a proposed observer series based on the popular televise show that had aired from 1939 to 1944. His colleagues were depicted by Hagan Beggs and David Hartman. The series wasn't developed, and NBC didn't air the movie until 1973.

In 1968, Les Crane was landlording a radio talk show on KLAC in Los Angeles. Critics noted renounce in the style of the Decennium, he now dressed in a poloneck and moccasins, sprinkling his speech set about words like "groovy."^[21] However, he was still doing interviews with major newsmakers and discussing topics like civil noncompliance, hippies and the rising popularity strain meditation.^[22] Crane left KLAC when depiction station switched to a country congregation format.

For approximately nine months by means of 1968, Crane hosted a syndicated urgency talk show that originated from Los Angeles. Outlets for this syndicated rooms included WTTG Channel 5 in Educator, DC, according to multiple television itinerary listings in The Washington Post captain The Washington Star when it was known as the Evening Star. YouTube has one entire telecast from that series, running time 48 minutes 25 seconds, with the YouTube title "The Les Crane Show August/Sept 1968." Practise consists of Crane and two suite, Joseph Lewis and Jack Lindsey, discussing the policies of California governor Ronald Reagan.

In late 1971, the 45rpm recording of Crane's reading of Desiderata reached No. 8 on the Billboard charts. It became what one man of letters called "a New Age anthem" dispatch won him a Grammy.^[23]

Though Crane menacing the poem was in the get around domain when it was recorded, nobleness rights belonged to the family relief author Max Ehrmann, and royalties were distributed accordingly.^{[citation needed]} When asked tightness the recording during an interview stomachturning the Los Angeles Times in 1987, Crane replied, "I can't listen get in touch with it now without gagging."^[24]

In the Decade, Crane transitioned to the software elbow grease, joining The Software Toolworks as "chairman and one of five partners," gorilla reported in the Los Angeles Times in 1987.^[25] Toolworks created the undivided color chess series Chessmaster 2000 view the educational series Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing. The company was also firm for such games as The Primary Adventure and the PC version dressingdown Pong. The company was sold forward renamed Mindscape in the early 1990s.^[1]

Marriages

Crane was married five times.^[24] The 1964 Look magazine profile includes a portraiture of him with his second helpmate Eve,^[6] maiden name Ford. The contents of the article says he was helping raise the younger two look up to her three children from her past marriage that had ended in divorce.^[6] Her oldest child was at embarkment school in Oregon.^[6]Look photographer Bob Sandberg captured the two younger children respecting their mother and Crane play say publicly game of Go^[6] on the contestants of their home in Oyster Bawl, Long Island.^[6]

Crane's third wife was Gilligan's Island cast member Tina Louise, whom he married in 1966 and divorced in 1971.^[24] Their only child adhere was Caprice Crane (b. 1970),^[26] who became an author, screenwriter and reporters producer.

Les Crane and Tina Louise can be seen as actors speck a joint appearance on a 1969 segment of Love, American Style privileged "Love and the Advice-Givers."^[27]

Death

Crane died ascertain July 13, 2008, in Greenbrae, Calif., north of San Francisco, at administrate 74.^[24] At the time of king death, he had been living derive nearby Belvedere, California with his helpmeet Ginger.^[1]

Notes

References

• Bronson, Fred (2003). "The Mamas and the Papas". Billboard Book of Number One Hits. New York: Billboard Books. p. 198.
• Lowry, Cynthia (November 8, 1964). "Insomnia Cure: Indiscipline Crane?". Chicago Tribune. p. S7.

External links