Wow... you know, I was just reading up on some of the other cast members (I say "other" since, as I said before, I already know quite a bit about Richard Dawson) to get a better idea about them and their contributions to the series... and... about Bob Crane... all I can say is "wow"... you know, I know I shouldn't put my foot in my mouth... but, I'm going to go out on a limb and guess that when it came time for him to go, he went straight to "heck" in a handbasket...
If you want to learn more about Bob Crane, check out the film
Auto Focus (2002). It stars Greg Kinnear as Crane, who does an excellent job in the role. Although Kinnear may not look very much like Crane, he has that same "everyman" quality. The film chronicals his life from when he was a popular morning disc jockey to getting
Hogan's to his interest in home movies to the dark, final days. Interesting use of film stock, too. The early days are shot in bright colors, and as the film goes on and Crane's life and career spin out of control, the film takes on a darker, more grittier look. Willem Dafoe co-stars as John Carpenter, the man who (according to the film) led Crane astray from a straight-laced family man to a world of decadance. He was also a prime suspect in Crane's death, but to this day it remains unsolved. Anyway,
Auto Focus is worth checking out.
Sad really, about Bob Crane. After his radio work (he had a popular show right here in CT, and was actually born here), and before
Hogan's, he longed to be a serious actor, and as he says in the film, "play Jack Lemmon roles." When
Hogan's was cancelled, he tried getting legit movies, but his reputation was already tarnished with his extracurricular activities. He made two Disney films,
Superdad and
Gus (about a football-playing mule), but never had the chance to make any movies of note. Today one of his sons has an internet business in which he sells his father's "home movies," claiming has pop was a pioneer in that particular field.