RICHARD CRENNA

November 30, 1926

Richard Donald Crenna was born in Los Angeles, California, the only son of a pharmacist and a hotel manager. Following high school, Crenna served in the U.S. Army during World War II, where he saw combat in Belgium during the Battle of the Bulge. He also briefly served in the Pacific Theater of World War II. After World War II, Crenna attended the University of Southern California, where he earned a bachelor of arts degree in English literature.

In 1936, Crenna got his acting start on radio. In 1948, he originated the role of geeky Walter Denton on the radio comedy “Our Miss Brooks” alongside Eve Arden and Gale Gordon, and followed that role when the series moved to television in 1952. He remained in that role until 1957. 

He first worked with Lucille Ball when he appeared as a delivery boy on “My Favorite Husband” in “Liz Cooks Dinner for 12” on October 14, 1950. 

Crenna made his television debut on “I Love Lucy” in “The Young Fans” (S1;E20) first aired on February 25, 1952, but filmed on January 18, 1952. 

He played Arthur Morton, a teenager who has a crush on Lucy Ricardo. The character is virtually a carbon copy of Walter Denton (and even sounds similar). Throughout the episode, Walter dreams of marrying Lucy, which would make her Mrs. Morton. Coincidentally, she actually did become Mrs. Morton when she married Gary Morton in 1961, although his birth name was actually Goldaper. In 1981, Crenna and his co-star Janet Waldo (Peggy) both were voices in an animated “Daniel Boone”. 

From October 3, 1952 (the series premiere) to October 7, 1955, Crenna did 94 episodes of “Our Miss Brooks” on television. His final episode was intended to be part of season 3, but was postponed. The series was filmed at Desilu Studios and aired on CBS TV. During that time he naturally worked with many “I Love Lucy” veterans like Gale Gordon, Eve Arden, Jerry Hausner, Frank Nelson, Mary Jane Croft, Elvia Allman, Maurice Marsac, Joseph Kearns, Hy Averback, Herb Vigran, Parley Baer, Sid Melton, Gail Bonney, Sammy Ogg, and many others. 

From 1957 to 1963 Crenna returned to Desilu studios as a series regular on “The Real McCoys” playing Luke McCoy for 224 episodes. Like “Miss Brooks” the series featured many “Lucy” performers. He got experience as a director on 14 episodes. 

In 1963 and 1964, Crenna stayed on the Desilu back lot to direct eight episodes (but did not appear) of “The Andy Griffith Show.” 

In January 11, 1966, Crenna was a special guest contestant on “Password’s” Lucy and Friends week. 

Crenna was also a producer, and employed Lucille Ball for an episode of his “Make Room For Granddaddy” in 1971.  Lucille Ball recreated her Lucy Carter character opposite Danny Thomas as Danny Williams. 

In 1977, Crenna could be glimpsed in the audience when Lucille Ball paid tribute to Henry Fonda in “AFI Life Achievement Award: Henry Fonda”. 

Ball and Crenna were both on hand for CBS’s week-long celebration of their 50 years “On the Air” in late March 1978. Both were together for the parade of CBS stars on Sunday night, with Ball representing Mondays and Crenna grouped with the Friday stars along with Eve Arden. 

Their final screen credit together was another tribute, “The Friars Club Salute To Gene Kelly” in 1985. 

Later in life, he became one of Hollywood’s busiest actors, starring in “Vega$” and Sylvester Stallone’s Rambo films. 

In 1985 he won a Primetime Emmy Award for playing the title role in The Rape of Richard Beck (aka Deadly Justice) on ABC TV

His final screen appearance was the teleplay Out of the Ashes, which was aired posthumously in April 2003.  

Crenna married Joan Grisham in September 1950 and they divorced five years later with one child. He married Hannah ‘Penni’ Smith in 1957 and had 2 children.

Richard Crenna died at age 76 of heart failure on January 17, 2003.