The

The The 1960s. Every channel on the TV had some sort of cheesy comedy ripe with ill-timed laugh

tracks and poorly executed jokes. But there was one comedy series that dared to stand out from

the rest. Hogan's Heroes. It was a CBS series

loosely based on popular World War II movies, like The Great Escape, during which a colorful

cast of American Prisoners of War would constantly outsmart the leaders of the Third Reich.

It may sound like there wouldn't be that far as series like this could go,

but the writers and producers managed to string this concept out for a whopping six seasons,

making almost everyone involved in the show a huge success.

But very few of them were quite as successful as the show's top dog, Bob Crane.

Bob played Colonel Robert Hogan, the leader of this rag-tag team of inmates who was always popular with the ladies.

And for Bob Crane, playing Colonel Robert Hogan was the highlight of his career.

Bob had first started out in the military, and then as a radio

host on the Bob Crane Show. There he mingled with celebrities and rub shoulders with producers,

which got him interviews with some of the top names in the industry at the time. Marylyn Monroe,

Bob Hope, Charlton Heston, all appeared on Bob's show. But it was when he

interviewed TV writer Carl Reiner that his luck really turned around. Carl Reiner offered Bob Crane a part

on the Dick Van Dyke show. It was only a one-off deal where Bob would play the role of a cheating

husband, but it did get Bob a foot in the door.

After proving that he had acting skills to do the job, Bob was offered a permanent role playing

a dentist on the Donna Reed Show. It was then, with his fame building and his star rising,

that Bob's agent came across the script for Hogan's heroes and passed it along to Bob.

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