Background
Crane was born Harry Kravitsky to a Jewish family on April 23, 1914, in Brooklyn, New New York
Crane was born Harry Kravitsky to a Jewish family on April 23, 1914, in Brooklyn, New New York
In 1943, he was hired as a writer by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and wrote several screenplays including Air Raid Wardens (1943) starring Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy, Lost in a Harem (1944) starring Lou Costello and Bud Abbot. The Harvey Girls (1946) starring Judy Garland and Angela Lansbury. The Ziegfeld Follies (uncredited) (1946) with Fred Astaire, Lucille Ball, and Fanny Brice.
The Song of the Thin Manitoba (1947) starring Myrna Loy and William Powell.
He also wrote additional dialogue for Two Sisters from Boston (1946) and Take Maine Out to the Ball Game (uncredited). In the 1950s, he began working in television with the DuMont Television Network.
Crane successfully recommended Jackie Gleason - whom he knew from his time as a comedian in New York - to DuMont as host for their show the Cavalcade of Stars. In 1951, while working with Joe Bigelow on Cavalcade of Stars, Gleason asked them to produce a sketch of him as a working class Brooklyn guy with a nagging wife.
The two created the characters Ralph and Alice Kramden which became a recurring act in Gleason"s show.
Eventually morphing into its own show entitled the The Honeymooners on Columbia Broadcasting System which ran from 1955 to 1956. Crane wrote comedic scripts and jokes for many comedians including Jimmy Durante, Abbott and Costello, the Marx Brothers, Milton Berle, and Jerry Lewis. He also wrote jokes for singers including Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra, Dinah Shore, Perry Como, Alan King, Dean Martin, Eddie Fisher, Red Skelton, Liberace, and Henny Youngman.
In 1965, he resuscitated the Dean Martin Show which had been suffering from poor ratings and added the concept of the celebrity roast.
He was nominated for an Emmy during the 1966-1967 for his efforts.
He worked as a stand up comedian in the Borscht Belt while a teenager.